Deception in Hamlet By: Zaara Asad

Works Cited “Hamlet Translation.” LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations/hamlet. Accessed 20 July 2022.

GERTRUDE Oh, what a reckless, bloody act! HAMLET A bloody deed? Almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king and marry with his brother. (Shakespeare 3.4. 31.33)

This ruins the relationship between Hamlet and Claudius because Hamlet does not trust him anymore which is why he wants to get his revenge by killing him.

So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word. It is “Adieu, adieu. Remember me.” I have sworn ’t. (Shakespeare 1.5. 115-118)

HAMLET You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not. OPHELIA I was the more deceived. HAMLET Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me.

Hamlet does in fact love Ophelia but he is just expressing all of his built up anger about his mom not being faithful to King Hamlet and being incestuous by marrying Claudius.

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OSRIC Nothing, neither way. LAERTES Have at you now! LAERTES wounds HAMLET. They scuffle and end up with each other’s swords. HAMLET wounds LAERTES. CLAUDIUS Part them! They are incensed. (Shakespeare 5.2. 320-322)

HAMLET Where’s your father? OPHELIA At home, my lord. HAMLET Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool no where but in ’s own house. Farewell. (Shakespeare 3.1. 140-143)

This excludes

This causes

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Quote example is

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Contrast

But in our circumstance and course of thought ‘Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged To take him in the purging of his soul When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No! Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. (Shakespeare 3.3. 87-92)

Laertes is much different than Hamlet as he is able to solve his issues and take action right away. When he wanted to get revenge on Hamlet after he killed Polonius, he wasted no time and ran straight to talk to Claudius about this and he was able to arrange a sword fight between them.

Hamlet thinks about his decisions a lot more thoroughly and waits for the right time to get his revenge. He let his intricate feelings and thoughts prevent him from killing Claudius early in the play because he didn't want to kill him while he was repenting. However, If he was able kill him, then it would've stopped the tragedy that happens at the end of the play.

Conflict

Hamlet and Laertes

Conflict and Contrast

GHOST Now, Hamlet, hear. ‘Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forgèd process of my death Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. HAMLET O my prophetic soul! My uncle? (Shakespeare 1.5. 40-47)

Hamlet deceives Ophelia because he lies to her and tells her that he doesn't love her and insults her by telling her to go to a convent.

Gertrude betrays King Hamlet because she marries his brother so soon after he had died. Plus she betrays Hamlet because he was still upset with his father's death and felt as if his mom didn't care about King Hamlet anymore.

This ruins the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia because now can't trust her anymore since he knows she's spying on him for Polonius and Claudius and anything important he says will be told to them.

Destruction of Relationship

This ruins Hamlet's and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern relationship because he is upset that they would betray him like this considering the fact that they have been friends since they were kids which is why he felt it was right to write their names on the letter instead.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betray Hamlet by obeying Claudius because Claudius uses them as a way to get Hamlet to confess things like what he did to Polonius' body and why he's acting crazy.

Hamlet claims that makeup is how women hide their true selves.

Claudius compares himself to makeup used by a prostitute because he lies to everyone by pretending to be a righteous king.

The harlot’s cheek, beautied with plastering art, Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it Than is my deed to my most painted word. O heavy burden! (Shakespeare 3.1. 61-63)

I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face and you make yourselves another. (Shakespeare 3.1. 152-153)

Characters

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

They deceived Hamlet by not telling him about the letter in their bag that states he is being brought to England to be killed.

Follow him at foot. Tempt him with speed aboard. Delay it not. I’ll have him hence tonight. Away! For everything is sealed and done That else leans on the affair. Pray you, make haste. (Shakespeare 4.3. 78-60)

Ophelia

Ophelia lies to Hamlet about why she is in the corridor so late at night to be able to get information for her father and the king as to why he has been acting so crazy.

Polonius

Polonius wants to know why Hamlet has been acting crazy so he makes Ophelia meet him by "accident" in the corridor to see if his behavior is due to his love for Ophelia because if it is then he thinks Ophelia can fix him.

That show of such an exercise may color Your loneliness. —We are oft to blame in this, ‘Tis too much proved, that with devotion’s visage And pious action we do sugar o’er The devil himself. (Shakespeare 3.1. 54-57)

Laertes

When he hears about Polonius' death he wanted to get revenge by killing Hamlet in a sword fight. However, he didn't tell Hamlet that he put poison on his sword even after he apologized before the battle too.

I will do ’t. And for that purpose I’ll anoint my sword. I bought an unction of a mountebank, So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue Under the moon, can save the thing from death That is but scratched withal. I’ll touch my point With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly It may be death. (Shakespeare 4.7. 156-165)

Hamlet

Hamlet deceives his childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because he finds a letter that Claudius wrote to demand his death in England so he erased his name and wrote their names instead so that they can get killed.

That, on the view and knowing of these contents, Without debatement further, more or less, He should the bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving time allowed. (Shakespeare 5.2. 48-51)

Hamlet deceives everyone in Denmark by acting crazy so that nobody would suspect his actions as he works on a plan to kill Claudius.

But come, Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on) (Shakespeare 1.5. 185-189)

Claudius

Claudius lies to Gertrude and Hamlet because they thought Hamlet was being sent to England to protect him from any danger after Polonius's death. However he was sending him there to be killed.

The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England, For like the hectic in my blood he rages, And thou must cure me. Till I know ’tis done, Howe’er my haps, my joys were ne’er begun. (Shakespeare 4.3. 68-71)

He deceives everyone by in Denmark by giving them a speech about how he misses his brother when in reality he was the one who killed him by slipping poison down his ear.

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him Together with remembrance of ourselves. (Shakespeare 1.2. 1-7)

Betrayal

Deception in Hamlet By: Zaara Asad

Literary Devices

Situational Irony

Laertes' sword has poison on the tip and his intention was to kill Hamlet with it however, Hamlet ends up stabbing him with his sword.

Symbolism

Makeup symbolizes deception

Dramatic Irony

Claudius tells Laertes that he will apply poison on the tip of his sword so that he can kill Hamlet immediately during the sword fight which is dramatic irony because Laertes, Claudius and the audience are the only ones aware of this.

The Frenchman gave you, bring you in fine together And wager on your heads. He, being remiss, Most generous and free from all contriving, Will not peruse the foils; so that, with ease, Or with a little shuffling, you may choose A sword unbated, and in a pass of practice Requite him for your father. (Shakespeare 4.7. 149-155

The ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet that Claudius killed him which is dramatic irony because now only Hamlet and the audience know how he died.