How Does Shakespeare Use Fortinbras As A Foil To The Nature Of Revenge

Betrayal, murder, deception, and especially revenge are all developed throughout Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet. Familial relations shatter due to the incestuous sins that Hamlet cannot condone. A once dignified and esteemed King dies at the hands of his vile brother, or to put it simply, fratricide. Young Hamlet will not sit idly by while this serpent reaps the benefits of the position. The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare implies that, although revenge appears to be reflective of society's value of honoring family in hopes of restoring life before tragedy along with demonstrating strength, the underlying meaning reveals how seeking retribution will ultimately lead to one’s demise and unintentional, catastrophic repercussions.

Initially,

Similar to Hamlet, Fortinbras wants to avenge his father, who dies on the battlefield (Shakespeare 26). However, Fortinbras acts decisively. The loss of both his father and this territory angers him. Fueled by this infuriation, he takes matters into his own hands and devises an immediate plan to seek vengeance. There is no extended, thoughtful planning like Hamlet. Instead, Fortinbras decides to attack Denmark until his uncle reprimands him, then he goes “against some part of Poland” (Shakespeare 220). An admiration filled with a personal shame arises inside Hamlet since he knows of “the imminent death of twenty thousand men that, for a fantasy and trick of fame …” (Shakespeare 222). Soldiers are going to die for a tiny plot of land, while Hamlet suffers from the inability to courageously seek revenge. His motives are just, yet he has simply done nothing about them. These two aforementioned instances are perceived to be acts of bravado because Fortinbras utilizes action over mere thoughts, which are commendable within this society. By the end of Act 5, Fortinbras arrives to witness the aftermath of all this misfortune. Though he does not leave empty-handed, instead he ends up with a claim over Denmark. Shakespeare shows how this ambition and promptness concerning his revenge is highly regarded by society. Yet Fortinbras is simply a minor character, who

King Claudius sends Hamlet away to England, but while on the ship, Hamlet experiences an abrupt change of mind. He discovers papers sentencing him to death upon arrival, which ignites a flame within Hamlet. Focusing on self-preservation, he must make an impulsive decision about whether it be his life or the lives of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on the line (Shakespeare 282). These two are the first to die as Hamlet finally begins to act on his anger. Death continues to take more victims in Act 5 with the poisoning of Laertes, Claudius and Gertrude. Hamlet finally gets the revenge he desires against his uncle, but at what cost? Two of the killed have wronged him, but poor Laertes gets caught in the crossfire of this feud. Not even Hamlet can survive the wrath of revenge. He dies from the poisoned foil as well (Shakespeare 304). Revenge is a dark, foreboding cloud that engulfs anyone surrounding it, which Shakespeare illustrates through the resulting bloodshed when Hamlet finally decides to physically act on his anger. All these tragic scenes depict the horrendous aftermath of revenge and its true