The theme of the double in William Shakespeare’s plays allows for a generous research area. It can even be speculated that there is no play by the great playwright that lacks the double. From the famous technique of play within the play, to the troubles caused by twins and from intrigues which run both in parallel and symmetrically in the same play, to rivalries between brothers, this theme is found everywhere in Shakespeare’s dramaturgy. The characters mirror each other, sometimes obviously, other times in mysterious ways, just as the theatre itself mirrors the world which, in turn, is a stage.

The theme of the double, as dealt with in this work, is an urge, not only to the actor to have an in–depth look at the Shakespearean character but also to the director to go beyond the surface of things when deciding to approach Shakespeare’s amazing world – to be constantly aware of the ambivalence, ambiguity and mystery of this wonderful universe where nothing is viewed from only one point of view and where nothing is what it seems to be. The English playwright’s obsession for I am not what I seem is – or should be – a key to deciphering each play.