The Influence of Deceit on the Characters of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Deceit plays a pivotal role in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, causing a change in the relationships between characters and a difference in their attitudes, whereas feelings of trust and confidence turn to deception and disloyalty. Fortinbras states in Act V, scene ii, his notification of the changes caused by this trait. “And let me speak to the yet unknowing world How these things came about …showed first 75 words of 1572 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1572 total…Joseph, Bertram, “Claudius”. 1953. Shakespeare for Students. Ed. Scott, Mark W. New York: Gale Research Inc. 1992. 6. McLeish, Kenneth. Shakespeare’s Characters. Studio City: Players Press, Inc. 1992. 7. Bloom, Harold. Bloom’s Notes. Broomall, Chelsea House Publications, 1996. 8. Levin, Harry. The Question of Hamlet. New York: Oxford University Press. 1959. 9. Coyle, Martin. Hamlet. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. 10. “Cat and Mouse”. http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~zongli/ham.html (13 April 2000). 11. “Hamlet: Brutal Truth.” http://essays.virtualave.net/english (13 April 2000).