Manic HamletManic: suffering from violent madness. When one is affected by mania, it becomes the dictator of one's actions. This is true in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. In the play, Hamlet is depressed to the point of mania. His entire existence is immersed in his melancholy. Hamlet's words, thoughts, interactions, and most importantly, his actions make his sadness an undeniable reality. Hamlet's degree of depression is determined by his boredom, and his own melancholy is revealed through his persistence. Throughout the play, Hamlet's actions are tormented by his overbearing depression. This depression in combination with Hamlet's mania is what makes Hamlet a sufferer of bipolar disorder. Psychologically, mania is described as a mood disorder characterized by euphoric states, extreme physical activity, excessive talkativeness, distraction, and sometimes grandiosity. During manic periods a person becomes "high", extremely active, excessively talkative, and easily distracted. During these periods the self-esteem of the affected person is also often greatly inflated. These people often become aggressive and hostile towards others as their self-esteem becomes increasingly inflated and exaggerated. In extreme cases (like Hamlet's) the manic person may become constantly wild or violent until reaching the point of exhaustion. Manic depressives often get little or no sleep during their episodes. At the beginning of the play Hamlet is portrayed as a stable individual. He expresses disappointment at his mother for her apparent disregard for his father's death. His feelings are justified and his actions are rational at this point, he describes himself as genuine. As this scene progresses, it is revealed that Hamlet considers himself weak: "My father's brother, but no more like my father / Than I am to Hercules" (1.2.153). The doubts Hamlet has regarding his heroism become particularly evident in his actions as the story progresses. These doubts are a big obstacle to his thoughts of revenge. Hamlet wishes to avenge his father's murder and correct this great injustice. The conflict between his desire for revenge and his thoughts of incompetence is the cause of his initial turmoil. “Let me know that I, with swift wings / Like meditation or thoughts of love, / can sweep away my vengeance (1.5.29-31). Here Hamlet pleads with King Hamlet's ghost to reveal the name of his murderer.