So here it is. My FINAL draft of my Hamlet appearance and reality theme with a works cited page. This is the theme I have revised the most, ever. So yeah, lots of revisions! Woop! Anyway, I'm super glad I'm done with it.
Shannon Smith
Mr. Nathan Raley
Modern European Literature G block
October 16, 2012
Everything is not as it Seems
In Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, there is a fine line between how a thing is portrayed and its true nature. For example, Hamlet at times appears insane but then other times seems to be in his right mind, raising the question: Is Hamlet merely depicting himself as insane to society or is he truly insane? Other characters, along with Hamlet, portray their emotions to society in a different way, and thus do not reveal their true nature. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet the characters manipulate the way society perceives their inner emotions, creating a mask for their true inner character.
Hamlet’s emotions and character are often covered with a facade, disguising his true emotions about loving Ophelia. He acts insane, masking his true sanity from most of his family and friends. When he is around most of his society, namely his family and the people in the castle, they wonder if Hamlet is out of his mind. Hamlet even hides his true nature from his mother. An example of this is when Gertrude calls Hamlet into her room to talk and then reports to the King, Claudius, that he is “Mad as the sea and wind when both contend” (4.2.7). The only person Hamlet trusts enough to reveal his sanity to is Horatio. He is the only person with whom Hamlet acts normal, allowing the audience to know that he is simply feigning insanity. Even more evidence of Hamlet’s sanity is his decision to go insane. After Hamlet sees his father’s ghost, Hamlet knows he must avenge his father’s untimely murder by killing the culprit, Claudius. So Hamlet devises a plan to go insane. “How strange or odd some’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on)” (1.5.170-172). Hamlet’s decision to go insane is a calculated move to benefit his plot of revenge – not something accidental – but a mask for his true character. Hamlet is not truly insane, as seen by his ability to switch between madness and normalcy, his decision to act insane and his sanity around Horatio.
Hamlet even veils his true love for Ophelia from society. He professes his love for Ophelia by sending her tokens of his affection and spending time with her. Then when Ophelia confronts Hamlet, he claims to never have loved her. When Ophelia tries to give Hamlet the letters back he insists; “No, not I, I never gave you ought” (3.1.95-96). Then in the same conversation he declares “I did love you once” (3.1.115). and then takes it back and says “I loved you not” (3.1.119). Hamlet changes his appearance many times in this one conversation but by the end Hamlet convinces Ophelia that he has never loved her despite his true love for her. Convincing Ophelia that he never really loved her is his way of protecting her. Many times he tells her to “Get thee to a nunnery” (3.1.121). for her own benefit. Though he says these things, there is still evidence that Hamlet truly loves Ophelia. His reaction to her death is proof as he cries; “I love Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum” (5.1.271-273). Though he truly loves Ophelia, it is necessary for him to convince others in his society, and more importantly Ophelia herself, in order to protect her.
Another false mask in Hamlet is the relationship between Hamlet and Claudius. Claudius’s relationship with Hamlet is forced – simply a charade put on for the benefit of Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Claudius appears to claim Hamlet as his son and tries to become his father around Gertrude. Yet while he is speaking to Hamlet, even in front of Gertrude, he subtly insults him showing that he does not regard him as a son. Then, when Claudius is convinced of Hamlet’s madness, he plans to send him to England to have him killed, not displaying the unconditional love of a true father. Claudius was playing the role of a father for society, all the while never truly loving Hamlet.
Another one of Claudius’s masks is his pretense of innocence. He appears poised and innocent for the society of Denmark all the while his true guilt of murder eats at his conscience. When Ophelia and Polonius are talking, before Ophelia’s meeting with Hamlet, they want to have Ophelia holding a prayer book, to make her look innocent and pure. This pulls a reaction from the King; “How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!/ The harlot’s cheek, beautied with plast’ring art,/ is not more ugly than the thing that helps it then is my deed to my most painted word” (3.1.49-53). This is the first appearance of Claudius’s conscience. His guilt makes another appearance when Hamlet sets up the play as trap to catch the King’s conscience. Hamlet’s plan is to get the King to reveal that he is guilty of Hamlet Sr.’s murder. By staging the play similarly to the real murder, Hamlet hopes to strike a chord with the conscience of Claudius. Hamlet’s plan works. The King feels so guilty that he stands up and leaves before the show is even over. Before this Claudius manages to act innocent, keeping his guilt on the inside, but eventually his shame starts to get the better of him. His mask of innocence starts to show flaws. After he leaves the play, Claudius goes to the church and starts to repent; “My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent” (3.3.40). Even though he starts to feel and even show his increasing guilt, he manages to appear innocent enough and never truly confesses his guilt.
