Betrayal in the tragedy of hamlet, prince of denmark - Research Paper Example

In the beginning of the play, Prince Hamlet is presented as a disheartened and depressed young man full of despair, and he soon identifies that he is living in a world of spying, betrayal and distrust. As Carla Lynn Stockton (2000) maintains, “in his world of deception and betrayal, Hamlet recognizes the need to exercise reason and caution, and to remain aloof from blind passion. Thus he can again justify his inaction and validate his slow approach to avenging his father’s murder.” (Stockton, 15) Therefore, it is fundamental to realize that deception and betrayal are central to the major plot of the play and the readers find different occasions of betrayal throughout the play.

In other words, the theme of deception and betrayal, presented through minor and major deceptions or deceits, is central to the underlying actions and plot of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and this theme has a vital role in the ultimate tragedy in the play. Significantly, the theme of deception and betrayal is present all through the play and some instances of this theme include Gertrude’s betrayal of her husband, Claudius’s betrayal of his brother, and Ophelia’s betrayal of Hamlet.

In a reflective exploration of the theme of deception and betrayal in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it becomes evident that Hamlet’s mother Gertrude is a major character representing this theme. There have been significant studies about this character which reveal her sexuality as one of the important signs of her betrayal and King Hamlet’s death. Thus, a careful reader recognizes that Gertrude’s hasty marriage with Claudius, following the death of her husband, is an essential example of the theme of deception and betrayal in the play.

Her hasty marriage not only betrays the memory of King Hamlet but also introduces the presence of the theme in the play. Prince Hamlet,