Theme Of Appearance Vs Reality In Hamlet

“Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden” (Phaedrus). In Shakespeare’s Hamlet the theme appearance vs. reality is seen used several times throughout the play. Every character in Hamlet uses some form of deception and manipulation. There were four characters that stood out: Hamlet, Polonius, Gertrude, and Claudius. All of these characters portray similar characteristics; all seemed to appear honest and sincere but in reality they are all filled with dishonesty and mischievousness. These characters serve as obstacles for Hamlet as he struggles to discover the hidden truth. These characters all had various reasons to use deceit, but all shared one common goal. They all thought by sparing the truth it
He comes across a kind and concerned King that cares for the people and grieves his dead brother. However in reality Claudius is just happy to be newly throned. Claudius is selfish and is completely self-motivated. Claudius leads Denmark through the mourning of Old Hamlet and tactfully balances this grief with the joy of his marriage to his former sister-in-law Gertrude. He has killed his brother out of greed and ambition. Therefore, his position as a good and noble king is thwarted by his lies and deception. As the play continues, Claudius begins to commit many immoral acts for his own self gain. He has no problem colluding with Polonius to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia. He also asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to pretend to be friends with Hamlet in order to find the root of his madness. Claudius shows no mercy when he sends Hamlet to England to be killed. When Hamlet returns from England, Claudius arranges for a duel to take place between Hamlet and Laertes. He gives Laertes a sword with poison and fills a chalice with poison for Hamlet to drink. His methods are callous, underhanded, and riddled with