Other Works

Hamlet

“Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch’d, unfledg’d comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in,
Bear’t that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice:
Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy:
For the apparel oft proclaims the man;
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be:
For loan oft loses both itself and friend;
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all,—to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

Relevance: This quote is relevant to the appearance vs. reality theme because it is when Polonius is giving advice to Laertes before he goes off to France. All of these bits of advice on how to be a man are ironic for Polonius to be saying. He appears to be a loving, caring father that wants his son to succeed, but later on in the play, Polonius has Laertes spied on by Reynaldo.

“To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?—To die,—to sleep,—
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d…”

Relevance: Here Hamlet is debating whether or not he should kill himself or if he should take Claudius’ life as revenge. To most, it would appear that Hamlet’s life is one of lavish possessions and a carefree lifestyle because of his royalty, but in fact, he lives day to day wondering why he exists and if he should just end it all because of the pain he is enduring. 

Conclusion: Throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there is an ongoing theme of appearance versus reality. Characters such as Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius are just examples of those who look like they have wonderful lives to the people in society, but truly have dark secrets and aren’t what they seem.  

 Poem

They see so many things.

They see a man with a bright future,
They see a man with brilliance and style,
They see a man with passion and integrity.

They see a man who can command the admission to any university of his desire. They envy his intelligence, his success, his advantageous position in life.

(Perfectly describes Gatsby and Kurtz, two men who are looked upon by the rest of society as men who demand the attention of those around them because of their successes)

But not many are close to this man.

Not many know his inner workings,
Not many can see behind his eyes,
Not many can see into his soul.

Perhaps this man is too modest,
Perhaps he is too humble,
(Much like Gatsby and Kurtz, these last six lines show that despite the fact that everyone knows who they are and everyone envies them, not very many people know what is behind the appearance given off)

For he considers his accomplishments petty,
At least compared to what is inside.

There is the truth.

The truth of this man,
Is that he is plagued,
With terrible and relentless fear.

Surrounded by many, understood by few.

Ghosts will continue to haunt this man,
Ghosts of fear and lonliness,
Ghosts that could haunt him forever.

Greatness is what they see,
But emptiness is the reality.

(In reality these are men with pasts and “ghosts” that are hidden from the world. The poet uses repetition in the poem to illustrate the idea of so many people believing things about this man. One person after another gets these wonderful impressions of these men, but they are not right)

Conclusion: In this poem, the man that the poet is describing relates to the characters of Gatsby and Kurtz due to the fact that these men are looked upon as having a nonchalant, easy life, but they are men who have to deal with their inner secrets and dark pasts. They may appear wealthy and intelligent, but in reality they have to deal with the fact that not many people know who they truly are.

The Scarlet Letter

But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity, and for so long a period not merely estranged, but outlawed, from society, had habituated herself to such latitude of speculation as was altogether foreign to the clergyman. She had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness. . . . The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,—stern and wild ones,—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.

Relevance: This quote is relevant to the idea of appearance vs. reality within the novel The Scarlet Letter due to the nature of Hester Prynne’s estrangement from society. Her life includes the three worst traits that a woman's life in that time period could be plagues with; shame, despair, and solitude. From the viewpoint of society, Hester’s appearance is an unfaithful harlot, but in reality she is a strong, brave, and intellectual woman who has been ostracized from her community.

"The magistrates are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch,—that is a truth," added a third autumnal matron. "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she, —the naughty baggage, —little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!"

"Ah, but," interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, "let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart."

Relevance: This particular scene in the novel is when Hester Prynne is being watched by the entire town, her child in tow and a scarlet letter pinned upon her bosom. These women are scrutinizing her every move. The quote is a perfect example of the way the society views her negative appearance. 

Conclusion: In the novel The Scarlett Letter, the town sees Hester Prynne as a horrible sinner, believing that her life is easygoing because she has no morals to uphold. In reality, Hester’s life is one of strife and it takes brutal mental strength and intelligence to be able to go through the heart wrenching solitude, shame, and despair that come with her past mistakes.