The Importance Of Dishonesty In Hamlet

Things don’t always seem like what they appear to be, as the ugly mask of dishonesty can cover up its reality. In the tragedy of Hamlet, written by William Shakespear, he emphasizes just how easy it is to deceive others by covering up your true self. Those who manipulate their appearance for their own selfish desires portray dishonesty, proving they have no honour or morals, whereas those who accept the reality of the situation portray honesty, displaying strong ethics and moral beliefs. To begin, Hamlet’s ability to accept the reality of situations makes him a respected and honourable man, whereas Claudius’s constant manipulation of his own appearance proves that he has no honour or integrity. In addition, Polonius displays a manipulation

To begin, when notified by his father’s ghost that Claudius has murdered him, he swears to avenge his father’s death. However, instead of acting on impulse, he decides to gain further information on the topic before taking action. He realizes that the ghost could be deceitful, and not be telling the truth about his father’s death. Therefore, to find out if Claudius was truly guilty for his father’s death, he comes up with a reasonable plan: “ I’ll have grounds/ More relative than this./ The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king”. With this plan, he proves that he indeed does have strong moral beliefs, shown by his unwillingness to kill an honourable man. However, if guilty, he accepts the fact that he will have to uphold the vow that he made to his father. His ability to act rationally in a moment like this shows that his honour

To begin, he gives his blessing for Laertes to go to France, yet later sends Reynaldo, his servant, to spy on him. Before Laertes’s departure, Polonius shares a few words of wisdom: “This above all: to thine own self be true,/ And it must follow, as the night the day,/ Thou canst not then be false to any man./ Farewell. My blessing season this in thee”. He gives his blessing, and has a conversation about the rules of life with his son. He preaches the importance of integrity, honesty, and other moral values, however, doesn’t stay honest to those words himself. He appears to be on Laertes’s side, however, his mistrust and dishonesty say otherwise, proving that he does not seem to be who he appears. Furthermore, he comes up with a plan to find out if his daughter is the reason behind Hamlet’s craziness, which is based on dishonesty. He sets up a meeting where his daughter and Hamlet can have a discussion, while him and Claudius hide and listen to the conversation. To emphasize how deceitful and dishonest he truly is, he even puts a bible in her hands to make it look authentic: “Read on this book/ That show of such an exercise may color/ Your loneliness”. This shows his true character, and displays a terrible example to his daughter. A man with honour and integrity would never use a religious book in order to manipulate someone into telling the truth. He appears to want what’s