William Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice “All that glitters is not gold; Often have you heard that told.” This quote also rings true in the play Hamlet where nothing is quite as it seems. Behind every person, event, and object seems to be an ulterior motive than what is displayed for all to see. Characters such as Claudius and Hamlet were described to both be extremely secretive individuals who hid their mysterious plans deep within themselves, never revealing their true intent. Also many objects and events within the play were the opposite of what they really were including: the way King Hamlet lost his life, the play within the play, and the attempted murder of Claudius by Hamlet.
Claudius is a manipulative and corrupt character who mislead the entire Sate of Denmark to believe he was dutiful, trustworthy and perceptive King. After the death of King Hamlet, Claudius takes the thrown and says this to the State, “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe.” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 1-4) This quote at first makes Claudius seem like a very sensitive King who is addressing the fact that mourning for the death of King Hamlet is encouraged. Yet, later on in the play we discover that Claudius is truly the murderer of the King and fooled the Kingdom to believe he was also grieving. Claudius also manipulated to the Kingdom to believe that he was shipping Hamlet away to England for his own safety and for the safety of others, but in reality he was petrified that Hamlet would reveal his dark sin of assassinating the King to take the crown for himself. Lastly, in the very last scene in the...
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... that Claudius was not asking for forgiveness and his sins were not being forgiven. “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below” (Act 3, Scene 3, line 96). These three situations, if they were seen as they really were, were create an entire different outcome to the play and maybe save the tragic ending.
Ultimately, the play Hamlet is full of deception and ulterior motives. Certain characters appear to be truthful and loyal, yet underneath they are corrupt and diabolical, others appear to be perplexed and deranged because of tragic events yet are scheming murderous plans, and events are not as innocent as they may seem. Just as the play says, Denmark truly resembles an unweeded garden. “Some people think that the truth can be hidden with a little cover-up and decoration. But as time goes by, what is true is revealed, and what is fake fades away.” - Ismail Haniyeh
In the first three acts of the play Hamlet, King Claudius go through a subtle, but defined change in character. Claudius role in the play begins as the newly corrinated king of Denmark. The former king, King Hamlet, was poisoned by his brother, Claudius, while he was asleep. Claudius, however, made it known to everyone that the king died of a snakebite in the garden, and thus no one knew of the murder that had just taken place making his murder the perfect crime. The only problem that Claudius must deal with now is his conscience.
King Hamlet's "foul and most unnatural murder" (Shakespeare I.v.31) tops Claudius' list of egregious sins. Using his mastery of manipulation, Claudius, the “incestuous” and “adulterate beast” managed to win the honorable queen Gertrude by using the “shameful lust [of her] will” (I.v.49…52-53). Claudius had to use verbal trickery to influence Gertrude into switching husbands that quickly after her husband’s death, which shows his true skill: lying convincingly. Claudius manages to validate his ascent to the throne by diverting attention away from him and to the attack by the young Fortinbras of Norway (I.ii.1-38). The most horrible of Claudius’ crimes is his lack of emotion over his traitorous fratricide. Claudius does not even give his late brother a word of respect; instead the focus is upon the future of Denmark. Claudius goes so far as to chastise Hamlet for his “unmanly grief” (I.ii.98), emphasizing that for the benefit of Denmark; all those affected by the death of King Hamlet should keep a strong façade. Later in Hamlet, Claudius begins to openly express his remorse and recognizes the immorality of his actions when he says himself: “O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;/ It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, / A brother’s murder. Pray cannot I” (III.iii.40-42). He expresses his grief and sin in private but keeps a façade in front of the rest of the kingdom. Claudius is
Perception is the way someone think of something. Viewpoint is based on prior knowledge or personal experience. In fiction, characters may have their own opinions of other character or event. In stories like "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson variation of perception between characters can be proven. According to the story, when Tessie was chosen for the Lottery she made excuses to show that lottery was not good, even if other villagers do not enjoy the solemn process, feel it is a necessary evil. In stories like "The Fun They Had" by Isaac Asimov the viewpoint between reader and character are different. According to the story Margie believes that classroom teaching of the past is fun probably because of the human interaction that is involved throughout the day. Many book worms think future schools is more efficient because it teach according to a student's capability rather than teaching everybody the same level. Perception in a story can vary among characters and/or readers.
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
Claudius fills the role of father figure as both king to a nation and stepfather to young Hamlet, whose father has died unexpectedly. It is revealed later that Claudius is responsible for the death of his brother, King Hamlet. This very act of murder to obtain the throne and marry his own sister-in-law, an act equal to incest in the eyes of their society, displays from the first the poor quality of monarchy that can be expected from Claudius. Young Fortinbras of Norway feels that since the King Hamlet is dead he is entitled to his inheritance of land, and rightly so as the contract was drawn between King Hamlet and Fortinbras’s father. The young Fortinbras is obviously some form of a threat to the kingdom, a thought expressed as well by Horatio and Bernardo as they stand watch in the opening of the play (1.1.80-125). Claudius does not appear to be overly concerned with the matter. He sends two couriers to Fortinbras’s sick uncle asking that he stop Fortinbras and his attack on Denmark. Meanwhile, it seems as if Claudius does not give the matter another thought. It is odd that he does not more safely guard the kingdom that meant enough to him to kill his own brother to obtain it. He of all people should know what one ...
