William Shakespeare(1564-1616) was one of the greatest dramatists and poets of the Elizabethan era. Dr. Samuel Johnson in his essay Preface to Shakespeare called him as a poet of “nature”. He wrote 154 sonnets and 37 plays during his lifetime. He towers all the playwrights in the English Literature and is also known as the “Bard of Avon”. Shakespeare shows major influences from the Italian philosophers and contemporary dramatists such as the University Wits who paved a way for Shakespeare in the field of literary drama.
The conflict between appearance and reality in Shakespeare’s Hamlet(1601) brings forth the temperament of horror and also unfolds the characterization of the characters. The theme can be seen in a lens of psychoanalytic criticism of the idea of “self”. The individual “self” is divided into two and things seem to appear can be deceptive of what is in reality. The play is weaved with this theme and the opening of the act throws insights into the theme in the speech of Marcellus about the ghosts “faded on the crowing of the cock” during the birth of Christ and “no spirit dare stir abroad” to wander around and “No fairy takes , nor witch hath power to charm” at that time. The speech shows the theme of the appearance of the ghost in light of the Elizabethan folk belief about supernatural existence in contrast to the reality who appeared to fulfill the unfinished business.
However, the theme can also be seen in the speech of Hamlet who states that his “customary suits of solemn black” nor “windy suspiration of forc’d breath” nor “ the fruitful river in the eye” nor “the dejected ‘haviour of the visage” can tell the grief and sorrow of his emotions. He states that these emotions reside “within which passeth show” and things “seems” are the “actions that a man might play” to appear sorrowful and pain to others and his dresses do not made him appear grief but reside within him.
Hamlet’s first soliloquy evokes the theme and leads to a questionable doubt of her mother’s chastity and loyalty. He states his father had been “two months dead” and highlights that his mother “married with mine uncle” and compares her to “Niobe” who would have “mourn’d longer”. Hamlet categorized woman as “ Frailty, thy name is woman!” in a state of doubt of her mother’s appearance towards the entire situation which becomes deceptive to Hamlet’s in oppose to the reality of what it seems to be.
The theme also unfolds the characterization of the characters. The development of Polonius character is depicted with the theme. He shows a morally upright character to his son Laertes who was about to depart to France stating “ Give thy thoughts no tongue” and “be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar”. He means to suggest that Laertes should not speak what he is thinking and to make a bond of friendship with certain boundaries. He further tells him “Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice” and borrowing the money could “oft loses both itself and friend”. His statements contradicted to the individual he appeared to his son when he asks Reynaldo to “make inquiry of his behaviour “ before he visits him. It throws insight into the character of Polonius to be a man of practical sensibility in reality and contrast to the man he showed to his son.
Furthermore, the character of Claudius is also evoked with this theme and is seen in the soliloquy of Hamlet. Hamlet states that “one may smile , and smile and be a villain” in the light of Claudius’s character after he received the knowledge from the ghost about the “treacherous murder” of his father by Claudius. The lines is suggestive of Claudius appearance to be a man of sophistication and statesman who is able to manage the state affairs but in reality is a murderer. It can be read from a psychoanalytic criticism of the idea of “self” where the outer self is only the half percentage an individual show it to others and the inner self is hidden inside. Claudius has been hiding his inner self and his guilt inside and creates a dissembler in outer self to appear a man of political statesman.
The theme sets the binary of doubt and conscience and it is seen in the illusion as expressed by Claudius on Hamlet’s lunacy on “why he puts on this confusion”. The other characters were deceptive of Hamlet’s behaviour and Claudius decided to resolve or apprehend the issue to know if the case is in relation to Ophelia’s love as “we may of their encounter frankly judge;/ And gather by him, as he is behav’d, / If’t be the affliction of his love or no/ That thus he suffers for”.
Furthermore, it can also be seen in the famous soliloquy of Hamlet who questions and tries to set a philosophical conscience towards the entire situation and life stating “To be, or not to be, that is the question:” regarding his position and “take arms against a sea of troubles ,/ And by opposing end them?” to all the sufferings at once. He goes on to question that who would like to “bear the whips and scorns of time,” from “The opressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,/ The pangs of despis’d love, the law’s delay,/ The insolence of office, and the spurns” where the good one’s bear the mistreatment as the “unworthy takes”. Hamlet’s further employs that the fear of death “ makes cowards of us all” and the “native hue of resolution” is weakened with the excessive thinking. The last line “ And enterprises of great pith and moment, / With this regard, their currents turn awry,/ And lose the name of action” foretells the tragedy in the play. It forecasts the action of Hamlet in the upcoming scene where his action of avenging Claudius is procrastinated and “turn awry” while killing Polonius and hence it “lose the name of action”.
In addition to this, the theme of appearance and reality layers out the gradual realization and redemption in the character of Claudius. Polonius statement to Ophelia that people often “sugar o’er The Devil Himself” by their “ devotion’s visage And pious action” strikes Claudius’s mind to the road of redemption which he said in an aside that it is true and the act of moral speech “lash that speech doth give my conscience” bringing forth the remorse and guilt in the character of Claudius.
The theme of conflict appearance and reality heightens the binary of doubt and conscience when Hamlet tells ophelia that she should join a nunnery. Hamlet’s speech throws insight to the theme where he says that “I am very proud, revengeful ,ambitious; with more offences at my back than have thoughts to put them in imagination to give them shape or time to act them in” clearly showcases the creation of doubt in the mind of Ophelia which becomes deceptive to her. He constantly hints towards the deception implying that “ God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another” where he states that Ophelia seems to be ignorant to chastity as she makes “ wantonness your ignorant”. Hamlet’s speech is a pun of expressing the deception of reality where the appearances can mislead the reality. Ophelia’s speech is in opposition to the doubt which Hamlet has set and she tries to reason through her conscience where she “have seen what I have seen, see what I see” implies that he was once a jovial person who was the “observ’d of all observers” but out of his “sweet bells jangled” had worn out the “tune and harsh” form of “blown youth”.
The application of play within a play develops the nexus of doubt and conscience and brings forth the redemption on the face of Claudius .The players acted the same scene as narrated by apparation that Claudius poured the poison on King Hamlet’s ear resulting his death. On the other hand, the emphasis is more given on the love between the King and Queen in representative to King Hamlet and Gertrude where the King subtly states she will marry to a second husband “when thy first lord is dead”. The queen promises to the King that she will remain widow forever and curses herself. After the King is murdered , the “poisoner wooes the Queen with gifts; she seems loth and unwilling awhile, but in the end accepts his love”. The play clearly reflects on the chastity towards Hamlet’s mother whereas Claudius interrupted the play giving a clear markings of doubt on his face that it was a “foul murder” and establishes the reasoning and conscience of matured confession of Claudius for his sins as he says is marked of Cain in the Bible which “smells to heaven”. He says that his “ stronger guilt defeats my strong intent” and asks for forgiveness to wash his sins to “white as snow”. He was pleaded with remorse stating that “ My fault is past” and begs for the redemption towards his “foul murder”. He cries in sorrow that his heart is “black as death” and his soul is struggling to be free.
Therefore , in conclusion we can say that the entire play is weaved with the theme of conflict between appearance and reality. It brings forth the characterization of the characters. It also enabled the binary oppositions of doubt and conscience among the characters. The theme sets a darker approach in the opening scene. The theme is also looked from the psychoanalytic criticism which can be interpreted as “self” where the outer self is a disguise appearance and inner self is the hidden reality of an individual. Hence , the play is effective in the structure of the plot and the theme is well established in the play.
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