1. DECEPTION IN THE
WORKS OF WILLIAM
SHAKESPEARE

2. What is deception today?
 Omitting information to make something seem
better than it is?
 A little white lie?
 Misrepresenting information to get ahead at
work?
 Telling your wife that the dress doesn’t make
her look fat?

3. Deception in Literature
 Deception is not a new concept to written
works.
 Many authors use this as a tool to move a
story along or produce plot twists.

4. Shakespearean Deception
 Shakespeare used deception often in his plays.
 Deception was a tool employed by antagonists and
protagonists alike.
 Not all deceit in his works was used maliciously, but the
end result was almost always tragic.
 William Shakespeare’s uses deception as a plot device
in his plays to show the harsh consequences of deceit
whether the intent was good or bad.

5. Contents
To illustrate my point, we will discuss the
following plays:
 Hamlet
 Romeo and Juliet
 Macbeth
 Othello

6. Hamlet
Examples of Deception in
Hamlet
 Hamlet’s Father is killed in a secret
plot by his uncle to seize the throne.
 Hamlet begins to act crazy to avert
his uncle’s suspicions while he gather
evidence.
 Hamlet commissions a group of
actors to stage a play depicting
Claudius killing his father to confirm
his uncle’s guilt.
Results of Deception:
 Hamlet and Claudius both die
 Ophelia, Gertrude, and Polonius die
 The throne is left to the Prince of
Norway

7. Romeo and Juliet
Deception in Romeo and
Juliet
 Romeo and Juliet fall in love and
court each other against the
wishes of their families.
 Romeo secretly weds Juliet.
 Juliet fakes her death to avoid
marrying Paris.
Results of Deception:
 Romeo arrives at the Juliet’s
tomb, sees his sleeping wife and
kills himself, unaware of her
plans.
 Juliet awakens, sees Romeo’s
dead body and kills herself as
well.
 Mercutio, Tybalt, and Paris all
die.
 On a lighter note, the families
stop their feud.

8. Macbeth
Deception in Macbeth:
 Macbeth tricking himself into
believing he can control fate
when he is told he will become
king.
 Macbeth’s delusion that no man
could harm him.
 Macbeth believing that the
witches were on his side and not
agents of fate
Results of Deception:
 Macbeth and Lady Macbeth both
die.
 Macbeth has everyone in
Macduff’s castle killed, including
his wife and children.

9. Othello
Deception in Othello:
 Iago convinces Othello that
Desdemona is having an affair.
 Iago plants a handkerchief on
Cassio to frame him in the affair.
 Iago tricks Roderigo into killing
Cassio.
Results of the Deception:
 Othello kills Desdemona and
later commits suicide over this
act.
 Roderigo, Cassio, and Emilia all
die.
 Iago is imprisoned.

10. Shakespearean Deception
In the end we are left with some interesting
questions:
 What would have happened if Hamlet
confronted Claudius about his father’s murder
instead of trying to trick him into confessing?
 What if Juliet had told her parents she was
already married to Romeo when they told her
to marry Paris?
 What if Macbeth had stopped to realize he was
delusional?
 Why didn’t Othello trust Desdemona?

11. Conclusion
 Art imitates life.
 Most of us lie to avoid the potentially harsh
consequences of the truth.
 These lies are often told without regard to
other people.
 Through his stories, Shakespeare shows us
the harsh, sometimes unintended
consequences that can come from lies.
 Honesty is a virtue and should be cherished.