Deception is an essential element of Shakespeare's Hamlet. This appears most significantly in Claudius's concealment of a murder and Hamlet's concealment of knowledge of it. Hamlet also feigns madness in order to mislead others and attempt to prove Claudius guilty. Other characters, including Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern, also employ trickery to discover the source of Hamlet's apparent madness and report it to the dishonorable Claudius. The conclusion of the play suggests that deception will always result in destruction and tragedy. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayClaudius effectively misleads the members of the Danish court in order to discourage any skepticism that might result from his sudden rise to power. Claudius asserts that he did not disqualify the "best wisdoms of the courtiers, who freely followed this matter" (I.ii.15-6), thus validating his apparently illegal actions. Claudius' convincing but misleading speech aims to justify his hasty marriage to Queen Gertrude and to view the death of Hamlet's father as a mere unfortunate event, not a murder he carried out. Unconvinced by this story, Hamlet focuses on Claudius's deception and capture. . Hoping to "seize the king's conscience" (II.ii.634), Hamlet stages the performance of The Mousetrap, a play that closely resembles the murder of Hamlet's father, in order to witness Claudius' reaction . If Claudius displays some form of guilt while watching the play, Hamlet will be sure that Claudius murdered his father. Hamlet believes that with "an ancient disposition" (Iv192), he will be able to more easily and, in his mind, legitimately be able to avenge his father's death. Polonius acknowledges Hamlet's madness while conceding "that there is a method in it" (II.ii.223-4), ultimately realizing that Hamlet has an ulterior motive in putting up such a facade. Although the members of the Danish court acknowledge Hamlet's loss of sanity, they all seem to offer different reasons for his madness, as Hamlet's reluctant nature presents very few possible explanations. Hamlet's two close friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are ordered by Claudius and Gertrude to spy. Hamlet to discover the cause of his madness. As the Queen insists, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will show Gertrude and Claudius "nobility and good will / As to pass [their] time" (II.ii.22-3) by visiting Hamlet. Once again, Hamlet's taciturn attribute prohibits his mother and Claudius from determining the underlying cause of "Hamlet's transformation" (II.ii.5). Concerned about presenting a semblance of madness, Hamlet seems to lose his zeal to avenge his father's death. Hamlet even questions his own character when an actor with "Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect" (II.ii.582) demonstrates a more passionate sense of vengeance than he does for his father's death. Hamlet's deception, intended to discover his father's true murderer, pushes him into a state of doubt in which Hamlet condemns himself and wonders if he is a coward. Polonius, convinced that Hamlet's melancholy state is caused by his love for Ophelia, hides with Claudius to eavesdrop on a conversation with Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet, presenting himself as mad, insolently orders Ophelia to “go to a convent” (III.i.131) because she would become a “breeder of sinners” (III.i.132). Following the argument, Claudius states that he will send Hamlet to England to rid him of his melancholy and threatening state. Polonius, on the other hand, continues to assert that Hamlet's agitation is always the result of his.