Macbeth And Hamlet Research Paper

Looking around the world today makes me wonder if the people around are really who they seem to be. Shakespeare adds this aspect to many of his plays. In his two famous works, Macbeth and Hamlet, many themes are repeated throughout the plays. The most important one is appearance versus reality. In Macbeth only certain characters represent this theme, while in Hamlet it is every character. In both of these plays, there is at least one character that is obsessed with power and would do anything to get it even kill. Shakespeare’s theatrical works are mainly tragedies that embodies relationships that are not actually what they seem to be and conniving murders. Shakespeare develops the theme appearances versus reality while writing two of his most

In Macbeth, Shakespeare establishes that only a select few characters have another side to them than what appears. He also makes a point with his female characters and their thirst for power. The witches and Lady Macbeth are the more prominent strong females throughout the tragedy. The three witches display the confusion within the audience with many illusions in Macbeth. “ Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.” is one of the illusions the witches give the audience that is seen throughout the play (Macbeth, I.i.12-13). They are stating what seems to be good is actually evil and vise versa. The physical look of the witches contradicts itself as well. The weird sisters, as the character call them, are female with some male physique such as a beard. Banquo ask Macbeth, “What are these/ So wither'd and so wild in their attire,/ That look not like th' inhabitants o' th' Earth,/ And yet are on't?—Live you? Or are you aught/ That man may question?” about the three witches (Macbeth, I.iii.40-44). Lady Macbeth is notorious for having a hankering for power but manages to be a loving and passive wife. Lady Macbeth shows her loving side to her husband while trying to calm him down

The greatest appearances versus reality theme in Hamlet would be Hamlet himself. Hamlet is seen as an insane madman, but all he really is trying to do is justify his father’s murder. He states, "I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft" about his plan to uncover the killer of his late father (Hamlet, III.iv.189-190). Hamlet being seen as a madman displays antic disposition to the audience. He even states putting on an antic disposition, "As I perchance hereafter shall think meet, To put an antic disposition on" (Hamlet, I.v.179-180). The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia adds to Hamlet being seen as a madman. Ophelia hides her affection towards Hamlet until her father forces it out. In act three Ophelia belts out how she feels about him to him by saying, “Oh, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!—The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword,Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state,The glass of fashion and the mould of form,Th' observed of all observers, quite, quite down!And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,That sucked the honey of his music vows,Now see that noble and most sovereign reason Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. Oh, woe is me, T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see!” (Macbeth, III.i.163-175). Hamlet