ipl-logo

Loyalty In Hamlet Analysis

1381 Words6 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, loyalty conflicts between family, friends, and even the country. Hamlet showed that the only person who we owe loyalty to is ourselves. Putting other’s loyalties above your own will only benefit the other person. We only owe loyalty to ourselves. Our family, lover, and our state will not always be there for us, but we will never be without our body. Throughout the play, the characters give their loyalty to other people and they have to deal with consequences because of it. Loyalty is not owed to your family. Hamlet’s mom married the person who killed Hamlet’s father. If he were to give his loyalty to his mother he would be disloyal to his father. This would lead to a conflict of loyalty for Hamlet. Hamlet made the right decision here putting his own self-interest over his loyalty to his family. This strains his relationship with Gertrude. He began to insult and mock her “HAMLET: Madam, how like you this play? QUEEN GERTRUDE: The lady protests too much, methinks. HAMLET: O, but she 'll keep her word. (3.2.253-255)(Shakespeare)” Laertes picked a different approach, however, he showed loyalty to his family when he came back to Denmark to defend their family’s name. This …show more content…

Hamlet was giving his loyalty to Ophelia. If this continued it would 've ended badly for Hamlet because she was giving her loyalty to her father. Ophelia was trying to set Hamlet up because her father asked him to. “POLONIUS: […] (to OPHELIA) Read on this book That show of such an exercise may color Your loneliness.—We are oft to blame in this, 'Tis too much proved, that with devotion’s visage And pious action we do sugar o 'er The devil himself”( Act 3, Scene 1,44-52) (Shakespeare). Alternatively, King Hamlet lover was Queen Gertrude who was cheating on him during their marriage. He gave her his loyalty and it got him killed. This is what would 've happened to Hamlet if he continued to give Ophelia his

Show More
Related

Examples Of Hamlet's Actions Justified

701 Words | 3 Pages

Then Hamlet lies to her saying he never really loved her which made her situation worse. And she was set up to see why hamlet is acting crazy and is spied on by Claudius to see where hamlet is week. So, as you can see Ophelia is put

Read More

The Symbolism Of Gertrude's Honor In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

314 Words | 2 Pages

Also, Hamlet displays his anguish at the Queen for dishonouring his dead father since “Almost as bad, good mother, as killing a king and marrying his brother” (Shakespeare, pg. 121). In this statement, Hamlet expresses how, through the marriage to her husband’s murderer, Gertrude is a symbol of dishonor and damaging her relationship with the prince. Hamlet is disgusted by Gertrude’s actions and recognizes her not as his mother but the queen and wife of Claudius, the murderer. The respect revered by children to their mother is not evident between Hamlet and Gertrude. In Gertrude’s death scene, Hamlet screams to his mother “Wretched Queen, adieu!”

Read More

Depression And Anger In Hamlet

948 Words | 4 Pages

All of Hamlet’s comments towards Ophelia suggest that he feels betrayed. Hamlet and Ophelia showed each other true love but both were mad after their fathers’ deaths. Hamlet was acting mad to have revenge while Ophelia was truly mad. During Ophelia’s funeral, Hamlet stated “I loved Ophelia; forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum”, expressing his true feelings towards her. Ophelia’s betrayal and lies to Hamlet in Act 3 deeply hurt his feelings causing Hamlet to hate

Read More

Hamlet Essay: Are Hamlet's Actions Justified?

809 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet was also dealing with a lot of emotions that are hard to deal with not to mention control. Hamlet was all so feeling betrayal in all of his relationships as stated before. Hamlet’s mother moved on to Claudius so fast (less than two months) that Hamlet thought she didn’t love his father the way he thought while growing up or maybe she only married him to stay queen. Then Claudius tells Hamlet to move on and that mourning for this long is unmanly and he should move on because everybody dies. That just pushed Hamlet over the top and he decided to get

Read More

Examples Of Obedience In Hamlet

1502 Words | 7 Pages

Ophelia is like this because of Polonius’s manipulations. Polonius’ and Ophelia’s conversation in Act One demonstrates the results of his manipulations and shows Ophelia’s understanding of obedience to the audience. For whatever reason, Polonius does not want Ophelia to be in a relationship with Hamlet. So he stops their relationship by making Ophelia question herself and follows his orders. Polonius manipulates Ophelia by making her think that she invalidates her family’s honor, that she does not know anything, and that Hamlet is manipulating her among other things he says.

