Hamlet - Appearence Vs Reality

827 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analyse how Shakespeare positions the reader to view the contrast between appearance and reality

Appearence vs Reality

Possibly the best piece of writing ever done by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, is a classic example of a tragedy. In all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutus falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by getting cut with a poison tipped sword. The theme that remains constant throughout the play is appearance versus reality. Things within the play appear to be true and honest but in reality are polluted with evil. Many of the characters within the play hide behind a mask of dishonesty. Four of the main characters that hid behind this mask are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius, and the king Claudius. From behind this mask they give the impression of a person who is sincere and true, in reality they are overwhelmed with lies and evil.

Hamlet is spied on many times in the play. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two of Hamlets childhood friends who when asked by the king, try to find out what is troubling the young prince. Both help to add to the theme by showing their appearance of being Hamlets friends. The pair goes to Hamlet pretending to be his friends when in truth they are only there because the king asked them to find the truth. Hamlet quickly reveals the truth and says, "Were you not sent for/ And there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft in color." (Shakespeare 2:2:278) From these words he is demanding an answer from his school...

Show More
Related

  • Purpose of the Different Foils in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are foils to Hamlet. The two are introduced as friends to Hamlet. But also they are like messengers for the king. Hamlet learns of their treachery to him, there dual loyalty to he and the king. This is introduced in his conversation with the queen where he says, “My two-school fellows, whom I will trust as adders fanged”. They obey whatever the King’s orders not thinking of what there outcome is in the bigger picture. The men are foolish in this way, not thinking about what is really hap...

    Read More

  • The Foils in Hamlet

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of the four young men who occupy a place in the life of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear, at least initially, to be his closest friends. They are schoolmates at Wittenburg, and Hamlet greets them both amicably, remarking, " My excellent good friends! How dost thou,....." Queen Gertrude affirms the status of their relationship when she says, "And sure I am two men there is not living to whom he more adheres." Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are unaware, however, of the real story behind the death of Hamlet’s Father. They do not have the benefit of seeing his ghost, as Hamlet has. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are very loyal to the new King. Unlike Hamlet, they initially have no reason not to trust Claudius. But they become unwitting and unknowing pawns for both factions. Their relationship with Hamlet begins to sour. Hamlet realizes what the King is up to, and he becomes distrustful of the two. "’Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?...

    Read More

  • Ophelia

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is a well known tragedy of the 19th century. This play has several examples of tragic heroes, tragic flaws, and other elements in a tragedy. A tragic play was one that had at least on tragic hero with a tragic flaw that ended in an inevitable catastrophe, which was usually the death of the tragic hero. This describes Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark perfectly.

    Read More

  • Revenge in Hamlet

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shakespeare’s vast utilization of plot devices allow the story to develop in a riveting manner. The presence of vengeance as one of these plot devices appears consistently throughout the play, representing the deceitful, suspicious nature of the characters. The tragedy is built on the festering wounds of broken families and vengeful sons. Through the irrational behavior of these characters, Shakespeare foreshadows what can only be a dismal ending. Nearly all the characters die to avenge the life of another, tossing their lives away to obsessive and needlessly bloody deaths. These incredible usages of thematic imagery truly support Hamlet as one of the greatest independent pieces of classic literature, and in many ways explains how the text has survived the test of time.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare Hamlet Suicide Quotes

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet. The son of a king. A man who could have had it all, but instead he chose the much more painful route of revenge and a life of bloodshed. The downfall of Hamlet is comparable to trying to hide a lie one has told. The deeper we try to cover the lie, the worse it gets and harder it becomes to do the right thing. The deeper the reader explores into Hamlets life, the messier and messier it becomes. With a mind full of suicidal thoughts and insanity with no effort to contain it can only lead one thing, and Hamlets downfall is the ultimate example. Pain, suffering, and extreme

    Read More

  • Polonius Flaws

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    The classic tragedy Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of a vengeful nephew dealing with a fratricidal uncle. The play concludes with the majority of the main characters dead. The deaths of these characters are all consequences of their respective flaws. The flaws of Polonius and his two children conspicuously allow for their untimely deaths

    Read More

  • Apperance vs Reality in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    849 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the characters are very deceptive, and show a clear distinction between their appearance and reality. Claudius pretends to be a loving father, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pretend to be loyal friends, and Hamlet pretends to be mad. How they appear varies greatly from reality. They lie to protect themselves, and they lie in order to trick others. This is indicative of real life, where people often hide who they truly are. Through the theme of appearance versus reality, Hamlet proves the truth is rarely as it appears.

