William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is his most famous play and is regarded by many to be his finest. Hamlet is compacted with problems that follow the themes of love, death, and betrayal. In Shakespearean tragedies, characters present themselves with abnormal states of mind. Although this abnormal state of mind is not the dominant action, it provokes the suffering to the protagonist. The supernatural elements in Shakespearean dramas are somewhat secondary to the primary action. Revenge can be converted in an endless cycle, which is shown by Hamlet and Laertes’s desire to avenge their respective fathers. Hamlet shows that reader that although two people can experience similar life events, each can react in opposite manners. Laertes is a foil …show more content…
A foil character is a character who sets off another person by being a contrast to that particular person. Laertes had to have things in common with Hamlet in order for the differences to stand out. Laertes is faced with similar issues as he mirrors Hamlet, but he reacts very differently. The two characters share such characteristics as being sons of prominent people in society, losing their fathers, and loving Ophelia. When Hamlet is verbal, Laertes is physical; when Hamlet is worried, Laertes talks loud and bold. Laertes’ love for Ophelia and duty to Polonius drive him to act passionately, while Hamlet’s love for Gertrude and duty to King Hamlet drive him to passionate inaction. Laertes is the picture of what Hamlet could potentially be if he did not get caught up in his own …show more content…
While they were both fatherless, their reactions to avenge were different. After his father’s death, Hamlet experiences a whirlpool of emotions ranging from complete rage and the desire for revenge to hesitation. Unlike Laertes, Hamlet is a thinker. He is trained to think things through, considering all options before making a decision to avenge his father’s death. Hamlet realized that there are people out there that die for a lot less. When Hamlet walks in on Claudius kneeling, Hamlet understands him to be praying. Hamlet states that5 “A villain kills my father and for that,/ I, his sole son, do this same villain send/ to Heaven” (3.3.76-78), as Hamlet does not want to murder Claudius while he is praying because he is afraid he will send Claudius straight to Heaven. His delay and contemplation show that he is humane to his situation. He is delayed because of fear and supernatural misgivings those being, how to send Claudius to Hell and his father and himself to Heaven. Hamlet does avenge his father; he kills Claudius when it is known that Claudius is not likely to go to Heaven. Unlike Hamlet, Laertes is ablaze with motivation and action, and says that he will throw “conscience and grace to the profoundest pit” (4.5.127). He acts quickly without thinking and is very shallow. When he finds out that his father is dead, he comes home from France and invades the palace, saying “That drop
In Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Hamlet and Laertes act as dramatic foils, where their similarities are used to highlight their differences. Each character learns that his father has been murdered and each plots his revenge against the murderer. In the first act of the play, the ghost of Hamlet’s father tells him “Let not
In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the young Prince Hamlet must deal with murder, corruption and incest. The foils to Prince Hamlet, give the reader a basis to summarize his character within the play. Such foils include Laertes, son of Polonius, Claudius, current king of Denmark and stepfather of Hamlet, and Fortinbras, the prince of Norway.
In the 1990 version of Hamlet starring Mel Gibson, Laertes is portrayed in a very poor light. He seems to have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. At certain points during the written play, Laertes's actions may be taken entirely differently than they are conveyed in the movie. In the film version of Hamlet, all of Laertes's negative aspects are much more pronounced.
Hamlet questions what may or may not happen however Laertes just wants the revenge fast and effective. Although these characters have different standards when it comes to revenge, they both immediately blamed and directed their anger towards Claudius when they found out their father’s were dead. Hamlet’s reason to blame Claudius is simply because he is his father’s murderer. In 1.5 while Hamlet is talking to the ghost of his father he says, “Haste me to know ’t, that I, with wings as swift/As meditation or the thoughts of love/May sweep to my revenge” (Shakespeare 1.5.31-33). At first is seems as if Hamlet would seek revenge right away because he seems eager to find out who the killer is and when he does find out he says he knew it was Claudius all along. He is furious and after this part in the play, Hamlet’s anger is mainly focused on Claudius. On the other hand when Laertes found out Polonius is dead he went straight to Claudius assuming it was him. By doing this he shows that he is controlled by his impulses unlike Hamlet who waited until he got proof to act on his fury. Laertes also blamed Claudius for not giving his father a proper burial, which can relate to Hamlet’s anger too because Hamlet felt as if there was not enough mourning for his father death. Not only did they both lose their fathers, but they both lost Ophelia, a female figure in their lives that they both loved.
When one thinks of the play Hamlet, one word that comes to mind is tragedy. This play is surrounded by a whole group of people who only seem to find misfortune in every step they take. This essay will explain how Hamlet and Laertes are similar to one another. Both men seem to act on impulses to get their way, both men share a love for Ophelia and they both relate to their families in the same way.
A foil is a minor charater in a literary work that compliments the main character through similarities and differences in personality and plot. Among all the foils in Shakespear[e]'s "Hamlet," [Titles] Laertes has the biggest impact on Hamlet's character. While Hamlet maintained his status as prince, it was Laertes that represented the well bred son of the royal family and the traditional revenge hero. [The thesis does not cover the essay.]
