In the World of Hamlet Trust Is a Rare Commodity – How Far and in What Ways Do You Agree with This View of the Play?

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However, trust isn't always lacking in the word of Hamlet. Hamlet believes the ghost, which is very rare. In the Sixteenth Century most people believed that ghosts were evil and that they would hurt you due to superstitions and religious connotations. Nevertheless, Hamlet trusts the ghost as he believes that it is his father and trusts whatever the ghost says, Hamlet says that ‘Touching this vision here, it is an honest ghost, that let me tell you.’ Showing that Hamlet believes that what the ghost is saying is the truth. But, he also believes the ghost as it is saying what Hamlet wants to hear; that Claudius is the reason his father is dead and that he is evil. This shows that trust does exist in the world of Hamlet, as Hamlet trusts a ghost, which were perceived as being evil in the Sixteenth Century and gives no real evidence to actually being his father. However, there are only a few cases of trust in Hamlet. The lack of trust always prevails and outweighs the presence of trust.

To conclude, trust is a rare commodity in the world Hamlet. This is because the majority of the characters in the play have at one point, if not throughout the whole play, lacked trust in another character. For example, Hamlet didn’t trust Horatio to keep quiet about the ghost, even though Horatio is his best friend. Hamlet keeps telling Horatio to ‘swear’ and ‘swear by the sword’. There is also the example of Claudius and Polonius not trusting their children and so, spy on them as a result of the lack of trust. Throughout the play, the audience have most likely developed their own opinions of the characters, especially Claudius. This is most likely due to Claudius’ speeches. Claudius says ‘With mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage,’ which means he is telling the court that they should be happy during the funeral of his brother and their past the old King’s. This slyly shows that Claudius is grateful that his brother is dead, and that he is now King. Which would make the audience doubt and not trust him.

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