Examples Of Hypocrisy In Hamlet

People can most often be put into boxes: a man is good or bad, smart or dumb, handsome or ugly; but while a person can have a tendency to lean in one direction, nothing ever works out to black or white. The same theory can be applied to characters of fiction, such as Hamlet from Hamlet, although because he is a fictional human his actions can be interpreted differently by different people. One opinion displays Hamlet’s actions and ideas of those of an entitled man of thought must fulfill the duties of a faithful man of honor. Hamlet consistently shows himself to be inclined to hypocrisy, an inability to successfully act on his wishes, and a lack of empathy towards others. Hamlet impresses an air of a man who intimately knows what the world is like, passing judgment on other characters for traits deemed immoral. However, Hamlet himself exhibits some of the characteristics he so loathes, proving him a hypocrite. For instance, during his quest for revenge, Hamlet inclines to choose a route filled with subterfuge …show more content…
Hamlet uses his “antic disposition” on Ophelia because Ophelia is a dutiful daughter who will report anything odd to her father, who will in turn report it to King Claudius. While Hamlet preys upon this early on in the play, he is enraged by it later on. Ophelia is instructed by her father, Polonius, to engage in conversation with the “mad” Hamlet while he and the King watch, hidden behind a tapestry. Ophelia, obeying her father’s orders, does as she is told. During the conversation, Hamlet asks her where her father is, Ophelia lies, citing that he at home. Hamlet knows the truth, that Polonius is listening in, and flies into a rage, screaming “Get thee to a nunnery.”