Hamlet's Ancient Disposition: The Prince of DenmarkIn William Shakespeare's tragedy; Hamlet: The Prince of Denmark, Hamlet's character's madness turns into his reality rather than an old-fashioned disposition. Although madness is a condition that is difficult to determine whether it is true or not, Hamlet goes mad during his journey to avenge his father's death. Hamlet completes his task without being noticed, at the beginning he decided to take on an unpleasant character but in the end it becomes his reality. As a result, he continues to exhibit episodes of erratic behavior. The writer of this tragic comedy; William Shakespeare leaves it up to the audience to conclude whether Hamlet is simply enacting an old-fashioned character act or is simply not truly mad. Throughout the play Hamlet's madness is questioned and explored through his actions of true madness, feigned madness and the reactions and opinions of others towards his madness. For example, Hamlet's madness can be seen as acts of feigned old-fashioned disposition. For example, in the exchange of words that Hamlet had with Polonius he is extremely sarcastic. In one in particular Hamlet continues to ridicule Polonius by taking advantage of his old-fashioned nature. Hamlet states: “Slanders, sir; for the satirical knave here says/ That old men have gray beards; that their faces are wrinkled; their eyes purged thick amber and/ plum gum” (2.2, 197-199). Hamlet uses his act of old-fashioned disposition to insult Polonius indirectly by making an allusion to the theme of his book to fit Polonius's physical description. Hamlet's ingenious use of sarcasm conveys that he has not completely lost his mind and is not mad. Another piece of evidence to support the fact that Hamlet's madness is...half of the paper...illness", meaning that in their eyes he cannot be cured. His madness is no longer justified by the pain for the death of his father, from his mother's marriage or from disappointment in love. During the Renaissance, madness was seen as a disease that was acquired by letting the devil into one's life. Claudius ordered that a distance be kept from oneself himself under the assumption that he had an "illness" and was dangerous. Hamlet's madness is questionable through Hamlet's actions of real madness, feigned actions, and the reactions and opinions that others have towards his madness of the play the antiquated dispositions of Hamlet's acts progressively lead to his fall from feigned actions to true madness and the reactions of others to his actions further demonstrate that his state of mind is unstable .His madness becomes his overall reality during his journey to avenge his father's death.