Sane or Insane - that is the question How can a person know if another individual is truly insane or just pretending to be insane ? This question is hotly debated through Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet. As part of his plan for revenge against his uncle Claudius, Hamlet pretends to be mad. In this state of mind, Hamlet does not appear to pose a threat and avoids arousing the king's suspicions. Some believe that Hamlet descends into madness when he feigns madness; others believe that Hamlet remains sane. Even as a depressed actor imitating a state of madness, Hamlet continues to subtly demonstrate rational behavior throughout the play. According to some, depression can turn into madness if left untreated. After hearing Ophelia recount Hamlet's peculiar behavior, Polonius appears as the first to call Hamlet mad (Ham. 2.2.108). The king and queen take Polonius' word and never draw their own conclusions about Hamlet's behavior. No one takes the time to realize that Hamlet's words and actions demonstrate intelligence. Additionally, the majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia are not violent. Instead, those diagnosed tend to exhibit symptoms including a nonsensical way of speaking, feelings of indifference, personality change, withdrawal from social situations, inability to sleep, irrational anger toward loved ones and bizarre behavior (“schizophrenia…”). Throughout the play, Hamlet exhibits these symptoms. Some may be due to his depression; but as an actor he could easily fake many symptoms. A more effective method of discerning mental state would benefit more individuals and assist the justice system in today's world, allowing for more accurate sentencing. An individual's mental health determines how others treat them. For example, a murderer could plead insanity – as in the case of the Kalamazoo Uber driver shooting – and potentially receive a “lesser” sentence. Hamlet accidentally murders Polonius, but the king does not punish him, in part because he attributes the act of violence to Hamlet's madness (Ham. 4.1.35). If dangerous criminals can “evade” the law based on their mental stability, a definitive method for determining their mental state must be created. In the case of Hamlet, the multiple instances of rational behavior proved to be the crucial dividing point between the sane and the mad. A properly diagnosed person cannot be sane one minute and crazy the next, as if on a whim. Hamlet showed this "crossing" the boundaries of sanity and he turned out to be completely sane, just depressed. The presence of rational behavior is what makes the final judgment on an individual's life.