Perhaps the most famous line of betrayal in literature comes from William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” when a soothsayer tells Julius Caesar “Beware the ides of March.” The warning is immediately repeated by Brutus, who along with other conspirators, will make good on the warning later that day.
Betrayal is a frequent theme in literature, from ancient Greek works to the novels of today.
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of iconic traitors from classic novels who used betrayal for their own means. We’ve included classic books such as those from William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, and George Orwell, with more recent works from J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, and Khaled Hosseini.
Whether it is Greek and Roman mythology, to fairy tales, to medieval romances, and of course the Bible, authors from Dante to Cervantes to Shakespeare and Tolstoy have used the betrayal device to great effect.
Treachery and betrayal are considered the worst of human offenses that can be committed against kinsmen and kinswomen. Betrayal confers such a profound moral stain on a person that even death is considered preferable in literature. Betrayal is the undermining of one’s identity as well as a shared set of values within one’s group.
The driving force behind betrayal is why, and that is what makes the theme so irresistible to authors.
Here are the iconic traitors from classic novels.
Winston Smith from “1984”
- Betrayed: Julia
- Author: George Orwell
Gene Forrester from “A Separate Peace”
- Betrayed: Phineas
- Author: John Knowles
Anna Karenina from “Anna Karenina”
- Betrayed: Alexei Karenin
- Author: Leo Tolstoy
Briony Tallis from “Atonement”
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 08: Writer Ian McEwan and host Francine Stock during the LFF Connects: Ian McEwan event at the 61st BFI London Film Festival on October 8, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for BFI)
- Betrayed: Robbie Turner
- Author: Ian McEwan
Cal Trask from “East of Eden”
- Betrayed: Aron Trask
- Author: John Steinbeck
Jamie Lannister from “Game of Thrones”
- Betrayed: Daenerys
- Author: George R.R. Martin
Claudius from “Hamlet”
- Betrayed: King Hamlet
- Author: William Shakespeare
Peter Pettigrew from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”
- Betrayed: James and Lily Potter
- Author: J.K. Rowling
Mrs. Reed from “Jane Eyre”
- Betrayed: Jane Eyre
- Author: Charlotte Brontë
Brutus from “Julius Caesar”
- Betrayed: Julius Caesar
- Author: William Shakespeare
Goneril and Regan from “King Lear”
- Betrayed: King Lear
- Author: William Shakespeare
Gollum from “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”
- Betrayed: Fredo
- Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Macbeth from “Macbeth”
- Betrayed: King Duncan
- Author: William Shakespeare
Alma Coin from “Mockingjay”
- Betrayed: Katniss Everdeen
- Author: Suzanne Collins
Iago from “Othello”
STC 22305 copy 1, title page
- Betrayed: Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, and Othello
- Author: William Shakespeare
Charlie Khan from “Please Ignore Vera Dietz”
- Betrayed: Vera Dietz
- Author: A.S. King
Maven Calore from “Red Queen”
- Betrayed: Cal Calore
- Author: Victoria Aveyard
The Danglers, Ferdinand Cadarouse, Gerard de Villefort from “The Count of Monte Cristo”
- Betrayed: Edmond Dantès
- Author: Alexander Dumas
Fredo Corleone from “The Godfather”
- Betrayed: Michael Corleone
- Author: Mario Puzo
Fredo was resentful toward younger brother Michael for being passed over as head of the Corleone family.
Tom Buchanan from “The Great Gatsby”
- Betrayed: Daisy Buchanan
- Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Amir from “The Kite Runner”
- Betrayed: Hassan
- Author: Khaled Hosseini
Edmund Pevensie from “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”
- Betrayed: Narnia
- Author: C.S. Lewis
Bill Haydon from “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
- Betrayed: United Kingdom
- Author: John Le Carré