Both Hamlet and McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest are admirable because they are able to play mind games with the other characters and can manipulate various situations with their wit and intellect. They are both able to insult their enemies to their faces and then blame it on their insanity to bail them out of trouble. This tactic backfires for both Hamlet and McMurphy as they become consumed with these petty mind games rather than focusing on the big picture. The strengths of these great masterminds become the reason for their downfall as it causes them to be indecisive and prevents them from acting promptly when the need arises.
             Hamlet is a brilliant character and is able to analyze characters and situations down to the very last detail.
             "One speech in it I chiefly loved:
             'twas Aeneas' tale to Dido; and thereabout of it
             especially, where he speaks of Priam's slaughter: if it
             live in your memory, begin at this line; let me see,
             let me see-..." (II, ii, 442-446).
             Hamlet demonstrates his brilliance in this situation by concocting a scheme to determine the true nature of his uncle Claudius' motifs and intentions. Hamlet tells one of the actors in an upcoming play to display the death of the main character as a horrendous murder, parallel to how he believes his father was killed by Claudius. Hamlet will then carefully observe his uncle, King of Denmark, as the play progresses and will analyze whether or not he was responsible for his father's death by judging his reactions towards the brutal killing in the play. Another example of Hamlet's shrewd character is the way he imitates madness in his speech so that Polonius will not recognize the insults he directs at him. For instance, when Polonius first encounters Hamlet, the prince uses a book as a ploy to offend both the old man and his daughter Ophelia. He calls Polonius "a fishmonger" (II, ii, 174) and hi...