Hamlet

The play, Hamlet has a complicated plot of appearances, deception and corruption. The former King of Denmark is dead and his brother has usurped the crown whose rightful owner is that of Hamlet, his nephew. He uncovers through the visit of the former Kings apparition that his father was actually murdered by his brother, Claudius. Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is disgusted at his mother's hasty and incestuous remarriage to non other than the murderer of the former King, his father and her husband.

Throughout the play you can see the use of playing or acting. Everyone is avoiding the truth that the King was murdered by his brother whom then usurped the crown. They all are playing a role in which to keep their real intensions secret from non other than each other which will eventually lead to their destruction. The King, Claudius, is trying to cover up his crimes of, murder, incest, and usurpation. The Queen was possibly in on the murder of her husband and has had an overhasty remarriage. Hamlet states "quote" he will act mad in order to through people off that he his going to avenge his father's death.

Hamlet best describes the importance of this playing by stating, "... the purpose of playing, both at first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure" (3.2.21-25). In this he states that the purpose of playing is to teach a moral and that art (theater) is much like a mirror, it reflects what is in front of it. The problem with mirrors is that you only see what you want to and that this acting only works when the actors are good.

The play within the play in act three tells the truth about what is going on at the castle of Elsinore. Hamlet added a part to the original play so that he could see if the apparition (ghost) was telling the truth, to reveal Claudius' conscience. The acting was so good that it revealed all of his ugliness before him and he felt so threatened he ended the play, "Give me some light. Away!" (3.2.275). Hamlet believes the ghost when he sees this reaction and states, "... I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand pound" (3.2.292-293). This is an example of acting in life working.

In 3.3 Claudius is left alone after the play within the play and he is struck with so called "remorse." For the first time he realizes how serious his crimes have been. He tries to pray to the angels for forgiveness