APPEARANCE vs. REALITY IN THE PRINCE AND HAMLET

3. Reality and appearances, or if you prefer, being and acting, are important themes for both Machiavelli and Shakespeare. Why? How do their perspectives on this subject agree or differ? APPEARANCE vs. REALITY IN THE PRINCE AND HAMLET One of the most fundamental questions in philosophy is the appearance vs. reality. We find ourselves asking the question of what is genuinely real, and what is viewed merely as just an appearance, and not real? It becomes difficult when we assume there is a difference in the two to determine which is which. Generally, what we label as real is regarded as external and eternal. What we refer to as just an appearance is regarded as temporary and internal. Many early as well as modern day authors use†¦show more content†¦Although he appears to be a confident father he does not trust his son to go away on his own. Furthermore, Polonius adds to the theme of appearance versus reality by ordering Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. He lies to her by telling her that Hamlet does not love her, he only lusts for her. Two of Hamlets closest friends from his childhood Rosencrantz and Guildenstern can as well be viewed as liars who become very deceitful to Hamlet. After being asked by the king to find out what is bothering Hamlet, the two go to Hamlet pretending to see him as a friend, but are in reality just obeying the kings orders. When they ask what is troubling Hamlet, they become insincere, and almost sound as though they had rehearsed what it was they were going to say. Hamlet noticed that the boys were told to do this and states, A dream itself is but a shadow (Hamlet 73). Hamlet then realized that his own friend were not in reality any friends at all. The king again sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to apologize for their behavior but Hamlet noticed their intentions yet again and simply insulted them. Hamlets supposed friends greatly add to the theme of appearance vs. reality. The last character is Claudius, the brother of the deceased king, who was crowned the new king of Denmark is viewed as an honest and honorable man. As seen in a speech given by Claudius in the presence of the council in Act One Scene Two, heShow MoreRelatedGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pages(ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. GeneticRead MoreTop 1 Cause for Project Failure65023 Words   |  261 Pagesyear if this had been a private sector Programme! 1. [pic] Anish Mathai Mathew [PMP|MBA] Temenos T24 PROGRAM MANAGER at Union National Bank @Karl: Thanks for your comment and the great example. Guess in that case you d agree that LUCK (no matter how small), does play a role ;) .... [Mathew@PM4K] @ http://www.anishmathaimathew.blogspot.com 2. [pic] Nico Viergever Independent Management Consulting Professional / Trainer PRINCE2