Reality, Illusion, Appearance, and Deception in...

Reality, Illusion, Appearance, and Deception in Shakespeares Hamlet As appearances play an important role in todays society, so they also play an important role in William Shakespeares play Hamlet. From the first scene to the last, Shakespeare elaborates on the theme of appearance versus reality through plot and character. The plays plot is full of incidents and events that are not what they appear to be. One such incident is Ophelias ambiguous death. When, from the Queen, the audience first learns of her passing, the girls death seems very peaceful, poetic and accidental. But later, during the Graveyard Scene, when the clowns are discussing her death, they classify it as a suicide. Does Ophelia, as†¦show more content†¦He does this to know whether or not Claudius is guilty of his own brothers murder. Hamlet is by far the most observed character throughout the play. Claudius first calls upon two of Hamlets old friends, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern. He asks them to try to find the source of Hamlets madness. Polonius and the King himself later spy on Hamlet. This time, they use Ophelia to try to expose the reason of Hamlets madness. Another spy scene occurs in the Closet Scene when Polonius eavesdrops on Hamlet and the Queen. This proves fatal for the old lord chamberlain. Through Op helias death, the Triple-Pronged plan, and the various spy plots, the audience becomes aware of the beguiling nature of Hamlets plot. Shakespeare also used the characters in Hamlet to explore the theme of appearance versus reality. For example, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern appear to be Hamlets friends but they are, in reality, spying on him for Claudius. As well, Hamlet is uncertain whether or not the ghost is what it appears to be (his father) or perhaps something else such as the devil in disguise. In addition, the players in whom Hamlet takes such delight base their profession on appearing real; the First Player sheds tears as he recites the speech about the late King Priam and his grieving wife, Heccuba. Polonius, as well as his son and daughter, also help to advance the theme. The fatherShow MoreRelated Reality and Illusion in Shakespeares Hamlet - Reality, Appearance and Deception875 Words   |  4 PagesReality and Illusion in Hamlet    Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, begins with the appearance of a ghost, an apparition, possibly a hallucination. Thus, from the beginning, Shakespeare presents the air of uncertainty, of the unnatural, which drives the action of the play and develops in the protagonist as a struggle to clarify what only seems to be absolute and what is actually reality. Hamlets mind, therefore, becomes the central force of the play, choosing the direction of the conflict by hisRead More Reality and Illusion in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Deception of Appearance2133 Words   |  9 PagesAppearance versus Reality in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet is organized around various pairs of opposing forces. One of these forces is the difference between that what seems and that which actually is, in other words, appearance versus reality. What is, and what merely appears to be? We can discern two principal angles from which this question is approached in Hamlet. First, we have the angle of inward and outward emotions, and the profound distinction that is drawn between them. In other words,Read MoreEssay about Appearance vs. Reality in William Shakespeares Hamlet1007 Words   |  5 PagesAppearance vs. Reality in William Shakespeares Hamlet In Hamlet, one of Shakespeares greatest tragedies, there is a prevailing theme that is concurrent throughout the play. 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