Haik Sahakyan Period 2 Stafford AP English/Composition November 20, 2008 Looks Can be Deceiving mother’s chamber, thinking that it was the king hiding behind a rug hung on the wall. Although the theme of appearance versus reality is evident throughout the play, this moment in the play displays how many of the characters’ true identities are hidden behind a “mask.” Many of these characters appear to be true and honest as they are presented to the audience, but in reality they are nothing more than characters corrupted with evil. Excluding Hamlet’s acting as a mad man, there are four main characters within “Hamlet” that hide behind the “mask” of character: Polonius (father of Ophelia), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (colleagues of Hamlet), and Claudius (the murderer and current king of Denmark). Even though these characters masquerade people who are caring and understanding, they are flawed by “false truths” and repulsiveness. They engender the creation of obstacles for Hamlet, making it harder for him to uncover the truth. the play as a confident and loving parent. Polonius further emphasizes the theme of appearance vs. reality by increasing tensions between Hamlet and Ophelia; when he tells her that Hamlet does not love her, he only lusts for her. It seems that he is just a loving father, trying to protect his daughter from being used for sexual purposes, but he only lies and eavesdrops and manipulate relations between characters of the play. Two of Hamlet’s closest childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are introduced into the play as King Claudius’s personal spies. They try to find out what is bothering Hamlet. The two colleagues go to Hamlet acting as if they are his closest friends, but in reality they come to Hamlet to get information for his uncle. The irony of this is that King Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to uncover the truth of Hamlet’s behavior by hiding behind a lie (appearing as if they were his friends). However, Hamlet...