Appearance vs Realtiy
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In Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, there is a prevailing theme that is concurrent throughout the play. Throughout the play, all the characters appear to be one thing on the outside, yet on the inside they are completely different. The theme of appearance versus reality is prominent in Hamlet because of the fact that the characters portray themselves different from what they really are. In the play, Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, appears to be a caring, moderate man on the outside, but he is using his loving personality to mask his true traits of a selfish, mean, cold-hearted murderer. The women in Hamlet appear to live happy, wonderful lives on the outside, but their joy is used to cover up the unhappiness they feel on the inside. And finally, Hamlet appears to be mad and insane, but really he is using his madness to hide his intentions of seeking justice for his father's murder. The question of appearance versus reality is one of most significance in philosophy. What is genuinely real and what is appearance, or illusion? This question is developed as the Danish kingdom is filled with deception, treason, and lies.
Claudius is a deceiving character who goes to great lengths to mask his true intentions, portraying himself as a kind, gentle man...