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That is, how things seem to be in appearance and the reality behind
audience knows that King Hamlet did not die of snakebite. The
reality is that the new King of Denmark, Claudius poisoned the old
Readers have noticed that Claudius actions during the old King
appearance of caring and grief for his brother’s death. One can
notice this through his speech to the court when he says that, “and
that it us befitted to bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom,
reality, the audience knows that these actions are just appearances.
Claudius murdered the old King Hamlet. The audience can also
his love for Gertrude. However, he later reveals that Gertrude is also
among the reasons he killed the old King Hamlet. Claudius puts up
Hamlet discovers the reality behind the old King’s death and
can infer that he is curious to know the reality behind the murder.
deeply.
Shakespeare also presents appearance and reality in Gertrude,
in the family who is, in reality, mourning the old King. Hamlet knows
that his mother is showing outward signs of grief. All the signs of
highlight deceit in the play. The ghost bears reality but appears as an
apparition. However, Hamlet learns the truth from the ghost. The
ghost reveals to Hamlet the cause of his father’s death. This comes
from the statements that “revenge his foul and most unnatural
ghost.
He comes up with an appearance of madness to know if it is real.
Guildenstern says that “But with a crafty madness keeps aloof when
He tells Ophelia that, “You should not have believed me, for virtue
cannot so inoculate our old stock but shall relish” (Shakespeare 28).
by using reality and appearance. This love has two opposing sides.
(Shakespeare 30).
However, we notice the love Hamlet has for Ophelia after her death
(Shakespeare 30).
Claudius does not believe that Hamlet will use the play to reveal that
he is responsible for the death of the old King Hamlet. He says that
This play reveals what Hamlet already knows about the death of old
the gap between reality and appearance. The audience can mistake
motives and shows that he does not trust both Rosencrantz and
27).
conflicts. He has virtues above all characters. As fate has it, he also
between appearance and reality hides the truth from characters and
As the Hamlet says, appearance is deceiving, and things are not the
way they seem to appear. In the entire play, all characters appear as
real and honest. However, in reality, they have ulterior motives and
and reality differ, and in the end, reality must rupture, and
virtuous Laertes.