Perhaps one of the greatest constants through all of Shakespeare's writing is the struggle between "seeming" and "being," between appearance and reality. Of the plays we've read thus far, Richard III, The Taming Of the Shrew, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Hamlet, every single play has had elements of what is true reality and what is pure appearance. Shakespeare continually creates tension within his writing contrasting these two motifs, and in turn these comparisons usually have a substantial role in driving the sequence of events. Specifically to Hamlet, Shakespeare displays arguably his most core literary message through the concepts of "seeming" and "being."
In only the second scene of the play, Prince Hamlet snaps back at his mother and Claudius concerning grief for his father's recent passing. He ridicules them both on what is to "seem," that his black attire and melancholy mood are relatively dark and grievous when compared to the wedding party, yet to what lies in his art his appearance may only be a fraction of what he actually feels. This sharp discourse early in the play quickly alerts the play to one of the key points in Hamlet's characterization, and hints at the extensive gap between what "is" and what "seems."
Personally, I find this constant struggle between truth and impression, being and seeming, reality and appearance... FASCINATING! It is likely the most significant reason as to why I've always felt a love for Shakespeare's work, even at a young age. By emphasizing this theme and its connotations through his work, Shakespeare to a degree is evaluating and reflecting the world around us. And to a critical, philosophical mind - there is pure brilliance in that style of writing.
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