Betrayal has been a tool used to gain power throughout history. It has been used to climb the corporate ladder, gain political power and even win wars. At any point in history someone has been stabbed in the back for someone else’s personal gain and Shakespeare’s time was no exception. In many plays by Shakespeare, the characters are involved in physical battles in order to gain power, however; in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the battles for power are fought through spying, lies and backstabbing. In Hamlet, Shakespeare demonstrates that betrayal leads to a radical development of Hamlet’s personality. Shakespeare also sets out how betrayal generates the theme that unwise decisions are often made when one’s sense of reason is clouded by love.
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His girlfriend Ophelia betrays him as well. While there were few occasions where Hamlet spoke about whether or not he actually loves Ophelia, he does show how much he really loved her after she died. Hamlet and Laertes are fighting in Ophelia’s grave about how much each of them loved Ophelia and Hamlet states “I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers/Could not, with all their quantity of love,/Make up my sum.” and that he would “weep”, “fight”, “fast” “,”tear thyself” “drink up eisel” and “eat a crocodile” for Ophelia (Shakespeare V i 270-77). However, in an earlier scene Hamlet learns that Ophelia betrayed him by luring him so that Polonius and Claudius could spy on him. His reaction shows a darker side of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. He tells her multiple times to get to a nunnery, implying that she is as worthless as a prostitute. He tells her that she breeds sinners and that she turns wise men into monsters. This behaviour, in contrast to the later scene, demonstrates two very different sides of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. This is all rooted in the fact that Ophelia betrayed Hamlet’s trust. Had she not betrayed his trust, Hamlet would not have lashed out at her. Since she did betray him, Hamlet turns from having the trait of a loving boyfriend to an angry and rude …show more content…
After Hamlet’s father reappears as a ghost to Hamlet and asks Hamlet to avenge his death, Hamlet dedicates his life to seeking revenge for his father’s death. After the ghost disappears, Hamlet vows “Now to my word;/It is 'Adieu, adieu! remember me.’/I have sworn ’t.”(Shakespeare I v 110-13). Hamlet made an unwise decision when he tried to prove that Claudius killed his father. While his decision did prove to the public that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet died as well. The reason Hamlet tried to avenge his father was because he loved him and if he had not loved his father, he would not have made this decision and would not have died as a result. Therefore, because Hamlet’s father was betrayed, Hamlet made an unwise decision based on love which cost him his
His girlfriend Ophelia betrays him as well. While there were few occasions where Hamlet spoke about whether or not he actually loves Ophelia, he does show how much he really loved her after she died. Hamlet and Laertes are fighting in Ophelia’s grave about how much each of them loved Ophelia and Hamlet states “I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers/Could not, with all their quantity of love,/Make up my sum.” and that he would “weep”, “fight”, “fast” “,”tear thyself” “drink up eisel” and “eat a crocodile” for Ophelia (Shakespeare V i 270-77). However, in an earlier scene Hamlet learns that Ophelia betrayed him by luring him so that Polonius and Claudius could spy on him. His reaction shows a darker side of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. He tells her multiple times to get to a nunnery, implying that she is as worthless as a prostitute. He tells her that she breeds sinners and that she turns wise men into monsters. This behaviour, in contrast to the later scene, demonstrates two very different sides of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. This is all rooted in the fact that Ophelia betrayed Hamlet’s trust. Had she not betrayed his trust, Hamlet would not have lashed out at her. Since she did betray him, Hamlet turns from having the trait of a loving boyfriend to an angry and rude …show more content…
After Hamlet’s father reappears as a ghost to Hamlet and asks Hamlet to avenge his death, Hamlet dedicates his life to seeking revenge for his father’s death. After the ghost disappears, Hamlet vows “Now to my word;/It is 'Adieu, adieu! remember me.’/I have sworn ’t.”(Shakespeare I v 110-13). Hamlet made an unwise decision when he tried to prove that Claudius killed his father. While his decision did prove to the public that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet died as well. The reason Hamlet tried to avenge his father was because he loved him and if he had not loved his father, he would not have made this decision and would not have died as a result. Therefore, because Hamlet’s father was betrayed, Hamlet made an unwise decision based on love which cost him his