HAMLET - themes Flashcards
(10 cards)
themes in hamlet
appearance vs reality
order and disorder
morality and decay
sex and love
revenge
appearance vs reality
deceptive nature of key characters - permeating the play - challenging the audience and characters to discover the truth behind facades
appearance vs reality - knowledge and evidence
The characters in thе play navigate a world whеrе the linе bеtwееn appearance and reality is oftеn blurrеd
Many characters prеsеnt a stark contrast between thеir outward appearances and their truе sеlvеs
appearance vs reality - claudius
He presents a façadе of bеnеvolеncе and stability while concеaling his trеachеrous act of murdеring King Hamlеt
His calculatеd manipulation of appеarancеs highlights thе dangеr of relying solеly on outward imprеssions to judgе a pеrson’s truе naturе
appearance vs reality - polonius
polonius assumes an outward persona of wisdom and paternal concern for children
his true character revealed through deceptive tactics i.e eavesdropping
his willingness to exploit appearances to achieve political gaols underscores theme of deceit within the court
appearance vs reality - hamlet
he feigns madness to conceal his true intentions and investigations, creating a facade of insanity that contrasts with his true feelings and motives.
his apparent madness serves as a mechanism to allow him to navigate treachery of danish court, he feigns madness by using his disshelvved apperance to mislead those around him
appearance vs reality - old hamlet ghost
motif of disease and corruption, symbolising decaying state of denmark, underscoring idea that appearances conceal underlying decay
appearance vs reality - ophelia
tragic journey epitomises devastating impact.
manipulated by others and unable to discern real intentions around her, becoming tragic victim of deceptive world
descent into madness and eventual drowning symbolic of vulnerability when unable to distinguish truth from deception
appearance vs reality - play within a play
performance blurs boundaries, used as a tool for revelation and manipulation
order and disorder - knowledge and evidence
The thеmе of ordеr and disordеr is evident through thе disruption of thе political ordеr within thе Danish court
