Laertes and Hamlet are both sons who are trying to avenge their father’s death. Both men desire to achieve this goal by killing the man that killed their father. However, the two men carry out their revenge plot in different ways. Laertes is much more incisive and hot-headed while Hamlet is much more of an overthinker and is considered a more decent person than Laertes. So, Laertes acts as a foil to Hamlet because he is: sharp, impulsive, and makes a shift to become a more noble man. Laertes and Hamlet are similar in the sense that they are both fatherless and want to achieve the ultimate form of revenge against the man that killed their father. Laertes says: “...Let come what comes, only I'll be revenged Most thoroughly for my father (4.5.135-136).” …show more content…
He knows his father was killed and he will get his revenge no matter what it takes without even having to think about it. He is so impulsive he rushes in after Claudius without having any proof or idea that Claudius is actually the man that killed his father. Shakespeare writes in 4.5.101-102: “...Laertes, in a riotous head, O’erbears your officers…”. Laertes then goes on to tell the king in 4.5.115: “O thou vile King, Give me my father…”. It does not matter to him, what he has to do, he will follow his impulses to get what he wants. However, Hamlet cannot just kill in cold blood, he takes time to plan out every move and analyze the rights, wrongs, and consequences of every step he makes while seeking his revenge. Hamlet says in his soliloquy in 2.2.594-598: “This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murdered, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words And fall a-cursing like a very drab, A scullion!” This quote is proof that Hamlet cannot seem to grasp why he cannot bring himself to kill Claudius. Hamlet comes across as a decent man. Killing is not something he can do in cold blood. However, he is not always a noble and decent man. Laertes and his impulsive nature shows how Hamlet is the exact opposite and has to plan everything thoroughly before going through with …show more content…
He has a number of good qualities throughout the play. Although, he certainly seems to shift to become mad or not as decent and good as he was at the beginning of the play. At first, Hamlet is seen as hating anything that is not holy. He speaks about God and going to heaven. He says in his first soliloquy in 1.2.156-157: “O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” Here Hamlet is seen discussing how he feels about his mother and uncle’s immorality by getting married after his father was only gone for a month. Later in the play, Hamlet still has these same good qualities, but with more bad and unredeemable qualities. He begins to turn cruel toward people in his life who care about him, like his mother and Ophelia. He also arranges the murder of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern without even the slightest apology. Hamlet tells Horatio in 5.2.45-47: “He should those bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving time allowed.” He writes this letter to the King of England and feels no remorse about doing so, which shows his shift to a less noble man. However, Laertes begins as a man who is known as someone who partakes in dishonorable activities. Polonius even sends a servant to spy on him to see what he is up to while he is in Paris. He tells Reynaldo in 2.1.7-11: “Inquire me… What company, at what expense; and finding By this encompassment and drift of question That they do know my son…”. He wants
The Awakening Of Hamlet and Laertes Comparing Laertes and Hamlet. Figuring out how they are alike and dislike in many ways, most of the play they are well alike. After Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes down the road faces the same problems as Hamlet; a murdered father. In the beginning Laertes and Hamlet didn’t have the same similarities, but since both of there fathers were murdered they both have something in common. While Hamlet, is messing around and playing with the murderer as if he was an animal, Laertes takes immediate action.
Laertes also experience tragic loss: his father Polonius died at the hands of Hamlet. Contrasting with Hamlet’s indecisive delay, Laertes hears of his fathers death while overseas, and without hesitation, he returns to Denmark to seek his father’s murderer. An effective foil, Laertes embodies the rapid action apparent nowhere in Hamlet’s decision making. Hamlet bears the burdensome knowledge that Claudius slew his father for a lengthy period, yet procrastinates and wastes time. As Richard Levin says, “Hamlet is grieving for months…
He blames everything on Claudius because he is the one that killed Hamlet’s father and now his mother. This give Hamlet peace about all of the events that have lead to this moment. We should learn from this that revenge in haste can be chaotic and unsuccessful. Revenge may not always be the answer, but if that is what you choose, then it needs to be well thought out and tested for flaws. I think that Laertes got the revenge that he wanted and even though it resulted in his own death as well, he got some closure that he needed.
