Mad For Love

Ophelia: My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors,--he comes before me.Polonius: Mad for thy love?
Ophelia: My lord, I do not know; But truly, I do fear it. (Act II, Scene I, 79)

     At this point in the play, Hamlet has just seen his father's ghost and been informed that he was murdered by his own brother and Hamlet's uncle. Obviously, Hamlet is quite shaken both from the sight of the apparition and also from the revelation of his father's murder by the new king. Hamlet feels scared and betrayed, so it is understandable that Hamlet may seem upset. In the previous scene, Hamlet told Horatio and the other guards that he was going to pretend to be mad from now on in order to discover the truth about his father's death. This makes it unclear whether or not Hamlet is acting or not when he goes to see Ophelia. Since Ophelia knows nothing about Hamlet's mission for revenge, she is frightened by Hamlet's deranged appearance.
     To see the ghost, he had to wait outdoors with the guards all night, so it isn't surprising that he appears a bit disheveled. Ophelia describes that Hamlet has his "doublet all unbraced," and his "stockings foul'd," Due to what he has been doing and where he has been all night, his appearance isn't really surprising. However, Ophelia knows nothing of the ghost or it's message to Hamlet, so it is understandable that she would be surprised by his appearance. She also says that Hamlet was as "pale as his shirt" and his knees were "knocking each other". These are signs of great fear, which make sense because he has literally just seen a ghost. She describes that he looks "piteous," and "as if he had been loosed out of hell," This statement connects to the ghost and reminds the audience that Hamlet is dealing with matters of heaven and hell.
     Hamlet is in love with Ophelia, who has been refusing to see him according to her father's wishes. It seems logical that after being terrified by his father's ghost and being told that his new stepfather killed him, Hamlet might seek out comfort in Ophelia. She is naive and innocent and Hamlet loves her. Hamlet could view her as a distraction from the horrors he is facing in his life. However, by going to her while still unhinged, he causes her and her father to believe that he has gone mad because Polonius has forbidden Ophelia to see him. Polonius believes that Hamlet is "mad for [Ophelia's] love" and Ophelia even admits that she is afraid it might be true.
     The ghost of Hamlet's father has made a huge reveal to Hamlet. He is obviously very shaken after finding out about the murder and seeks the comfort of the woman he loves. However, because he doesn't trust women, he doesn't reveal to her the truth about what is going on with him. His lack of honesty, dishevelment, and shaken behavior lead Ophelia and her father to believe that Hamlet has become mad for love.