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Recommended: Hamlet "Deception
Everyone has lied at one point or another in their life. Whether it is a small white lie about an outfit’s mishaps or something that ruined a relationship, lying or hiding the truth is a universal theme that everyone could relate to. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the theme of deception to develop characters and cause their ultimate downfall in the play. Deception is not only woven in the plot but also portrays through the characters’ action and personality, such as Claudius, Polonius, and Hamlet.
The play’s main conflict starts with King Claudius’ lie. At the beginning of the play, Claudius had become the new king of Denmark, and married his late brother’s widow only one month after the death of his brother. Not only is his action immoral, it is later revealed by the Ghost that he is the person that took his brother’s life by poison poured through the ear: “A serpent stung me. / So the whole ear of Denmark / Is by a forged process of my death / Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, / The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown” (I.v.43-47). Claudius places a lie in Denmark so the people believed that a snake kill King Hamlet while he’s sleeping in the garden. However, the Ghost revealed the truth to Hamlet. Shakespeare uses this lie as the spark to ignite the conflicts between Hamlet and Claudius that eventually lead to Claudius’ death at the end of the novel; however, it also speaks volume of Claudius’ personality. He is selfish and cruel enough to kill his own brother for power without any remorse: “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death / The memory be green, and that it us befitted / To bear our hearts in grief… / Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature / That we with wisest sor...
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... shows how truth could come from deceitful actions, however once again demonstrated the tragic end of characters whose death was cause by deception.
Deception is major driving force behind the plot of the play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Although the play sparks from Claudius’ lie about King Hamlet’s murder, throughout the play, he continues uses deception to develop the characters as well as create drama in the play. Shakespeare uses the theme of deception to also portray the consequences of deceits, as seen through the death of Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Claudius, Laertes, and Hamlet. Granted that Hamlet was able to find out the truth about his father’s death through his own lies, he eventually die due to the web of the deceit weaved by others.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Washington Square, 1992. Print.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play about deceit and honesty, because throughout the play, many characters use deceitful methods to uncover or hide truths about themselves or others to the point where the truth disappears in the lies.
Deceit is a major cause of the downfall of Hamlet. This is demonstrated in three instances in the play. First, Polonius spies on Hamlet while he is talking privately with his mother Gertrude. Second, Claudius sends Hamlet away to England. Finally, Laertes and Claudius scheme to kill Hamlet.
Deceit, misleading information, and spying on others can lead to their demise, intentionally or accidentally. The misleading and deceitful instances in the play are indirectly responsible for Hamlets’ death. Claudius misleads Hamlet when he shipped him off to England under the guise of a restful retreat and when he realizes that the new king has lied to not only him, but the people of Denmark about the death of the former king. Hamlets’ deceit comes from his mother, believing that she has betrayed his father’s love by not mourning for long enough after his death, and by marrying Claudius. Spying also causes problems for Hamlet down the line since it leads to the killing of Polonius, and the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Shakespeare wants his readers to realize that we should be straightforward with all life’s problems. By hiding the truth, we are just setting ourselves up for a situation where one is bound to fail. It is said that “the difference between a cat and a lie is that a cat only nine lives.” This is true because after one act of deception, another must follow to reinforce the first act and continue on like a cycle.
All throughout the world, it is common to see many people, such as politicians, businessmen, everyday ordinary people, who have a hidden agenda, an ulterior motive, driving them towards an ultimate goal. Characters such as Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius share this attribute amongst themselves, ultimately leading to their collective demise. Horatio, however, serves as a hypothetical foil to this theme, as everything that he does is in complete loyalty towards Hamlet through the course of the play. Deception is a major theme of Hamlet and life as it is trying to show that those who are deceptive, such as Claudius, Hamlet, and Polonius, suffer a bad event, while those who are candid, such as Horatio, preserve and sometimes are rewarded.
There is also a lot of personal deception throughout Hamlet. This is mostly done through spying and secrecy. In the beginning Claudi...
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli. The term deception takes a part in betraying another for one’s self interest. It was a key element within Shakespeare’s works. Romeo and Juliet are one of the prime examples of this topic. They showed deception very clearly by hiding their actions and betraying their families, leading to their tragic ending. However, it was not the only piece Shakespeare wrote that showed the multiple consequences caused by an act of betrayal. The power of deception and the consequences that follow is a staple in literature, and no one shows this idea more clearly than Shakespeare.
