Often, as soon as trust is established, a seemingly unforgivable betrayal ensues. Within both Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo and William’ Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the cutting disloyalty is

Often, as soon as trust is established, a seemingly unforgivable betrayal ensues. Within both Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo and William’ Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the cutting disloyalty is prominent, however this results in a varied outcome across the two literary works. Both protagonists, Edmond Dantes and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, strive to overcome betrayal dealt to them by the most important woman in each of their lives, Dantes is able to look past the horrific deed and sail away, Hamlet loses his life in struggle.

Edmond Dantes is a young man accused of an act of treason he did not commit he was sent to an infamous prison. In the prison he meets a holy man who tells him of how he was wrongly convicted. “Dantes face would darken, for the oath of vengeance he had taken would come to mind, and he was occupied with the thought of how much harm a man could do to his enemies in modern times with a fortune of thirteen or fourteen millions.” (Dumas, 90) Dantes persevered and escaped the prison; with the help of a map he reached an island where he amassed a large fortune. He immediately took on the persona, the Count of Monte Cristo and vowed to avenge those who had harmed him. In particular he wanted to find his old lover and fiancée Mercedes.

Hamlet is a conflicted teenager with treacherous surroundings. His mother, Queen Gertrude married his deceased father’s brother, the new king, within only a couple of months. Hamlet’s father appeared to him in a ghost form and told him of these events. Hamlet was driven by mad fury and began to act out against his uncle and mother. “Let me not think on’t- Frailty thy name is woman” (Shakespeare, I.2.150) Hamlet infers that all women are weak in a speech directed at his mother and uncle. He wants his family to believe he is mad so he can avenge his father’s death and his mother’s betrayal.

Dantes’ undying loyalty is evident as a result of his mad rush to find his fiancée Mercedes. However, the woman he once loved no longer seemed to love him. “I thought she loved me well enough to wait for me, even to remain faithful to my memory. When I returned she was married.” (Dumas, 207) Dantes realized that she seemed to have moved on without him and married a man whom detested Dantes. When Dantes reintroduced himself to her as the Count of Monte Cristo, she seemed to not even recognize him. This fueled his anger and let him to believe he had nothing left to live for.

Hamlet is disgusted by his mother’s behavior and will no longer stand for it. He wants to use his words as daggers however abstain from violence. His father’s ghost made him promise that he would not physically harm his mother however he screamed obscene comments at her, seemingly spitting them out. “Nay, but to live/ In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,/ Stew’d in corruption,/ honeying and making love/ Over the nasty sty!” (Shakespeare, 3.4.103-106) Hamlet was trying his best to make his mother understand that he was hurt by her actions and she sinned greatly for a man that was not worth the effort. Hamlet saw his mother’s betrayal was an ongoing feat in which he tried to desperately gain control.

To break the memory barrier Dantes made it is goal to station himself within Mercedes’ close circle in order to taunt her mind. “For, in spite of all my grief and tortures, I show you today a face made by the joy of vengeance, a face that you must have often seen in your dreams since your marriage with- Mercedes.” (Dumas, 310) Dantes was sick of being ignored and decided it was in his best interest to reveal his identity to Mercedes and her husband. He wanted them to fear him feel the guilt caused by their actions. He waited months before he revealed his secret because he wanted to gain their trust as a new persona in order to show how easily they were manipulated. His aim was directed specifically at Mercedes because he wanted her to realize that she had lost the only man that ever truly loved her.

The pain Hamlet felt by his mother’s betrayal encouraged his act of madness. However Hamlet strived to tell his mother the truth in order to gain her trust by demanding her secrecy. “That I essentially am not in madness,/ But mad in craft.” (Shakespeare,3.4.209-210) Hamlet did not want his uncle to know the truth about his sanity and attempted to repair barriers with his mother. However his mother viewed him as completely insane, however her love for him was evident because she did not say anything.

Dantes had met another woman, originally a slave, however upon freeing her he realized he fell in love again. During his last encounter with Mercedes she acknowledged her mistakes, and blamed herself for Dantes’ misfortune. Ah but I have been sorely punished… I had faith, innocence, and love- everything that makes for supreme happiness, yet, unhappy wretch that I am, I doubted God’s goodness.” (Dumas, 382) Mercedes watched Dantes leave her forever and knew she had a substantial role in Dantes suffering. Dantes knew he would have to let her go forever because in no other way would she experience the pain that he had felt.

During a fencing duel, a rapier that had been poisoned by his uncle has mortally wounded Hamlet. Once he realized he was dying and so relinquished all the blame from the man that wounded him. “Heaven make thee free of it. I follow thee. -/ I am dead, Horatio.-/ Wretched queen, adieu.-” (Shakespeare,5.2.364-365) Hamlet wanted his true friend Horatio to explain the truth about the situation to the spectators of the duel. By saying good-bye to his mother during his last fleeting moments, Hamlet is shown to still have feelings for his mother. Although these feelings are convoluted he still does love her but is still consumed with hate while he dies.

Both Dantes and Hamlet venture to overcome the betrayals bestowed upon them by the only woman that each one truly trusted and loved before barbed acts of treachery. Only Dantes succeeds in his quest because he is able to sail away with a new woman in order to forget the horrors he has faced due to his fiancée. On the contrary, Hamlet’s lack of forgiveness and focus on revenge leads him to die at the hands of his mother’s betrayal. Placing trust in someone leaves a person guard down, if one was able to realize this prior to putting his or her faith into someone heartbreak and suffering could be easier avoided.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-21