    Read More

  • Appearance vs. Reality in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    999 Words  | 2 Pages

    Appearance vs. Reality in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. In Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, there is a prevailing theme that is concurrent throughout the play. Throughout the play, all the characters appear to be one thing on the outside. yet on the inside, they are completely different. The theme of Appearance versus reality is prominent in Hamlet because of the fact that the characters portray themselves differently from what they really are.

    Read More

  • Truth and Betrayal

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...Hamlet is a play about truths, betrayals and struggles of life. The main character Hamlet struggles to find his place in the cruel and painful world created through the constant destruction of his illusions about others. Throughout the play Hamlet is faced with many truths that destroy his life structure and as result he is forced to adapt to the ever-changing world around him. In doing so, Hamlet’s personality dramatically changes from the personality he held in the beginning of the play. This is due to the multiple betrayal Hamlet witnesses within the play; from his own mother to his lover (Ophelia). Throughout Hamlet

    Read More

  • Justification of Death in Hamlet

    2588 Words  | 6 Pages

    Beginning with the Greeks, tragedy has been an essential form of entertainment. Although it has changed slightly over time due to different religious and social values, it is still written and performed to this day. Perhaps the most well known tragedy of all time is Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet is perhaps the epitome of all tragedy. Not only does the tragic hero Hamlet meet his demise, but all the main characters in the play at some point due to some flaw in their character, or some fatal decision, also meet the same fate. It is because of their character flaw and/or their fatal decision at some time during the play that their death can be justified.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Appearance And Reality In Hamlet

    1356 Words  | 3 Pages

    How does a person’s appearance affect the way you perceive them? Appearance can hide a person’s personality and their intentions, and can often create conflict. Appearance versus reality is a common theme used in novels to create conflict and help to evolve the plot. 1984 by George Orwell and Hamlet by William Shakespeare have similarities and differences in the way appearance and reality is used. The original purpose of deceit in each novel appears different but have the same meaning. The way the theme of appearance versus reality is conveyed through different mediums such as double lives, actions, and organizations are similar. In the end, the theme of appearance and reality has different outcomes

    Read More

  • Hamlet Acts Morally, Harms Others by his Actions, and Realizes his Tragic Limits

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most famous work of tragedy. Throughout the play the title character, Hamlet, tends to seek revenge for his father’s death. Shakespeare achieved his work in Hamlet through his brilliant depiction of the hero’s struggle with two opposing forces that hunt Hamlet throughout the play: moral integrity and the need to avenge his father’s murder. When Hamlet sets his mind to revenge his fathers’ death, he is faced with many challenges that delay him from committing murder to his uncle Claudius, who killed Hamlets’ father, the former king. During this delay, he harms others with his actions by acting irrationally, threatening Gertrude, his mother, and by killing Polonius which led into the madness and death of Ophelia. Hamlet ends up deceiving everyone around him, and also himself, by putting on a mask of insanity. In spite of the fact that Hamlet attempts to act morally in order to kill his uncle, he delays his revenge of his fathers’ death, harming others by his irritating actions. Despite Hamlets’ decisive character, he comes to a point where he realizes his tragic limits.

    Read More

  • Hamlet, A Noble Prince

    1585 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet’s mourning about the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother drives him to madness. This is the main characters inner tragedy that Shakespeare expresses in the play. First he considers suicide but the ghost of King Hamlet sends him on a different path, directing him to revenge his death. Shakespeare uses Hamlet to articulate his thoughts about life, death and revenge. Being a moral character he must decide if revenge is the right thing to do. Shakespeare relays many scenarios of reasoning to the audience about mankind His hero sets the wrongs on mankind right again.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Character Analysis Essay

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s wit and play of words deceits everyone. He seems to be philosophical and existential being with a certain interest to the meaning of life. Many may see him as the tragic hero fighting against a superior force. This image of a tragic hero seems to be just a façade. Although there can be many reason why he may be seem as a tragic hero he is corrupted by those around him making him evil.

    Read More

  • Hamlet as the Tragic Hero

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is the best known tragedy in literature today. Here, Shakespeare exposes Hamlet’s flaws as a heroic character. The tragedy in this play is the result of the main character’s unrealistic ideals and his inability to overcome his weakness of indecisiveness. This fatal attribute led to the death of several people which included his mother and the King of Denmark. Although he is described as being a brave and intelligent person, his tendency to procrastinate prevented him from acting on his father’s murder, his mother’s marriage, and his uncle’s ascension to the throne.

    Read More

More about Hamlet - Appearence Vs Reality

Open Document