Hamlet's Emotional Detach

Throughout the first four acts of the play Hamlet is presented by Shakespeare as a composed, intellectually aware individual, who is very aware of the emotions that drive him to seek revenge against his uncle. However at the start of act V when Hamlet is presented with the death Ophelia, a death he is completely liable for, he seems to be numb to the event. While I admit that he obviously is filled with rage and temporarily loses his better senses when he attacks Laertes. In general though, I noticed that Hamlet was really unable to sincerely embrace the fact that Ophelia was dead. To me it seemed like the his heart has become numb and detached from the realities of the life he is living. In his quest to avenge his father he has sacrificed his sole, his feelings, and his life. I believe that Shakespeare uses the scene with Ophelia's death to present a theme of the unexpected draw backs of a revenge driven mind. I also believe that Hamlet has spent such a long period of time pretending to be mad that this has also contributed to his detachment from reality. His inability to sincerely interact with family members and most friends created a gap between Hamlet and many of the stabilizing forces in his life. With his mother thinking he is crazy and his lover thinking he the same, I believe that it would be very difficult for someone to stay the same person. Living a lie thus proves to be the other contributing factor in the deterioration of hamlet's emotional capacities.