The concepts of deception and illusion are central themes in Shakespeare's Hamlet and are illustrated in many scenes of the tragedy. Many of the play's characters are involved in plans intended to deceive or even kill others. Characters like Claudius, Hamlet, and Polonius are good examples of ambiguous characters because they are the masterminds behind the main schemes of the play. Through their deceptive actions and words, these three characters best embody the two central themes. First, Hamlet's ambiguous nature, seen in his words and actions, helps illustrate the themes of deception and illusion. For example, Hamlet's staging of “The Mousetrap” is part of his plot to kill Claudius. His plan is to stage a play that closely resembles him. Ultimately, Hamlet manages to deceive his enemies by feigning madness. His “old-fashioned nature” distracts attention from his real schemes. For example, when speaking to Polonius in Act II, Hamlet first identifies him as a "fishmonger" and responds to Polonius with strange responses (Shakespeare, Act II, Scene 2). Polonius realizes that there may be a method to his madness, but he does not know what Hamlet intends to accomplish. The only people who believe Hamlet is mad are Claudius and the people he manipulates (Crawford, “Hamlet's Antic Disposition”). However, there are many cases that prove that Hamlet's madness is simply a deception. Hamlet tells Horatio of his plan to feign madness, saying, “But now hear me. No matter how strangely I act (since I may find it appropriate to act a little crazy in the near future), you must never, ever imply, with a wave of your hands or a certain facial expression, that you know something about what happened to me here tonight. You should never say something like, "Ah, yes, just as we suspected" or "We could tell you a thing or two. Claudius managed to fool everyone by hiding the fact that he actually killed King Hamlet." For example, Hamlet's ghost tells Hamlet the truth about his murder. She tells him: “Everyone was told that a poisonous snake bit me while I was sleeping in the orchard. But in reality it is a lie that has deceived everyone in Denmark. You should know, my noble son, the very serpent that stung your father now wears his crown” (Crowther, Act I, Scene 5). Despite killing his brother, Claudius doesn't regret his actions much. Indeed, he only asks God for forgiveness after seeing his sins acted out in "The Mousetrap" (Shakespeare, Act III, Scene 3). However, Claudius is caught between not wanting to give up everything he has gained through his duplicity and the guilt resulting from his sins (Goddard, "On Hamlet"). After he finishes praying for forgiveness, Claudius gives up on repenting, saying, "My words fly high, my thoughts remain low" (Crowther, Act III, Scene 3). Claudius also deceives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius asks the two to find out the reason for Hamlet's bad mood, saying: "Since you have both grown up with him and are so familiar with his personality and behavior, I ask you to stay a while at court and spend a while ' time with him." . See if you can keep Hamlet entertained, and find out if there's anything in particular that's troubling him, then