Question

Read an excerpt from an analysis of Act III of Hamlet.

Answer 1

In the end, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betrayed Hamlet. So the answer is Things are not always what they seem.

Answer 2

Answer:

Things are not always what they seem.

Explanation:

William Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet" tells the revenge story of how a murdered king's son avenged the death of his father at the hands of his own uncle. King Claudius had not only murdered of his brother for the throne, but also took his wife as his own.

The characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were the two childhood friends of prince Hamlet. At first, they were loyal to him and acted for him, but in later scenes, we see them shift their loyalty to King Claudius. They began to be employed as spies by Claudius, for when he suspects Hamlet of doing things to hurt him.

In Act III scene iii, we find a disturbed Claudius after seeing the 'performance play' arranged by Hamlet. The obedience of Rosencrantz and Guilderstern in following Claudius' orders to send Hamlet away from him is a reflection of their seeming ignorance about what the real situation is. They are blindly following orders. Through these two characters, Shakespeare develops the theme of ignorance on their part, that things are not always what they seem to be shown.