Treachery In Hamlet

Turncloaks and their vengeful victims have always had a big part in almost every Shakespeare play to date, and while the victims usually are the ones that drive the plot forward in their quests for revenge, it is the backstabbers that really set the narrative into motion.

In each of the three plays we see treachery as an important part of the plot but always at different angles and spots where it is used vary. In Macbeth we actually get to see all of the treasons take place throughout the play, in The Tempest it is what drives the narrative but the treason itself took place long before the play began and is only referenced to by the characters, and in Hamlet we see it being used as the device to drive Hamlet’s actions along with his mother’s betrayal of her husband.

Due to the fact that it shows the most treachery compared to being only driven by it, Macbeth could be considered the play where the theme of treachery is most explored. Macbeth originally had no intention of murdering Duncan, but seeing the witch’s prophecy come true and with the extra insults to his manhood by Lady Macbeth, his ambition pushes him to slay Duncan and blame two guards,(whom he also murders just to be safe). He later has assassins attempt to kill Banquo and his son

Prospero brought the ship to his island to seek his vengeance, so you could say the entire play’s event were set into motion because of Antonio’s betrayal. But as the play goes on it switches from vengeance to Prospero instead finding a peaceful way to both get him and his daughter out of banishment and find a way to forgive his brother. Treachery simply serves as a backdrop for the most part in this play, except for Caliban, Tranculio and Stephano’s failed attempt at Prospero’s life, but this is meant more as a comedic side of the