Betrayal

Question 1

What is the first paragraph of betrayal?

Answer 1

The betrayal of female characters

Question 2

What is the critic for The betrayal of female characters

Answer 2

‘They both confirm Hamlet’s ‘suspicion’ that ‘woman’s love is brief and unworthy’ - that
women are fickle and their love is of little value. (Kerrigan)

Question 3

What does Hamlet suggest about beauty?

Answer 3

‘For the power of beauty will sooner/ transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into its likeness.

Question 4

What is the analysis for ‘For the power of beauty will sooner/ transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into its likeness.

Answer 4

Hamlet suggests that beauty has the power to transform chastity into a bawd (one who keeps a house of prostitution), sooner than chastry can transform beauty into is likeness. Although he claims this seems a paradox, ‘now the time gives it proof.’ The misogynistic imagery of prostitution suggests Hamlet feels betrayed by Ophelia’s fickle nature as she has ‘transformed’ into a whore.

Question 5

What does Hamlet say in the context of Gertrude about women?

Answer 5

‘Frailty, thy name is woman.’

Question 6

What is the analysis for ‘Frailty, thy name is woman.’?

Answer 6

Used in the context of Getrude, this alludes to her marrying so soon after her husband’s death. However, because of the
personification of an abstract noun, Frailty, we can interpret this as being representative of all women. as he suggests that the characteristic of being fickle is indivisible from the nature of women.

Question 7

What is the context for ‘Frailty, thy name is woman.’?

Answer 7

Weak, frail, impatient, feeble and foolish; and experience hath declared them to be unconstant, variable, cruel and lacking the spirit of counsel and regiment.’ (John Knox, The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women’, 1558).
Therefore, Kerrigan’s assertion of Hamlet’s view of female betrayal corresponds to the era’s perspective of the nature of women.

Question 8

What is the second paragraph of betrayal?

Answer 8

The betrayal of friendships

Question 9

What is the critic about The betrayal of friendships?

Answer 9

‘… even after Hamlet has appealed to them in the name of their thendship to be open with him- ‘But in the beaten way of friendship, what makes you at Elsinore?- they dissemble and equivocate for tour exchanges before admitting they were sent for by the king. This betrayal or one of the basic tenets of friendship justifies Hamlet’s distrust and rejection of their feigned friendship.’ (Katy Limmer)

Question 10

What does Hamlet say to R+G about their friendship?

Answer 10

‘But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore?’

Question 11

Analysis of ‘But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore?’?

Answer 11

Hamlet appeals to their friendship by using figurative language (‘beaten’) to emphasise their long history of affection towards each other. Nevertheless, R+G equivocate for tour exchanges before they finally admit they were sent for by Claudius. The deceit is the first sign of their betrayal.

Question 12

What is the context for ‘But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore?’

Answer 12

During the Elizabethan era there was a strict social hierarchy, with God at the top, followed by the monarch and then the nobility. Therefore, the fact that Rosencrantz and
licence being courtiers. seek I serve the king would not be surpassing to a contemporary audience. However, as Limmer argues, the male Renaissance model of friendship could only be achieved when both men possess incorruptible virtue. Therefore, the portrayal of R+Gs corrupt offer of friendship vs Horatio’s friendship conveys the seriousness with which their betrayal would have been felt by both Hamlet and an Elizabethan audience.

Question 13

What does Hamlet say to reflect R+G’s treachery?

Answer 13

“You would play upon me. You would seem to know my stops. You would pluck out the heart of my mystery. You would sound me from my lowest note to the top ot my compass.”

Question 14

What is the analysis for “You would play upon me. You would seem to know my stops. You would pluck out the heart of my mystery. You would sound me from my lowest note to the top ot my compass.” ?

Answer 14

Hamlet uses the metaphor of a ‘pipe’ (a recorder) to reflect R+G’s treachery, betraying Hamlet by manipulating him in order to get the truth out of him- “You would play upon me. You would seem to know my stops. You would pluck out the heart of my mystery. You would sound me from my lowest note to the top ot my compass.” The anaphora emphasises the lengths to which R+G will go to manipulate Hamlet to reveal Hamlet’s mystery, playing Hamlet as if he is a mere object.

Question 15

What is the third paragraph for betrayal?

Answer 15

Getrude’s sexuality as a betrayal to her late husband and son

Question 16

What critic quote describes Getrude’s sexuality as a betrayal to her late husband and son

Answer 16

“sexually treacherous” (Avi Ehrlich)

Question 17

What does hamlet describe Gertrude as that support Getrude’s sexuality as a betrayal to her late husband and son?

Answer 17

‘beast, that wants discourse of reason/ would have mourned longer’

Question 18

Analysis for ‘beast, that wants discourse of reason/ would have mourned longer’

Answer 18

even a ‘beast, that wants discourse of reason/ would have mourned longer’ before marrying his uncle. The zoomorphism of the word ‘best’ reduces Hamlet’s own mother to an animal as he condemns her for not following societal expectations for widows.

Question 19

What is the context for even a ‘beast, that wants discourse of reason/ would have mourned longer’ before marrying his uncle. The zoomorphism of the word ‘best’ reduces Hamlet’s own mother to an animal as he condemns her for not following societal expectations for widows.?

Answer 19

In general, it was not uncommon for widows to remarry within the first year of their husband’s death. Gertrude’s period of being a widow would have been considered quite short, though.

Question 20

What does Gertrude claim the cause of Hamlets marriage is?

Answer 20

‘father’s death’ her ‘o’erhasty marriage’.

Question 21

What is the analytical critic quote for ‘father’s death’ her ‘o’erhasty marriage’.?

Answer 21

Adelman argues that ‘the issue with this parental domination lies in the fact that Gertrude has chosen to marry Claudius, thus making her almost complicit in her first husband’s death.’

Question 22

What does Hamlet say about the incestuous nature of Getrude and Claudius’ relationship?

Answer 22

‘A bloody deed- almost as bad, good mother,/ As kill a king and marry with his brother.’

Question 23

What is the context for ‘A bloody deed- almost as bad, good mother,/ As kill a king and marry with his brother.’?

Answer 23

The fact that Hamlet considers the relationship a ‘bloody deed’ alludes to the widely held view that incest was a sin- in the Old Testament, it was considered an unclean thing’ to marry your brother’s wife. Therefore, to an Elizabethan audience, it is probably that they would have shares Hamlet’s view that Gertrude is a guilty woman (especially as the connotations of death with ‘blood[y’ emphasise Getrude’s complicity in the death of her first husband)