Similarities Between Hamlet And Laertes

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Shakespeare’s Hamlet tells the story of a former king's son seeking revenge for his father's death. As a result, his actions affect the fate of everyone in the play. William Shakespeare uses several characters as foils, minor characters that reflect some aspect of the protagonist. One of the foils in this play is Laertes, whom he uses to reveal several character elements of Prince Hamlet. Both Hamlet and Laertes love Ophelia, prove their masculinity, and seek revenge for their fathers' deaths. Laertes is an excellent example of a foil since he shares common attributes with Prince Hamlet. Both Laertes and Hamlet express their love for Ophelia and try to protect her.
Indeed, it is obvious that they both love their fathers. Laertes, in particular, is slightly offended by Claudius when he asks, "...was your father dear to you? / Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, / A face without a heart?" (4.7.107-09). It is noticeable that Laertes loves his father very much. On the other hand, Hamlet also loves his father deeply and still laments his death. He expresses his feelings...
According to Osric, the public loves Laertes because he is "an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, of soft society and great showing… [and] he is the card or calendar of gentry…" (5.2.104-07). In comparison to Hamlet, Claudius says that he cannot punish Hamlet because the public loves him (4.7.17-18). Finally, Hamlet and Laertes test their masculinity through a sword fight. Before the fight, Hamlet apologizes to Laertes for the trouble he caused during Ophelia's burial and for killing Polonius (5.2.210-16). However, something unexpected happens. Gertrude dies from drinking the poisoned cup, which leads Laertes to realize that it is "the king… to blame" (5.2.313-314). He asks for forgiveness after learning the truth and forgives Hamlet for accidentally killing Polonius (5.2.322-23). Hamlet and Laertes both display what it takes to be a true man. This attribute greatly adds to the comparison between these two characters, but another idea that affects their actions is the pursuit of revenge. Finally, Laertes and Hamlet want to seek revenge for the death of their fathers. Both of their fathers' deaths are caused by radical conflicts. Hamlet's madness is a result of Claudius's intentional killing of Old Hamlet. Old Hamlet tells the truth, and he...

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