Deceit in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
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Deceit in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, deceit is a major cause of the downfall of Hamlet. This is demonstrated in three instances in the play. First, Polonius spies on Hamlet while he is talking privately with his mother Gertrude. Second, Claudius sends Hamlet away to England. Finally, Laertes and Claudius scheme to kill Hamlet.
The first way that deceit leads to the eventual downfall of Hamlet is Polonius’ spying. In Act III, scent iii, Polonius decides to help the king by spying on Hamlet and his mother when he says, “My lord, [the king] he’s going to his mother’s closet/Behind the arras I’ll convey myself to hear the process” (III. iii. 28-29). In Act III, scene iv, Polonius gets his chance and listens to a conversation between Hamlet and his mother, hoping that Hamlet will confide something in his mother that could be used against him. Unfortunately, for Polonius, Hamlet hears him behind the curtain. Thinking that Polonius is actually a spying King Claudius, he immediately stabs and kills him. This event contributes to Hamlet’s downfall because Claudius is able to use it as an excuse to send Hamlet away to England. Officially, the king sends Hamlet away, “for thine especial safety,” (IV. iii. 37) with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because the murder might earn him some enemies. Privately though, Claudius plans to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern go with Hamlet to convey a message to the King
of England that Hamlet is being executed. In addition, by sending Hamlet away, Claudius is protecting himself because Hamlet is, “loved of the distracted multitude [the public]” (IV. iii. 4). Furthermore, if Hamlet were to show the people that Claudius had killed Hamlet’s father, then they might believe him, and as a result, overthrow and kill Claudius. Thus, the downfall is that Claudius wants Hamlet dead. In addition, if Claudius’ plan works, then Hamlet dies and his father’s death would not be avenged. Moreover, if Polonius had not spied on Hamlet and Gertrude, Hamlet would not have killed Polonius and thus, Claudius would not have a good enough excuse sending Hamlet away to England.
Fortunately, for Hamlet, Claudius’ deceit fails. This deceit, however, still does contribute to the eventual downfall of Hamlet. Aboard the ship to England, Hamlet discovers Claudius’ message being sent by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet explains later, “Groped I to find out them, [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] had my desire, /fingered their packet, and in fine withdrew” (V. ii. 14-15). Hamlet reads the message and decides to change it, so that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be executed instead, as he says, “I sat me down, devised a new commission, /Wrote it fair. /…/He should the bearers put to death” (V. ii. 31-32, 46). Furthermore, Hamlet feels no remorse for his deed, as he says, “They [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] are not near to my conscience; /Their defeat does my their own insinuation grow” (V. ii. 58-59). This act is very out of character for Hamlet, because he has no trouble killing them (or Polonius, for that matter), but earlier in the play, he could not bring himself to kill Claudius, despite having many opportunities and more reason to do so. Claudius, of course, killed Hamlet’s father.
To understand this change in Hamlet’s character, it is necessary to understand what kind of person he is. A normal man in the medieval times that this play is set in, if put in the same circumstances as Hamlet was in, would have killed Claudius without hesitation. This contrast is clearly demonstrated in the play by how Laertes, upon hearing of his father’s murder, immediately demands, “I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father” (IV. v. 33-34). Hamlet, if anything, was more of a Renaissance man than a medieval man, which is why he had so much trouble