Read More

Misogyny In Hamlet And Ophelia

651 Words | 3 Pages

This quotation illuminates Gertrude’s act of incest which can be classified as an aspect of adultery. Hamlet’s views of marriage are potentially destroyed because of Gertrude’s remarriage and women in general as he states to Ophelia: “Of if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them” (3.1.138-140). Although Gertrude is to blame for Hamlet’s negative outlook on marriage, his misogynistic attitude comes to light as he classifies all women (including Ophelia) as cheaters and liars. Moreover, Hamlet confronts Gertrude for her incestuous and adulterous crimes and speaks: “Nay, but to live / In the rank sweat of an enseamèd bed, / Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love” (3.4.91-94).

Read More

Example Of Betrayal In Hamlet

1327 Words | 6 Pages

When betrayed, one usually has negative emotions towards the people who have betrayed them. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare this idea is well illustrated, it is shown that betrayal affects the actions of Hamlet towards his friends and family, which indicates that the pursuit of vengeance often can cause one to forget the value of life. The betrayals that Hamlet suffered at the hands of his close friends and family, revealed important parts of Hamlet’s character, such as his intelligence, he is a very meticulous thinker that looks at situations from all angles, he is cunning, he has the ability to manipulate everyone into believing that he is insane, and he is skeptical, he does not believe any information until he finds it out for

Read More

Paradox In Hamlet And Ophelia

1389 Words | 6 Pages

Saying this, Hamlet’s behavior towards Ophelia is crude, rough, and full of anger. Despite Hamlet’s harsh treatment towards Ophelia, he really did love her, but because she was not his main focus, the

Read More

Family In Hamlet Essay

796 Words | 4 Pages

The Role of Family in Hamlet’s Success in Hamlet Family plays an important role in one’s success. Hamlet by William Shakespeare investigates this idea. This play, published in 1603, tells the story of a prince -- whose father has recently passed away -- who endures several conflicts. Dysfunction that occurs within a family can implicate a character’s success, as explored in Hamlet. This is exhibited through several conflicts with various characters with different family ties.

Read More

Hamlet A Misogynist Analysis

937 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet once again fails to understand that Ophelia much like himself is only trying to stay loyal to her father, much like what he is doing himself. In addition, Hamlet blames woman for giving birth to such evil and deceiving men like Claudius and himself. When he was talking to Ophelia he told her "Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better

Read More

Values And Beliefs In Shakespeare's Hamlet

1262 Words | 6 Pages

The reader comes to develop new insights into the world around us, portraying a theme “ that things are not always as they seem.” The reader realises that beliefs and values may change when we are exposed to insightful and challenging material, both in life and in reading Hamlet. The deterioration in Hamlet's character and good spirit shows us that while acts such as revenge may entail negativity and danger, there may be benefits to individual people that we do not see. The importance of trust in the phenomenon of love is made clear to the reader, and we realise that trust is required in any sort of stable relationship. The reader is also informed about loyalty and we realise that loyalty can be a bad thing if shown in an excessive or inappropriate way.

Read More

Feminist Perspective In Hamlet

1259 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the conversation and various parts of the play, Hamlet expresses his disgust for his mother 's actions. He insults her by comparing his father to Hyperion and Claudius to a satyr. He tells Gertrude not to sin by sleeping with him and tells her she is nothing but lustful for marrying a man like Claudius when he says, “That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,/ Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose/ From the fair forehead of an innocent love/ And sets a blister there, makes marriage vows/

Read More

Hamlet Role Play Analysis

1313 Words | 6 Pages

However, Hamlet soon discovers that Claudius has been lying to him, and Claudius’ real motive is to kill Hamlet in order to exterminate all possible threats to his reign. Claudius’ role play affects the entire country of Denmark, and he convinces the people that he is the rightful king, when he is not, and has murdered his brother for the throne. Gertrude, too, takes on a role; throughout the play, she seems oblivious to her wrongdoings. She claims that she loves Claudius, and did not just marry him for political reasons.

Read More

Hamlet's Attitudes Towards Women

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

Hamlet: A Psychological Approach In Shakespeare's Hamlet

1673 Words | 7 Pages

The leading force for Hamlet’s behavior to change is his mother marrying her dead husband’s brother two months later. In the play Hamlet states “O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason/ Would have mourned longer-married with my uncle,/ My father’s brother, but no more like my father” ( I.ii.150-152). This explains that Hamlet is frustrated because his mother moved on so fast and it seemed to him that she never really loved King Hamlet. Hamlet also claims that “Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,/That can denote me truly” ( I.ii.82-83 ). Hamlet is trying to tell his mother Queen Gertrude how he feels after the

Read More

More about Loyalty In Hamlet Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document