The Foils of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakes

The Foils of Laertes and Fortinbras in hamlet William Shakespeare wrote the classic play, critical point in the ordinal century. Hamlet would be a very difficult play to visualize without the masterful use of foils. A foil is a minor part in a literary work that compli custodyts the main typeface through similarities and differences in personality. The audience can identify similarities and differences between whatsoever of the characters and Hamlet, however, there are two characters that share so much in common with Hamlet that they grow 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 differences so obvious and therefore help to shape the character of Hamlet. Laertes is the most noticeable foil for Hamlet, because of his continual direct involvement in the play. Laertes and Hamlet have many things in common. Laertes and Hamlet are b oth educated men with a high social standing. Hamlet is the prince of Denmark and Laertes is the son of Polonius, Lord Chamberlain. some(prenominal) Hamlet and Laertes desire revenge for the death of their fathers. Claudius murdered Hamlets father and Hamlet killed Laertes father. Hamlet and Laertes both had an undying love for Laertes sis Ophelia. Laertes showed his love for his sister when he warned her about seeing Hamlet. Laertes knew that as head of the state Hamlet would be unable to choose who he married and that Ophelia would be thinned if she fell in love with him. Hamlet had an undying love for Ophelia scorn his actions and words toward her in Act III. He shows this at Ophelias burial when he proclaims that his love for h... ...one as important as that which he shares with Laertes and Fortinbras. Both Laertes and Fortinbras, although in different ways, provided the admiration and pity needed to make Hamlet the sad hero he was. Sources Cited and Consulted Bloom, Haro ld. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York city Chelsea augury Publishers, 1986. 1-10. Findlay, Alison. Hamlet A Document in Madness. New Essays on Hamlet. Ed. break Thornton Burnett and John Manning. New York AMS Press, 1994. 189-205. Goldman, Michael. Hamlet and Our Problems. Critical Essays on Shakespeares Hamlet. Ed. David Scott Kaston. New York City Prentice Hall International. 1995. 43-55 Rose, Mark. Reforming the Role. Modern Critical Interpretations Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City Chelsea house Publishers, 1986. 117-128