A familiar kind of behavior is showing one face to the world and another to oneself. Is the deception of characters in Hamlet ever...

In his opus magnum, The Scarlet
Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote,

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No man, for any considerable period, can wear
one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as
to which may be the true.

For
several of the deceptive characters of Shakespeare's play Hamlet
this statement is, indeed, true, and because of its truth, the deception of
certain characters becomes so damaging to them and to
others.

POLONIUS
Perhaps the most egregious use
of deception is in the character of Polonius.  Even his speech is a facade.  For
instance, he tells King Claudius that

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...brevity is the soul of
wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes
(2.2.90-91)

Yet. he is highly
verbose himself.  Added to this fault, he is extremely deceptive, even to his children,
Laertes and Ophelia. delivering to his son in Act I, Scene 3 a long diatribe against
being dishonorable when he himelf epitomizes deceit and corruption as he has Reynaldo
follow Laertes and even impugn his reputations to serve as probes to the truth of
Laertes actions; he manipulates the king and queen and hides behind the arras to
evesdrop on Hamlet and his mother.  Further, Polonius exploits his daughter by
instructing her to not spend time or even talk to Hamlet so that Hamlet will be further
disturbed.  Then, Polonius will have the proof he wants to prove that Hamlet is mad,
but, in so doing, he blocks the love of Ophelia and Hamlet for each other,and, thus,
effects poor Ophelia's madness and death.

Tragically for
him, too, the false face and the deception of Polonius become his nemesis as in his
corruption and desire for political position, he effects his own death. by violating his
own platitudes.

CLAUDIUS

His
criminal deception comes to haunt Claudius as he fears that Hamlet will have him killed.
Consequently, he sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy upon Hamlet, and later to
take him purportedly to England, where he will be assassinated.  But, when Hamlet has
the players re-enact the murderous actions of Claudius, the king becomes nervous and
even remorseful in Act III, scene 3.  Nevertheless, he continues to plot against Hamlet
and enlists Laertes in his nefarious plot to have Hamlet slain.  At no time is the
deception of Claudiius honorable or justified as it is always designed to serve his own
desires without concern for
others.

OPHELIA

Instructed by
her father Polonius to cease contact with Hamlet and return his love letters, Ophelia
finds herself victimized in her false face as Hamlet deals her only cruel words and
taunts.

HAMLET

While Hamlet
pays a high price for his playing mad with Ophelia, his duplicity with Guildenstern and
Rosencrantz does save his life as he foils their plot to have him killed in England. 
His clever manipulation of the play by the actors, disturbs Claudius and thereby
convinces Hamlet of his uncle's guilt  which, in turn, effects his actions in Act V that
free the Danish court of its corruption.