Hamlet vs Fortinbras
HAMLET AND FORTINBRAS
In Hamlet the character of Fortinbras, a young Norwegian
prince, has been used as a foil for the main character Hamlet,
the Prince of Denmark. Hamlet and Fortinbras have both lost
their fathers to untimely deaths. Hamlet's father, King Hamlet,
was killed by his uncle Claudius and Fortinbras' father was
killed by King Hamlet. Both Hamlet and Fortinbras have vowed to
take revenge for the deaths of their fathers. However, how they
go about doing this is the complete opposite of the other.
Hamlet, after learning that his father's death was murder
and promising to take revenge, waits and makes sure that what he
knows is the absolute truth before he even attempts to take
revenge on Claudius. Even after Hamlet is sure beyond any doubts
that Claudius is the murderer, he hesitates to kill him.
Fortinbras, however, has been taking action even before the play
begins. As the play opens, we learn that Denmark is in a state
of alert. The audience learns that the country has been pre-
paring for a war, and from Horatio, the they also learn that the
young Fortinbras is getting ready his "lawless resolutes" for
action against Denmark for the killing of his father and for the
return of lands previously owned by Norway, (Hamlet I.i. 79-107)
These differences between Hamlet's and Fortinbras' action are
further mentioned in Hamlet's last soliloquy, (Hamlet IV.iv. 32-66)
Before the soliloquy begins, Hamlet has been informed by one
of Fortinbras's Captains that Norway is preparing to fight
Poland over a "little patch of land", and that twenty thousand
men are willing to f...
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...hat moment on, all he will think about is his revenge
against anyone that has committed any injustice towards him. He
says "O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be
nothing more " (65-66)
Hamlet's personality is clear to the reader for the last
time in the play. He is contrasted against another Prince who is
the exact opposite of him in the same situation. By this, the
reader learns more about Hamlet's characteristics and the way he
thinks. Also, here Hamlet has finally made a decision on what to
do. He has made up his mind to have only bloody thoughts instead
of ones that are well thought out. Fortinbras' pursuit of his
goal has given Hamlet the example on how to act if an oppor-
tunity presents itself. Hamlet is so determined to do something
he does not wish to think about the consequences anymore.
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.
Hamlet and Fortinbras grew up in completely different countries, but still ended up having similar lifestyles. Both Hamlet and Fortinbras are princes and ere to the thrones in their kingdoms. Hamlet’s father died due to a “snake bite”, and the crown was not given to Hamlet but his Uncle Claudius. Fortinbras’s father died due to a duel, and the crown was also given to his Uncle as well. Hamlet was told that his father was murdered and decided to hatch a plan to avenge his father. Fortinbras’s father was killed in a duel against Hamlet’s father and was killed. Fortinbras made a plan of invading Denmark and avenging his father that way.
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.
In the most general sense, the setting of Hamlet is one of complete turmoil, a direct result of a series of festering vengeances, which dominates the majority of the play. The kingdom of Denmark faces a very real threat outside of the internal power struggle between Hamlet and his untrustworthy family. The king of Norway, Fortinbras, wishes to take over the Denmark in an act motivated purely by revenge. Hamlet’s father killed Fortinbras’ in a battle, which took place before the time of the play. This, of course, is the threat of vengeance, which becomes a constant throughout. Even outside of the immediate famil...
Fortinbras, a Norway prince, was calm and spirited, while using his thought processes to avenge his father’s death, relating to the importance of not falling down to anger and use of thought processes. The Norway prince, shared the same tragic event of losing his father as Laertes and Hamlet, though Fortinbras has proven the most successful character because he is the last one living. Hamlet’s bold words spoke of Fortinbras after meeting with the captain of Fortinbras’s army, “Look at this massive army led by a delicate and tender prince whose so puffed up with divine ambition” (Shakespeare 108). The wording is extremely substantial because Hamlet brings up that he is brought by divine ambition, a desire to reach a goal. Fortinbras is composed, in control of his body, and of course not controlled by anger, but a goal. The prince of Norway devised several plans by reclaiming land once lost, and waiting until it was the right time to strike. He was more strategic than Hamlet and Laertes, and did not allow anger to consume him. When he arrives in Denmark, he comes at the right time because chaos occurs leaving everyone dead. His action of attack was not so sudden, but put within a process under the control of his brain and not anger. Fortinbras is the character that Shakespeare wants human’s to be, strong enough to control anger and use thought
The play does not open with the protagonist, nor with the direct disclosure of the problem. It points to unanswered questions and reveals anxiety and unrest. There is said to be a ghost, but the reason and purpose for the ghost's appearance are unknown. Basically, we can say that the first scene creates an atmosphere and the basis for the disclosure of the specific problem. The first point dramatically established is that there really is a ghost, although the questions raised by its appearance are unanswered. Horatio, the scholar and the skeptic, comes to test the report given by the simple soldiers. The empirical proof that Horatio seeks is there; the ghost appears and it is seen to have a specific identity, that of the deceased King Hamlet. But the reason for his presence is not disclosed and the men on the platform, confronted by the upsetting mystery, have to guess in the dark, literally and metaphorically. Unable to offer an explanation, Horatio sees the apparition in convention terms as an omen of some evil. This is immediately connected with the expository fact that there are feverish military preparations in the kingdom. The indication is that there are pre-existing questions brought into the open in connection with the ghost. The specific question relating to preparations for war, concerning the kingdom and not necessarily the ghost, is answered by Horatio; he gives us expository background concerning the immediate past in the kingdom of Denmark, involving King Hamlet and King Fortinbras of Norway, we hear there was open, chivalric combat between them in which the Danish King vanquished and killed Fortinbras, as a result of which he obtained (fairly) the land which was gained by the Norwegians. But additionally we hear th...
