A Comparison Of Appearance Vs. Reality In Macbeth And Hamlet

The works of William Shakespeare have been set in stone as some of the greatest literary works to ever be conceived. In his fifty two years on this Earth, he changed the way we see literature. Two of his most famous works, Macbeth and Hamlet, symbolize how appearances versus reality of a person can impact the lives of several others close to them. In Macbeth, the condescending actions of Macbeth and his wife through their appearances lead to their downfall. In Hamlet, the protagonist finds himself creating an antic disposition to hide his true plot. They also represent universal Truth, as literature is classified as such. In Macbeth and Hamlet, appearances versus reality and Truth play a vital role in the composition of the works. Macbeth

Another play named after the protagonist, the reader follows the young man on his journey through his antic disposition in order to find the truth. Before the disposition is created, however, one must know why such a move. The first idea of appearances versus reality in the play is that Hamlet learns through the Ghost that his father was killed by his uncle Claudius, and not the way it was told. This come to light when the Ghost says, “But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.”(I, v, 38-40). The next idea of appearances versus reality in the piece is that he creates his plan to appear insane in between acts I and II. The disposition is referenced multiple times in the play with many theories as to what have caused it, and it becomes one of the focal points in the play. The final example of this theme is when the fencing contest took place in Act V. The action in question actually takes place in scene IV, when Laertes and Claudius are planning how to kill Hamlet. Claudius and Laertes come up with a so called back up plan to kill him by spiking his drink with poison. This is evident when Claudius says, “And that he calls for drink, I’ll have prepared him”.(IV, vii, 155) All of these examples pile together to make an interesting story about revenge, insanity, and