Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Play Study

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.

Both Hamlet and Fortinbras have tragic flaws, but their flaws are direct opposite of one another. Hamlet suffers from over planning and lacking the ability to take action, but Fortinbras is the kind of man that jumps into things too quickly. For example, Hamlet takes on the responsibility to avenge his father’s death per the request of the ghost of King Hamlet. Each time Hamlet attempts to kill his Uncle Claudius, he finds another excuse to not commit. Hamlet makes his choice to not murder Claudius at the time by stating: “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; / And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven, /and so I am revenged.” (3.3.76–78). In this specific example, Hamlet chooses not to murder Claudius due to the fact that Claudius may have the opportunity to go to Heaven, since Hamlet saw him praying. Later on, Claudius makes the sarcastic comment: “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. / Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” (3.4.100–01). If Hamlet had just taken initiative instead of trying to play God, the deed would have been done and Claudius would not have went to Heaven, since his prayer was not sincere. On the other hand, Prince Fortinbras tragic flaw is that he takes too much initiative. When Hamlet’s father killed Prince Fortinbras’s father and took their scrappy piece of land, Prince Fortinbras seeks his revenge by putting lives at risk to go and get their land back out of honor. One of Prince Fortinbras’s captains makes the statement: “Truly to speak,

It is very interesting how Fortinbras, Laertes and Hamlet have in common, but the outcomes of their individual lives are so different. First, it is true that Fortinbras and Laertes serve as ‘foils’ in Hamlet. A foil is a character that is quite different from another character bringing out noticeable difference, bringing to light those specific differences in the other character. Fortinbras and Laertes suffer the same loss as Hamlet, which is the murder of their individual fathers. Each of these men handles it in very different ways with reference to. Hamlet is not decisive in avenging his father’s death, whereas Fortinbras and Laertes are and make a decisive choice to act.

Shakespeare creates similar starting point for both Fortinbras and Hamlet. Both characters had lost their fathers and were looking to seek retribution for the deaths. However, each character went about this in different ways. Fortinbras looked to seize all the lands that he believed rightfully belonged to Norway while Hamlet hoped to kill his uncle, Cladius. The first difference that we see is Fortinbras’s willingness to take action compared to Hamlet’s inability. In Act 1 Scene 2, Claudius mentions that Fortinbras demands the surrender of lands that Hamlet Sr. won from Fortinbras Sr. On the other hand Hamlet contemplates about whether or not to kill himself. Even in this instance, Hamlet is unable to commit suicide because he

Laertes character is perhaps best known for being an obvious foil to Prince Hamlet. Both of their fathers are killed, and they both love Ophelia. Hamlet has mistakenly killed Polonius, Laertes’ father, while mistaking him for Claudius. This turn of events places Hamlet in the same role as Claudius. Laertes, like Hamlet, also lost his father and wants to make Hamlet pay for his father’s death. Unlike Hamlet however, Laertes shows his passionate reaction very openly when he says that he will throw "conscience and grace to the profoundest pit" (IV, V 129) and is ready without any hesitation to take revenge. Laertes comes back to Denmark, knowing of his father’s death, and goes up to Claudius and 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” (IV V 128-134). This provides insight into Laertes’s mind, showing that he will never cease gaining his revenge. However, Laertes is a man of action similar to Fortinbras. His reaction to his father's death is very different from Hamlet's response to the news of his own father's murder. Comparing Laertes and Hamlet, Laertes displays impulsive reactions when angered. Once Laertes discovers his father has been murdered, he immediately assumes the person guilty of killing him is Claudius. Returning home from France, Laertes hears the news about his father and sister’s death, and takes immediate action. He gathered up a crowd of followers and invades the castle. He is not a man to sit down quietly waiting for an opportunity, which is how he differs from Hamlet as Laertes shows that he makes very rash decisions. In the play and Branagh’s film, Laertes is foil to Hamlet because Laertes displays qualities that differ from and are

In the play Hamlet, Hamlet and Laertes are characterized as foils, or opposites, of one another. Hamlet is the protagonist of the play, and the play centers around his every move. Meanwhile, Laertes is absent for much of the play and spends the majority of his time in France. In fact, he actually does not return until late in the play due to the death of his father, Polonius. Additionally, they are different in their ways of revenge. Hamlet constantly prolongs his revenge due to various arising circumstances. On the other hand, Laertes is quick to seek revenge, and this is exhibited through his response to the death of his father. The last difference is the mental sanity of the two characters. Throughout the play, Hamlet is driven into madness over the death of his father, while Laertes is always at least somewhat rational in his thoughts and actions. In thesis, Hamlet and Laertes differ in the following ways: stage presence, methods of revenge, and mental sanity.