In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Hamlet does avenge his father’s death but at the cost of many life’s. Multiple characters must be analyzed in order to make an opinion about Hamlet’s revenge. There are many reasons to hamlet delaying avenging his father’s death because he finds out from a ghost he could not trust. Hamlet can be compared to Laertes and Fortinbra. They are very similar but different and the same time. Each of them loved their fathers very much and felt as if they have to avenge their father’s death. Something they had in common has been that they felt their fathers were disrespected not only their fathers but them as well. Hamlet took a very weak approach to his father revenge where as in Laertes was quick to act and Fortinbra was in the middle.
Before the soliloquy begins, Hamlet has been informed by one of Fortinbras' Captains that Norway is preparing to fight Poland over a "little patch of land"(IV.iv.19) and that twenty thousand men are eager to fight for th...
One of the first things introduced in the play is the reason for all of the commotion and need for guards within Denmark. Horatio explains to Marcellus and Barnardo that Old Fortinbras challenged King Hamlet of Denmark to a duel in order to spare their countries from war. Old Fortinbras was slain, and under a valid legal document was forced to surrender all of his territories to his conqueror, King Hamlet. Young Fortinbras, King Fortinbras’ son, seeks to reclaim his father’s forfeited lands. He waited until King Hamlet passed away to carry out his plan of reclamation in fear of being challenged to a duel, as his main goal is not to achieve vengeance, but to acquire a small patch of land for his country’s honour. During Elizabethan times, revenge was categorized as either private or public. Fortinbras initially seeks revenge publicly through military force, but more for his country’s honour than in his father’s nam...
As is hinted throughout the play, the state of Denmark has become corrupt. Marcellus' famous quote "There is something rotten in the state of Denmark"(Act 1, 5:90) is complemented by various other observations. "...tis an unweeded garden,"(Act 1, 2:134) and "our state to be disjoint and out of frame,"(Act 1, 2:20). In Elizabethan times it was generally thought that a monarch had to have rightful claim to the throne, lest the state descend into chaos. Fortinbras is essential to this overlying story line, as he is fundamental to the resolution of the corruption. The overlying story line is to make what was bad become good, and thus a complete resolution is needed. Fortinbras is instrumental in this resolution: as the only nobleman left to claim the throne rightfully, Hamlet bequeaths not only the land that Old Fortinbras lost, but also the state of Denmark. Hence Fortinbras attains what he had vowed to avenge, and the play comes full circle. All that made the state of Denmark rotten, all those involved with the corruption, are now dead hence the overlying story plot is fully resolved.
In William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras and Hamlet find themselves in similar situations. While Hamlet waits for the right time to avenge his father's death, Laertes learns of his father's death and immediately wants vengeance, and Fortinbras awaits his chance to recapture land that used to belong to his father. Laertes and Fortinbras go about accomplishing their desires quite differently than Hamlet. While Hamlet acts slowly and carefully, Laertes and Fortinbras seek their revenge with haste. Although Laertes and Fortinbras are minor characters, Shakespeare molds them in order to contrast with Hamlet. Fortinbras and, to a greater extent, Laertes act as foils to Hamlet with respect to their motives for revenge, execution of their plans and behavior while carrying out their plans.
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. Each characters father had a substantially high social class in their respective countries, which in turn gives them high social class as well. With Hamlet and Fortinbras as sons of kings and Laertes as the son of an aristocrat of high regard in the Danish court, all had a lot to loose if unsuccessful in their ploy. Each of the sons believed that the killers had dishonored their fathers as well as themselves. Each acts in a way that they consider to be an attempt at restoring it to the family, as honor was a significant thing to uphold in this day.
Michael Almereyda’s movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet brings about a new perspective through its performance. The movie adaptation, Hamlet (2000), retells the original play in a modernized setting, bringing out various different elements of characters, which highlights a new reading of these characters as individuals, and a newfangled reading of the play as well. Throughout the movie, Ophelia and Gertrude, the woman-leads, are advanced in a progressive manner compared to the original play. In particular, Gertrude from Hamlet (2000) is noticeably altered from Hamlet, the play. This new interpretation of Gertrude and the play created by the movie adaptation advances the position of Gertrude as a woman, as well as motifs of incest, misogyny,
In The Dark Knight, movie begins with Batman an appreciated hero who saves the city only to fall and become the enemy of Gotham City. Similarly in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, King Claudius is introduced as the new honored king of Denmark. As the play progresses, we find out he usurped power in killing King Hamlet, which will lead to his downfall. In Aristotle’s Poetics, he believes that objects of imitation are men in action and the men must be either of a higher or a lower type. A tragedy should aim for characters of a higher state or are better than in real life. Hamlet makes a good tragedy by its use of strong story structure, actions bringing about pity and fear, and Reversal in Recognition.
In life the border between sanity and madness is thin and undefined. At best it is