Betrayal In The Cryptrogram

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Betrayal

“To betray you must first belong.”

- Harold Philby (paralumun)


Betrayal when realized is a phenomenally existential feeling. Without warning the world around the betrayed is not what it was before the incident. There are many feelings that accompany a breech of confidence such as betrayal; most of them are symptoms of depression. If an incident is an immense violation of ones trust for another, associated feelings may include rage and despair (Brewer 3).
By dissecting the actions of the person that was betrayed after the incident occurs we can evaluate the level of betrayal. Depending on the level of the betrayal the betrayed may be able to forgive the person that has defiled them. Some instances of betrayal may lead to Betrayal Trauma. This theory “predicts that the degree to which a negative event represents a betrayal by a trusted needed other will influence the way in which that event is processed and remembered” (Freyd 1).
The word ‘betrayal’ in loose terms has a broad range of classification. A simple white lie in some instances could be considered betrayal, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, infidelity most certainly is regarded as betrayal. “It is so very important to remember that trust given and trust broken is at the core of the betrayal issue” (Brewer 2). From this it is safe to say that any act which subsequently the victim feels like they need to re-evaluate their relationship with the offender would be classified as betrayal.
In David Mamet’s play, The Cryptogram (1994) each individual character (Donny, Robert, Del, and John) betrays the others in some way or another. Each character copes with the situations solitarily and unique to the other characters present. Del and John were subjected to a higher level of betrayal; this is proven by studying their behaviors after the incidents occur.
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