n house, farewell. Before this scene, Hamlet overhears the king and Ophelias dad attempt to form a plan to try to fathom the source of Hamlets unusual behavior. Their plan involves using Ophelia as the bait. Ophelia can do nothing but comply with the king and her father plan. Hamlet is outraged that Ophelia, the girl he loves, is involved in a plot against him. Out of anger, Hamlet says to Ophelia, I did love you once but you should have not believed me; for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not.(Act 3 Sc 1 Line 130) Hamlet renounced his love for Ophelia and called her a fool actually believing that he did love her. Hamlets acrimonious words caused Ophelia to break down emotionally because she was caught in trap that that forced her to go against her lover. Ophelias emotional breakdown could have been prevented if she would have realized that Hamlets harsh behavior was an illusion used to conceal his feelings about his mothers scandalous marriage. The other woman in the play, Gertrude, also displayed the theme of Appearance versus Reality. Gertrude refuses to believe that Hamlet tells the truth, when he tells her that Polonius is a murderer. In the Act 3 Sc 4 Line 75, Hamlet tells his Gertrude, Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear. Blasting his wholesome brother. In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed. Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love. Over the nasty sky A cutpurse of the empire and rule, that from a shelf the presious diadem stole and put it into his pocket. Hamlet tells her that her husband killed the old king, in order to become the new king. Gertrude refuses to believe Hamlet, despite his strong will to make her believe. Gertrude forces herself to be happy despite of the circumstances. Her whole life is an illusion, by the fact that she does not want to accept anything that will make her unhappy. Gertrude wants to live a life filled with nothing but happiness. Her illus...
