ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -"Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” (3) shows the intelligence of Claudius. he is suspicious of Hamlets madness and also knows the damage on insane leader can cause. He has to be careful because he doesn’t want to be caught.

Detailed explanation-2: -Madness in great ones must not unwatched go Claudius probably does not still believe Hamlet is mad, but since Polonius does, he uses this belief as an excuse to send Hamlet away. This is ironic because he could better “watch” Hamlet’s madness if he were still in Elsinore.

Detailed explanation-3: -Claudius says that Hamlet’s strange behavior has clearly not been caused by love for Ophelia and that his speech does not seem like the speech of insanity. He says that he fears that melancholy sits on something dangerous in Hamlet’s soul like a bird sits on her egg, and that he fears what will happen when it hatches.

Detailed explanation-4: -Claudius’ murdering of his brother, the king is the first murderous act of mental illness in the story and it sets into course the madness of many other characters. Murdering one’s brother so that they may marry their sister in law is not the act or desire of a sane person.