In Hamlet, Shakespeare wrestles with the themes of betrayal, revenge, and madness. He presents us a situation in which Hamlet, son of one King of Denmark and nephew to another, resolves to determine whether or not his mother, Queen Gertrude, and his uncle (now his father-in-law), King Claudius, had anything to do with the death of his father. He is convinced that they were indeed responsible, and decides to fake madness in order to more easily investigate the possibility.

There’s some question as to whether Hamlet actually crosses the line into insanity or not; that is, is he only acting irrationally, or did he actually lose his grip on reality? Integral to the plot is the theme of action (or lack of it); though Hamlet is convinced of the guilt of his mother and uncle, he is indecisive throughout most of the play, and delays acting on his beliefs until King Claudius attempts to kill him in the last act.

Throughout, he is dependant upon the aid of Horatio, his true and faithful friend. Other significant characters include Polonius, Claudius’ Lord Chamberlain; his son Laertes; and his daughter, Ophelia.

Given the significance of the theme of betrayal in Hamlet, the title character’s warm praise of Horatio in Act III, Scene ii is unsurprising. In Horatio, Hamlet has found someone he can trust, which is a relief to him because he cannot even trust his own family, who apparently murdered his father and (at least in King Claudius’ case) are conspiring to murder him as well. Horatio has never played him false, and is more than willing to aid in Hamlet’s investigation. The theme of action is played upon here as well. It is here that Hamlet reveals to Horatio his intention to have the players re-enact his father’s murder in that night’s play; Hamlet recruits him to assist him by observing the King’s response. He does so because he needs someone who is coolheaded to do so; as he puts it, “Give me that man/That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him/In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,/As I do thee.”

In Act III, Scene i, Polonius makes an astute observation about how many people “sugar o’er” their real nature with pious action and false devotion, and would be willing to do so to “the devil himself.” Polonius was referring more to the false appearances people put on in social situations, but nonetheless his observation strikes a nerve in King Claudius, causing him to mutter to himself, “How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!” This speaks directly to the theme of betrayal. The King’s conscious is obviously bothering him; he finds his own actions to be ugly, and the “burthen” of having murdered his brother (Hamlet’s father) a heavy one. This does not, however, prevent him from plotting further betrayal against Hamlet. In a lesser sense, this incident also invokes the theme of action, since it refers to the way many of our actions are somewhat covert and false in social situations.

In Act II, Scene ii, Hamlet asks the players to recite a passage exchanged between Aeneas and Dido, in which the murder of King Priam by Pyrrhus is described; indeed, he declaims the beginning of the passage himself, from memory. The players take it up thereafter. This particular passage once again points up the theme of betrayal, particularly in regard to Hamlet’s obsession with his father’s death (which also brings in the theme of madness). It is also a key part of Hamlet’s developing plan of action to reveal the complicity of the King in his father’s death.

Hamlet, a tragic tale of the consequences of a Danish prince’s decision to take the law into his own hands after the murder of his father, is one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces. As such, it is awash with themes, both obvious and subtle, that comment on the human condition. Perhaps the most obvious themes are those of betrayal, revenge and madness. A lesser theme is that of action (or lack of it, as expressed by Hamlet’s indecisiveness). Examples of the primary themes, particularly those of betrayal and revenge, are expounded upon throughout the text. Ultimately, however, it is perhaps that ultimate theme of nearly all art, and of life itself—death—that wins out in the end. By the time the curtain drops, all the major players, with the exception of Horatio, have been murdered.

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