Nathanial Emmons once said: "Madness destroys reason, but not wit." As the most dominant and intelligent species on this planet, humanity exists in all types of environments and cultures, but if there's one thing that all of humanity shares, it's our capacity for madness. What exactly is it that pushes all men and women to a point that so few are willing to overcome? The answer, as many might imagine, is clearly our emotions. Emotions are the byproduct of our situation and interactions with the world, and how we respond to a particular situation can be influenced by our emotions. It is possible not to cry at an emotional moment in a film, and it is also possible not to sob at the funeral of a loved one, but as the Prince of Denmark demonstrated in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, human nature is not without its flaws and despite an individual's devotion to their principles, there is a point at which all men and women will act impulsively because they have succumbed to the whims of their emotions. Hamlet's case is interesting because compared to the average man; Hamlet is initially portrayed as a very rational and calculating individual despite his emotional distress due to the death of his father. It is this anguish that paves the way for his descent into madness and, ultimately, is the root cause of his self-destruction. You could say that the bridge to madness for Hamlet begins first with his grief, which creates his inner turmoil over whether to live or die. Then, once the cause of his anguish is discovered, Hamlet allows his obsession to avenge his father's death to consume him. The obsession leads him to the end of his journey (and moment of emotional instability) where he confronts his mother... middle of paper... controls his relationships; this causes him to lose control of his emotions and he makes a single fatal error in judgment, culminating in his downfall. Therefore, to prevent one's escalation into madness, one should not focus on how to conquer the bridge, but focus on how to avoid it. It therefore seems prudent to know that, although humanity is capable of much, it is also capable of dying alone, and that no one is infallible with respect to their emotions. Works Cited Birenbaum, Harvey. “To be and not to be”. Pacific Coast Philology 16.1 (1981): 19-28. McCanse, Ralph A. “Hamlet's Unbalance.” College English 10.8 (1949): 476-478.McCloskey, John C. “Hamlet's Search for Certainty” College English 2.5 (1941): 445-451.Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat. , Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.