Loyalty in Hamlet Essay

Hamlet essay

It is consistently argued that Shakespeares works are still relevant to modern society. Yet, the major query lies in the explanation of this theory; why? Theatre in Britain during the Elizabethan era was significantly more restricted than that of the modern age. Playwrights certainly did not have the freedom that many have today and linguistics and vernacular were much dissimilar to that of the modern age. Realistically, the only concept which truly links us with the Renaissance writing is our human experiences and conditions. Love, hope, joy, mourning, hate, and anger are all familiar traits of the human condition. Shakespeare was an extremely powerful writer in his illustration of this common human circumstance, and he has been perceived by many of his readers as the mastermind of the human condition. Our human experiences are based around situations and relationships. In these situations and relationships, loyalty conquers our individual and shared feelings of trust, hope and other positive energies. Loyalty is vital in any positive situation, whether it be loyalty to others, to yourself, or to an individual or shared idea (goal). Even any negative situation is reversely effected by a lack of loyalty. Therefore ultimately the most powerful trait of our human experience, with the ability to make us or alternatively break us through bitter betrayal, is Loyalty. Throughout Shakespeares acclaimed revenge-tragedy playwright, Hamlet, the condition of each characters human experiences, highlights their sense of loyalty or lack thereof. Each of the characters have varying individual experiences throughout the production which contribute to their personal sense of loyalty. These experiences are also persistently shared and consequently take effect on other characters senses of loyalty. Loyalty also proves to be the basis of other major themes in the play. Furthermore, loyalty contributes significantly to the plays commended plot and structure to give the eulogized result of the piece of literature which has been so fted and celebrated throughout English history as we know it today.

The professional psychologist, Rensis Likert, once said that the greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve their goals. People depend momentously on relationships and interaction with each other. This results in our reliance of groups and thereby consequential acquaintances to help us form and outline each silhouette of our human experience. In Shakespeares Hamlet, there are many links between the characters and therefore, the characters form a type of unofficial group. This group strives both individually or jointly for varying and diverse goals. The motivations to achieve both individual and shared goals throughout the play are altered by each of the characters varying senses of loyalty. Hamlet is a very conspicuous and perplexed protagonist who is tragically flawed by his fathers sudden death. After finding out about his wretched Uncle Claudius conviction as the murderer of his father, he develops a goal to avenge Claudius for his malevolent feat. This progress in Hamlets motivation to take revenge demonstrates Hamlets powerful loyalty towards his father who, in a rather ghostly state (literally) desires for Hamlet to take life away from his iniquitous uncle. By developing his motivation, Hamlet generates a sense of loyalty towards this new goal to seek vengeance for his ghostly father. This acknowledged act of loyalty introduces the first major complication of the production. Throughout the play, Horatio is the only truly loyal person towards Hamlet. Horatio sees beyond Hamlets erratic ways and rather accepts and understands Hamlets psychotic behaviour. This loyalty has both positive and negative effects on the duo. Horatio is the only person who understands and justifies Hamlets intentions, and this trust and loyalty may be the only reason why Hamlet hasnt completely drowned in his own madness. Yet, Horatio can also be portrayed as a slightly unbalanced character which is most likely the result of Hamlets frenetic ways rubbing off on the innocent, frail friend. For example, when Horatio mentions here is some liquor left at the end of the play he intends to poison himself in order to match Hamlets fate. This slight madness is induced by Horatios powerful loyalty towards Hamlet. In contrary, Hamlet feels betrayal from his mother as she hastens in to marriage with his impious uncle. She Married. Oh most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets. It is not, nor it cannot come to good. Hamlet is furious about his mothers pitiable and somewhat pathetic need for another husband, especially with the means of his fouled uncle. There have been many different optimistic and pessimistic interpretations and opinions towards Gertrudes characters throughout Shakespeare history. Although, his mother, Gertrude, may be hasty in her needs for a connubial state, she is unaware of the means in which her previous husband died, and therefore she possibly still demonstrates loyalty towards her innocence. Yet, the rushed wedding could be result of a much earlier affair with old Claudius thereby showing much betrayal towards her innocence. Hamlet also feels immensely betrayed by Ophelia who plays a marionette in the hands of her father and brother, Polonius and Laertes, despite the fact that they professed their love for each other at some point prior to the plays commencement. Ophelia stays loyal towards her father by accepting and respecting his opinions and remarks even though she may not necessarily agree. I shall obey, my lord; Ophelia accepts her fathers command to refrain from getting too induced by Hamlets love. This loyalty towards her father is in some ways similar to that of Hamlet and his father, as she eventually results in outstanding insanity at Polonius death. Yet, the retribution of the murderer is not sought out by her but rather by Laertes, who is also extremely loyal towards his father, and consequently stunned by his fathers death. Eventually Ophelia swallows her psychosis and falls into the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide and mermaid like as she sunk into her doom. This revulsion enhances Laertes loyalty towards his plan to avenge Hamlet. Claudius, from a more egotistical perspective, only really shows loyalty towards himself, as he schemes to suit his own crook desires. Overall, through motivation to achieve personal and shared goals in the form of human experiences, the characters of Hamlet divulge the importance and impact of Loyalty.

Loyalty proves to be the foundation of other major themes in the play and thereby contributes significantly to the plot and structure of the piece. Betrayal is the most significant theme in the production caused by a lack of loyalty. The acts of betrayal contribute magnificently to the tragedy idea of the play. Gertrudes betrayal of old King Hamlet (Hamlets father), through her hasty wedding and effortless ability to move on from his death, contributes to Hamlets anger and treatment towards her. This leads to the dramatic scene where Hamlet attacks Gertrude for her villainous deeds; Have you eyes? You cannot call it love, for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame, its humble and waits upon the judgement. This scene results in the first of many deaths, as Hamlet kills the bumbling fool, Polonius. This is one of many tragedies experienced throughout the play. Loyalty also contributes to a sense of stability. Hamlet demonstrates that Claudius lack of loyalty to others, his mothers lack of loyalty to his father, and Rosencrantz and Guildensterns lack of loyalty as they spy on him, all contribute jointly to his unstableness which is resembled in his psychotic behaviour.

Overall, human experiences throughout Hamlet contribute to individual and shared senses of loyalty, and this loyalty contributes significantly to the themes and structure of the play. Therefore, Hamlet reinforce the significance of loyalty through its exceptional exploration of these human experiences. The sophisticated way in which Shakespeare explores these ideas is most likely the reason why his works are still celebrated to this day.