Marcellus notes in act 2 that "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." Indeed, in Hamlet, the truth is rarely easily discerned, and audiences quickly learn that an undercurrent of corruption, violence, and revenge runs just beneath the veneer of civility and order in Denmark’s court. From the very first scenes, Hamlet is shown to be keenly aware of and bothered by the superficiality that he witnesses at court, particularly that of Gertrude and Claudius, whose professed grief for the late king is perceived by Hamlet as insincere. Despite his apparent disdain for false appearances, Hamlet goes on to spend much of the play trying to convince the court that he has gone mad so that he can buy time to evaluate Claudius’s guilt. Even this overt deception may not be what it first appears: Hamlet claims he is merely pretending to be mad, but as his actions and behavior become increasingly erratic, audiences are left to wonder to what extent Hamlet’s madness is not feigned, but real.

Of course Hamlet is not the only character to trade on false appearances: A ghost appears who claims to be Hamlet's deceased father, yet the veracity of the ghost's statements is not certain, and Hamlet knows not whether it is a “spirit of health” or “goblin damned.” Claudius has committed regicide—of his brother, no less—yet he poses as an honorable king and pretends to mourn his brother after stealing his throne and wife. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet's old friends, show up at the castle under the pretense of wanting to spend time with Hamlet, yet they have actually been ordered by Claudius to spy on Hamlet. This complex web of deception poisons the court from within, culminating in a public and violent display in the play’s final scene, where the characters’ secrets, grudges, and manipulations are finally brought to light. At the play’s end, the stage is littered with bodies, and even more characters—including Polonius, Ophelia, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—lay dead offstage. Ultimately, the effects of the deceptions practiced throughout the play extend to the audience as well, casting doubt on the motivations and reliability of most of the characters and thus making it difficult to judge with certainty where the blame for all this death and destruction rightfully belongs.