Appearance Vs. Reality

1228 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Characterization of Hamlet by Shakespeare

Appearance vs. Reality in Hamlet
To Be or Not to Be?

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the tale of a young prince determined to uncover the truth about his father’s recent death. Hamlet’s uncle (and also the deceased king’s brother), Claudius, marries his mother the queen, and therefore, takes the throne. In the beginning of the story, Hamlet is told by the apparition of his dead father that it was
Claudius who in fact murdered him. The theme that remains consistent throughout the tragedy is appearance versus reality. The characters introduced to us throughout the play appear to be pure and honest, but in reality are infested with evil. They deceitfully hide behind a mask of integrity. Four main dishonest characters which are found to be disguised with righteousness are Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the freshly crowned king Claudius. The first impression presented by these characters are ones of truth, honor, and morality; they are all plagued by evilness and lies in reality. Their appearances serve as obstacles for Hamlet as he struggles to discover the hidden truth.
The king’s royal assistant, Polonius, has a great preoccupation with appearance.
He continually gives the impression of being an affectionate and caring person. He is introduced as a father who deeply cares for his son, Laertes. Polonius speaks to Laertes with advice which sounds sincere, yet in truth, is rehearsed, empty, and without feeling.
He gives the advice to make others believe he is a strong, loving, role-model type of a father. He is similar to a politician. He speaks strong, influential words, but does not actually mean what he is saying sincerely in the least. Polonius grants his son his blessing to leave Denmark:

“And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!” (Hamlet 46).

Within his speech to Laertes, Polonius advises him to not borrow from others, to remain true to himself, and not to lie. Polonius appears to be a caring and trusting father when in fact he sends a spy after Laertes to follow and keep an eye on him. This demonstrates his distrust for his son. He is not the confident father in which he is shown to be. His speech was rehearsed to give the effect that he actually cares and is trustworthy of his son.
Polonius further adds to the theme of appearance versus reality when he orders his

Show More
Related

  • Downside of Technology Exposed in Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    As you can see, Technology plays a big role in our lives in Montag's society and our society too. You see technology is an antagonist to nature because it gives us too much tittivation. It manipulates our mind and it changes who we are. Therefore, Ray Bradbury overall message/opinion of Fahrenheit 451 is how technology is bad for alternative ways for people.

    Read More

  • How Does Shakespeare Use Self-Respect Plays When An Individual Respond To Injustice

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Laertes knows about the mysterious death of his father and thinks the King Claudius killed him, he organizes a rebellious army and fight all the way into the castle to get revenge for his father. By the time the messenger comes and tells Claudius and Gertrude that [Young Laertes, in a riotous head, overbears [the King’s] officers.] (Act IV scene iv l.102-103)Laertes’s rebellious army are already at the last door to where the King is. Laertes, as a gentleman from a noble family and a scholar studying abroad, has fairly high self-respect and sense of honor. When his father’s been killed and buried secretly his family lost their honor.

    Read More

  • The Deceptive Character of Polonius in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    character Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet fits the description of one who tries to deceive others

    Read More

  • Hamlet Is A Loyal Councilor To Claudius

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the plat goes on it shows that Hamlet is not the only one trying to appear to be doing one thing but has another motive. "Polonius appears to be a loyal councilor to Claudius, honest trusting man and a caring father to Laertes and Ophelia when in reality,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Hamlet Act 2

    180 Words  | 1 Pages

    This is shown through Polonius’s discussion with Reynaldo about spying on Laertes, Claudius and Gertrude’s conversation with Reynaldo and Rosencrantz about spying on Hamlet, and Hamlet’s scheme of describing his father’s death in his play to watch Claudius’ reaction and confirm that Claudius

    Read More

  • Hamlet Character Analysis Essay

    1622 Words  | 4 Pages

    Laertes ' hatred for Hamlet initially perplexes him. Claudius easily persuades Laertes into seeking revenge for Polonius ' death on Hamlet. Hardison notes how effortlessly his Claudius manages to influence Laertes character, as "once in the power of Claudius," Laertes "engages himself to perform acts of unmitigated treachery-- acts which are in direct violation of his own code of honor" (Hardison 157). Before Laertes dies, however, his views shift to the views he will die with, proclaiming:

    Read More

  • Justification of Death in Hamlet

    2588 Words  | 6 Pages

    Polonius, the lord Chamberlain, a counsel to the king, is the first character to be killed. As the play opens up, Polonius is depicted as a rather good person, with noapparent flaws. However, as the play progresses, Polonius possess a flaw in his character, which becomes increasingly evident throughout the play; he is extremely nosy and scrutinizing. Many times during the play Polonius is either seen spying on other characters, or arranging for characters to be spied upon. The first such incident of this occurs when his son Laertes is going off to Paris. He instructs his servant Reynaldo to spy on his while in Paris. Polonius tells him:

    Read More

  • Hamlet – the Wise Polonius

    2942 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hamlet – the Wise Polonius The older gent in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, namely Polonius, is no type character. Rather he is quite rounded and complex. This essay will explore his character.

