Hamlet's feigned madness compares to Ophelia's genuine madness in many ways. Two ways in which they are similar is that both were caused by the death of a loved one. Hamlet's was caused by the news that his father's brother Claudius murdered his father. Ophelia's madness was caused by the murder of her father, Polonius. Another way in which both insanities were similar, was that they both caused many people to become concerned about Hamlet's and Ophelia's health.
             Hamlet and Ophelia's madness was caused by the death of their fathers. When the ghost told Hamlet that his brother Claudius murdered him by pouring the poisonous "juice of hebona" into his ear, Hamlet swore that he would exact revenge. Hamlet feigns insanity as a means of executing his plot. After Hamlet is done talking to the ghost in Act 1 Scene 5, he forces Horatio and Marcellus to swear that they will not make a comment about his strange behavior should he choose to "put an antic disposition on" or act deranged. After Polonius' death, Ophelia has a nervous breakdown. Ophelia now goes around singing about how her father has been murdered. She wanders around glassy-eyed, searching for her father and lamenting about her life. From here, we see that Hamlet's feigned madness and Ophelia's genuine madness were both direct results of the murders of their fathers.
             Hamlet and Ophelia both have many people concerned about their madness. While Hamlet is acting mad, Gertrude and Claudius are both very concerned about his health. Claudius sends Hamlet out of Denmark so that Hamlet should clear his head. Claudius hopes that while Hamlet is preoccupied in Denmark, he would forget about the death of his father and stop insane behavior. Gertrude is also worried about Hamlet. She tells Hamlet to stop thinking about the death of his father and to get on with his life. Ophelia also has many peopl...