In Shakespeares tragedy, Hamlet, there is a dominant and overwhelming theme that is concurrent throughout the play. Throughout the play, all the characters appear as one thing on the outside, yet on the inside they are completely different. The theme of Appearance versus Reality surrounds Hamlet due to the fact that the characters portray themselves as one person on the outside, and one different on the inside. In the play, Claudius, Hamlets uncle, appears to be kind, gentle, and caring on the outside, but in actual fact, he uses his loving behavior as a mask to cover up the fact that he is a selfish, mean, and cold murderer. The women in Hamlet appear to live happy and wonderful lives on the outside, but their happiness is used as mask to cover up the corruptness of their lives on the inside. And finally Hamlet appears to be mad and insane, but really he is using his madness as a mask to hide his secretive quest to seek the truth behind his fathers death. Appearance versus reality is concurrent theme that develops as the Danish kingdom got engulfed in a web of a deception, corruption and lies. Hamlet is filled with characters covering up their true intentions with a whole other person, which appears to be innocent. One character, that used deception to cover up their true intention, was Claudius. Claudius, Hamlets uncle, is a very deceptive and cruel person. Claudius killed his brother, which was Hamlets son and then married his brothers wife in order to become the new king of Demark. No one knew Claudius that committed the murder so he did not receive any punishments for his actions. Claudius was forced to put on an angle-like appearance that transformed him from a cold murderer to the perfect king. This illusion that Claudius puts on ensures that his secret his kept hidden. Under the illusion, Claudius is no longer a mean, and selfish guy, instead he appears in all aspects to be the perfect gentlemen. Claudius exemplifies the appe...
