Emily Laertes The Brain Is Larger Than The Sky

Honor, love, and loyalty, hearing these words puts a heroic feeling in one’s heart. Being bold is a good character trait right? Laertes was certainly bold, and his honor, love, and loyalty for his father and sister were strong. So strong in fact, that it is the very reason he met his end. Laertes might not have met the fate he did if he lived in the same time period as Emily Dickinson, and had read her poem “The Brain is wider than the Sky.” Laertes would have benefited from reading this poem because it caters to the strengths and faults of his character and actions. Laertes was away at school in France for most of Hamlet, but when he was not he played a massive role in the plot of the play. Laertes as I mentioned above has strong loyalty

According to Dickinson the brain is theoretically wider than the sky and deeper than the ocean. She wants her audience to understand that the brain can contain things like the sky contains the earth, and absorb like sponges can absorb water. The last part of the poem compared the brain to God. I interpreted that part of the poem as the brain has the power to create an all-powerful being like God, or be God as to take life from someone. If Laertes read this poem before the events of Hamlet he might have used his brain more instead of always going with his brawn and quickly decided actions. Laertes might have contained his rage over his father’s death, and came up with a more effective way to avenge it instead of storming the castle with an angry mob. Before his duel with Hamlet he could have absorbed the magnitude of all the possible outcomes that could happen because of this action. Using his brain would have saved lives, most importantly his own. Laertes wasn’t a bad person, he had character traits that most people would admire, but the traits he lacked caused him to lose his

Laertes was one of my favorite characters in Hamlet. His action-orientated lifestyle is something I incorporate in my own life. I try to use my brain and harness how powerful it can be like Dickinson described in her poem though. Doing this allows me to not get killed by my own poison dagger. I found myself reading Dickinson’s poem through Laertes eyes, I didn’t do that before this assignment. It makes me wonder if Laertes would interpret the poem the same way I do, or if he did have the chance read the poem at all. I do know that if he interpreted the poem the same as myself, and read it he would still be alive. He would never have dueled Hamlet, and would have been able to finish school. Laertes could have carried on his father’s legacy and family name. He could have shared his strong loyalty, honor and love with a wife and children. All those things mentioned above would have a greater chance of happening if Laertes would have read “The Brain is wider than the