...veryone who has anything to do with the plot is killed, thus allowing a new chapter to begin in Denmark. Hamlet is successful in his scheme, and through his great act of deception, the truth is revealed. The results of the deceptions in the play are both tragic and insightful. Truth is sometimes locked behind a door that can only be opened using the key of deception. In fact, in Hamlet, the theme of deception is prevalent. Furthermore, deception is used as a method of investigation. Many of the characters use deceit in order to learn the truth about other characters. This deceptive theme is expressed in three stages: the fear of being deceived, the act of deception, and the ultimate result of deception. The only truth that is learned through the play is by means of deception. It is ironic that the characters who fear being deceived are the ones who deceive the most.
Throughout the play, the audience gets a voyeuristic glimpse into the internal struggle of Hamlet. This access allows the reader to see a quality in Hamlet that they have in themselves: a deeper conscience. While not everyone must contend with problems of murder and incest, each person has individual struggles that they keep within themselves, just as Hamlet wrestles with his hardships. Watching Hamlet deal with his problems is cathartic for the reader. One of the most powerful scenes occurs when Hamlet happens upon a chance to stealthily kill Claudius; however, the Ki...
The concepts of deception and illusion are central themes in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and are illustrated throughout the tragedy in many scenes. Many of the play’s characters are involved in schemes intended to deceive or even kill others. Characters like Claudius, Hamlet, and Polonius are good examples of duplicitous characters because they are the masterminds behind major schemes in the play. Through their deceitful actions and words, these three characters best embody the two central themes. First, Hamlet’s duplicitous nature, seen in his words and actions, helps illustrate the themes of deceit and illusion.
Hamlet desires to be sure that everything he is doing is right, so he sets up a brilliant and witty play to display and prove that Claudius is the culprit of his father's death. Hamlet would like to shed light on Claudius's culpability.
Claudius is the king of Denmark, who is a very powerful and assertive man. He is the type of person that will do anything to get what he wants and everything in his power to stay king. He will do what it takes to get his way, even if that means betraying the person he is supposed to be committed to and love, his wife Gertrude. Gertrude is the mother of Hamlet, who she deeply cares for and loves. She is convinced that Claudius does as well. In order for Claudius to stay as king he must keep Gertrude happy and pleased. He accomplishes this by pretending to love Hamlet in front of Gertrude when in reality he wants to kill Hamlet. Claudius faces the truth that his secret got out and Hamlet knows he killed King Hamlet. Not wanting to ruin his reputation and of course stay king he plans to have Hamlet killed. He lets Gertrude believe...
Although William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play itself, there is much acting that occurs inside of the story. Both Hamlet and King Claudius pretend to be what they are not. Hamlet feigns madness and King Claudius acts as though he were innocent of his brother, King Hamlet’s, murder. These characters act in order to manipulate others into furthering their own desires. The difference between these two characters, however, is that Hamlet is somewhat mad, even though he does act mad for most of the play. King Claudius is not innocent whatsoever. Moreover, when Claudius attempts to regain some innocence, he is unable to repent for his sin.
As the King says, “To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom to be contracted in one brow of woe, yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him together with remembrance of ourselves.”(1.2. 17) The newly crowned King suggests the kingdom should not mourn long, and should recover as quickly as possible. Although Hamlet did not grasp the weight of the conversation immediately, he recalls the King’s suspicious speech when his father’s ghost speaks to him about the murder. With the support of this new evidence, Hamlet questions King Claudius’s guilt and his mother’s incestuous betrayal. Through slips of the tongue, Hamlet divulges references of their wicked misdeeds into conversations with Claudius and Gertrude, “O heavens! Dead two months ago, and not forgotten yet?” (3.2.134) Hamlet’s retort mocks how quickly his mother and Claudius were able to recover emotionally from the passing of a beloved husband and
Claudius’s needed to consider the decision that needed to be made, which was what to do with the mentally instable Prince Hamlet. Claudius should know that there could be punishment against him, such as beheading or exile, if he were to kill Hamlet. He could feel a strong sense of guilt if he were to kill his own nephew, his blood relation. He needs to consider the fact that Hamlet is a very good sword ...
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”(Shakespeare). With all of the things happening in his life, Claudius begins to think a lot more about how he feels about everything. Ultimately, Claudius feels guilt for his action, but he would rather cover up the truth than uncover it. Earlier in the story, he says “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death, The memory be green, and that it us befitted, to bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom, To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature, That we with wisest sorrow think on him, Together with remembrance of ourselves”(Shakespeare). At that point in the story, Claudius believed that it was understandable for the people to mourn for King Hamlet’s death, but he thinks that they should move on, and come to accept him as their king.
Several of the characters in Hamlet are meant to be involved in betraying and deceiving each other. With this happening throughout the play it shows if the characters will remain the same or will they take matters into their own hands. This will be the time where you truly find out how the people around you act on certain situations. It’s like survival of the fittest, only those with power will survive and the powerless will lose. Positions of power led to the moral corruption, sexual corruption and, political corruption found in the play.