ipl-logo

The Theme Of Deception In Hamlet

1544 Words7 Pages

Many works of art, especially literature, has a large focus on deception and how deception pushes a plot and story along the line to completion. This had been used in the long history of literature an uncountable amount of times by a lot of different authors, but one of the most popular works which has a heavy focus of deception and the consequences thereof is the drama,
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare. This drama, often just called Hamlet features incredibly heavy themes of deception as almost every character is being deceitful in someway, which all has varying effects on the advancement of the main story and plot. Arguably the most deceitful character in the entire drama is the namesake Hamlet. Hamlet
has …show more content…

In the drama Hamlet deception plays a key role in advancing the plot and more, this in most apparent in the character Hamlet whose motives for his deceptions are, the obvious, easily stated motive to kill King Claudius and take revenge for his father, but also the underlying motive of trying to find the true point of his life and whether or not to keep living or let himself
Barton 2 go, and this contributes to the main plot by making everyone think he is completely mad and disregarding him as a vengent filled lunatic who has no real true control over his thoughts and actions. The first and primary motive of Hamlet’s deception is to take vengeance for his murdered father and kill King Claudius. “So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word:/It is Adieu, Adieu, remember me./ I have sworn’t.”(1.5.110-12) Hamlet gave his word to his dead father, the old king, that he would take revenge and kill Claudius, but Claudius is the new king, so Hamlet cannot just go storming into the castle and murder the king, he has to be deceptive and …show more content…

He uses his deception of madness to make this sound like mad ramblings to everyone else, but he is truly asking these questions and wondering about the ins and outs of how life truly works, and what it all means. So Hamlet basically acts insane to cover up the seriousness of these questions he is seeking the answers to. “But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,/Could force his soul so to his own conceit,/That from her working all his visage wann’d,/ Tears in his eyes, distraction in’s aspect,/ A broken voice, and his

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast The Awakening Of Hamlet And Laertes

    815 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Awakening Of Hamlet and Laertes The awakening of Hamlet and Laertes, has us all wondering on what the real issue is, and who the real victim is in the scene. Hamlet and Laertes both have awoken; with both of them realizing the truth, and what is really happening; things are starting to be more open minded, and in between the scenes things do not start to look good at all. To bring you into reality, and to explain the similarities with Hamlet and Laertes, I will be first explaining the details with Hamlet. Hamlet is a young man, a man who honors his mother and father.

    Read More

  • Lying And Secrets In Shakespeare's Hamlet

    621 Words  | 3 Pages

    Charles Dudley Warner said, “People always overdo the matter when they attempt deception.” Hamlet is a play that is filled with deception. Nearly every character within the play has lied to one another or committed a form of deception, making almost every character a master in the act. Lying and secrets are prominent from the very beginning of the play. When the ghost, said to be the late King Hamlet, is introduced, it is very secretive and kept quiet.

    Read More

  • Use Of Deception In Hamlet

    1295 Words  | 6 Pages

    Deception comes in many forms and can be seen in all kind of ways but mainly when someone purposely causes someone to believe something that isn 't true to gain a personal advantage. Many authors use this tactic in their plays books and other literary work like in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the author uses the technique of deception to mislead Claudius, Gertrude, himself, Ophelia and his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spare their feelings and to carry out a crime. Hamlet uses deception throughout the novel, but one way is to distract everyone from his true intention which is to gather information against Claudius to prove he killed his father. Shakespeare contributes all this back into his work by making each character in the play enact on some form of deceit to uncover the obscure truth.

    Read More

  • Insanity in 'Hamlet'

    1180 Words  | 5 Pages

    The way Hamlet sacrificed his reputation and pretended to be insane ultimately lead to his true insanity and final act of revenge. Hamlet’s supposed insanity was due to two motives. The main motive for his act was his plan to seek revenge for the murder of his father. Hamlet deliberately began to be distant and unstable in order to deceive those around him. He intended those around him to see him as vulnerable, therefore causing many people to underestimate his intelligence, and this underestimation gave Hamlet the opportunity to continue on and pursue his plan without the immediate suspicion of his family or peers.

    Read More

  • Comparing King Claudius And Rafael Trujillo

    1053 Words  | 5 Pages

    His mournful disposition allowed him to be tolerated by many characters in Hamlet, but he failed to prolong his deception due to the unplanned interference of the supernatural world. Foiling Claudius’ plan,

    Read More

  • Theme Of Sanity And Insanity In Hamlet

    542 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many references to sanity and insanity. Throughout the play, Hamlet goes back and forth between sanity and insanity, whether pretending to be insane just to mess with those he does not like or to save himself from getting in trouble. Hamlet is actually one of the smartest characters in the play, which is why he can pull off acting crazy so well. Shakespeare uses this idea of sanity and insanity to help the plot change and take a different directions. One of the most discussed topics of the Hamlet is whether Hamlet is insane or if he was just pretending the whole time.

