The Theme Of Appearance Vs Reality In King Claudius

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William Shakespeare wrote in a way in which he could create interesting characters that are complex whose inner selves differ from their outward appearance. William Shakespeare allows Hamlet to appear mad and insane, but he is actually using his madness to hide his intentions of seeking revenge for his father’s murder by King Claudius. Claudius has killed his own brother, taking his crown using deception, causing Hamlet to be driven mad by aiming to get revenge for what he had done to his father. Are the characters within this work the same both on the inside as they appear on the outside? Appearance versus reality is one of the more significant philosophies portrayed through Shakespeare’s work. The theme remains consistent throughout the …show more content…

The new king of Denmark, Claudius allows us to analyze this theme of appearance versus reality. As many do not know the actual way elder Hamlet died, King Claudius acts as though he seems to care deeply about his brother and grieves over his death. Claudius feigns sadness over the loss of his brother when speaking to others, “and that it us befitted/ To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom/ To be contracted in one brow of woe” (Shakespeare I.2.2-4 ), but to the audience his lies are obvious. We know Claudius killed his brother to take the throne, and he doesn’t actually care nor grieve for his brother. His goal has been achieved, but he pretends he grieves along with his new wife and the people. Claudius sees his brother’s murder as heavenly because it helped him achieve his goal to become King,“O, my offence is a rank, it smells to heaven/ It hath the primal eldest curse upn’t, A brother’s murder” (Shakespeare 3.3.36-38). He is proud of the deed, and he sees it as a necessary act. It is clear that Claudius has a dark interior that the audience can see clearly when other characters are not present. Claudius also fakes the love he feels towards his nephew and stepson,

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