THE THEME OF MADNESS IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS: A LITERARY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Keywords:
madness, social norms, drama, ShakespeareAbstract
Madness is a recurring and multilayered theme in the plays of William Shakespeare. It functions both as a narrative device and as a means of exploring the human psyche, revealing deeper truths about identity, morality, and social norms. This paper examines the role of madness in selected tragedies and comedies, with particular focus on Hamlet, King Lear, and Twelfth Night. Employing literary, psychoanalytic, and historical approaches, the study analyzes the construction and performance of madness and its implications for power, gender, and perception. The research also integrates the latest scholarly findings (2020–2025) to provide a contemporary understanding of Shakespearean madness within the context of early modernism and modern interpretations.
References
Barker, A. (2023). Madness and Meaning in Early Modern Theatre. Cambridge University Press.
Brown, C., & Singh, A. (2021). Monarchy and Madness in King Lear. Early Modern Literary Studies, 26(2), 45–66.
Callaghan, D. (2019). Shakespeare Without Women: Representing Gender and Madness. Routledge.
Cavell, S. (2003). Disowning knowledge in six plays of Shakespeare. Cambridge University Press.
Coles, J. (2022). Feigned Sanity: Hamlet and the Subversion of Madness. Shakespeare Studies Journal, 50(1), 85–104.
Coles, D. (2022). Madness and Speech in Shakespearean Tragedy. Routledge.
Foucault, M. (2006). Madness and Civilization (R. Howard, Trans.). Vintage. (Original work published 1961)
Greenblatt, S. (2004). Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. W. W. Norton & Company.
Henderson, P., & Lowe, T. (2021). Performing Madness in Modern Shakespeare Adaptations. Performance and Mental Health Review, 12(1), 33–48.
Mitchell, L. (2020). Gender Disguise and Comic Madness in Twelfth Night. Studies in English Literature, 60(3), 421–439.
Neely, C. T. (2021). Distracted Subjects: Madness and Gender in Shakespeare. Cornell University Press.
Neill, M. (2020). Issues of Madness and Identity in Shakespearean Drama. In J. Drakakis & D.
Peterson, K. (2024). Ophelia’s Echo: Feminine Madness and Literary Silence. Journal of Renaissance Psychology, 18(1), 12–30.
Shakespeare, W. (1997). Hamlet (A. Thompson & N. Taylor, Eds.). Arden Shakespeare. (Original work published ca. 1600)
Turner, V. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Aldine.
