Duty of the Offspring: A Comparison Between Modern Society and Hamlet Shakespeare shows in Hamlet, many relationships are based on emotional bonds, which, according to tradition, should be strong and unquestionable. The bonds of blood, those of friendship, and those of social position affect the relationships in this play. Shakespeare shows that loyalty and familial devotion, defined in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, as "the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal towards one's family" (2003), …showed first 75 words of 2353 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2353 total…die with the knowledge that he has fulfilled the promise of one true relationship - that with his father, who beckoned him to: Remember me. (1.5.96) Shakespeare has successfully shown through Hamlet, that the duty of a child to a parent is of prime importance in most decisions the child makes. It has been observed that the importance of a parent-child relationship in Shakespeare's time compared to modern society, are different, but also have many similarities.