Comparative Analysis of the Madness of Hamlet and Jia Baoyu

Jia Baoyu and Hamlet are respectively the representatives of classic "madness" images in Chinese and Western literature. And their embodiment of madness images is also strongly contrasted in the context of different cultural values. By comparing the descriptions and meanings of "madness" in the two images, it is of great significance to the in-depth understanding of the two classic works, The Dream of the Red Chamber and Hamlet, as well as the perception of madness in Chinese and Western literature. This paper discusses the value conflicts and the concept of life and death behind the two literary characters, starting from the causes of madness. The research demonstrates that "Madness" is essentially the attitude and perspective towards human nature, and that both Chinese and Western cultures try in different means to integrate moral discipline and true nature into one, so as to achieve the redemption and sublimation of humanistic glory