Hamlet

Hamlet can be defined as one of William Shakespearean greatest creations. One theme that often occurs in a Shakespearean play is appearance vs.. Reality, the idea that a character or many characters appear one way, but are secretly planning to make a completely different decision. This choice is usually a selfish one and a decision that will only benefit a small group of people rather than an individual person. These choices often results in harming the majority of the population.

In the play ” Hamlet,” Characters such as Claudia, Reassurance and Guilelessness appear to e innocent, but in turn are actually attempting to accomplish a much larger goal. In ” Hamlet,” playwright William Shakespeare uses conflict to portray the idea that people will conceal their inner thoughts and plans in order to gain the trust of those around them to complete their ulterior motive. Gaining the trust of a large sum of people and appearing innocent while doing it can greatly help a person achieve their motive.

Claudia exposes himself as a man who is loving, caring, kind, and honest towards his wife, his family, and toward the citizens of Denmark. After Claudia secretly kills the previous king, Hamlet Senior, he quickly gains the trust and love of every one of his subjects. He shows to the people of Denmark that he will do what is best for them and what benefits them the most. Claudia also does his best to make Hamlet accept him as his new father and to make Hamlet love him because the people of Denmark love Hamlet and for Claudia to appear as a magnificent king, he must gain the affection of his son/nephew.

Near the beginning of the play when Claudia is addressing the people of Denmark he says, ” To bear our hearts in grief ND our whole kingdom” (l ii 5). In this statement Claudia expresses his grief toward his brother’s death, but in reality he is the one that killed his brother and married Gertrude, his wife. Claudia says this so that the citizens of Denmark see him as a compassionate ruler and brother and so that he is able to conceal his secret. Another example of Claudia’ deception is when he is talking to Alerts and he says, ” Let’s further think of this, weigh what convenience both of time and nearness, May fit us to our shape.

If this should fail, and that our drift look through our bad reference,’there better not assayed. Therefore this project should have a back or second that might hold if this should blast in proof. ? Soft, let me see. ? We’ll make a solemn wager on your cunnings. ? l ha ‘t! When in your motion you are hot and dry, as make your bouts more violent to that end, and that he calls for drink, I’ll have prepared him a chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, if he by chance escape your venom stuck, our purpose may hold 58) Claudia is discussing with Alerts about how they plan to kill Hamlet. This quote proves that

Claudia is appears as if he loves Hamlet like he is his own son, but in reality wants to kill Hamlet and make it look like an accident so that no one will know that he killed King Hamlet, and the people of Denmark will still see him as a great king. The characters Reassurance and Guilelessness fall victim to appearance vs.. Reality in the play. Hamlet meets both Reassurance and Guilelessness at his school Wattenberg. Hamlet befriended the two gentlemen and randomly received a visit from them at his none AT Elisions. Reassurance Ana Guilelessness went to Elson to see Hamlet cause King Claudia has ordered them to spy on him.

Claudia requests that they spy on Hamlet so that Hamlet can gain their trust and tell them what he knows and what his plans and thoughts are. Reassurance and Guilelessness are pretending that they are at Elisions because they want to visit Hamlet, but in reality are following Claudia’ orders. When Hamlet asks both of them why they are at Elisions, they try to convince him that they are only at Elisions to visit him when they say, ” To visit you, my lord, no other Not only does Hamlet discover that they are here to spy on him, he also leads them to their deaths because of it.

Hamlet forges a letter to England that says that Reassurance and Guilelessness are to be executed when they arrive. While Hamlet is speaking with his good friend Horopito he says, ” Why, man, they did make love to this employment. They are not near my conscience. Their defeat does by their own insinuation grow. ‘Its dangerous when the baser nature comes between the pass and fell incensed points of mighty opposites. ” (V. Ii. 61-66) Hamlet tells Horopito of their deceptive actions and claims that they deserved it ND does not feel guilt or remorse toward the situation.

Hamlet is portrayed as headstrong and as a man who will do whatever it takes for him to succeed. Appearance vs.. Reality is displayed largely by the actions that Hamlet makes throughout the play. Once Hamlet learns of the person who kills his father, he immediately comes up with a plan to kill that person, Claudia. Hamlet pretends to be insane in order for his behavior to look less suspicious to everyone, especially Claudia who is paranoid and wants Hamlet dead. As the play progresses, Hamlet comes increasingly insane.

Hamlet tricks everyone into thinking that he is insane, when in reality he is only buying himself more time to come up with a full proof plan for the murder of Claudia. When Hamlet is telling Horopito his plan, he says,: ” How strange or odd sever I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on), That you, at such times seeing me, never Hamlet is explaining to Horopito that his insanity is merely an act of trickery and he is actually only trying to find out information and come up with ideas on how he can kill

Claudia and avenge his father. Hamlet also used Aphelia as ” a pawn” in his plan. Hamlet’s insanity became a topic of interest and gained attention when he acted strangely towards Aphelia, which caused her to become frightened and worried about him and caused her to tell Claudia and her father Polonium about her encounters with his madness. With the help of Aphelia spreading word of Hamlet’s madness, Hamlet is able to mask his true thoughts and ideas in order to gain the trust and sympathy of others and to complete his ulterior motive of avenging his ether’s death.

Individuals will hide their true identity, and complete an ulterior motive by gaining the trust of others. In Hamlet, four characters that appear trustworthy and loyal are King Claudia, Reassurance and Guilelessness, and Hamlet. All four men lie and cheat their way through society in order to accomplish goals set by themselves or missions that have been given out for them to complete. The play Hamlet indicates that pretending to be someone that you are not will only result in a person hurting themselves, others, and damaging the fabric of society.