Characterization is a critical component of William Shakespeare’s writing and is intricately developed in his play Hamlet. As the protagonist, Hamlet deals with the tragedy of his father’s death, and vows to get revenge when the ghost of his late father informs him the murderer was his Uncle, King Claudius, currently married to his mother, Queen Gertrude. Although Hamlet appears to be set on his deadly vengeance, his indecisiveness and major flaw of procrastination becomes evident when compared to his foils in the play, Prince Fortinbras and Laertes. The literary significance of a foil is to highlight a key component of the protagonist’s character through comparison. Prince Fortinbras and Laertes take action to avenge the death of their fathers, …show more content…
In his soliloquy, Hamlet expresses his feelings as he witnesses an “army of such mass and charge, led by a delicate and tender prince... to all that fortune, death, and danger dare, even for an eggshell...How stand I then that have a father kill'd, a mother stained...and let all sleep” (4.4.47-53). Hamlet verges on jealousy towards Prince Fortinbras for his ability to use his anger to achieve his goals and accomplish whatever is necessary, even if it means exploiting the lives of innocent people. Shakespeare’s use of alliteration with “death and danger dare” provides a lyrical aspect to Hamlet's soliloquy and aids his flow of ideas for the purpose of keeping the audience engaged in Hamlet’s personal struggle. Shakespeare also provides an understatement comparing Prince Fortinbras’ motivation to an ‘eggshell’ which is meant to portray it as insignificant compared to the superfluous motivation Hamlet has to avenge his father. This realization allows Hamlet to swear his “thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth” (4.4.66). Hamlet recognizes Prince Fortinbras as his own foil and undergoes an epiphany to take action regardless of the consequences once he does so. Hamlet swears to allow only bloody thoughts because Prince Fortinbras highlighted his own flaw of over thinking to himself. Not only is Prince Fortinbras a foil to Hamlet, but Laertes also aids the …show more content…
These three characters have massive similarities when it comes to the circumstances they are placed in, yet their unique personalities lead them to take very different actions. Hamlet and Laertes share rage over their individual losses, Hamlet surpasses Prince Fortinbras in motivation and justification for revenge, yet only Prince Fortinbras and Laertes are able to take action unconditionally to avenge their fathers. In the play, Hamlet has many chances to avenge his father's death by killing his uncle, but he fails to do so until the very last moment. While Hamlet could have killed King Claudius by simply poisoning his food, he went to the extent of maintaining an antic disposition, playing with Ophelia’s heart, lashing out at his mother, and killing an innocent ‘fool’ (Polonius) eventually ending in his own death. Although he ultimately achieves his goal by killing King Claudius, Hamlet subconsciously initiates more problems than are necessary. As the protagonist, Hamlet has a very complex character developed by Shakespeare through the use of literary foils. Prince Fortinbras and Laertes are extremely critical to the play since they offer insight into the cause of Hamlet's downward spiral. Without literary foils to draw attention to Hamlet’s internal weakness, it would be difficult for the audience to determine
In it Hamlet is reflecting upon Fortinbras' determination to go against the Polish army for the honor over a trivial matter while he himself is taking such a long time in avenging the his father's fate and his mother's disgrace. The soliloquy begins with Hamlet's thoughts on how much time has passed and he still hasn't done anything. He says: "How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge!
It is without doubt that William Shakespeare has created many unique, thought - provoking characters. Hamlet is by far Shakespeare's most compelling character. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, various character traits, exhibited by Hamlet, can be seen through his foils. Similarities with Hamlet and Horatio's education, as well as their levels, can be drawn. However, Hamlet's character is in constant change and even philosophical. Fortinbras, without question encompasses many of Hamlet's qualities. They are both born with nobility, along with a similar lineage. However, Fortinbras is more aggressive and even sneaky. Laertes, Hamlet's late antagonist, is both impulsive and righteous. However, they differ in terms of their nobility, as well as
Laertes also brings revenge and betrayal out of Hamlet. Though an enemy, Laertes is a foil to Hamlet. Laertes helps in the development of Hamlet through the similarities they share. These include anger over the death of their fathers, and desire to exact revenge. Betrayal is also relevant because Laertes betrays Claudius in the end, revealing his plan to kill Hamlet. Hamlet betrays his father by verbally abusing his mother, against the wishes of his father. The differences between the two men are very strong. Hamlet would not kill Claudius in the church because he was praying. Laertes, however stated that he would kill Hamlet in a church, praying or not. Another difference is that Hamlet cannot be a man of action and a man of thought at the same time. He does not use his mind when he acts. He just acts. When he is pondering something, he is unable to act out his thoughts, and keeps quiet. Laertes, however, is able to act while thinking. He finds out that Hamlet killed his father and immediately devises a plan to kill him. This flaw makes Hamlet dangerous to himself, and is ultimately his downfall.
Hamlet (prince of Denmark) can be greatly compared to Laertes (son of a noble), and Fortinbras (prince of Norway) in the play. They all are very similar but yet different at the same time. They all had love and respect for their fathers and felt the need to avenge their deaths, which all were brutally killed. All three believed that the murderers had dishonoured their fathers as well as themselves. They all reacted and took different approaches in attempt to restore honour in their families.
