Assumptions In Hamlet

Throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet the characters prove that almost nothing is as they perceive it, and t is, perhaps, their own faults for why they do not know the truth. They believe what they want to believe.
One reason behind these assumptions is the tendency of people to believe what they see- and nothing more. At the beginning of the play King Claudius addresses his people about mourning the late King Hamlet, of which he says has “us befitted to bear our hearts in grief” (1.2.2-3). While Claudius admits to grieving his brother’s death, he does not honestly feel that way as he is the one who killed King Hamlet. To all others in the court, Claudius is a genuine king, but it is only because no one has seen the king do anything to contradict

that belief. Later, while Hamlet is confronting his mother about Claudius, his father’s ghost appears. Hamlet and the ghost are in a conversation when his mother asks, “To whom do you speak this?” (3.4.149). Gertrude cannot see the ghost that Hamlet sees, so she thinks he has gone mad. Not for a second does she consider if a ghost is in the room since she and Hamlet appear to be the only ones there. These characters perceive situations as they appear which keeps them from understanding the truth.
Ironically, while people cannot believe what they do not physically see, they often form assumptions to explain what they can see.

When Polonius discovers that Hamlet was acting in a terribly strange manner towards Ophelia by tearing his clothes and screaming at her, his response is that “this is the very ecstasy of love” (2.1.114). Without having access to Hamlet’s mind, Polonius has no idea what the circumstances surrounding Hamlet’s behavior are, but he assumes that the prince has gone mad because Ophelia will not sleep with him. Though this is not the case, it seems to be the most reasonable explanation to Polonius, so it is easier for him to believe. When Hamlet comes across Claudius praying in the church, he decides to kill Claudius at “a more horrid hent” (3.3.93). Hamlet imagines that Claudius is repenting for killing King Hamlet, and he refuses to kill Claudius when he might go to heaven. However, once Hamlet exits the scene, Claudius admits that his “words without thoughts never to heaven go” (3.3.98-99). Claudius realizes that he has no feelings of guilt for murdering his brother and that his prayer is meaningless. Hamlet’s impression that Claudius is presently innocent is the result of his expectation of the words spoken in prayer to be true. These characters often think they know the motives of others, and that keeps them from finding out what is

true.
Nevertheless, there are also cases in which these characters try to convince others of what is not true.

When Polonius decides that he wants to know what his son is up to in Paris, he hires Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. His suggestion is that Reynaldo should say he has “some distant knowledge of him, as thus: ‘I know his father and his friends, and, in part, him’” (2.1.14-16). Polonius wants Reynaldo to lie about his friendship with Laertes in order to gain information on him. When Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius instead of Claudius, his mother tells Claudius that Hamlet “whips out his rapier, cries, ‘A rat, a rat!’” before stabbing Polonius behind a curtain (4.1.11). Gertrude swears to her husband that Hamlet had no intention of killing any human. While she is lying to Claudius, she is attempting to protect her son from harsh

punishment.
The characters of Hamlet are easily fooled into believing what is not true. If they don’t want it to be true, they refuse to accept it. This results in the characters’ constant distrust of each other, but, to them, it is better to be right at the cost of a healthy relationship.