Activity 1.6

In Shakespear's "Hamlet", the king is supposedly killed in his sleep by a snake bite. The king's son, Hamlet responds by pretty much turning emo and started to wear black all the time and distanced himself from others. Once it is revealed to him that it was his own uncle who killed his father Hamlet devises a plan to prove it beyond a doubt and then to exact revenge. In order to buy himself time and to offer an excuse for his odd behaviour, he (supposedly) pretends to go crazy. 

This transformation acted like a distraction in order for him to plan his revenge upon the king. And it worked very well. This is evident in the fact that no one ever suspects him of conspiring against the king. They all simply think he HAS gone mad, except for the people who were with him on the forst knight he talked to the ghost. 

"...How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, 

    As I perchance hereafter shall think meet 
    To put an antic disposition on...."

                (Act I Scene V)

To put on an antic disposition is pretty much to act crazy.

Hamlet's transformation is interpreted by Gertrude and Claudius as Hamlet just not being able to get over the death of his father. After a while they get Hamlet's friends to come and try to find out whats wrong.

Ophelia reacted to Hamlet's act by going crazy herself and eventually (presumebly) offing herself.

Horatio doesn't really react because Hamlet tells him before hand that he is going to act crazy.