Hamlet 13
Hamlet 13In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, there are many themes that appear throughout the play. During the sequence of events in the play we see that there are many obvious themes and many underlying themes. One of these themes that can be seen throughout the play is the way characters appear as one thing, and really are different in their actions at different times. Characters wear a sort of mask to keep them and their feelings inside. We see this with the way that Hamlet hides behind his madness and the way that Claudius puts forth a somewhat kind image when really he is cold and self-serving. Analyzing all the characters we see that this mask of deception theme is a highly fundamental part of the drama.
We see the mask theme develop throughout the play as various characters try to cover their secret intentions by ways of deception. One of the most obvious, of course is Claudius. Claudius murdered his brother, the former king Hamlet, in order to become king himself. Not only is he the King of Denmark, but he is also married to Queen Gertrude, his brothers former wife. When Claudius confronts anyone, he must become someone totally different. Claudius puts on a mask of his own. He is no longer the self-serving, cold, conniving man that he really is. He becomes a kind, caring man who does his very best to ensure that Gertrude stays with him. Claudius also does his best to keep Hamlet from trying to take the kingdom and destroy what Claudius has worked for so long to gain.
The women in Hamlet are confused in a much different way. Both Ophelia and Gertrude mask themselves to the harsh realities of their life. Ophelia's mask is far more fragile than any other is. She puts up a defense at first, trying to protect herself from Hamlet's cruelty, but it fails....
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