Hamlet And Othello Analysis

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Recommended: Elements of the play Hamlet

In literature, ambiguities of the human character are wildly studied and speculated upon. The collective opinion regarding right and wrong often influences human behaviours, leading to characters with both ambiguous goals and differing ethical lenses, understood in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Othello respectively. Hamlet tells the story of the title character, a prince of Denmark seeking to avenge his father’s death after the death of his father. Othello is the tale of a Moor general of Venice, after being tricked by his ancient into believing his wife is unfaithful for his lieutenant. Protagonists Hamlet and Othello struggle with the betrayal of their friends and significant others, leading them to betrayal themselves. Furthermore, the motivations
Both Hamlet and Othello betray, and are betrayed. Firstly, Hamlet’s college friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are sent to spy on him, under the King and Queen’s encouragement. At first, they attempt to con Hamlet’s trust by telling him they have arrived to help him through his troubled times. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern only admit the truth when confronted. “My lord, we were sent for” (2.2.315). Their act of concern for Hamlet is just to cover the guise of spying on him for the King and Queen. Thus, the make themselves no better than the corrupt King Claudius by aiding him instead of their supposed friend. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern become willing puppets of the king, only concerned with allying themselves with the strongest party. Consequently, Hamlet does not trust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern due to their blatant lies. Consequently, this betrayal affects Hamlet’s emotional strength, since his best friends are disloyal, displaying how alone he is in his quest for justice. However, Hamlet pays back the deed when he betrays Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by replacing his execution for theirs. He alters the letter’s instruction on who to murder: “He should those bearers [of the letter] put to sudden death” (5.2.51). Though Hamlet could have discarded the letter altogether, it is out of spite he betrays his friends to be killed in England. He also states “They are not

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