Case study: shakespeare’s first tragedy, hamlet assignment

Fortifiers’ arrival with the ambassadors, symbolically restoring order to Denmark, does little to resolve the question of Honor as “ the sight is dismal and (their) affairs from England come too late” is contrasted by “ bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage” which suggests that indeed Hamlet was an honorable man. Deception is demonstrated in the question of the legitimacy of Hamlets madness which is never conclusively proved. His “ antic disposition” in Act 1 forms the basis for the motif of pretence that recurs throughout the play.

Polonium asks Aphelia if Hamlet is “ mad for thy love? ” and his Imitation of Insanity is often so plausible that when the audience Is presented with a plausible reason for his madness such as losing Aphelia that the distinction between appearance and reality become less definite. Deception Is also evident In Hamlets self-reflexive nature, constantly drawing attention to Its status as a play and the Limitations of the form through the mathematical staging of “ the mousetrap” In order to comment on the fallibility of human perception.