His father was killed by Hamlet and his sister was driven insane due to the series of events that took place because of Hamlet. Like Hamlet, Laertes wants to avenge his father by killing the man who killed Polonius. As described earlier, Hamlet is slow to act. Laertes, on the other hand, acts quickly and with precision, wasting no time in acquiring his target and formulating a plan. Robert Palfrey Utter, Jr., puts it best, Hamlet and Laertes both come to the same conclusion that murder must be carried out, but Hamlet reaches that conclusion only “after he has had a few minutes to think it over.” (140) Once Laertes finds out that the man who killed his father was Hamlet he is ready to charge in and kill him as soon as possible. He is only stopped by Claudius, who advises him on a more subtle approach. Straight off the bat it is clear how efficient Laertes is compared to Hamlet. Hamlet wastes a large amount of time scheming up complex ideas on how to get a confession out of Claudius and how to kill him. Laertes on the other hand wastes no time in getting a straight and to the point plan that he can execute immediately. After spending more than half the play watching Hamlet squirm around on the stage getting almost nothing accomplished, the audience would be acutely aware of the stark difference between Hamlet and Laertes even though they share the same motivations. Laertes has his speed but he shares in Hamlets lack of critical thinking when he gets hot headed. He is in such a blind rage that he doesn’t think on what he is agreeing to do with Claudius. Just like Hamlet, his brash actions cost those around him his life. In carrying out the plan, the King, the Queen, Hamlet, and he all die to the poison that was used in the duel. Hamlet was slow and reckless while Laertes was quick and reckless. Wilds sums up the relationship between Hamlet and Laertes perfectly, “Laertes and Hamlet have been foils to each other
Hamlet, the major character in the Shakespeare play of the same name, was faced with a decision upon learning that Claudius murdered his father. Should he believe the ghost, and avenge his father's murder? Or is the ghost evil, trying to coerce him into killing Claudius? Throughout the play, we see Hamlet's struggle with this issue. Many opportunities arise for him to kill Claudius, but he is unable to act because he cannot convince himself to believe the Ghost. Shakespeare uses Laertes and Fortinbras as foils to Hamlet, in order to help us understand why Hamlet acts the way he does.
Hamlet’s love for his father is clear in his first soliloquy, when he compares his father to his uncle as “Hyperion to a satyr” (citation). By alluding to his father as a radiant sun god, Hamlet demonstrates reverence and devotion. Therefore, it is no surprise that Hamlet’s reaction to news of his father’s murder is to pity the “poor ghost” and swear to “revenge his [father’s] foul and most unnatural murder” (citation; citation). Even with this massive obligation and genuine love for his father, Hamlet is slow to act. Laertes, however, never shows any signs of caring for his father, only treating him formally as “my lord” (citation). Yet, when Laertes finds out that his father has been murdered, he takes immediate action by invading the palace to kill the person responsible. When asked to calm down, he angrily proclaims “That drop of blood that’s calm proclaims me bastard” (citation). From Laertes’s point of view, failing to avenge his father would be a personal insult to his honor and his family. Thus, while both are trapped by filial obligation, Laertes feels doubly compelled to avenge his father by his duty to his family and his reputation, making him a prisoner of fate and
Both Hamlet’s and Laertes’ fathers were killed. When Laertes discovered that his father’s been murdered he immediately assumes that Claudius is the killer. As a result of his speculation he moves to avenge Polonius’ death. Laertes lines in Act IV Scene 5 provide insight into his mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. “To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father.” (Act IV Scene 5 lines 136-141) In contrast to Laertes speculation of his father’s killer, Hamlet assumes the individual spying on his conversation with Gertrude is Claudius. “Nay, I know not. Is it the King?” (Act III Scene 4 line 28). Without thinking, Hamlet automatically thrusts out attempting to kill who he believed was Claudius and actually kills Polonius. Fury and frustration instigate Hamlet’s and Laertes’ indiscreet actions and causes them not to think of the consequences that may follow.
William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet strikes many literary chords and themes. It primarily chronicles a quest for revenge, political intrigue and a slow descent into madness. Throughout the play, two men of different rank and intellect; Hamlet and Laertes are portrayed in this play as each other’s foils. Hamlet who has lost his father in the hands of his uncle and Laertes who has lost his father in the hands of Hamlet, seek out similar goals but in very distinct ways. Hamlet and Laertes both go through stages of their carving vengeance to finally fulfill their goals of killing their fathers’ murderers. The readers detect that Hamlet goes in the path of plotting and deceiving to kill Claudius whereas Laertes goes in a more haste and reckless path
...of the foils Shakespeare used to develop Hamlet's character. The one that did the best in accomplishing this task was Laertes, though. Laertes and Hamlet had a common goal, and if it hadn't been for him[,] the story would have taken a totally different route. Polonius was a good foil in that he convinced everyone that Ophelia was the cause of Hamlet's madness. If he hadn't been Ophelia's father, this part of the story may not have been as effective.
Hamlet's response to the grief of his father is very different from Laertes. Laertes responded immediately to the death. He showed his anger to others, he didn't hide it inside. He is also suspicious, it's evident in his speech to Claudius, he asked, "How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with. / To hell, allegiance" (Act 4, 5: 130)! Hamlet however is very private with his grief. He mourned long and hard for the death of Old King Hamlet, even two months after his father's death, after his mother's wedding to Claudius. He is still observed by Claudius and Gertrude to be wearing " . . . Suits of solemn black"
Revenge is a major theme throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. This theme provides motivation for characters to murder each other throughout the play, whether or not characters seek revenge for themselves. Because Laertes and Hamlet are so absorbed with wanting to exact revenge upon certain people, they ultimately cause the deaths of all of the main characters in the play. Revenge is the main root of evil in this play. Laertes is greatly influenced by revenge for his actions, especially when he is seeking revenge for his sister.
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge is very palpable as the reader examines the characters of Hamlet himself, as well as Laertes, son of Polonius, and Fortinbras, prince of Norway and son of the late King Fortinbras. Each of these young characters felt the need to avenge the deaths of their fathers who they felt were untimely killed at the bloody hands of their murderers. However, the way each chose to go about this varies greatly and gives insight into their characters and how they progress throughout the play. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are similar in the fact that each had love, or at least respect, their fathers. Enough to make an attempt to wreak revenge upon their fathers murderers at the risk of their own reputation, freedom, and souls.