Popular culture has labeled madness a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or rash behavioral patterns. In Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet deteriorates into a madman, losing grips on reality until ultimately dying as a result of his insanity. In the beginning of the play, Horatio and Marcellus inform Hamlet that they have seen a ghost and Hamlet is convinced to face it. In an attempt to protect Hamlet, they try to hold Hamlet back. Marcellus states; “Be ruled. You shall not go” (1.5.55). Hamlet threatens Marcellus and states; “My fate cries out; And makes each petty arture in this body; As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve; Still am I called. Unhand me, gentlemen; By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of hum that lets me! I say, away!-Go on. I’ll follow thee” (1.5.55). Hamlet does not think of the dangers and makes a rash decision to go and face the ghost. These are characteristics of madness. Hamlet sees the ghost of his dead father. While this incident is strange and might cause the audience to speculate Hamlets sanity, Marcellus and Horatio also see the ghost. This ghost is not just in Hamlet’s mind. During the encounter with the ghost, Hamlet is asked to avenge his father’s death. Hamlet then becomes fixated on the revenge of his father. He does not want to be too conspicuous so he derives a plan to not attract attention: “How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself; As I perchance hereafter shall think meet; To put an antic disposition on” (1.5.67). Hamlet tells the men around him that he will pretend to be mad. By hamlet pretending to be mad he is gaining time to make a decision about his revenge. However, even though Hamlet is pretending to be mad to kill Claudius, a turn of events happens and Hamlets true madness manifests. Hamlet storms into a chamber to confront his the queen and moments later notices a man behind the arras; "How now! a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!" (3.4.25). Hamlet