Hamlet Loyalty Essay

Hamlet Loyalty EssayThrough its portrayal of human experience Shakespeare’s hamlet reinforces the significance of loyalty.

One of the main themes throughout Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is Loyalty. This is portrayed through the experiences of the characters. Not only the positives of loyalty are shown, such as Hamlets loyalty to his dead father or Horatio to Hamlet, but it also displays the negatives. These are Claudius’ ultimate betrayal when he murders his brother, Gertrude’s hasty remarriage, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern being disloyal to their once friend Hamlet and Ophelia betrayal to her love of Hamlet.
Horatio is the perfect example of loyalty. He trusts Hamlet and will do anything for him. Yet he does not obey his every command like Polonius does for Claudius. He is not a foolish tool to be abused and not to think about what he is doing like Polonius does. In Act 1 when Hamlet meets the Ghost for the first time, Horatio tries his best to persuade Hamlet not to follow the ghost. “What if it tempt you toward the flood my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff.” Horatio uses rhetorical questions to make Hamlet ponder the implications of his actions. He does not say this to prevent Hamlet from gaining truth or because of jealousy, yet his aim is to protect his friend from whatever dangers may come. Later in the book Horatio attempts to give Hamlet advice to protect him from the chance of Laertes winning in the wager. “You will lose my lord… If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit.” Horatio shows his deep faithfulness by not just giving his opinion but by also offering himself to aid in not attending the wager. The use of the absolute ‘will’ shows his commitment and dedication to him and gives him reassurance about the circumstances. The experiences portrayed through the play show the importance of Horatio’s loyalty to Hamlet. It expresses to the audience that true loyalty lasts to the end. This is further highlighted when Hamlet is dying. “I am more an antique Roman than a Dane. Here’s yet some liquor left.” Horatio expresses his want to follow his friend even to death. This is conveyed through “still some liquor left” which is also a question, meaning if Hamlet wanted him to, he would die for him.

Through the experiences of the different characters and their varied types of loyalty, Shakespeare’s portrays the significance of loyalty. For Horatio’s loyalty to his dear friend hamlet, he is there at his deathbed comforting him all the way. Yet for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who betray their loyalty to a friend they are executed, for Polonius who is loyal to the King yet goes against ethics he is killed and for Claudius who murders his brother receives his deserved revenge from his nephew. Shakespeare explores the different types of loyalty and their positive and negative impacts to portray its significance.