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......

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Title: Deceit In Shakespeare's Hamlet
Approximate Word Count: 1071
Approximate Pages: 5 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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