The devil hath power:

Manipulative Revenge in the face of

Deceit in William Shakespeares The

Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of

Denmark

Elizabeth Efird

English 10 H-Red May 18, 2016

In William Shakespeares, The Tragedy of Hamlet,

Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare introduces a theme of

illusion versus reality to support Hamlets confusion
regarding not only the validity of the ghosts
treasonous claims, but the legitimacy of his uncles rise
to the crown; consequently, as he battles impending
insanity, Hamlet strives not only to reveal King
Claudiuss deceit and avenge his fathers murder but
also to ensure that his uncle admits his guilt in hopes
of achieving closure.

Abstract
In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, William Shakespeare
examines the emotional state of a victim of deceit and misfortune in
his search for sanity. When Hamlet learns that the new king of
Denmark murdered his father, he vows to avenge his death. Hamlets
search for revenge becomes riddled with difficulty as the kings deceit
greatly contributes to his unhappiness and leaves him on the brink of
insanity. Hamlets emotions fluctuate between anger towards his
uncle, causing him to begin to doubt everyone, and trust as he
wholeheartedly believes the words of the ghost. Shakespeares
portrayal of Hamlet as a very complex allows him to take on the role as
a weak victim nearing insanity, but also a strong and grounded leader.
In a moment of weakness for Claudius, he assumes that Hamlets
madness will prevent him from revealing that he murdered his brother;
Hamlets patience rewards him as Claudius unknowingly admits his
crime, proving Hamlets previously questioned stability and allowing
him seek revenge as he promised.

Abstract
Shakespeare then incorporates an appearance versus reality
theme to emphasize the influence of Claudiuss lies on the
people, contributing to Hamlets inability to trust the
people around him. As the king finds himself faced with the
idea of repentance, yet chooses not to give up his power or
riches, it becomes evident to the audience that King
Claudius never cared about his brother or the people
around him, characterizing him as the ultimate villain.
Although only evident in the plays resolution, Hamlet and
Claudius perfectly juxtapose each other as the fearless
leader and the deceitful villain.

What I learned
I finally feel comfortable using semicolons in places
other than my thesis
I learned that sometimes it makes more sense to
change your thesis after you write your body
paragraphs if the course of the paper changes
Looking for underlying themes and meanings
remains a crucial skill for paper writing
Reading the footnotes helps put writing in 21st
century context

How I expanded my understanding of

Hamlet
As I wrote my introduction, conclusion, and my
abstract, my understanding of Shakespeares
implementation of Hamlets character traits
widened greatly
Watching different visual interpretations helped
me to better understand the play
Learning about different interpretations of Hamlet
helped me to formulate my own ideas and escape
from a rigid plot

What conclusions did I draw?

Although, he attempts to appear as if he cares,
Claudius never truly cares about anyone but
himself
Even as he appears to go crazy, Hamlet grows
emotionally as a he learns to rise above Claudiuss
deceitful actions and shows increasing loyalty to
his father
Hamlet character perfectly balanced doubt and
trust allowing Shakespeare to create such a
complex character