The Theme of Deception in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay

The Theme of Deception in Hamlet by William Shakespeare One must always be weary of the truth because it is quite often manipulated to serve the needs of any person who requires that the truth be on their side. Quite often, the only way to discern the truth from the fiction is by way of a deceptive act, because an act of deception always exposes both its self and the truth to be two quite different things. Nowhere is this more true than in William Shakespeares, Hamlet. One of the major themes in the play is in fact, deception. This central theme is expressed throughout the play in three major forms: the fear of being deceived, the act of deception, and the ultimate result of the deceptive act. The first facet of the deceptive†¦show more content†¦To learn the truth of Hamlets actions, Claudius entreats upon Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (two of Hamlets oldest friends) to investigate the situation: Some little time; so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather So much as from occasions you may glean, Whether augh t to us unknown afflicts him thus That, opened, lies within our remedy. (II:2, ll 14-18) Claudius, at this early point in the play, is slightly nervous of Hamlets state of mind. Although Hamlet has not yet done or said anything that distinctly proves that he knows of Claudius wrongdoing, Claudius is still suspicious. Ironically, he is worried about being deceived by Hamlet, so he sends two of his friends to spy him to learn what is bothering him. Laertes expresses a further example of the fear of deceit in his conversation to Ophelia regarding Hamlet: His greatness weighd, his will is not his own; For he himself is subject to his birth. He may not, as unvalued persons do, Carve for himself, for on his choice depends The safety and health of his whole state, (I:3, ll 17-21) Laertes fears that Hamlet is not sincere in his love for Ophelia. He tells her that since he is of royal blood, he is not free to choose his own wife. The court and other royals must decide who is the best choice to be queen, for the safety of Denmark. Hamlet knows this to be true, and therefore, any sign of love that he gives her must be false.Show MoreRelatedDeception And Deception In Hamlet1681 Words   |  7 Pages Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, deception is used to grant the characters the ability to attain social status and success. Deception comes from the root word â€Å"deceive,† which can be defined as, â€Å"to mislead by a false appearance or statement,† or â€Å"to mislead or falsely persuade others† (â€Å"Deceive†). 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