compare and contrast Hamlet, Fortinbras and leartes

Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is probably the most renowned work in the history of English literature. Four hundred years after it was written, its themes and characters still serve to illuminate aspects of human nature. Perhaps the most important of those aspects is the impulse to seek out vengeance, and the effects different reactions to that impulse can have. Shakespeare accomplishes such an illumination through the actions of the characters of Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras.

Hamlet, Fortinbras and Leartes are all very different people with different lives, but there are many circumstances surrounding them that mysteriously connect them. All three are young men associated with royal courts of Scandinavia and all three lose their fathers. Though their situations are essentially the same, however, each man reacts in a manner different from the others. In this respect, Laertes and Fortinbras, who react swiftly and decisively at the news of their fathers’ murders, serve as foils to the procrastinating Hamlet.

Hamlet is a royal prince of the Danish court. He is said to be a soldier, but he has no real power and does not wish to be involved in battles. He is a scholar, and would prefer to spend his time in Wittenberg, rather than at court, but may not go because the king wishes it that way.

He wants to avenge his father but he is not as active and incisive as either Fortinbras or Laertes. He does not lead an army or even a mob. He is careful not to act rashly. He does not pass on the ghost's accusations to the sentinels. Throughout the play he is deliberating, pondering and worrying. His soliloquies confirm his confusion and concern.

Historically, Hamlet’s reaction to his father’s murder and his subsequent plan for revenge has been seen in two different ways. There are those who believe Hamlet’s lack of action after learning of his father’s murder is due to his desire to validate the ghost’s assertions, while others see Hamlet’s delayed action as nothing more than procrastination, and believe that this procrastination is caused by his desire to overanalyze his situation.

When Hamlet finally does enact his revenge in the final scene, he does so only because he knows he will die, and because it is his last chance. Hamlet, who agonizes, deliberates, and then acts at the last minute, is at one end of the spectrum.

Laertes is not a prince, but he is the son of the most highly-regarded royal counsellor at the Danish court, and his sister is the lady expected ~ by the queen at least ~ to become the bride of Prince Hamlet, heir to the throne. His father is killed during the action of the play. The killer is Young Hamlet. However, the killing is unintentional. Hamlet's reflex action on hearing a hidden voice in his mother's room, while in a highly emotional mood, results in him killing Polonius almost accidentally. Without his important father, Laertes may lose his status and his place at court. He prefers to spend his time in France, rather than at court.

Hamlet and Laertes demonstrate rash behaviour when infuriated. Hamlet becomes outraged at the notion of Claudius spying on him which results in Hamlet mistakenly killing Polonius. Laertes becomes drastically angered at the death of his father and boldly seeks vengeance against Claudius. Once Laertes discovers his father has been murdered Laertes immediately assumes the slayer is Claudius. As a result of Laertes's speculation he instinctively moves to avenge Polonius's death. "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." provide insight into Laertes's mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. In contrast to Laertes speculation of his father's killer, Hamlet presumes the individual spying on his conversation with Gertrude is Claudius("Nay, I know not: is it the King?"). Consequently, Hamlet consumed with rage automatically thrusts out attempting to kill Claudius, but instead strikes Polonius. Hamlet's and Laertes's imprudent actions are incited by fury and frustration. Sudden anger prompts both Hamlet and Laertes to act spontaneously, giving little thought to the consequences of their actions. Later when he discovers that it is Hamlet, rather than Claudius, who is the killer, he wants to know, immediately, why he was not punished fully. He then shows great pleasure in the fact that he, himself, will be able to deal Hamlet a fatal blow in a fencing match. 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 Momentary rage overcomes Laertes and Hamlet which prompts them to act spontaneously.

Hamlet and Laertes share a different but deep love and concern for Ophelia. Hamlet's deep love for Ophelia is evident in his reaction to her rejection of him. In the same way, Laertes care and affection are revealed by his advice to his sister. It is strange that both these characters care so much for Ophelia but hate each other to death. When Ophelia dies, both are shocked and enraged. In the end at her burial they both end up jumping into Ophelia’s grave and fighting each other over her dead body. Their extreme love for her and profound hate for each other is almost a mystery. Hamlet and Laertes are similar in the way they associate with their families. Laertes highly respects and loves his father Polonius. Similarly, Hamlet holds a great respect for his dead father(Hamlet compares his father to a sun god "Hyperion"). After the death of their fathers, Hamlet and Laertes strive to seek revenge on the assassins. Hamlet and Laertes exhibit domineering attitudes towards females. Laertes gives his sister Ophelia guidance on her relationship with Hamlet. In the same way, Hamlet is able to persuade Gertrude he is not mad and manipulate her to follow his instructions. Hamlet directs his mother to convince Claudius of Hamlet's madness. Hamlet is able to make his mother reflect upon her part in the death of his father and feel guilt("Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct." Furthermore, Hamlet instructs his mother not to sleep with Claudius.

Hamlet and Laertes also can be compared as sons. The fathers of Laertes and Hamlet both attempted to use spies to gain information on their sons(although not his real father Claudius was his uncle as well as step-father). Claudius employed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to gather information on Hamlet. In comparison, Polonius dispatches Reynaldo to check up on Laertes. Hamlet and Laertes share similar aspects within their families.

