Appearance vs. Reality Theme in Hamlet
Hamlet is full of references to the wide gulf that often exists between how things appear and how they really are. From Hamlet ''s own "craft[ed]" madness to Claudius ''s many schemes and plots involving Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern to the very foundation of Denmark''s political stability (or lack thereof), things within Elsinore castle are hardly ever as they seem.