Betrayal

Betrayal

The significant act of betrayal during the play is performed by Claudius, who murders the king, his brother. Shortly after the king’s death, Claudius proceeds to marry the widowed queen, Gertrude. Although she played a part in this act of betrayal, she was unaware of the heinous act committed by her new husband. To the public’s knowledge, the newlywed couple seems content and in control, but on the inside both the king and queen are suffering from severe guilt. Gertrude realizes she has not waited long to mourn her husband’s death, while Claudius feels utterly distraught about murdering his own brother. These actions threw Hamlet into a state of insanity, seemingly resulting in an emotionally unstable state. Hamlet uses this to deceive his family members and friends in order to cause them harm for their actions.
Hamlet’s plot to act as though he is mad causes him to deceive and harm his family members and peers, primarily Ophelia. By denying his love for Ophelia, he leaves her confused and broken hearted. She didn’t understand why the man she loved was now acting as though he was disgusted by her and as if he never cared for her at all. Hamlet’s hasty actions continue when he abruptly murders Polonius, Ophelia’s father. This drives Ophelia into madness, resulting in her wearing a strait jacket. Hamlet truly loves Ophelia, but she will never know because of his deceptive processes. He also uses