While Hamlet takes the length of the play to act, Laertes, upon hearing of his father’s murder, reacts swiftly and recklessly. He returns to Elsinore with a mob, threatening to overthrow Claudius if he does not produce his father and explain his murder.

Laertes feels charged to take revenge for the murder, but like Hamlet, he is hesitant to act. Just as Hamlet pauses when he has the chance to kill the praying Claudius, Laertes also seems reluctant to poison Hamlet in the play’s final duel, saying “it is almost against my conscience”. Although using poison in a duel might seem unsporting, Laertes has a double motive for revenge against Hamlet, both for his father’s death and for his sister’s madness and suicide. Furthermore, using the poison is no more cruel than Hamlet’s reversal of Claudius’s plot to have him killed in England, which results in the deaths of the innocent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Thus, Laertes is the more equal rival and foil to Hamlet, and it is their dynamic that drives the success of the play.

As unconcerned for the order of society as he is for his own salvation, he would rather "dare damnation" than leave his father's honor and his own besmirched. He is primarily enraged by his father's "obscure funeral - / No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones, / No noble rite nor formal ostentation." To vindicate his honor, Laertes stoops to a most dishonorable practice.

Laertes is so concerned about his formal and outward "terms of honor" that he cannot permit his natural feelings to rule his will. In this concern for outward honor he further dishonors himself by the false statement that he will act honorably with Hamlet. Saying that "I do receive your offered love like love, / And will not wrong it," he goes and chooses the lethally sharp and poisoned weapon. Had Laertes acted upon the honorable promptings of his conscience, he would have avoided his own death and, by allying himself with Hamlet, would have won the gratitude of the future King. Laertes' false sense of honor and pride override his better instincts to the fatal harm of both. Recognizing his dishonor too late and admitting that he is "justly killed with mine own treachery," Laertes finally rises to the true honor of admitting his fault to Hamlet, informing him of Claudius' designs, and then, in a tragically belated reconciliation with Hamlet, offering him an exchange of forgiveness. But if his rise to true honor finally redeems him in our eyes, his false honor has destroyed his life. The next similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is that they both grieve over a death in the play. Laertes grieves the death of Ophelia, while Hamlet grieves over his father, King Hamlet's death. The final similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is that both seek revenge for the death of their fathers. Laertes wishes to kill Hamlet after Hamlet murders Polonius and Hamlet wants to kill Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet. Both succeed in their quest for revenge.

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 revenge is the right thing to do. He contemplates through the whole play on weather to kill Claudius or not, leaving the reader with the sense that Hamlet is very careful when making decisions.

Finally, Hamlet’s and Laertes’s differences are most evident in their personalities. To begin with, the single biggest difference between the characters of Hamlet and Laertes is the fact that Hamlet is a thinker – for that matter, an over-thinker. Until the very last act of the play, Hamlet is plagued by procrastination. Although he is extremely motivated by the story of his late father’s ghost, Hamlet sits to think about mortality and the usefulness of killing the king. For instance, Hamlet’s most famous speech appears in Act III, in which he ponders whether or not it is better to live an unhappy life or to face the unknown beyond of death. His thinking generally renders him inactive. Standing in stark contrast to Hamlet’s thinking-not-action style, Laertes moves quickly and acts rashly in his anger, choosing to act first and apologize later. This is made apparent in act V, when he speaks “I am justly killed with mine own treachery.” immediately after he falls. Laertes quick action and lack of though also leads to another contradiction in his and Hamlet’s personalities. Laertes is significantly more obedient then Hamlet. While Laertes listens carefully to both his father’s and Claudius’s words, Hamlet often defies and even goes so far as to manipulate Claudius. Hamlet’s character is much deeper than Laertes. He is more intelligent, which results in Hamlet’s quick wit and sarcasm. Undoubtedly, Hamlet’s and Laertes’s personalities are considerably different.

Although Hamlet and Laertes differ, Laertes acts as a stable foil for Hamlet whom makes sound decisions and acts on his words instead of just speaking. Laertes allows readers to explore how Hamlet should have acted instead of how he did: Inactive, in a state of delay, and full of words. The moment Laertes heard of his father's death he left for Denmark, rallied up some followers, and marched past the King's guards to the Royal Court and demanded an answer. "O thou vile King, give me my father," Laertes bellowed at the King. Claudius relays to Laertes that Hamlet is to blame and once again Laertes is ready to fight. He challenges Hamlet to a dual and he immediately accepts. With Laertes as a foil, we are able to question Hamlet's actions and delay of actions.

Hamlet, Leartes and Fortinbras all had some huge issues to work out in their lives. The way they worked out these problems is how we see the action behind the men and are able to recognize the traits that influenced all characters in the play, not just the ones discussed here. All three of these men avenge in very different ways. Hamlet, with his blinding rage, cannot see the forest from the trees. Fortinbras does not care what he fights for as long as it brings him honor. Leartes chases after false honor and is not able to detect something really worth fighting for. As these men interact in this play, you can see how these differences tug at the very root of the play, distinguishing it from all others.