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Loyalty and Betrayal

The Kite Runner and A Midsummer Night's Dream

By: Neela Chanderdat

Intro

In Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream although one is a novel and one is a play loyalty is a common theme shared between both works. The characters that should be loyal are the ones that betray the people closest to them.

“Even my closest friends whom I trusted, the one who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.” (Psalms 41:9).

Bible Quote

Even the closest of friends can betray you when your back is turned. Gaining back their trust takes time. This is shown in both works in the novel and the play.

In the Kite Runner, the protagonist character Amir struggles between his societal status being the son of a rich man, while balancing being a good friend to his personal servant, Hassan. The story revolves around the struggle of a young adult, Amir, who can not escape his past. He begins to have flashbacks of his younger days in Kabul, Afghanistan, after receiving a call from his uncle stating that he must come back to his homeland. The reader is left with the feeling that Amir has betrayed someone, and he wants to atone for his sins. Loyalty is tested in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Hermia disobeying her father by running away with the man she loves, rather than marrying the man her father wants her to marry, even if it will mean death for her.

Paragraph #1

Quote # 1

He begins to have flashbacks of his younger days in Kabul, Afghanistan, after receiving a call from his uncle stating that he must come back to his homeland and says “There is a way to be good again.”(2)

Quote # 2

“So will I grow, so live, so die my lord, ere I will my virgin patent up unto his lordship, whose unwished yolk my soul consents not to give sovereignty.” (1.1.79-82)

Hermia will meet her fate by her own hands.

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The representation of the pomegranate tree is very important aspect of the book. This tree signifies the union Amir and Hassan have. Here they are friends and they can be themselves without the pressure of the outside world. We realize that Hassan is loyal to Amir and would do anything for him even lie, but here we notice Amir’s allegiance to Hassan. Amir in his own way loves Hassan and even wrote their names into the side of the tree without even thinking of the societal status. It was out of pure friendship.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream also depicts loyalty through the characters of Puck and Oberon. Oberon is the king of the fairies and Puck is his loyal servant. He would do anything for his master. Oberon asked Puck to find and collect a special flower and from its juices if he anoints it on Lysander’s eyes, he will fall in love with the first thing he sees. It did not matter to Puck that he was confused as to whom to put it on, he just did what his master told him to do.

Quote # 3

“Amir and Hassan, the sultans of Kabul” (27) into the side of the tree without even thinking of the societal status. It was out of pure friendship

Just like Canadian Geese, they are loyal to their mate till the bitter end.

Quote # 4

“About the wood we go swifter than the wind, and Helena and Athens look thou find-all fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer, With the sights of love, that costs the fresh blood

dear. By some illusion see thou bring her here. I’ll charm his eyes against she do appear.”—Oberon “I go I go. Look how I go, swifter the arrow from the tartar’s blow.” (3.2.100)

Foghorn Leg Horn is the rooster that always barks out orders.

The pivotal moment in the Kite Runner was when Hassan went to retrieve the kite, they cut down to win the tournament and Hassan was cornered by Assef and his friends. Hassan was given a choice, give them the kite or they would beat him. He did not give up the kite and said that Hassan wanted it and they are friends and would not give in. So, they kicked him and beat him and then raped him. All the while Amir was watching in the shadows. He made a decision that would change their lives forever.

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Another scene that shows betrayal in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is the love affair between Demetrius and Helena. Demetrius profess his undying love to Helena and wanted to marry her, until he met Hermia, which is Helena’s best friend. He betrayed Helena by also falling in love with another.

“I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan—the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past—and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.

In the end, I ran.” (82)

Quote #5

Quote #6

“As waggish boys in game

themselves forswear, so the boy

love is perjured everywhere. For

ere Demetrius looked on

Hermia’s eye, he hail’d down

oaths that was only mine. And

when this hail some heat from

Hermia’s felt, so he dissolved

and showers of oaths did melt. I

will go tell him of fair Hermia’s

Flight.(1.1.240-246)

Conclusion

In the Kite Runner and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the theme of betrayal and loyalty are constant throughout the novel and the play. It is not just a part that was played in Amir’s childhood but also through his adulthood. Betrayal can never be buried it will always resurface. It haunts him till he is called back home to atone for his sins. He finally gains back loyalty when he goes to save Hassan’s son. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, loyalties are tested through family, love interests, and hierarchy. Hermia goes against her father’s wishes and should be loyal to the family but betrays him for love. Demetrius comes between two best friends and Pucks loyalty will always be with Oberon. Without loyalty and betrayal there would not be plot to either the novel or the play.

Works Cited

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graduate, Published by Matthew Creative Writing, et al. “Top 15 Disney Spell Casting Characters: Number 5; The Fairy Godmother (Cinderella).” The Creativity Storm, 15 Feb. 2019, thecreativitystorm.wordpress.com/2019/02/15/top-15-disney-spell-casting-characters-number-5-the-fairy-godmother-cinderella/.

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“Amir & Sohrab Flee Kabul & Return to Pakistan: The Kite Runner, Bruises, Runner.” Pinterest, www.pinterest.ca/pin/441282463469703911/.

Works Cited Continued

“Etna Volcano (Italy): Eruption Intensifies, Possibly Heading towards a Paroxysm: Volcano Pictures, Etna Volcano, Volcano.” Pinterest, 8 July 2020, www.pinterest.ca/pin/796926096541557463/.

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Gualtieri, Jacqueline, et al. “What To Do When You're Caught In a Love Triangle.” The Date Mix, 29 May 2019, www.zoosk.com/date-mix/love/love-triangle/.

YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/results?search_query=see+you+again.

Flynn, Niamh. “Review: ★★★★ The Kite Runner, Richmond Theatre.” Upper Circle, 19 Mar. 2020, www.upper-circle.com/home/review-the-kite-runner-richmond-theatre.

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