What Made This Man Betray His Country By David Hoffman

Betrayal is defined as being disloyal and breaking one’s trust. The sources used for evidence are

“What Made This Man betray His Country?” By David Hoffman, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, “Good Lovers Lie” by Clancy Martin, and “The Devastating Power of Lies in a Relationship” by Donald Miller. These sources support how one can commit betrayal and the circumstances in which it is acceptable. Betrayal of others, betrayal of country, and betrayal of self are acceptable when something good can come from it.

Betrayal of a Friend

It is acceptable to betray a friend when they are a bad influence to one’s morals. Friendship can be dangerous. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Brutus tells Cassius

that “It must be by his death; and for my part, I know no personal cause to spurn at him, but for the general. He would be crowned” (Shakespeare, 2015, p.571). This quotation illustrates how Brutus believes that the death of Caesar is necessary for the good of Rome. This shows how Brutus’ and Caesar’s friendship became dangerous when Brutus and Cassius were planning an assassination to kill Caesar. Brutus made it acceptable to betray a friend because Brutus believed that Rome should be a Republic and he feared that he would have to go against his morals to support Caesar becoming king.
Although a friend can be a bad influence, one should be loyal to them instead of betraying them. One must never break a friend’s trust or loyalty. In the play, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Antony tells the crowds after Caesar’s death that “If Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel. Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! This was the most unkindest cut of all” (Shakespeare, 2015, p.612). This quotation explains how much Caesar loved and trusted Brutus but in the end Brutus’ stab was the worst of all the traitors. This shows how a friend should never break a friend’s trust like what Brutus did. If a friend is a bad influence, one should never betray a them because one should be loyal instead of breaking their trust. While being loyal to a friend is best for maintaining a friendship, one might be going against their morals rather than standing up for what they believe in. Therefore, there would be no trust to break if there wasn’t any to begin with.
Betrayal of Country
It is acceptable to betray one’s country when it is for the safety of others.

One must always put others before one’s self. In the article “What Made This Man Betray His Country” Hoffman states how Tolkachev “greatest weapon against the Soviet Union was not some dissident pamphlets but right in his desk drawer: the blueprints and reports that were the most closely held secrets of Soviet military research. He could seriously injure the system through betrayal, turning these vital plans over to the “main adversary”: the United States” (Hoffman, 2015). This illustrates how Tolkachev didn’t have any weapons against the Soviet Union but blueprints to give to the United States. This shows how although Tolkachev will be executed because of treason, he betrayed his country so that others would be safe. It is acceptable to betray one’s country so that others may be safe even if it results in

self-sacrifice.
However, one must protect one’s self first before providing safety to others. One’s safety is more important than bravery. In the article “What Made This Man Betray His Country” Tolkachev explains how “‘Because of the slightest suspicion, I will be totally isolated or liquidated for safety’” (Hoffman, 2015). This illustrates how if he got caught spying on his country, he would be committed for treason. This shows how he had to protect himself first from the Soviet Union rather than risking it for bravery. Therefore, it is more important to protect one’s self first before protecting others. However,

Betrayal of Self
It is acceptable to betray oneself when it is to protect others from the truth.

Love can make one do outrageous things. In the article “Good Lovers Lie” Martin states how “The people who find themselves most betrayed by the lies of lovers are those who have the most unrealistic expectations about truthfulness” (Martin, 2015). This quotation illustrates how people betray themselves the most when they start to believe the lies of their lover. When one is in love, it makes one do outrageous things by believing in unrealistic truths. It is acceptable to betray oneself so that others are protected from the truth even though it may go against one’s morals. Being in love makes one do what is necessary to protect their significant other even if it means lying to

them.
Others may say that knowing the truth is more important even though it can have a negative effect. Secrets and lies destroy relationships. In the article “The Devastating Power of Lies in a Relationship” had experienced how lying in a relationship only made things worse and he states that “Telling the truth may mean you don’t get to be in control anymore or that people won’t like you as much. That’s fine. At least they are interacting with the real you. The deep connections you’ll make from telling the truth are worth it” (Miller, n.d). This quotation illustrates how one must always tell the truth even though it can make people dislike you. In a relationship, one should always tell the truth because the secrets and lies can only make things worse. Although knowing the truth and telling the truth can have a negative effect, it is better not to betray one’s self for love. However, sometimes lies don’t always destroy relationships. It may be necessary to have little lies to maintain a stronger relationship. Love can make one do outrageous things like lie so that the relationship can become more stable.

Betrayal of others, betrayal of country, and betrayal of self are acceptable when something good can come from it. The claim that supported when it was acceptable to betray a friend is “friendship can be dangerous”. The claim that supported when it was acceptable to betray one’s country was “one must always put others before one’s self”. The claim that supported when it was acceptable to betray one’s self was “love can make one do outrageous things”. The effects of betrayal are mostly negative and can sometimes cause physiological damage. Committing betrayal can be worth it if it is for their own good.