Appearance vs Reality in hamlet Anonymous 12th Grade

There is often an indistinctive discrepancy between actuality and what tends to be an illusion of actuality. This concept of deception is often captured by many authors, who establish characters and implement facades that hide their true intentions. A quintessential example of such literary pieces is William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In Hamlet, characters appear to be forthright and sincere, however, this false display serves to conceal their truest desires. King Claudius appears to be worthy of trust and full of integrity, however, he is manipulative, and values power more than morals. Hamlet assumes a state of madness, to conceal his vengeful endeavors, while his childhood friends: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear to express concern about his state of mind; however, their loyalty truly lies with King Claudius. Polonius, the King’s royal assistant, gives the impression that he is a loving and devoted father, however, he is deceitful and insincere in his actions. Shakespeare shows a contrast between appearance and reality through the characters of Claudius, Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius, by revealing how they mask their true intentions to accomplish ulterior motives.

As the plot continues to develop, the motif...