Psychological State of Madness - 1088 Words

Madness is the psychological state of someone who has severe emotional or behavioral problems that require intervention. It is the spectrum of behavior characterized by mental or behavioral patterns deemed abnormal by societal norms, manifesting as violations of acceptable actions, roles, and beliefs of society. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman centers on the deteriorating mental condition of the female narrator. Gilman demonstrates the progression of her madness through the restriction of her self-expression. As a woman in the 19th century, the narrator exists in a subservient role to her husband and has inferior social status to men. Her social standing dictates that she is not allowed to participate in her own treatment or diagnosis and is completely forced to succumb to everything in which her doctor, who is her husband, dictates. This lack of control contributes to her descent into madness. The rest cure prescribed by her physician husband provided the environmen t for her madness to flourish because it was only by succumbing to her imagination that she retains some control and could exercise the power of her mind. Her husband John is displayed as the strong, practical, and stereotypically masculine who dominates the narrator in a controlling and patronizing manner. He is skeptical of her condition, diagnosing her sickness as merely nervousness and prescribes the rest cure as treatment. She is certain that she needs the opposite of the rest cure; thatShow MoreRelatedHamlet s Madness Is Less Than Madness And More Than Feigned779 Words   |  4 Pages3rd Period Dec. 17. 2015 Fact or Fake? â€Å"Hamlet’s madness is less than madness and more than feigned†. What is madness? Mad is a word with such uncertainty that it can be stretched to mean an abundance of things more than just pure psychological instability: a weariness of life; a suicidal impulse; a plotting charisma. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, a wild disagreement has been consequent for a series of years in the case of the madness of Hamlet, the play s central narrative, was justifiableRead MoreMadness Vs Madness967 Words   |  4 Pages1. The entire relationship of mental illness and madness and where they stand can be easily identified the past versus the present. Mental or psychological illness, is more commonly seen in today’s society and norm’s, where as madness still occurs yet has a completely different meaning. Madness originally took on the role of a disability, and madness was a concept, that those before us thought, which answered what mental illness truly was. The relevancy between these two concepts are important tooRead MoreA Brilliant Madness about John Forbes Nash Essay1458 Words   |  6 Pagesillness or madness can be an escape also† (qtd. in â€Å"John Forbes Nash†). To many â€Å"normal† people, the terms â€Å"insanity† or â€Å"madness† portray a negative connotation-- the unfortunate ones â€Å"suffer† from mental illness. However, brilliant mathematician and Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash, who has paranoid schizophrenia, cherishes his unique condition as a means of retreat from the brutalities of reality (â€Å"John Forbes Nash†). Since ancient times, people have observed the link between madness and creativeRead MoreHamlet by William Shakespeare656 Words   |  3 Pagesit. There is plenty of psychological depth behind Hamlet’s madness. One could easily argue that Hamlet isn’t actually mad. Hamlet understands that it wouldn’t be wise to immediately kil l Claudius because that means Claudius would be sent to heaven. This doesn’t sit well with Hamlet and feels that Claudius deserves to suffer. Hamlet uses the situation of his father being murdered and concludes that acting mad is the only way to fix the situation. Hamlet uses madness to serve as a motive forRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet, The Most Famous Being Hamlet s Own Emotional State1661 Words   |  7 Pagesemotional state. His madness, triggered by his incestuous uncle, has led several scholars to explore the psychological causes of his madness. This research into Hamlet’s madness will explore his madness in comparison to other characters, the psychoanalytical studies behind his madness, and defining whether his madness is genuine or another play within the play. His mother and his uncle have married after only 2 months of Hamlet’s father’s death. This has caused Hamlet to be in a heavy state of angerRead MoreTheme Of Violence In Macbeth1186 Words   |  5 Pagesreveals the psychological state of the characters. Throughout the piece, different levels of dishonourable violent actions reflect a character’s sanity level. Honourable violence shows a sane mind, whereas dishonourable physical violence starts the descent toward madness and dishonourable psychological violence shortens a character’s path to insanity. Shakespeare displays a correlation between the sanity of a person and the intent of their violence, which creates insight about the mental state of thatRead MoreKing Lear Madness Essay1737 Words   |  7 PagesWhat defines madness? Is it a state of being that is derived from deterioration of the brain, or is it just extremely foolish behavior created by mayhem and chaos? Perhaps, it is a collaboration of th e two, for without sane cognition the basis of irrationality would not be present, such is the case of King Lear. He is a man riddled with madness inside and out, yet through his state of frenzy and turmoil, Lear unveils unexpected guidance, validity, and enlightenment. It seems impossible for two opposingRead MoreThe Monster Of The White City By Erik Larson1637 Words   |  7 Pagesherself on believing that a prescribed drug given from pharmaceutical doctors are making them feel better. Madness in today’s world can be covered up by those medications, unless everyone is brainwashed in believing that it can. In present society, medicine given to people to â€Å"treat† them for certain mental illnesses is normal to see. In the nineteenth century, people who suffered from mental madness had to deal with the insanity, such as depression or hearing voices, without any help. They had to goRead MoreComparison of Miss Havisham and Lady Macbeth Essay1347 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout both ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Macbeth’ surroundings are used to influence and define Miss Havisham’s and Lady Macbeth’s characteristics. These surroundings are not only physical, but also psychological; found in their relationships and trauma from past events. Although both women are presented in different forms Lady Macbeth is also strongly influenced by her physical surroundings. Like Miss Havisham, her home is metaphorical of her characteristics. She lives in a great castle fromRead MoreMind and Hamlet1132 Words   |  5 Pagesthemes, such as revenge, realisation of reality and the questioning of humanity, we can see the different possibilities within Hamlet as an â€Å"admirable text† with enduring human value. Furthermore, the emotional journey of Hamlet and his progression of madness provide further opportunity for differing interpretations. Hamlet connects with audiences from a variety of socio-historic contexts primarily due to its address of fundamental human issues and what it is to be human. Hamlet s soliloquy at the end