Examples Of Appearance Vs Reality In Hamlet

intro There can be times when people appear a certain way but in reality, they aren't the way they seem. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there are many moments when the characters such as Hamlet, the ghost, Claudius, and Ophelia appear differently than they are in reality. There are many places in the play where the characters appear to be acting a certain way but in reality, they are actually acting another way.

1 In the play, Hamlet, there is a moment when Hamlet and his father, which is the ghost, appear to be getting along but there are some instances that show otherwise. Hamlet says, “Haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep my revenge" (I.v.29-30). This quote suggests

Ophelia said, "My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced; No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled, ungrated, and down-gyved to his ankle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; And with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell To speak of horrors-he comes before me"(II.i.77-84). This is showing how Hamlet has not been acting normal since he came to Ophelia's room when his pants were not pulled up all the way and his shirt had not been buttoned and many others. This quote shows when Hamlet was not acting rationally when he went into Ophelia’s room without having his cloth on correctly. Hamlet said,"from the table of my memory I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, all saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven! O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!…"(I.v.99-101). At this moment Hamlet seems to be saying that he cares about the good things that happened between him and his father and he will try to remember those best. This shows that he is rational since he is not thinking about the negativity that was between him and his father now

Claudius said, "Which may to you perhaps seem much unsinewed, But yet to me they are strong. The queen his mother Lives almost by his looks, and for myself -My virtue or my plague, be it either which- She's so conjunctive to my life and soul, That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, I could not but by her. The other motive I could not but by her. The other motive Why to a public count I might not go, Is the great love the general gender bear him, Who, dipping all his faults in their affection, Would, like the spring that turneth woof to stone, Convert his gyves to graces- so that my arrows, Too slightly timbered for so loud a wind, Would have reverted to my bow again, And not where I had aimed them" (IV.vii. 10-24). This seems like Claudius cares about Hamlet since he talks about reasons why he thinks Hamlet should not be hurt. I feel like he mainly thinks this way because of what other people think of Hamlet not because of how he truly feels about Hamlet. Claudius said, "To thine own peace. If he be now returned, As checking at his voyage, and that he means No more to undertake it, I will work him To an exploit, now ripe in my devise, Under the which he shall not choose but fall. And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe, But even his mother shall uncharge the practice And call it accident" (IV.vii. 62-69). This is showing that Claudius does not really care about