Norms In Hamlet

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Recommended: The role of minor characters in Hamlet

Some people act differently than they actually are. there are many reasons why someone might do this. they could be trying to hide something, fit social norms, or might not even know their doing it. looking into the characters of Hamlet by William Shakespeare many of them fit this description. Some examples are Claudius caring about Polonius, Hamlet being crazy, Gertrude caring about Ophelia, and the grave diggers being dumb. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare many characters appear one way but are actually another.
Hamlet appears insane but is actually rational. One example of Hamlet appearing insane is when Ophelia explained that “Lord Hamlet with his doublet all unbraced no hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, ungartered and down-gyved …show more content…

He says that "The head is not more native to the heart...than is the throne of Denmark to thy father” (I.ii.47-49). Claudius uses this quote to seem to say that Polonius is important to the throne of Denmark by comparing it to parts of a human body. However, looking more into this quote reveals something else. He also says that “...the hand more instrumental to the mouth than is the throne of Denmark to thy father” (I.ii.48-49). Looking into this quote we can see that the things he is comparing things that have no correlation to each other, such as hand and mouth. Claudius is saying that Polonius does nothing for the throne of Denmark. The Grave diggers also fit the appearance vs. reality …show more content…

They say that, "If the man go to this water and drown himself, it is will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that. But if the water come to him and drown him, he drowns not himself. Argal, he that is not guilty of his own death shortens not his own life." (V.i.16-21). The gravedigger appears to be discussing something unimportant by saying that the water can come to a man and kill him. However, applying this quote to other parts of the play reveal something else. "If the man go to this water and drown himself, it is will he, nill he, he goes; mark you that. But if the water come to him and drown him, he drowns not himself. Argal, he that is not guilty of his own death shortens not his own life." (V.i.16-21). Although people in the play don’t know that they are talking about something important the readers do. they are talking about who is to blame for various events. on example of this is Hamlets death. This could be Claudius and Laertes fault for poisoning the blade that killed him, they would be the water that came to the man because they are an effect of the problem, or it could be Hamlets fault for killing Polonius starting a chain reaction that made Laertes want revenge on Hamlet he would be the man that came to the water because he started the problem. Another example of appearance vs. reality is how Gertrude cares about

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