ipl-logo

Betrayal In Hamlet Essay

386 Words2 Pages

Can the consequences of betrayal turn deadly? In the tragic play, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, betrayal is a cycle in the story. Betrayal is defined as the sense of being harmed by the intentional actions of a trusted person (Merriam-Webster). It can be traumatic and cause considerable damage. This play shows betrayal from a mother betraying her son, a boyfriend betraying his girlfriend and an uncle betraying his nephew. Hamlet demonstrates betrayal between family, friends and lovers. Hamlet, the protagonist of the story, is betrayed by his mother, Gertrude, by marrying Claudius, her former husband’s brother. “O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.”(3.4,lines) Gertrude betrayed her son again by reporting him to Claudius after …show more content…

“I loved you not” (3.1.119) and “get thee to a nunnery” (3.1.138-139) causing her madness. Hamlet learns of Ophelia's betrayal, by luring him so Claudius could spy on him. Betrayal and mistrust anger Hamlet and drive him to commit violent actions. These events lead Ophelia to commit suicide. People avoid relationships to avoid pain. DiMauro 2
In the Lion King, Scar wanted the kingdom more than a relationship with his brother. Comparing Hamlet’s biggest betrayal was done by his uncle, Claudius. The betrayer needs motivation and Claudius jealousy kills King Hamlet. “Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to Heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, A brother’s murder.” (3.3.line) Claudius confesses to murdering his brother and Hamlet wants revenge. To be ridden of Hamlet, Claudius' betrayal sends Hamlet with his childhood friends to England with a letter that demands death to Hamlet. Which turns out, Hamlet’s friends are killed instead of him. Betrayal is a recurring action between many characters.
In conclusion, Hamlet is betrayed by the people he loves and cares for like Judas betrayed Jesus after The Last Supper. The play ends with Gertrude drinks poison and dies, Claudius is stabbed to death and Hamlet is killed by a poisonous blade. “To be, or not to be” (3.1.line) to live or to

Show More
Related
708 Words | 3 Pages

Despite the fact that Hamlet was hurting those who cared for him, he still decided to continue to pursue his revenge. By losing sight of what is important, Hamlet not only hurts himself, but also those he cares about, which ultimately leads to his untimely

Read More
1065 Words | 5 Pages

150-153), whom he holds accountable for his father's murder. Claudius's presence in their lives serves as a constant reminder of this betrayal, escalating Hamlet's feelings of hostility toward his mother. Hamlet's resentment towards Gertrude for marrying Claudius fuels his desire for vengeance and causes him to act impulsively and recklessly, further pushing him towards his inevitable destruction. Ultimately, Hamlet's inability to forgive his mother for marrying Claudius and let go of his hostility, contributes to his tragic fate leading

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

It is betrayal in its most personal form. Hamlet is not perceived as the betrayer throughout the play. His betrayal of his family is made to seem justified because of the wrongs done against him by his family. His betrayal is against Claudius, Gertrude, God and The People of Denmark. Through Hamlet’s point of view, the audience believes that Claudius deserves to be murdered, that Gertrude deserves every single unkind word said

Read More
362 Words | 2 Pages

Despite the fact that his mother is not guilty of his father's murder, he carelessly releases his anger upon her- portraying his sense of superiority over his mother. Ultimately, the act of confronting Gertrude displays Hamlet’s arrogant nature which leads to his eventual demise.

Read More
729 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet, also, could not get over the death of his father. He found out when his father’s ghost came back that his brother, and Hamlet’s uncle, murdered him. He then was willing to do anything possible to get revenge on Claudius, his uncle. Both of

Read More
1140 Words | 5 Pages

Hamlet eventually kills Claudius like his father told him to, but only did it after his mother, Gertrude, drank the poison that Claudius meant to give Hamlet. This is a result of external action from all the sorrows that was building up in Hamlet’s life. This brings us to our next character, Gertrude, Claudius’s wife and Hamlets

Read More
1327 Words | 6 Pages

Gertrude’s betrayal of her son was caused by Claudius, as he comforted her after her husband’s unfortunate demise, and later married her, this was betrayal to Hamlet because he had a very high opinion of his father and thought very little of his uncle, Hamlet said “-married with my uncle, / My father’s brother, but no more like my father / Then I to Hercules; within a month” [I, ii, 151-153] showing that he believes that his mother betrayed him and his father’s memory by marrying his uncle, it also

Read More
362 Words | 2 Pages

By a man who shares his blood? Horatio: Yes, leaving the throne to be usurped by a criminal, of whom forced the Queen to lie in a near incestuous bed. As of poor Hamlet, betrayed by his mother and uncle, driven to insanity by the ghost of his father and the need for vengeance.

Read More
1179 Words | 5 Pages

Hamlet's mother Gertrude and the King plan to have two of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, from school spy on him and see if he is actually going crazy. Hamlet knows the whole time that his “friends” are working for Claudius. They threw away their friendship with Hamlet just to secure some coin from the King. Later on in the play it is found out that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead and its is to be interpreted that they were killed by the King Claudius. Shakespeare used Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deaths to show that there is nothing to gain from betraying your

Read More
1168 Words | 5 Pages

By expressing their unwavering loyalty to the king by agreeing to spy on Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reinforce the theme of deception as he betrays Hamlet, their long-time friend, in order to carry out Claudius’s dirty work. This betrayal and deception ultimately lead to their tragic demise as the letter, Hamlet’s execution note, which they are ordered to deliver, is discovered by Hamlet himself and used against them. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are executed and Hamlet feels no guilt whatsoever, as their betrayal really hurt him. Another illustration of deception is highlighted through the various acts of King Claudius, as he is the mastermind behind many of

Read More
731 Words | 3 Pages

So this pushes Hamlet to lead his friends to their death. As a result,Hamlet was betrayed by his comrades who works for a king that is a murderer who took another king’s

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

To test Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet adds a scene reenacting the murder of Hamlet’s father. Claudius abruptly leaves the play, and afterward, tries to pray. When Claudius is praying, Hamlet is considering killing him, but decides not to because he wants to kill him in sin so that he does not get a chance at last confession. They also all end up dying later in the story due to a sword fight and poison.

Read More
1267 Words | 6 Pages

Hamlet, one of the world’s most popular revenge tragedies, is a play written between 1599 and 1601 by renown playwright William Shakespeare. It tells a story of the royal family of Denmark plagued by corruption and schism. Prince Hamlet, the protagonist, embarks on a journey of incessant brooding and contemplation on whether to avenge his father’s death. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, at the end of Act 2, Scene 2, he asks himself, ‘Am I a coward?’ (II.ii.523) after failing to carry out revenge.

Read More
939 Words | 4 Pages

The common theme of revenge is portrayed throughout one of William Shakespeare’s most famous play’s known as Hamlet. In the story of Hamlet, there are multiple characters that could possibly take on the role of a villain, adding to many of the tragic and dramatic parts of the story. The most obvious evil character being Claudius, the King of Denmark and the brother of the former King of Denmark known as Hamlet’s father. Throughout the play, Claudius is driven by his evil-like qualities of greed, revenge, and dishonesty where we learn that he portrays the role of Prince Hamlet’s enemy. Claudius is a complex character who shows the perfect example of a “quintessential Shakespearean antagonist” (Claudius: Character Analysis, cliffnotes.com).

Read More
1056 Words | 5 Pages

In act one Gertrude marries her dead husband 's brother Claudius, Hamlet is not very happy that his mother did this. Hamlet feels very betrayed by his own mother because she remarried so quickly. He feels as if this is an unforgivable

Read More

More about Betrayal In Hamlet Essay

Related Topics

Open Document