Betrayal. It's the fuel that feeds countless plots. It's the ultimate heartbreak. And most importantly, it's at the heart of many of my favorite literary and cinematic masterpieces.
So, who is it that commits these heinous acts? Some of the most devious – and fascinating – characters ever conceived are those who prove themselves willing betrayers. But why do they do it? What could possibly motivate them to turn against those who trust them?
B is for Betrayer
Wormtail (Harry Potter series) – Fear. Fear is often a great motivator for cowardice and deceit, in literature as in life. It's Wormtail's fear that causes him to betray Lily and James Potter to Lord Voldemort, trading his life for theirs.
President Alma Coin (The Hunger Games series) – Political power. President Coin wouldn't be the first person to commit betrayal in order to achieve power. Politicians have long been caught making back door deals and betraying the people they've sworn to represent for political gain. President Coin simply takes betrayal to the brink, sacrificing hundreds of men, women, and yes, children, to advance her position of power.
Judas Iscariot (The Bible) – Greed. Though there are several theories as to why Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, the most common is greed – he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. I think it's safe to say that greed is one of the more common reasons for betrayal, and Judas fell to it as so many others before him, be they disciples or CEOs.
Brutus (Julius Caesar) – Ideology. Perhaps the most famous betrayal in history,
immortalized by Shakespeare's famous line, “Et tu, Brute?”, Brutus's betrayal of Caesar is ideologically driven. He cares greatly for Caesar, but he loves Rome more. It's his strong beliefs in a government free of dictatorship that leads to his manipulation and ultimate betrayal of his beloved friend.
Lancelot (Arthurian Legends) – Love. Last but not least, the man who betrayed his friend, his leader, his king. And why . . . for love. Lancelot was devoted to Arthur, the man who made him a Knight of the Round Table. But his love for Arthur's beautiful wife Guinevere was too great to deny. Unfortunately, betrayal comes at a cost, and in this case the fall of Camelot.
Lancelot (Arthurian Legends) – Love. Last but not least, the man who betrayed his friend, his leader, his king. And why . . . for love. Lancelot was devoted to Arthur, the man who made him a Knight of the Round Table. But his love for Arthur's beautiful wife Guinevere was too great to deny. Unfortunately, betrayal comes at a cost, and in this case the fall of Camelot.
And there you have it, my Top 5 favorite Betrayers. What are some of your favorites?
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This post is part of the Blogging A through Z Challenge 2013. My theme (in case you didn't already guess) is character types and tropes. Stay tuned for the rest of the alphabet, and if you’d like to check in on the other participants, simply click here.
In comic books, there's no greater betrayal than Terra in "The Judas Contract" from the pages of the New Teen Titans. In books, Harold Lauder from The Stand has to be among the worst.
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Lemme see. Well, now that I think about it, one of my favorite(?) betrayers would be Smeagol/Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, for leading Frodo and Sam into the bowels of Shelob's Lair. Plus I kinda like the way he says "precioussss" in the movies. :)
ReplyDeleteOh I like Tony and Michael's answers...good post will have to have a thought on this.
ReplyDeleteYour choice of Lancelot is the best. He not only betrayed his King, friend and country he betrayed his own beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI think betrayal is one of the best themes you can have in a plot. Wormtail's betrayal was huge, but without it Harry Potter wouldn't exist :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I'll be thinking about this today.
ReplyDeleteJudas was the biggest betrayer.
ReplyDeleteI've always found it interesting that Brutus and Cassius were on either side of Judas in Inferno. The only other betrayer that comes to mind is Benedict Arnold.
ReplyDeleteWow. You went for the big guns there. I think another betrayer in a little known movie is whatshisname from Titan A.E. I know it tore my son all up when he was a kid and we watched that together.
ReplyDeleteI love Titan A.E. And I'm not afraid to admit I tear up watching it too.
DeleteP.S. Joss Whedon did the screen play. Love it.
I always forget Lancelot is a betrayer. He had such a compelling story on his own.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is Gollum, looove that little slimeball. Visiting from A to Z. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteGreed has been mostly dismissed by scholars as a motivating reason for Judas. 30 pieces of silver, for him, wasn't much money. The most common theory is that he actually felt betrayed by Jesus because Jesus had not made his political move to overthrow the Romans. He hoped that handing Jesus over would force his hand and cause him to call in the troops, basically, and lead a revolt against the Roman oppression. Unfortunately, for him, that's not how things turned out. And that's why he threw the silver back at the Pharisees after the fact. The money really didn't mean anything to him.
ReplyDeleteI hated President Alma Coin. Give some people some power and all hell breaks loose.
ReplyDeleteYou have excellent lists!
ReplyDeleteIn my current work in progress, there's a character destined to betray his friends... (probable motive - jealousy / love)
Currently I haven't named him. So "Betrayer" is what he's been going by :) Hopefully I remember to change that up before publication! Quite the spoiler otherwise!
I agree with some of the others - Gollum is one of my favorites. :)
ReplyDelete