Shakespeare sprinkles subtle lines alluding to Hamlet’s apparent cowardice and failure as a classical revenger. In addition to this, Shakespeare may intentionally delay Hamlet’s revenge and remove emphasis from his passion to break the trend of morally blind, obsessive, psychopathic avengers as traditionally depicted in plays such as “The Spanish Tragedy”.
In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the character of Fortinbras, has been used as a foil for the main character, Hamlet. Hamlet and Fortinbras have lost their fathers to untimely deaths. Claudius killed Hamlet's father, King Hamlet, and King Hamlet killed Fortinbras' father. Both Hamlet and Fortinbras have vowed to seek revenge for the deaths of their fathers. Since the revenge tactics of Hamlet and Fortinbras are completely different, Hamlet perceives the actions of Fortinbras as better than his own and the actions of Fortinbras, then, encourage Hamlet to act without hesitating.
In Hamlet, the main character tries to get revenge on his father’s death by plotting the murder of Claudius, but it is his indecisiveness that leads to many problems. He is supported or opposed by characters who are considered foils to him. A foil is when a main character is compared to another character to better reveal the characteristics of the main character, as well as his intentions and motivations. There are many characters who can be considered foils to Hamlet. However, the characters that truly stand as foils to the protagonist are Laertes, Fortinbras, and Claudius. Hamlet and his foils are all put in a similar situation, but it is how they react and deal with their issues that makes them distinct from Hamlet.
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has been performed thousands of times since it was “written in 1599–1601 and published in a quarto edition in 1603” (Britannica.com). It’s popularity stems from its themes that translate across time. These themes, are seen to be relatable even to this day with the ever growing audience. Readers and viewers are able to find similarities between the current state and or even relate to one of the characters or events taking place over the course of Shakespeare’s five act masterpiece. Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark remains a viable text for contemporary readers in that it functions as a mirror.
It is inspiring to Hamlet and it pushes him forward in carrying out his plan to kill Claudius. Hamlet’s last lines, “How all occasions…my thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!”(4.5, 34-69) say that Fortinbras has won him over from any further doubts and Hamlet, too, wishes to become a man of action who is ready to take his revenge at any cost.
When Hamlet is on his way to England he runs into Fortinbras and his army. He learns that Fortinbras is leading a huge army for a small piece of land that is not worth anything. He is greatly inspired by him though because he is willing to do it to protect his family and his father’s honor. After seeing them Hamlet says, “Witness this army of such mass and charge, Led by a delicate and tender prince, Whose spirit, with divine ambition puffed, Makes mouths at the invisible event, Exposing what is mortal and unsure To all that fortune, death, and danger dare, Even for an eggshell. Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument, But greatly to find quarrel in a straw When honor’s at the stake.” Hamlet (IV.iv.47-56) Hamlet realizes that he wants to
A foil is a minor character that helps the audience better understand a major character. A foil may exist as a comparison character, with similarities between the two, as well as differences that bring to light an important contrast between the foil and the main character. A foil may also just be someone for the main character to talk to, so we can know and understand their thoughts and feelings. Foils help us understand the obvious as well as the arcane. In the classic tragedy Hamlet, we see William Shakespeare employ foils to illustrate both examples. They become important literary tools that help the reader rationalize the concurrent theme of the play -
Hamlet, unlike Fortinbras and Laertes, did not follow what his advisor told him without questioning why he should take the advice. As time passes, Hamlet still has not acted out the revenge he promised his father. Out of disgust for his irreverence for his father he says, ?why, what an ass am I! 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? (II.ii.594-598). This statement prompts one to believe Hamlet has been convinced by his father?s words to act, but does not want to do so hastily. Hamlet questions the validity of his revenge by devising a plan to provide evidence of King Claudius? guilt. Hamlet took advantage of his position at the local theater by instructing his actors
Steeped within his own pool of madness, the prince of Denmark seeks to avenge the premature death of his father. Claudius must die, die, die! Nothing else matters: not love, or death, or preservation of state, or the means to which the task is accomplished. To right what is wrong is the only focus that matters. Hamlet, blind by his own emotional transitions, is not aware until it is too late that his counterpart to the north also plots and prepares. Being one of the first writers to develop dynamic and intricate characters that leave the readers to question and interpret the characters’ actions for themselves, Shakespeare understood better than anybody else "what a piece of work is a man!" (2.2.305). In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare
William Shakespeare wrote the classic play, Hamlet in the sixteenth century. Hamlet would be a very difficult play to understand without the masterful use of foils. A foil is a minor character in a literary work that compliments the main character through similarities and differences in personality. The audience can identify similarities and differences between any of the characters and Hamlet, however, there are two characters that share so much in common with Hamlet that they have to be considered the most important foils in the play. These two characters are Laertes and Fortinbras. It is the great similarities between Laertes, Fortinbras, and Hamlet that make the
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