 Nathaniel Hawthorne does this in‭ ‬The Scarlet Letter‭ ‬through his many reincarnations of the letter‭ “‬A,‭” ‬specifically at the very beginning of the story,‭ ‬in Pearl’s name,‭ ‬and in Arthur Dimmesdale’s name. He begins the novel with the letter‭ “‬A‭” ‬to symbolize the story starting with adultery,‭ ‬and he juxtaposes that with Arthur Dimmesdale’s name,‭ ‬because the letter‭ “‬a‭” ‬is actually the end for Arthur,‭ ‬even though it is the first letter of his name. The‭ “‬a‭” ‬of adultery lies in the center of Pearl’s name,‭ ‬as well as her very being,‭ ‬and that is solidified with her conformability around the scarlet letter that Hester is forced to wear. Had Hawthorne thrown these ideas in the reader’s face,‭ ‬it would have,‭ ‬in the end,‭ ‬weakened the message that the letter‭ “‬A‭” ‬has more significance within the story separate from Hester Prynne’s letter.

‎	‏Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said:‭ “‬In this world a man must either be an anvil or hammer‭” (‬Picard‭)‬. In this‭ ‬quote,‭ ‬Longfellow is directly referring to manipulation,‭ ‬which can be a useful tool for those who wield it properly. Those who are being manipulated,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬are utterly unaware of any such influence,‭ ‬which can lead to them ending up in less-than-ideal situations. Shakespeare explores the idea of manipulation of people in the play‭ ‬Hamlet,‭ ‬specifically with several of the smaller characters. He shows that manipulation can follow many different paths,‭ ‬but that they all lead to the same end. Examining the ways that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,‭ ‬Ophelia,‭ ‬and Gertrude are manipulated until their deaths shows the vast power of manipulation at work,‭ ‬and just how far it can drive people. 

	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are pawns by choice,‎ ‏with the hope to someday win enough favor to gain power. They are uncomfortable with the King’s plan to spy on Hamlet,‭ ‬but they go along with it because their thirst for power drives them to do so. They proceed to spy on the‭ “‬too much changed‭” ‬Hamlet,‭ ‬which brings them back and forth between him and Claudius‭ (‬II.ii.36‭)‬. Claudius appears to be in complete control,‭ ‬because he is controlling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s every move. Hamlet,‭ ‬however,‭ ‬is biding his time,‭ ‬as his suspicion grows. Ultimately,‭ ‬he learns of Rosencrantz’s and Guildenstern’s betrayal when he reads the letter that they are sending along with him to England,‭ ‬and rather cleverly decides to write a new letter,‭ ‬stating that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the ones to be killed. This order is executed,‭ ‬and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fall victim to their own lack of knowledge. Because they acted as pawns and hardly as their own masters,‭ ‬they ended up being killed at the hands of the man whose death they were expediting. Shakespeare is,‭ ‬through their death,‭ ‬showing that their death is a direct result of their existence as a pawn,‭ ‬a mere tool in a plan larger than them.

‎	‏Another character who became an instrument of a plan they did not concoct is Ophelia.