ipl-logo

Character Deception In Hamlet

1929 Words8 Pages

Character deception is a common characteristic that has and will be a reflecting characteristic in literature for centuries. In many of William Shakespeare’s tragedies, deception, whether positive or negative, is being used to mislead, to protect characters, or to hide a crime or future crime. Analyzing why the characters are using deception against each other is very important to the reader’s understanding of the work as a whole. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, He uses Hamlet’s deception of character and also the character’s use of deception towards Hamlet to carry out the overall theme of the tragedy.The theme that is represented, is that in able to get malicious revenge, you must be able to act as if you are someone different than your true self while in turn, being able …show more content…

Nix 2 Throughout this tragedy, our first view of deception comes from Claudius and Polonius, as they do whatever it takes to keep the power in their hands. In the fifth scene, the audience is introduced to the first use of deception against Hamlet, with Claudius. The ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet that “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown.”( Hamlet 1.5.38-9) These lines demonstrate the deceit Claudius has towards Hamlet. 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. Claudius continues to deceive more and more as the play goes

Show More
Related
1517 Words | 7 Pages

Claudius schemes and manipulates many people for many different reasons whether for his personal protection, sparing someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. This motives affect other characters causing them to do things that

Read More
606 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius (Hamlet) In Hamlet, Claudius sought to overcome and achieve power and prominence by fraud rather than by force. He could “smile, and smile, and still be a villain.” Hamlet called him, A murderer and a villain, A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe Of your precedent lord, a vice of kings, A cutpurse of the empire and the rule, That from a shelf the precious diadem stole, And put it in his pocket— Hamlet III.iv.97-102

Read More
1140 Words | 5 Pages

Hamlet eventually kills Claudius like his father told him to, but only did it after his mother, Gertrude, drank the poison that Claudius meant to give Hamlet. This is a result of external action from all the sorrows that was building up in Hamlet’s life. This brings us to our next character, Gertrude, Claudius’s wife and Hamlets

Read More
407 Words | 2 Pages

Shakespeare’s use of language helps to portray the major theme of deception in the play Hamlet. The utilization of diction helps to equate Claudius to an evil person, while metaphors help to make the comparison between Claudius and a deathly animal. By making comparisons and using specific word choice that help support the theme, Shakespeare is able to portray the deceitful antics of King

Read More
1544 Words | 7 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

Read More
1124 Words | 5 Pages

The character of Hamlet is expressed as a protagonist. His irritated attitude towards Claudius in scene 2 of act 1 leaves the audience with a clear first impression of his nature. He is deceitful of the king, his uncle Claudius who is now the ruler of Denmark after his brothers “death”, and disgusted of his mother marrying his uncle. Hamlet is an example of someone who has compromised his happiness, in order to avenge his father’s murder.

Read More
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
339 Words | 2 Pages

Deception is an essential element in any tragedy. Its' affects on the lives of the characters could be destructive or benign. In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark deceit proves to be the very foundation of the play. Shakespeare builds on this idea of deceit between the characters, from the very beginning. The deceit that is practiced is imposed on others as well as self inflicted ultimately leading to a tragic ending.

Read More
1457 Words | 6 Pages

Deceit and deception are not the only themes in the story of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, but it is also a way certain characters, mainly Hamlet himself, use to carry out their own personal gain. The focus will mainly be on the main character as he is the best example for a character using deception to his own ends. Hamlet is a very odd and curious character. He does not seem very ambitious, but actually, he is. He uses the tool of deception, under the disguise of moral justice, to seek revenge for his father’s death.

Read More
933 Words | 4 Pages

Everyone sees the play Hamlet as this great tragedy and a quest for revenge, and it is one, but it’s all filled with so much deception and lies. The characters lie to each other, they spy and create plans to find out information. This use of hidden yet obvious deception just shows how rotton human beings can be with each other and how easily they can turn on one another to further themselves to get what they want. It eventually shows that by using all your energy towards a plan of revenge, can cause self deception. In this story, Shakespeare uses certain structures to reveal that by using deceit one may be able to get to the truth.

Read More
536 Words | 3 Pages

This theme is engrained in the play by the fact that many of the main characters conceal their true intentions as they question the motives of other individuals. What deceiving does, as Shakespeare explicitly portrays, is that it creates an atmosphere of mistrust, guilt, and corruption. Of all the main characters in the play, Claudius is the master of hiding treachery in his words and actions. In his speech to the court in Act I Scene II, Claudius uses words to express the grief he feels for his brother’s death; he acts as though he really cares for his brother, but later on Claudius is demasked for the murderer that he is.

Read More
1313 Words | 6 Pages

However, Hamlet soon discovers that Claudius has been lying to him, and Claudius’ real motive is to kill Hamlet in order to exterminate all possible threats to his reign. Claudius’ role play affects the entire country of Denmark, and he convinces the people that he is the rightful king, when he is not, and has murdered his brother for the throne. Gertrude, too, takes on a role; throughout the play, she seems oblivious to her wrongdoings. She claims that she loves Claudius, and did not just marry him for political reasons.

Read More
932 Words | 4 Pages

In this paper, the audience will understand how Hamlet’s moral ambiguity is significant to Shakespeare’s play as a whole. In the beginning of the

Read More
479 Words | 2 Pages

Hamlet struggles to establish his identity and find purpose in a deceitful world where sadly, deception often times comes as second nature and therefore becomes part of the human experience. The end of innocence brought on in Hamlet by tragedy is likewise inevitable. Throughout Act 2, Hamlet and all his fellow players increasingly use deception as a tool to compete for position and control in a chaotic maze of self discovery, fear, and ambition. Hamlet’s own growing deceptive nature contributes to his search for identity. Deception is the norm in Hamlet.

Read More
1282 Words | 6 Pages

Orestes and Hamlet: Vengeance Hamlet and Orestes had duties on avenging their fathers. However whose vengeance was more rightfully so? By explaining the backstories and comparing Hamlet and Orestes we will conclude whose vengeance was more acceptable. Excerpts from Earl Showerman, a Shakespearean expert and excerpts from Aeschylus The Oresteia and Shakespeare's Hamlet will support who was more justified in avenging their father. Going over the characters stories is important in deciding on whose vengeance is more justified.

Read More

More about Character Deception In Hamlet

Related Topics

Open Document