    Read More

  • Deception In Shakespeare Sonnets And Plays Analysis

    1226 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hamlet’s insanity in an act of cheating invented to draw away the attention from his distrustful deeds as he attempts to collect proof against Claudius (Smith 174). Hamlet discloses to Horaito his deceitful scheme to feign madness. Additionally, Hamlet plans to deceive his mother, Getrude, during a meeting in her clandestine. During the interaction, Hamlet would seem to intend to harm; he will direct the cruelty of Nero, alleged to have killed his mother, to assist him “speak daggers” to his mother; however, he has no intent of committing a crime. In 1 Henry IV, deception has been used by some characters to hide some crimes or suspicious actions.

    Read More

  • Deception's Deception In Hamlet

    1577 Words  | 7 Pages

    Analyzing The Deceptions in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare the reader is brought into a story of a heartbroken son and a kingdom that is filled with deceit every which way. Focusing primarily on the deceit brought about by Prince Hamlet and the reasoning behind using so many lies and plots towards those around him. Hamlet can be described as having untrust for people and to even lead to his actions being seen as “madness” to others. For the people closest to him question whether his emotions and his motives for doing certain things are all just an act or if he truly has lost it after his father’s death.

    Read More

  • Character Deception In Hamlet

    1929 Words  | 8 Pages

    Claudius killed Hamlet’s father in order to wear the crown and gain the power of the title, “King”. Not only did Claudius kill King Hamlet, but he also married Hamlet’s mother only a month after he did so. Claudius states “With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole, Taken to wife. ”(1.2.12-4) Claudius uses this deceit of Hamlet to receive sympathy off the sudden death of his brother, and conversely into the steadfast “happy” marriage of the new king and queen.

    Read More

  • The Assassination Of Father's Ghost In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

    109 Words  | 1 Pages

    After encountering his father’s ghost, who reveals the truth behind his death, Hamlet comes up with a plan in order to avenge his father, King Hamlet. He pretends to act crazy in order to fool people around him into believe that he really has gone crazy; “How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on)” (I, 5, 190-200); however only certain people whom he trust know that he is simply acting and perfectly sane, at least at first he is. The whole purpose of his actions was to reveal Claudius’s guilty for the murder of his father.

    Read More

  • How Is Hamlet Intelligent

    575 Words  | 3 Pages

    When he learns Claudius is responsible for the death of his father, he intends to reveal this newfound information to not only Gertrude, but the rest of the characters. He is smart enough to know that she will not believe him based solely on his encounter with the ghost, and must create a trap where Claudius will reveal his guilt on his own. When the players arrive at the castle, he alters their script to mimic the king’s murder and “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.567). During the performance, Claudius shows signs of guilt and worry, making Hamlet’s plan a success and proving his

    Read More

  • Claudius Character In Hamlet

    1564 Words  | 7 Pages

    In the drama The Tragedy of Hamlet , Prince of Denmark there are different types of characters. There are some characters who appear quite a bit, but are essentially irrelevant when considering their overall importance in the play. There are some that appear all of the time and play key roles in the development of the play. There are characters who appear seldomly, and have little to no influence on anyone else in the play or on the play as a whole. Finally there are certain characters who rarely make a physical appearance, but have a remarkable effect on other characters and on the overall plot of the play.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between A Modest Proposal And Hamlet

    752 Words  | 4 Pages

    Quote: “O, villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! My tables, meet it, is I set it down. That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; at least im sure it may be so in Denmark. (1.5.114-117) Analysis: Hamlet hated deception and wanted truth. He was trapped in a political world where deception is a part of life and politics.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Without Proof Meaning

    301 Words  | 2 Pages

    He feels that without proof, the act that he’s about to perform will not be justified at all. Next is that Hamlet wants to fulfill his father 's command for justice yet has a hard time acting swiftly because he feels he must have proof. After Hamlet having the thought of his father’s spirit being the devil he feels that he needs proof before committing the fraud against king claudius. He feels that proof will lead to his conviction of that claudius being the murderer and leading to a righteousness way of doing it. Which is why he plans to use the play to get the proof that he needs to make his judge if getting revenge on Claudius is right and justice.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Hamlet

    650 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet tells Horatio, his true friend that he is going to fake madness as he loses his ambitions. Hamlet does at one point have doubt his ghost father, his reasons for delay in revenge is that he wants to make sure his uncle one hundred percent guilty. At the same time does not want to hurt his mother in the process. Hamlet is having a hard time

    Read More

More about The Theme Of Deception In Hamlet

Open Document