Deception, in a tale such as Hamlet, is not just a prevalent undertone in the progression of the plot, but also expected by the reader. A blatant correlation between most political stories and deceit is common - and that, paired with a revenge quest designed to avenge a tragedy of not solely fratricide, but additionally regicide, concocts a story where deceit is a necessity in completing ones personals aims. Hamlet begins the play as a strong opponent against the ideas of deception, stating whilst mourning his father that his outward appearance does not effectively reflect is inward sadness. Resenting the idea, it is difficult to foresee a future for Hamlet laden of deceit and fabrication. However, being a writer as successful as Shakespeare
In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the Eponymous struggles with his father’s death and is unable to move on, like everyone else, until he finds justice in the truth. His two friends, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz were sent to spy on young Hamlet by his mother, Queen Gertrude, and his uncle and newly dad, King Claudius. In hopes the friends could help the worried parents understand why Hamlet is so sad the two talk to Hamlet and attempt to resolve this issue. Instead Hamlet, like usual, outwits his parents and friends and concludes that his two supposedly “friends” have been spying on him. Hamlet’s monologue, although does not tell the full truth is still not a lie about how Hamlet feels and why his depression has taken over his whole life. Hamlet
The Shakespearean play of Hamlet captures the audience with many suspenseful and devastating themes including betrayal. Some of the most loved characters get betrayed by who they thought loved them most. The things these characters do to the people they love are wrong, hurtful and disappointing. These examples lead to the destruction of many characters physically and emotionally. The characters in the play who committed the act of betrayal end up paying for what they have done in the form of death, either from nature, their selfishness, disloyalty and madness. The act of betrayal truly captures and displays the play of Hamlet as a sad tragedy.
William Shakespeare attained literary immortality through his exposition of the many qualities of human nature in his works. One such work, The Merchant of Venice, revolves around the very human trait of deception. Fakes and frauds have been persistent throughout history, even to this day. Evidence of deception is all around us, whether it is in the products we purchase or the sales clerks' false smile as one debates the purchase of the illusory merchandise. We are engulfed by phonies, pretenders, and cheaters. Although most often associated with a heart of malice, imposture varies in its motives as much as it's practitioners, demonstrated in The Merchant of Venice by the obdurate characters of Shylock and Portia.
It is no surprise there is truth and deception in Hamlet, considering Shakespeare’s other plays. Truth and deception are two words that mean different things to many people with each having great importance. Both terms being opposite of each other peak anyone’s curiosity. The words said together make you think about if the statement or situation wondering if it is true or is it false? Truth and deception is one of 18 easily identifiable themes, which help create the play Hamlet. In one of the first scenes, Hamlet starts betraying his feelings about his father’s death.
Without deception in Hamlet, there would be no plot. The whole story revolves around Hamlet trying to kill his Uncle Claudius, all the while being deceptive enough so that no one finds out about King Hamlet’s ghost who instructed Hamlet to kill his uncle as payback for killing him. First of all, Hamlet’s major antagonist, Claudius, who through his use of language is very skillful at manipulating others, lied to all of Denmark by telling them that King Hamlet died from a snake bite, when really we learn from King Hamlet’s ghost that Claudius was the source of his death. Another example of when Claudius deceived others was when he was giving a speech at his brother’s funeral, his words did not sound sincere and from them we get the feeling that he may be trying to cover up the fact that he killed his own brother. Claudius was not the only character that repeatedly deceived others. Hamlet himself used deception, as mentioned previously, we learn that Hamlet deceives others by keeping his father’s ghost a secret. Hamlet’s own lifestyle, his madness, acts as a way of deceiving others, distracting them from noticing his plot against
Evidence of deception is apparent from the beginning in both of Shakespeare’s works. In Act I Scene V, the Ghost tells to Hamlet, “But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown.” This
Though not apparent at first, deception lurks within the tragedy from the very beginning. Shakespeare begins by using a bit of deception himself when he introduces the audience to the story. The audience themselves know only as much as Hamlet, being informed that the late King Hamlet has died and his wife has married his brother within a very short amount of time. From the moment that the audience