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In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the theme of distrust lays in all four corners of this dwelling through the presence of eavesdropping. This sly way of spying allows the characters to foil each others plots, and discover hidden secrets. It also raises the question about the strength of relationships between people within the castle. This theme of eavesdropping is a reoccurring one in most of Shakespeare's plays, as well as modern day life. This method of obtaining knowledge about someone elses plans defies morality and weakens any bond of trust formed within Hamlets home. Secrets are supposed to be kept, but when eavesdropping is present, it becomes virtually impossible.
Hamlets family and piers have considered him insane within his house. He is suffering from internal struggles about his fathers death, and the task he has been given. Hamlet has been instructed by the ghost of his late father to avenge his death by killing King Claudius. This is what brings mistrust and eavesdropping into the picture. Claudius has suspensions about Hamlets peculiar behavior, and has summoned his school chums, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, to spy on him. Before they even start their expedition of eavesdropping, the King and Polonious have already made plans to hide being a wall hanging during Hamlet and Ophelias exchange of love gifts.
King Claudius is determined to discover an alternative motive to Hamlets madness besides depression. When Hamlet meets up with his school buddies, they inform him that the players are coming, so Hamlet organizes a plan to catch the King and know if he is the one who killed his father. This starts Hamlets deception, but his actions are to figure out if King Claudius is the foul in the flock. Although eavesdropping may not be present here, Hamlet is more or less eavesdropping on the reaction of Claudius face. His reaction to the play will be all that Hamlet needs for proof. Of course after the King sees the play he is enraged, and orders more eavesdropping to been done on Hamlet.
This time he uses Polonious to spy on him. The plan is for Polonious to hide in Gertrude's room and wait until Hamlet comes to see and talk to his mother. Unfortunately for him, plans turn astray when Hamlet discovers this evil act of deception, and plunges his sword into the wall hanging saying, How now? A rat?
Dead for a ducat, dead (Shakespeare 3. 4. 25)! Mistrust is what bubbles up the thick smell of blood throughout the castle, and brings people to rage against any moral sanity. Relationships are usually taken for granted. In the last days of Hamlets life, nothing was taken for granted. Ophelia, the one person Hamlet may have loved, has already broken the bond that Hamlet and she may have had. She denies any true feelings she may have had for him, and follows her fathers orders to not keep on pursuing what might be love.
Carla Stockton put it best by saying, She is a dutiful daughter (Stockton, pg. 28). Even Hamlets school chums have come to the King, not Hamlet in order to eavesdrop on him. This already puts a spike in their relationship, because trust has now been erased. One of the basic ingredients in a relationship is trust. Without it, the bond between two people doesnt even exist. There was only one person in Hamlets life that never forgot this ingredient; Horatio.
Horatio stood by Hamlets side even when he doubted this tragic hero. Of course it is going to be hard to believe that his friend had seen a ghost who told him the awful truth of King Claudius. In fact it might make Horatio want to eaves drop just to find out what the hell is going on with Hamlet. Instead he trusts Hamlet, and what Hamlet believes to be true.
That is what a real relationship is all about? Eavesdropping destroys relationships within this dwelling by removing the element of trust and replacing it with deception. This isnt the first time that eavesdropping has been present in one of Shakespeare's plays. In Much Ado About Nothing, we see this theme come out of the woodwork throughout the whole play. The difference is the way the characters use it.
In this play it is used, not only as comic relief by misinterpretation of what one is saying, but also to join people by tricking them. According to Kenneth Muir, Beatrice and Benedict who detest each other are tricked into loving each other by overhearing that each is dying for love of the other (Muir, pg. 76). It only presents danger when misinterpretation, or mistrust enters into the picture. In our modern day lives, eavesdropping has been around since we were old enough to comprehend at least some of the world around us.
I remember listening in on my sisters conversations with her friends just to hear about any foul actions she may had done. That way if I ever got into a fight with her, and the authorities (our parents) stepped into the picture, I could recite what I had heard. Thus the focus of the initial anger would be lost, and all the weight on the scale of justice would rest in her lap. Now, this is not exactly how you go about forming the best relationship with ones sister. That is why eavesdropping on someone to get information isnt the best idea. Another member of the family that has been known to snoop their childs room without the consent of the child is the mother.
Carleton Kendrick did a study of responses on this, and found out that the child feels betrayed when this invasion of privacy takes place. One child said, Your parents spying on you means they dont think you can make mistakes and learn from them (Kendrick, pg. 1). Even though most parents are trying to instill good values in their kids, they have already lost some of their parents trust by invading their childs privacy. The question of eavesdropping in a family is sometimes a hard call to make, especially if a parent thinks the child might be hiding something.
Eavesdropping isnt just present on a small scale either. Just a couple of month ago, an American spy plane was shot down in China. This example of eavesdropping on a grand scale not only endangers millions of peoples lives, but also gives our country a bad name. If China wanted to, they could have started a war over this mistrusting action by the United States. The whole idea of how foul our world actually is saddens me to a great degree. People should look up to leaders and government organizations.
Even the dollar bill has the words printed on it, In God we trust. If the nation and government really puts their faith into that saying, then they are displaying a horrible example of their beliefs. The profitable gain of eavesdropping doesnt out weigh the loss of trust within society. In conclusion, all the betrayal that happens through eavesdropping leaves a disturbing silence lingering in the cold, blood filled, air.
Although plots were foiled through this method of spying, the innocent still fell victim to the game. Only this kind of mistrust can destroy ever-binding relationships. Eavesdropping is a very commonly used device within Shakespearean plays. This stealthy way of spying leaves Hamlets community in shambles by destroying any honor that is left.
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Research essay sample on Shakespeare Plays King Claudius