    Read More

  • Provoking Revenge In Hamlet

    488 Words  | 1 Pages

    Storming into the palace and throwing accusations at Claudius, Laertes reveals he is impulsive. Laertes anger is due to the dishonor that has been inflicted on his family by Polonius’s murder. Claudius takes advantage of the sudden appearance of Laertes, by provoking Laertes into assisting him in plotting Hamlet’s murder. Shakespeare uses Laertes not only as a catalyst in the story, but as a contrast to the pensive Hamlet.

    Read More

  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    1556 Words  | 4 Pages

    The transition of royalty from King Hamlet to King Claudius seemed smooth, but the tension within the royal family created some complications. Almost all of Denmark gave their loyalty to a new king without any suspicion as to how the previous ruler died. Although Denmark’s citizens are unaware of the fratricide, this fickle faithfulness exemplifies the social and moral decay of Denmark. Most of Denmark’s subjects act upon their own selfish interests and lack any conviction. Shakespeare uses Polonius, formerly a loyal servant to King Hamlet, as a microcosm of Denmark’s oblivious and hypocritical society as a whole. The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court and the father of Laertes and Ophelia, Polonius has good intentions, but he tends to be somewhat conniving and underhanded. He frequently leaps to the wrong conclusions, and his speeches are comically pompous and long-winded. He is completely incapable of figuring out what Hamlet is up to. Looking to stay on Claudius’s favorable side, Polonius pleases the new king’s demands and even puts his own children’s reputation and lives in jeopardy. Because of his meddling in Prince Hamlet’s business, Polonius ends up dying on his own account.

    Read More

  • The Comedy of Hamlet

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    Polonius is over-eager and tries to give unwanted advice, during the play he is tactless and often rude. For instance, Polonius is a comic relief during his conversation with Gertrude and Claudius regarding Hamlet’s madness. Polonius rambling through his conversation contrasts with Gertrude’s seriousness of wanting to find out the reason to Hamlet’s madness. As Polonius begins to deliver to the king and queen the results of his investigation, he makes this statement, “My liege, and madam, to expostulate/ What majesty should be, what duty is,/ What day is day, night is night, and time is time,/ Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time;/ Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,/ And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,/ I will be brief. Your noble son is mad. . . .”(IIii,86-92) . Polonius’ speech is windy and nonsensical he wastes ti...

    Read More

  • Polonius is a Good Father in Hamlet

    603 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before Laertes is about to go to France, Polonius talks to him and tells him all of his good advice. While Polonius tells Laertes all of his good advice, he says, “My blessing with thee'; (I.iii.61). This statement shows that Polonius really wants Laertes to be successful when he goes to France. Polonius says, “Beware of entrance to a quarrel';, (I.iii.69) because he wants him to be safe. Polonius wants Laertes to stay out of trouble, and to be friendly with everyone he meets. Another point Polonius wants to make is that it is better to listen than to talk. “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice'; (I.iii.72). Polonius believes that it is better to listen too much than to talk too much, because sometimes people who talk too much get into trouble, and others don’t like them. Whereas, people who listen more than they talk rarely have others who don’t like them and they don’t get into much trouble. Another way Polonius tells Laertes to stay out of trouble is when he says, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be'; (I.iii.80). This is important because sometimes when things are borrowed, the lender will get mad that the borrower didn’t return when it was needed or the borrower ruined part of it. Even when it is an accident, it is still better to not borrow or lend anything from anyone just in case one person has a short temper. Polonius lastly and most importantly tells Laertes, “This above all to thine own self be true';. This is good advice because if people are not true to themselves, then they can’t really be true to anyone else. Polonius believes that Laertes should have enough self-respect to be true to himself.

    Read More

  • Does Shakespeare matter?

    437 Words  | 1 Pages

    William Shakespeare has become landmark in English literature. One must be familiar with the early days of English literature in order to comprehend the foundation of much of more modern literature’s basis. Shakespeare’s modern influence is still seen clearly in many ways. The success of Shakespeare’s works helped to set the example for the development of modern dramas and plays. He is also acknowledged for being one of the first writers to use any modern prose in his writings.

    Read More

  • Is Hamlet A Villain Essay

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play, Hamlet is a tragic hero since he does not try to stop the war but conduct a revenge that becomes a vicious circle. He is unable to make a decision whether he should revenge on the death of the elder King or not, losing the characteristics that heroes have. Surprisingly, Hamlet kills Polonius in a moment, meaning he kills other people’s father as well. He detests the behavior of Claudius, now he has become another Claudius. Thus, Polonius’s son, Laertes starts getting revenge for his father’s murder. Laertes states, “To hell, allegiance! Vow, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand that both the worlds I give to negligence. Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father.” (4.5 129-134) Hamlet wants to get revenge for his father because he is experiencing the loss of a loved one; however, he causes other people suffering the same pain. Comparing the two people taking revenge, Laertes displays more characteristics of a hero and is more manly than

    Read More

  • Essay On Shakespeare's Influence

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Using Film and Modern television as an example, Shakespeare’s influence can be seen quite easily. He had a lot of work that shows examples of forbidden love or main characters seeking revenge. There are many many movies and films with these as the foundation. What is great about a lot of his work is that they are very universal and do not lose meaning over time. They can

    Read More

More about Appearance Vs. Reality

Open Document