Hamlet Deception Research Paper

Many people tell little white lies that they believe will not have a tremendous effect, however, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet deception can have deadly consequences. Trickery is a driving force in the play that creates much conflict and confusion amongst the characters. It is mostly used for personal gain or exploitation, but almost never has a strong return. Deception is repeatedly utilized by Claudius and Hamlet and Polonius. All three caused numerous deaths, including their own, because of their lies and fabricated stories. Claudius, Polonius, and Hamlet are guilty of being deceitful in various manners, however, all of their actions were inspired by personal gain and resulted in death and destruction.

Claudius (the newly appointed king)

and Polonius are deceitful throughout the play for the same reason and seem to have no guilt over their actions (SP7).

Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father, so that he could have the throne for himself. He never confessed and his dishonesty regarding the event led to a spiral of problems solved with more lies. Once Hamlet discovered the truth, the King used deception on Laertes in order to kill Hamlet and together they formed a plan. The king did this to keep power, and Laertes agreed in order to avenge his sister’s death. The evanescence of the plan was apparent when everything went wrong and both Laertes and the King die, “I am justly killed with my own treachery” (Shakespeare 5.2.337). Similarly, Polonius is killed by his avaricious ambition to gain power and become closer with the king and queen. Throughout the play, Polonius had been wrongly spying not only on his daughter and son, but also on Hamlet. To get respect from queen he tries to give advice on how to handle Hamlet and

his erratic behavior. When Hamlet enters the room, Polonius listens in on the conversation from behind a tapestry. Suspecting his murderous step father to be behind the curtain, Hamlet draws his sword and kills Polonius. After realizing he killed Polonius Hamlet says, “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger” (Shakespeare 3.4.38-40). Hamlet shows some sympathy for the situation, but believes that Polonius got what he deserved for being a busybody. Even though Claudius was a powerful king and Polonius was a glorified man servant their deceit killed them both. They were equally hungry to take or keep power, however, their desire and deceit ruined all possibilities.
Hamlet uses deception throughout the play; at the same time he continuously mentions how he despises those who cheat and lie (SP1).

Furthermore, Hamlet feels some sort of guilt or regret after lying for his benefit. For instance, after killing Polonius, Hamlet says, “Such an act that blurs the grace and blush of modesty, calls virtue hypocrite” (Shakespeare 3.4.49-51). In regards to this incident Hamlet knows that he has done something, but as the play continues the line between wrong and right blurs. Continuing on his path of deception, Hamlet invites a theatre group to put on a play for him and his family. Hamlet tells the actor to reenact a seem modeling that of his father’s murder, “…I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play have, by the very cunning of the scene, been struck so to the soul that presently they have proclaimed their malefactions” (Shakespeare 2.2.617-621). Through this trickery Hamlet was trying to get a guilty reaction out of his uncle. Similarly, Hamlet also killed his two friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by deluding the English to execute them. Hamlet rewrites his own execution letter notifying the English that his two friends be executed in his place. After this deed Hamlet truly capitulates his moral standards he says that, “They are not near my conscience. Their defeat does by their own insinuation grow” (Shakespeare 5.2.65-66). All of the lies and deceit led Hamlet down a negative path that turned him into a completely different

person.
Claudius, Polonius, and Hamlet are guilty of being deceitful in various manners, however, all of their actions were inspired by personal gain and resulted in death and destruction. All three of these characters were deceptive and as a result they got themselves and those that they love killed. The dishonesty, the lies, the deceit, the duplicity- didn’t help them gain power or control and had enormous consequences (SP6). Deception plays a huge role in society not only in the days of Shakespeare, but is still a common affair. Today, people lie directly, spread gossip, start rumors, and most of the time they think that they will benefit from the lie. Sometimes being deceitful and dishonest will be lucrative, but it will never be morally right.