I've been fiddling with the intro to my Shakespeare paper: (here's what I have so far)

“For those whom God to ruin designed. He fits for fate, and first destroys their mind.” -John Dryden

Shakespeare focuses on many different elements and themes in his various plays. One theme in particular that he often repeats and as the quote above describes, is the theme of insanity. This is expressed in two of his most famous plays: Hamlet and MacBeth, however while one uses insanity in a deep and complex manner, the other, reportedly Shakespeare’s darkest play is blunt and simple, respectively. Yet insanity is the common driving force that affects the characters, plots and ultimately is responsible for the chaotic tragic stories that unravel in the end of each. The questions then asked are whether insanity is good or bad, necessary or redundant in a tragedy? Would Hamlet and MacBeth be any more or less successful if their main characters were not affected by insanity? To elaborate, using John Dryden’s quote above, insanity and fate are linked, and used interconnectively in Shakespeare’s writing, therefore in terms of chaos and tragedy, insanity is good, and good insanity leads to a successful tragedy.