Honor And Loyalty In Hamlet

5 Pages 1201 Words

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet honor and loyalty play a large role in the way that this tragedy unfolds. After being told about his fathers murder, Hamlets loyalty to his loving father begins the plot. Fortinbras’ personal honor and loyalty to his father thickens the plot, while Laertes’ loyalty brings about the tragic ends of many of the lead character’s lives. Honor and loyalty are very human characteristics especially when dealing with one’s dead father therefore these themes arelaced throughout the plot of the play. Honor and loyalty are shown in Hamlet through the three main father/ son duos of the play.
First of all, in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare Hamlet and King Hamlet’s relationship can be used as an example of honor and loyalty. Hamlet is presented as a devoted son to the memory of his father, King Hamlet. He is displeased with the marriage of his uncle, Claudius, to his mother so soon after the death of his father. It has been a mere two weeks since the death and his uncle has now become his father and king of Denmark. Hamlet’s difficulty to except his father’s death is because of his great love for his father. Hamlet is the only one still mourning when the play opens because his loyalty to his father is so strong that he would not just simply forsake it as many of the other characters did. While talking to Horatio, Hamlet reveals, "He was a man. Take him for all in all,/ I shall not look upon his like again" (1,2. 195-196). Hamlet holds his father in high regard, one in a million, and knows that he will not be replaced, as no man’s father should. King Hamlet held a great deal of honor and loyalty to his people and the kingdom, therefore Hamlet feels great respect for his father and great honor towards him in death. Hamlet reveals more of his love for his father and disapproval of his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius in his lines to Gertrude, "See what a grace was seated on his brow,/ Hyperionâ...