Perception In Hamlet

One of the recurring themes (or symbols in a way) in this text that I chose to annotate was the recurrence of sight/perception being mentioned in the characters’ dialogue. Throughout the play, the motif of seeing and perceiving is commonly used and ties in themes like uncertainty- the presence of the ghost for example: why can Hamlet and the guards see the ghost but Gertrude cannot? Is it really there? The uncertainty of what our eyes see vs what really exists and the uncertainty surrounding this is a big theme that I noticed in the book. The diction is also used, with characters often describing how they ‘see’ things, ‘perceive’ things, or mention eyes in some shape or form. A slight variation on this theme that I also annotated was the recurrence of ‘hearing/listening’ diction, with emphasis on this sense also noticeable in the dialogue of the characters,
The play sees Hamlet questioning himself and his reasons to live relatively frequently, including of course, the famous line “to be, or not to be” (3.1.62), but also in lines such as “Who’s there?” (1.1.1), which as the first line of the play sets a tone of questioning identity and existence, and also ties into the uncertainty theme from the previous paragraph. With Hamlet at one point praising his love, Ophelia, and at the next arguing with her, going from depression and dramatic death wishes to promises to avenge his father’s death, who he is and how he sees himself is almost constantly changing through the text, and this reflects the theme of identity and existence. This also ties into another theme I annotated, which was the idea of words against actions, and how what people say contrasts with what they really think or the actions they take- their thoughts and actions are much more clear expressions of their identity, and yet a play that relies on dialogue allows for identity to be hidden behind lies and