In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet is able to slowly open his eyes to the harsh realities of the world to which he was once unable to see. Hamlet is plucked out of his innocence and thrown into a world where he discovers true evil, deceiving appearance, and the insignificance of one's existence. .
Hamlet is greatly affected by the death of his father, and the marriage of his uncle and his mother briefly following it. The young man wishes that God had not made suicide a sin, and mourns about his mother's betrayal to the passed King Hamlet. Hamlet laments about his mother, crying, "O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer "married with my uncle- (1.2.156). The prince is terribly troubled, and cannot accept this sinful, treacherous affair thrown at him while in his innocent frame of mind. .
Hamlet learns the reality of evil through the murder of his father, King Hamlet. When the ghost tells him that Claudius murdered King Hamlet, Hamlet cries, "O my prophetic soul!- (1.5.40). This quote reveals that Hamlet never came close to thinking that such a murder would have occurred. Hamlet immediately loathes Claudius for his wicked ways and says, "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain- (1.5.106). As soon as the ghost leaves the young prince to absorb the terrible apparition, Hamlet thinks to himself that he will "wipe away all trivial fond records, That youth and observation copied there- (1.5.99,101).
Hamlet is also exposed to the falsity of appearance. For example, Hamlet assumes that Ophelia has deceived him with her innocent beauty to think she loves him. He yells at Ophelia, saying, "I have heard of your paintings, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make your- selves another- (3.1.144). Hamlet is not only directing this to Ophelia, but also to his mother. Previously in the play, Hamlet says, "Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown/ married with my uncle- (1.
