The foil is a person whose traits, by differences and similarities, help to emphasize and enhances the qualities and actions of the protagonist. Many characters, such as King Claudius, Fortinbras, and Laertes, in William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” qualify as foils for Hamlet, the protagonist. However, Laertes is the most appropriate foil for Hamlet. Laertes’ similarities and differences with Hamlet along with his actions and traits allow him to be an effective foil for Hamlet. Readers often see Laertes and Hamlet as complete opposites, but they are not as different as they may seem. Both Laertes and Hamlet take a life of another character in the play. Laertes takes Hamlet’s life while he is being used by Claudius …show more content…
Laertes “anoints his sword” with poison so “if I [Laertes] gall him [Hamlet] slightly. It may be death” (IV, vii, 149-151). In the duel between Laertes and Hamlet, this plan works when Laertes cuts Hamlet and he slowly starts to die. Hamlet takes a life when he accidentally kills Polonius, Laertes’ father. Hamlet thinks the person behind a tapestry in the Queen’s bedroom is Claudius, the person he wants to kill, so Hamlet sticks his sword straight through it stabbing and killing Polonius. Hamlet also takes the lives of Ophelia, Claudius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Laertes. Another factor in Hamlet taking lives is his obsession with revenge. Hamlet becomes obsessed with revenge when he is introduced to a ghost who tells him “I am thy father’s spirit/ revenge his [Hamlet‘s father] foul and most unnatural murder” (I, v, 10-26), and Hamlet declares to “sweep to my …show more content…
Hamlet desires to think situations and the consequences of his actions through completely, causing his delay in getting revenge for the death of his father. Hamlet shows readers just how thoroughly he think about consequences when he states “to be or not to be - that is the question: whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and, by opposing, end them” (III, i, 57-61). Laertes, on the other hand, does not think anything of or care about the consequences of his actions. Laertes proves his careless attitude when he says “to hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation” (IV, v, 136-138). He only wants revenge for the death of his father quickly so his father’s killer will not live while his father is dead. This shows another difference between Hamlet and Laertes; Laertes is more angry and passionate about the murder than
Lets Foil In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, the character Hamlet is a multi-dimensional character with multiple personalities that give the play a greater depth and perspective. Through his monologues and soliloquies, many different personalities of Hamlet are exposed, including his three basic contrasting personalities: clear-minded vs. troubled, action vs. inaction, and obedience/innocence vs. revenge. Throughout the story, both contrasting personalities are depicted by both Hamlet himself and other similar foil characters who are in similar circumstances but react in drastically different ways. Three such foil characters are Horatio, who shows a clear mind in the midst of his troubles, Fortinbras, who chooses action over inaction, and Ophelia, who depicts innocence throughout the midst of the chaos of the play.
Throughout the play, Laertes is as an extremely caring member of his family. His strong emotions for family have an opposing side to it, a shadow that has repressed feelings of anger which cause him to add to the disaster in Denmark. An example that depicts this is when Laertes attempts to request more rites for Ophelia’s funeral. After he is denied, he starts a commotion by calling the priest “churlish”, explaining that Ophelia will be “A ministering angel” while the priest will “liest howling”(5.1.217-218). His compliments to Ophelia shows how much he loved her, while his nasty insults to the priest show his repressed rage. While this is occuring, Hamlet hears Laertes’s mention of Ophelia during the commotion and throws himself into a brawl with Laertes. It is the conflict built up from there that causes Claudius to target Laertes as his next weapon to kill Hamlet with. Laertes’s deep anger for Hamlet makes himself the best candidate for Claudius’s manipulation. Once Laertes’s sides with Claudius, he shows his dark intent by requesting Claudius to not “o'errule me to a peace”(4.7.58). On the day of the duel, Laertes undergoes a confrontation of his shadow while he clashes with Hamlet. His realization of his shadow comes too late into the duel when both Hamlet and Laertes are struck by poison, as this happens he declares that he is “ justly killed with mine own treachery (5.2.337).” In the moments that he is still alive, he dismisses his shadow and ends the circle of murder by announcing the true nature of Claudius. Laertes’s repressed anger guides the play into the duel where many deaths occur including Hamlet’s.
A major difference between Laertes and Hamlet is that Laertes didn't procrastinate in his attempt at revenge. He went right to it with the encouragement of Claudius. His hastiness is what gets him killed in the end. Because Laertes doesn't think long about getting his revenge gives the reader reason to compare Laertes to and think about Hamlets' struggle to decide weather [H-50] revenge is the right thing to do. [SS -1] He contemplates through the whole play on weather [H-50] to kill Claudius or not, leaving the reader with the sense that Hamlet is very careful when making decisions. [Doesn't this point deserve more discussion?
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
Once Laertes finds out about Polonius’ death, he is ready for confrontation, “To cut his throat i’ th’ church” (IV, vii, 129). Polonius dying at the hands of someone else sealed the deal for Laertes getting revenge. There was no debating. There were no second thoughts. No one was getting a chance to change Laertes’ mind. Like a horse with blinders, all Laertes could see now, was what was in front of him: killing his father’s murderer. However, Hamlet had a far different approach in how he felt about his father’s murder and who was responsible. Instead of making his mind up to kill Claudius the moment he found out he was the one accountable for his father’s death, he took a more methodical approach to his revenge. Hamlet struggled with himself about having to kill someone and wondered if he should kill Claudius at all. Hamlet had an opportunity to kill Claudius and end everything, but he decided it wasn’t the right time and Claudius went unharmed. Hamlet was cowardly and didn’t have enough drive to revenge his
What is the point of foil characters? It may seem useless as it is, but it can assist readers potentially perceive the flaws of various characters and their potentials. The story, Hamlet, shows multiple types of similarities and differences for each character. Each foil that Shakespeare shares in Hamlet slowly shows young Hamlet’s flaws throughout the story. Starting with the prominent one what shares likewise qualities with Hamlet is Young Fortinbras, Laertes, and then King Claudius.
