*NOTE: This review was written as part of my AP Literature & Composition practice, and as such, might appear rushed (I timed myself 40 minutes).

PROMPT: One definition of madness is “mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it.” But Emily Dickinson wrote

Much madness is divinest Sense— To a discerning Eye—

Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a “discerning Eye.” Select a novel or play in which a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the “madness” to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

"Insanity" is something often misinterpreted, not always being what it seems. In some cases, madness can even be an act of kindness; it can be a form of protection. In Hiroshi Hamasaki's critically-acclaimed animated series, Steins;Gate, the story starts with an eccentric, self-proclaimed mad scientist "Hyouin Kyouma"—Okabe Rintarou. Although the audience makes gestures towards his unseemly demeanor, his abnormal characteristics, and his funny, albeit quirky state of mind, it is later revealed that Okabe can be more benevolent than he seems. As we follow Okabe in his thrilling ventures to shield those around him from fate through time travel, the author accurately notions that madness, though characteristically associated with bad deeds, is not always a form of evil.

In the story's exposition, Okabe is labeled weird by those around him. He makes constant remarks towards an unknown "Organization" that chases after him; he treats his immediate friends as numbered "lab members"; and, most relevant to the plot, he portrays himself as someone who is strong, capable of protecting others. Though these acts are not customary in normal humans, Okabe is more normal than anyone else. He does not lack affection—in fact, most of his "evil" remarks towards his comrades are meant to be forms of friendly banter, not malicious statements insulting them. He entertains others, he tries to make people laugh—just like anybody else. In his mind, acting the part of a delusional scientist is the perfect way to convey his caring, amiable nature, a notion likely influenced by his childhood spent playing with his discordant childhood friend Mayuri Shiina. Although Okabe portrays himself as an evil person plighted by bad deeds, he is gentler than anyone else, underscoring the idea that first-glance assumptions are weak in the face of one's true rationale.

Moreover, Okabe's benevolent characteristics shine in his harrowing, yet influential experience as he endlessly attempts to save Mayuri from an untimely death. Although Okabe is an "insane," unseemly person, he can shed tangible tears—yes, real cries—like anyone else. As he witnesses the countless deaths of the girl he grew up with, there is a strange, almost enigmatic shift in his character. No longer does he convey his emotions as that of the quirky, self-important "Hyouin Kyouma"—he instead becomes human, someone who can feel emotion just as tenderly as anyone else, which makes one ponder Okabe's true feelings as an adult. If, by definition, Okabe is "insane," how can he be so caring? How can he be so strong, in spite of tragedy coursing through his veins? By initially describing Okabe as someone who is both weird and unnatural, Hamasaki accurately instills these questions upon the audience—he forcibly establishes the idea that insanity, at times, can be used as a device that protects others from calamity, ultimately showing that much madness is, quite literally, divinest sense.