Honesty is treated like a joke through the entire play. Lies and deceit seem to be a common theme through the entire play, beginning with the biggest treason of all which is the murder of Old Hamlet by Claudius. King Claudius is aware of “How smart a lash that speech doth give [his] conscience” in act three (3.1.57). He knows that his own scheming ways will creep up on him in the end and he cannot escape from his lies. It is known from the start that Claudius has murdered his own brother after the Ghost visits Hamlet and tells him everything. Later on, Claudius states it is “befitted to bear [their] hearts in grief” considering that the “memory be green” of old Hamlet's death (1.2.1-7). The element of irony is strong here since Claudius is trying to seem grief-stricken over his brother’s death when he killed him himself in cold blood.
In addition, the change from suspicion to hate leads to mass destruction. Claudius and Hamlet …show more content…
It is obvious that Claudius has become annoyed of Hamlet’s temperament when he states how it is possible “that the clouds still hang on [him]” (1.2.66). It is as if Claudius can sense that Hamlet is a threat to him because he knows of his culpability and what Hamlet is capable of doing in his late father’s honor.The animosity goes both ways since Hamlet says he is “too much i’ the sun” (1.2.67). This play on words with the word son and sun emphasize Hamlet's dislike towards Claudius and their situation in general. Hamlet is very bitter towards Claudius since he knows he is at fault for the death of his beloved father and has taken his mother from