During the first part of Hamlet, the readers learn that Hamlet killed Fortinbras father, and that Hamlet took over the land. Fortinbras wants revenge on Hamlet for killing his father, but Fortinbras does not react and act insane unlike how Hamlet acted. Instead he began building up an army to attack Denmark, because Fortinbras thought it was something he owed his father, which would be to obtain the land back from Hamlet. Fortinbras uncle stopped him from taking the land back, but at least Laertes showed some action, unlike Hamlets inaction. Fortinbras actions made Hamlet look ignorant and seem immature, which exposed some of the many flaws that hamlet has, which in return made Fortinbras seem better.

Laertes is also a victim to the controlling power of Claudius. Laertes comes in a rage to the palace seeking revenge for the murder of his father, Polonius. Claudius takes advantage

For example, when Hamlet discovers the circumstances of his father’s death, he did not act out immediately. Instead of taking action and using anger to fuel Claudius’ demise, Hamlet waited until he thought the appropriate time was presented. Incongruently, upon hearing of Polonius’, Laertes responded immediately with his return from England, starting a revolt, and then plotting against Hamlet. These differences demonstrate the contrasting behaviors when involving oneself in revenge. These reactions against each other emphasize the defining characteristics of Hamlet as an intelligent, analytical, and cautious individual while proving Laertes to be more quick-witted and heedless. The relation between main and foil character’s are demonstrative of the themes of revenge and

Hamlet is the son of the former king Hamlet, he is unpredictable and impulsive. Laertes is the son of Polonius and the brother of Ophelia, he is very schemeful and revengeful. A foil is when two characters within a story contrast one another. The foil character, usually highlights the traits and flaws the main character. In Hamlet, Laertes and Claudius are foil characters used by Shakespeare to show Hamlet's flaw.

The first important comparison and contrast to make between the three characters is that Hamlet and Laertes both share a common goal: revenge. Though Fortinbras is not on a revenge rampage like them, he shares with them the want to assert power and authority. Throughout the play, Hamlet is motivated by the idea of taking revenge against the man who murdered his father in cold blood, and after speaking with his father’s ghost, he vows to avenge his father’s death and make things right. Laertes is in a similar position to Hamlet. After returning to Denmark and learning of the death of both his father Polonius and Ophelia because of Hamlet, he comes in to meet with the king with blood boiling, vowing to get revenge on Hamlet for what he had done. Fortinbras does not display any overbearing attitude of revenge, but he certainly

He is a character that marches across scenes and acts as a foil character for Hamlet. Since the beginning, Marcellus, a guard, senses that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4.95), foreshadowing the imminent doom of the Denmark and its people. Indeed, because Claudius’ unjust crime was revealed, Denmark drowns in a state of rottenness and corruption. At the end, however, Denmark is brought to its revival because of Fortinbras. Described as a “delicate and tender prince” (4.4.48), who is also spirited with ambition and energy like “unimproved mettle hot and full” (1.1.95), Fortinbras is a man of action. He, much like Hamlet and Laertes, has a father to avenge for, whose name is also Fortinbras. King Fortinbras was slain in the battle with King Hamlet, and he is determined to seek immediate revenge at any cost. He provides an interesting contrast to Hamlet as Fortinbras does not seek revenge through murder, but through the invasion of land for power and honour. Because of the noble manner which he acts,the outcome of his fate rewards him, unlike the others who suffered for seeking revenge. Fortinbras does not play a major role in the play until the end, and his speeches are brief and straightforward, which as Polonius says, “brevity is the soul of wit” (2.2.92).

Fortinbras shares the most similarities with Hamlet. He is a royal prince of Norway whose father had been killed, but, like Hamlet, he did not ascend to the throne; his uncle becomes king. He is a soldier prince with little real power, since his uncle controls him and his country. However, he plans to avenge his father by waging war with Denmark. Contrary to Hamlet, who is pondering and worrying, Fortinbras is impetuous and rash.

Fortinbras, like Hamlet is a prince. He as the Prince of Norway lost his father in a war long ago with King Hamlet. And as with Hamlet, his uncle became king rather than he. A man of action, Fortinbras chose to take revenge in a very strong and courageous way. He was going to lead an army against Denmark to revenge his father and take back land lost in the earlier war. He was prevented by his uncle the King of Norway

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Prince Hamlet (known as Hamlet) faces many trials and tribulations such as his father dying, his right to the throne being taken after his mother remarries his uncle, then his love Ophelia, dies. Two characters, Laertes and Fortinbras Jr. (henceforth Fortinbras), have similar troubles. All three of their fathers die, and in reaction, they all take revenge. Hamlet and Fortinbras have the throne taken from them by their uncles, while Laertes and Hamlet both have Ophelia’s death to deal with. This introduces Laertes and Fortinbras as character foils, to Hamlet.