Truth and Betrayal

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Many individual’s lacks the ability to struggle through the hardships of life; thus as a result, many are forced to overlook life’s problems and pretend everything is tolerable, or to escape into a fantasy in hopes of a better life. Within the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare it is argued that truth sets individuals free and along with this truth, people’s illusions are broken. This behavior of disillusionment is clearly evident in the plays main character Hamlet. As the play progresses, Hamlet is bombarded with truth about others that ultimately changes his point of view about life. This new found truth resonates within Hamlet and forces him to come to the conclusion that life is evil, painful and it’s subjected to “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Through this insight Hamlet’s life structure collapses, but he is able to, for the first time, judge the world for its true merits and adapt to make sense of the world. Hamlet can be seen as a play about obligations, in particularly Hamlet’s struggle with his duty to his father: Hamlet must “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” The appearance of Old Hamlet’s ghost not only sets the plot, but also helps in destroying Hamlet’s illusion about his parents’ relationship as his mother committed adultery with Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius. This marks one of many points where Hamlet losses parts of his life structure. Furthermore a theme of appearance versus reality surrounds Hamlet due to the fact that the characters portray a different outward appearance compared to what they are on the inside. In the play, Claudius displays an appearance of kindness and sensitivity, but in truth, he uses this false, caring persona as a mask to cover up his selfishness and evil personali... ... middle of paper ... ...Hamlet is a play about truths, betrayals and struggles of life. The main character Hamlet struggles to find his place in the cruel and painful world created through the constant destruction of his illusions about others. Throughout the play Hamlet is faced with many truths that destroy his life structure and as result he is forced to adapt to the ever-changing world around him. In doing so, Hamlet’s personality dramatically changes from the personality he held in the beginning of the play. This is due to the multiple betrayal Hamlet witnesses within the play; from his own mother to his lover (Ophelia). Throughout Hamlet William Shakespeare explores the ides of self-denial and evolution of individual personality; by using Hamlet as a conduit Shakespeare states that individuals must understand their problems and adapt accordingly instead of living in an illusion.

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