Conscientiousness And Sincerity Versus Atrocious Inhumane Nature In Shakespeare's Hamlet

The play Hamlet obtains a realistic representation of the duality of mortal nature. Humans are capable of both good and bad. It is frequently observed that people have more than one side to their personality at the same time. One of the various themes in the tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is that some people tend to appear conscientious and sincere, but in reality, they have an atrocious inhumane nature. The internal battle between good and terrible evil in every person has been considered an essential part of the human experience across history and cultures, and it still relevant today Shakespeare demonstrates the ultimate truth regarding the duality of human behaviours through Hamlet, Claudius and Gertrude characters.

Foremost, Shakespeare develops the dichotomy of human behaviours through Hamlet’s double-faced nature. The writer portrays Hamlet as a multiple dimension of living human beings. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet’s good intentions consistently inform him that no good deeds come from evil deeds and him merely believe everything is good naturally, and people’s intentions are always justice. Therefore, he struggles desperately against the vicious things in this world. As Hamlet said himself, ‘Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature possess it merely’ (I, II, 135-137). He was furious with the fact that his mother didn’t stay a month to marry his Uncle. So he has every reason to do it. But still no action has taken place. Another reason, about why hamlet may delay his father’s revenge, is not certain of whether or not the ghost he has been seeing is a devil or not. So he doesn’t want to commit a crime for no reason because he is still questioning whether the ghost is informing the truth or not. Hamlet possesses many reasons to murder Claudius, but his inner conflicts of good vs. bad prevent him from committing murder. However, Hamlet chooses madness as an act of deception to discover the truth. But his act of insanity that he commits ultimately cause the death of others, in addition to his own soul, showing that double-dealing causes more problems than solutions. Rather than killing Claudius as he promises the ghost to do. Hamlet decides to wait and makes a plan to deceive others into thinking that he is mad when he is not which describes his inability to act. This causes a spiral of events, including Hamlet’s killing of Polonius due to his spying which causes Ophelia’s suicide as a result of her father’s death. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s executions (as Hamlet learns of his premeditated execution in England from King Claudius, who wishes Hamlet to be punished for committing murder, and replaces his name with Claudius’ spies). And Laertes’ rage due to both his father and sister’s tragic deaths. Laertes’ anger, fueled by Claudius, leads to Hamlet’s death in that he unwittingly uses a poisoned sword to slay him. Nevertheless, many people die before Hamlet is able to revenge his father’s brutal murder. Because of Hamlet’s madness, many of the suspicious characters apparently attempt prying into his inner thoughts to figure out if his crazed appearance is genuine. This causes the death of Hamlet and several other dishonourable characters, therefore proving that deception leads to more problems than solutions.

Secondly, Shakespeare uses Claudius as an example for human dualism. The writer has presented Claudius as an intelligent person.He is capable to deceive people into believing he is innocent and morally guided and he displays a mask of eloquence. Claudius is witty at manipulating people and maintaining his own power and fails to express any remorse for his actions. Claudius demonstrates his linguistic skills to portray himself as an exceptional leader; however, the masked language he utilizes obscures his manipulative nature.

When Claudius enters for the first time in the play, he begins by acknowledging of old hamlet’s death. He describes his elderly brother’s sudden death as,” green” and “that it is befitted/To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom”(I.II.2-3). Claudius is trying to seem melancholy. Claudius’s lack of conscience described by the ghost represents him as a villain. However, his actions reflect upon his personality. He represents the moral struggle he is experiencing in a soliloquy, he reflects,“How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!/The harlot’s cheek, beauties with plastering art,/Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it/Than is my deed to my most painted word.(III.I.51-54). Claudius admits he is the guilt of old hamlet’s murder, he assures his conscience is suffering. However, Claudius admits his guilt for the second time. He appears vulnerable and uncertain, evidently worried about the repercussions of the murder of Old Hamlet and looks remorseful. Although Claudius longs to set things right and pray for forgiveness, his great guilt militates against confession.His speech conveys the uniquely, and profoundly, human phenomenon called guilt: “Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven./It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t,/A brother’s murder. Pray, can I not,/Though inclination be as sharp as will,/My stronger guilt/ defeats my strong intent,/And, like a man to double business bound,/ I stand in pause where I shall first begin,And both neglect.(III.III.36-44).” He experiences internal misery and desires repentance for his sins, his soliloquy reveals his continued hypocritical nature as his search for forgiveness is unnatural and a struggle that depicts his untruthful words and desires. He yearns for forgiveness for the murder of Old Hamlet but he is doubtful that he may receive it.He recognizes the magnitude of his crime.Cain’s murder of Abel, the first murder known to mankind. Shakespeare uses this allusion to amplify the severity of the murder, as it convey the impression that the murder represents an act comparable to the first.

Most unthinkable of all murders. Claudius is in this way reluctant to pray as he feels because he feel he does not deserve of receiving forgiveness. He is in “double business bound” tied to

Both the “guilt” of the murder and “intent” of repenting, which drag him in separate directions.