Throughout the play Hamlet continues to act insane and even dies with the act continuing. Even after Hamlet gathers all the evidence that proves Claudius is the murder, Hamlet continues to behave in a strange way. When he mistakenly murders Polonius he does not react as a sane person would. This act enrages Laertes, who then wants to avenge his father’s death. Driven to madness by the murder of his father, Laertes, with the help of Claudius conspires to kill Hamlet.
Then, Laertes chooses to become a participant in the killing of Hamlet. As aforementioned, this plan for death is a success, but causes many other deaths along with Hamlet to fail.
Laertes was worried about his and his dad’s pride so he decide to murder hamlet. Laertes plans the big fencing match with Hamlet. He tricked hamlet and poisoned the tip of his sword. After he poisoned the tip of his sword everything went downhill. Laertes was being greedy because he wanted his dad to be king and stay king.
Hamlet on the other hand tends to share his and others people’s desires when choosing what actions to take. His actions have shown that he cares about other people’s feelings. This becomes obvious when Hamlet apologizes to Laertes and when he agrees immediately to help his dead father exact revenge. This decision to help his father wholeheartedly is initially what started Hamlet down his path to his death. This shows the flaw that he is will to do whatever to help his father even if it means dying.
Fortinbras’ character exposes Hamlet’s fatal flaw. Laertes is seeking for revenge of his father, Polonius, being killed. He believes Claudius has killed his father and rushes into the palace ready to avenge his father (4.5.129-132). He is rash just as Hamlet is, but unlike Hamlet, Laertes is shallow and makes Hamlet smarting in
One similarity that makes Laertes such a good foil to Hamlet is that they both return to Denmark when they have lost a father. However, the sharp contrast in their reaction to these deaths reveals more about Hamlet’s character. Upon returning to
With regards to the loss of his father, Hamlet lost his sense of self-worth/value. He began to question life and whether it was specifically for him as a result of his mother marrying his uncle, Claudius, in a month's time after her husband’s death. Through the visitation of Old King Hamlet’s ghost, Hamlet was able to find purpose in life which, destroy his core issue of an insecure/unstable sense. Likewise, Hamlet had the ability to control his psyche in order for his antic disposition to work; this all lead for his quest to murder Claudius to be successful. After the encounter with the Old King’s ghost, Hamlet says, “The time is out of joint.
Similarly, Laertes is known for being a good fighter, a man of action, and having the ability to lead. During the play, Laertes states, “To cut his throat i’th’ church”(4.7.98). Laertes here claims he would go as far as kill Hamlet in the church, something almost unheard of for the
First, Hamlet is very intelligent and knows when someone is using him, but Laertes is not very intelligent and is easily tricked. Laertes is very gullible. Second, Hamlet is indecisive although, Laertes will not hesitate to do what he wants to do in order to get his revenge. Clearly, Hamlet and Laertes have similarities and differences. It is important that we recognize the the differences and similarities of these characters that I described.
Hence, unlike Hamlet, Laertes is driven by impulsiveness causing him to act without thinking, which emphasizes Hamlet's indecisiveness. In this manner, the author utilizes the foil character Laertes to highlight Hamlet's contrasting characteristics. Similarly, Fortinbras parallels Hamlet's situation even more, as they both lost their father, and their right to the throne, to their uncle. However, their attitudes contrast as they differ in disposition;
Lastly, Laertes is a character in Shakespeare’s play that is used as a character foil for Hamlet, meaning his character traits contrast noticeably with Hamlets. Laertes is a very decisive character who immediately acts on his desires, even if they are not necessarily logical or well thought out. He makes the choice to go to France to continue university without a second thought whereas Hamlet wanted to return to university but was persuaded to stay. Once Laertes hear’s of Hamlet murdering Polonius, he promptly returns to Denmark and knows undeniably that he wants revenge. He immediately begins to form a plan with Claudius to murder Hamlet, with no doubts whatsoever about his choices.
Hamlet is William Shakespeare 's renowned tale of mystery, intrigue, and murder, centered on a young misguided prince who can only trust himself. Some may say that the actions of Prince Hamlet throughout the play are weak and fearful, displaying a tendency to procrastinate and showing an apathetic nature towards his family and peers. Others spin a tale of a noble young scholar, driven mad by the cold-blooded murder of his father by his uncle. In truth, I believe Hamlet is neither of these things. Hamlet is a sort of amalgamation of the two, a bundle of contradictions thrown together into one conflicting but very human mess of a character.