Laertes is a foil to Hamlet once again with his actions upon hearing of his father’s death. We see Hamlet struggle with avenging his father's death throughout the entire play. Hamlet lets his intelligence talk him out of killing Claudius when he sees him praying; Hamlet tells himself, “Now might I do it pat, now ‘a is a-praying, and now I’ll do’t-- and so a’ goes to heaven” (3.3.73-774). Hamlet knows he must requite his father, but does not make any rash decisions because he knows he must be smart about it, as to get full revenge. Laertes, like Hamlet, loses his father, but he reacts rashly and without much thought. In fact, Laertes assumes it is Claudius who kill his father at first and he says, “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”(4.5.129-134). Laertes is ready and willing to avenge his father and kill Claudius, but he does not take anytime to think. While Laertes does not even know Claudius was not the one who killed him. It is as simple as that, his father is dead and he wants revenge, it requires no time for thought or consideration. When he finds that it is Hamlet, rather than Claudius he shows great pleasure in the fact that he, himself, will be able to deal Hamlet a fatal blow in a fight. There is no soul-searching, no worrying about an afterlife and no concerns about conscience. It is a simple matter. His father has been killed by Hamlet, so Hamlet must die at his hands. It was Laertes’ rash decisions guided by his desire to take quick action that eventually lead to his demise. Laertes unfortunately does not get to see the the results of his revenge, but he does realize the error in his rash ways. Before he dies
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.
Shakespeare's play Hamlet has FOILS throughout the play, drawing comparisons and allusions to elements of life. The elements of a foil are used to display the complexity and deeper elements of a character, revealing characteristics of certain characters like Hamlet and Laertes, and the idea that while similarities rest within people, how different and similar their lives can be. Hamlet, our main character and sole point of view, is obviously the character that the audience is given the most information and traits about. Hamlet had been dealing with his father’s death in a rather poor manner- in the view of Claudius and Gertrude- Hamlet was taking too long to grieve, as “the survivor bound, In filial obligation for some term, To do obsequious sorrow.” (1.2, lines 7-9)
The foils allow the reader to gain a much more profound understanding of Hamlet. To fully understand the concepts of foils in a play, one must understand what a foil means. According to The Random House College Dictionary [sic], a foil is, " A person or thing that makes another seem better by contrast" (511). By showing the similarities and differences between a minor character (Laertes or the ghost) and a major character (Hamlet), Shakespeare allows the reader to grasp a better understanding of Hamlet. Another purpose of a foil is to merely be there for the major character to talk to.
Good versus evil is a common theme in literature. Often, the reader learns about the characteristics of the good and the evil through less important characters. These characters are sometimes referred to as “foils”. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet foils are used primarily to reveal Hamlet and Claudius as good vs. evil. These two foils help us piece the puzzle together.
Each man deals with grief in extremely distinct manners, when looking at Laertes in comparison to Hamlet you can swiftly see their great contrast to one another. Hamlet would rather create reason before madness; he is the type to use his brain before his fist. Whereas Laertes is always caught up in his anger that he sees no means to absolve the actions of others.
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.
He has the ability to perform tasks that may be unpleasant or dangerous. Laertes does not simply try to kill someone by thinking cautiously the whole time, but by directly confronting them and facing them head-on. When Laertes returns home to Denmark he even confronts Claudius about the death of his father. Swearing Laertes says “I dare damnation. To this point I stand,/That both the worlds I give to negligence,/Let come what comes, only I’ll be reveng’d/Most throughly for my father.” (IV. v. 133-136). With this declaration Laertes plots with Claudius to kill Hamlet and they construct a plan to have Laertes fence with Hamlet and for him to kill him. They instrument a plot of revenge for the death of Polonius, quickly coming up with three ways to kill Hamlet: stabbing him with an unblunted sword, placing poison on the sword, and poisoning Hamlet’s drink (IV. vii.). After they construct this plan they swiftly utilize the plan. Laertes did not wait for the perfect moment, at the perfect time, and at the perfect place. He created the place, time, and moment to carry out the dangerous task. Hamlet, however, waited and waited for what he thought one day would be the perfect moment in which he could kill his uncle. Even when Hamlet had an opportunity to kill Claudius, he talked himself out of it. When compared to Laertes, Hamlet is a coward because of his inability to
When Laertes died, Hamlet was not really fault. Claudius was evil and made Laertes and Hamlet duel. The sword that Hamlet killed Laertes was actually to be used against Hamlet. Hamlet had killed Laertes with a poisoned sword. Claudius was hoping to get rid of Hamlet by ordering Laertes to poison. Claudius had ordered Laertes as “he sends to know if your pleasure holds to play…take longer time” (5.2.181-183). In this duel Hamlet had to win in order to keep his promise to himself that he wanted to get revenge on Claudius. Hamlet killed another man in order to protect