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Appearance versus Reality in Hamlet “Hamlet” is a tragedy play by Shakespeare that features Claudius a mean and power-hungry king who takes over the throne after assassinating his brother, the king. Hamlet, the former king’s son learns that his uncle was responsible for his father’s death and vows revenge. The theme that takes center stage in the play is appearance versus reality. Many things and situations in the play appear, to be honest, and real but are in reality not what they seem. Many of the characters within the play assume a deceitful character that does not depict what they are in reality. They hide behind a mask that shows them as sincere and angel-like, but this is not the case. Hamlet appears to be mad after his father’s death. However, many incidences as well as words in the poem prove that he just feigned madness to confuse the king and his associates so that he could easily carry out his revenge plans. He had vowed to put an antic disposition and act strange (I. v. 170, 172). Polonius was the first to declare him mad and thought that the madness was caused by Ophelia’s when she ceased to love him. He then reported his observation to the king but later noted that though he was mad, there was something strange about it. “Though it shows madness yet there is a method in it” (II. ii.203).Hamlet also notes to his friend Guildenstern that he was only “mad north-north-west’ and that his aunt-mother and uncle-father were deceived (Bassett and Shakespeare II. ii. 360.). Guildenstern did not at first understand what his friend meant, but he later said that Hamlet’s madness was just crafty. Hamlet also assured to his mother that he was just
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