Deception in Hamlet Deception is an act to propagate beliefs of things that are not true. This act is the foundation for most plays written by William Shakespeare. In Hamlet, deception causes nothing but tragedy throughout the whole play. Most of the characters in the play Hamlet end up deceiving another character at least once. The characters say things that are not entirely true so that they can cover up what they have done or what they plan to do.The main character, Hamlet, starts out the play by stating that he dislikes deception by stating “Seems, ' madam? Nay it is. I know not 'seems. ' 'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river
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Hamlet’s plan was to have the King witness something similar to the crime that he committed himself. Hamlet wanted the get in the King’s head and mess with his conscience so that the King would confess to the murder. After the play, the King goes back to his room. Hamlet walks in on him and could have easily killed him. However, when Hamlet walked in, he saw the King praying and said “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven” (3:3:73-74). The King ended up not meaning what he said in the prayer because he said “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go,” (3:3:97-98). Hamlet deceives his mother later on in Act 3. Hamlet says “Soft! now to my mother. O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom: Let me be cruel, not unnatural: I will speak daggers to her, but use none; My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites; How in my words soever she be shent, To give them seals never, my soul, consent!”(3:2:408-415). During this portion of the play, Hamlet wants his mother to believe that he his going to harm her in some way, even though he would never in fact hurt her. Hamlet and Gertrude had no idea that they were being deceived at that time, but as they were talking, Hamlet hears polonius behind a curtain and he runs and stabs him believing that it could be the
Hamlet’s plan was to have the King witness something similar to the crime that he committed himself. Hamlet wanted the get in the King’s head and mess with his conscience so that the King would confess to the murder. After the play, the King goes back to his room. Hamlet walks in on him and could have easily killed him. However, when Hamlet walked in, he saw the King praying and said “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven” (3:3:73-74). The King ended up not meaning what he said in the prayer because he said “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go,” (3:3:97-98). Hamlet deceives his mother later on in Act 3. Hamlet says “Soft! now to my mother. O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom: Let me be cruel, not unnatural: I will speak daggers to her, but use none; My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites; How in my words soever she be shent, To give them seals never, my soul, consent!”(3:2:408-415). During this portion of the play, Hamlet wants his mother to believe that he his going to harm her in some way, even though he would never in fact hurt her. Hamlet and Gertrude had no idea that they were being deceived at that time, but as they were talking, Hamlet hears polonius behind a curtain and he runs and stabs him believing that it could be the