Antic disposition Why Should I Care

Why Should I Care?

It's a central question in the play: is Hamlet just pretending to go mad, or has he actually lost his marbles? Depends who you ask. Shakespeare seems to draw our attention to the performance of it all—the madness and the entire play—rather than the cuckoo stuff itself. Why?

Because Hamlet is self-reflexive: it constantly draws attention to the fact that it's a play. By taking on various theatrical roles, like "antic" or "revenge hero," Hamlet is pushing us to ask just how much of our identity is based on performance. How much we're all actors ourselves.

Now you might swear you never perform, but think about it this way: have you ever used pretended to be happy to see someone when you weren't? Or put on a super professional face while making a presentation during school? Then you know what we're talking about. A lot of what we say and do in everyday life is, on some level, just an act. Are we putting that "antic disposition" on, or is that who we really are?