Gertrude also felt guilt over her lack of grief and of marrying Claudius so soon after Hamlet Sr.’s death. When Hamlet tells his mother that she is not being faithful to her husband and never truly loved him only appeared to, it strikes at her guilt and she cries; “O Hamlet, speak no more/ thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul,/ and there I see such black and grained spots/ as will not leave their tinct” (3.4.89-92). She has managed to put up a wall of innocence and avoid the truth that she is not devoted to her late husband. Even before Hamlet Sr. has passed, she manages to convince her society that they have a happy marriage. Despite the appearance of their happy marriage Hamlet Sr. is able to see through it after his death and when Hamlet Sr.’s ghost is talking to Hamlet the ghost describes her as a “seeming-virtuous queen” (1.5.47). Her appearance of loyalty and respectability is starting to crack revealing her true character. In reality, she is far from loyal to her first husband, quickly remarrying Claudius after Hamlet Sr.’s passing. Gertrude is also only able to grieve in a way that satisfied the appearance that society demands of her. She wears her black clothing and puts on her show but never truly feels the emotions her mask wore. Gertrude does not want to face the truth of what she has done, so she puts up her act and manages to believe that it it true. Not only has she managed to put on a mask of piety and grief for her society, but also for herself.
Gertrude’s grieving over her dead husband, Hamlet Sr. is only skin deep and satisfies the appearance of grief society expects from her. Though her appearance suggests inward grieving, Hamlet calls her out on her lack of emotion and shallow grieving saying “These indeed seem,/ for they are the actions that a man might play,/ but I have that within which passes show” (1.2.83-85). Hamlet suggests that his mother is acting, putting on a show of black clothing . Later in Hamlet’s monologue he specifically states that her mourning is barely over a month and far too short for her husband that she appeared to love. In this same scene Hamlet shows Gertrude that he is not acting – his grief over his father is real unlike his mother’s.
Hamlet not only grieves over his father, but also over Ophelia’s death. When he accidentally stumbles upon Ophelia’s funeral, he yells at Laertes;
“ ‘Swounds, show me what thou’t do.
Woo’t weep? Woo’t fight? Woo’t fast? Woo’t tear thyself?
Woo’t drink up eisel? Eat a crocodile?
I’ll do’t. Dost thou come here to whine?
To outface me me with leaping in her grave?” (5.1.276-280).
Hamlet is saying to Laertes that he could show his grieving by “leaping in her grave” or in any other way but his grief is just as real. Hamlet is willing to do whatever it takes for him to show his true grief to his family and society.
Ophelia is a unique case in Hamlet because of her insanity. Her insanity makes it difficult to tell what is actually going on in her head, since it is not mentally or emotionally stable. Ophelia’s insanity is brought about by the death of her father; her mental instability is the product of “the poison of deep grief” (4.5.75). After she goes insane, the one topic that is constantly on her mind is death as she becomes completely consumed with her grief. Her appearance and outward emotions are deteriorating along with her sanity. Her outward character then starts mirroring how she truly feels on the inside, making her insanity unquestionably real in both appearance and inner emotion. There is no point where decides to go insane, like Hamlet does, and there is also not a point where her insanity falters, like Hamlet’s does when he is around Horatio.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet’s “close friends” are seemingly there to help cheer up Hamlet and return to his normal self. As the play progresses it becomes increasingly apparent that they are truly there for another reason. In one scene Hamlet starts questioning them, repeatedly asking them to play upon a flute and again and again they say they cannot. Hamlet then responds; “It is as easy as lying” (3.2.365). They still say that they cannot play and Hamlet responds, saying “You would play upon me; you/ would seem to know my stops... ‘Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played than a pipe?” (3.2.372-373, 377-378). It does not take Hamlet long to figure out that they are lying to him and merely acting like his friends. At this time though, Hamlet simply knows that they are lying but not what they are lying about. It does not take him much longer to put the pieces together, however. Hamlet calls them a sponge “that soaks up the King’s countenance,/ his rewards, his authorities... When he needs what you have/ gleaned, it is but squeezing you and, sponge,/ you shall be dry again” (4.2.15-16, 19-21). Ronsencrantz and Guildenstern are there only because the King has told them to be there and are playing the part of Hamlet’s friends at the Kings command. They are acting like a friend to Hamlet but are really only with him because of the King and Queen.
From insanity to grief and friendship, each character depicts their inner emotions to society one way but behind their facade hides their true, inner character and emotions. In some cases, such as Ophelia’s madness, their emotions are exposed. Often for their own benefit, the characters in Hamlet mask their feelings and manipulate how they were portrayed to society.
Works Cited
1. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York, NY: Signet Classics, Penguin Group, 1998. Print.
