The Role Of Deception In Shakespeare's Hamlet

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As Xun Kuang once said, “The petty man is eager to make boasts, yet desires that others should believe in him. He enthusiastically engages in deception, yet wants others to have affection for him. He conducts himself like an animal, yet wants others to think well of him.” This quote applies so well to a few of the characters in Hamlet. They make a move that seems like they are trying to achieve something obvious, but really they have an ulterior motive. Life is like a big game of chess to them, and the one who makes the slyest move will come out on top. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius skillfully use deception to manipulate their intended audiences and shift the balance of power in their favor.
Initially in this story, it seems as though Hamlet has gone insane. After further inspection though, one can see what Hamlet is trying to accomplish. Hamlet's madness is an act of deception, concocted to draw attention away from his abnormal activities as he tries to compile evidence against Claudius. He reveals to Horatio his clever plan to fake insanity,
“Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,/ How strange or odd some’er I bear myself/ (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on)/...to note/ That you know aught of …show more content…
Deception is sort of like a dark art. It rarely gets talked about, but if utilized by the wrong people can be a dangerous weapon. This is the case for Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius as they were all masters of deception, They all used it to their benefit throughout the play to shift the balance of power in their favor, but in the end it came back to hurt them. The famous cliche goes, “revenge is a dish best served cold.” If these three were asked, they would probably tell say it is best not served at

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