Foil Characters In Hamlet Research Paper

679 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Preface to shakespeare analysis

What is the point of foil characters? It may seem useless as it is, but it can assist readers potentially perceive the flaws of various characters and their potentials. The story, Hamlet, shows multiple types of similarities and differences for each character. Each foil that Shakespeare shares in Hamlet slowly shows young Hamlet’s flaws throughout the story. Starting with the prominent one what shares likewise qualities with Hamlet is Young Fortinbras, Laertes, and then King Claudius.
Starting off with the main flaws of the protagonist, Hamlet, we notice that Fortinbras is the superior half of him. In the start of the story, the audience honestly rarely hears from Fortinbras and he does not portray an enormous role until around the end of the …show more content…

Starting with their similarities, they are both royals who hide who they truly are which could be rather misleading. For example, Hamlet pretends to be mad and even declares it to his mother. As for Claudius, he pretends to be a righteous king that has nothing to do with Hamlet’s father’s death but truly he assassinated him. Claudius exhibits no remorse for his actions and seizes whatever chance he can obtain to use someone to preserve his power. “Of those effects for which I did the murder: / My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. / May one be pardoned and retain th’offense?” (Shakespeare 3.3 line 55-56) Given the quote, readers can distinguish Claudius’s greed is what made him kill Old Hamlet and shows little pity whatsoever. Unlike Hamlet, he performs a bit of grief from time to time, but overall hides it for everyone to still think he’s actually going mad. Sadly for him, he cannot declare what he deems about his uncle because he is the King. In the story, Claudius slowly catches on that Hamlet is gaining upon him so he sets up series of plans to overcome him. Again, just like Fortinbras and Laertes, Hamlet has no plan while they

Show More
Related

  • Laertes, Claudius, and Fortinbras as Foils of Hamlet

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the young Prince Hamlet must deal with murder, corruption and incest. The foils to Prince Hamlet, give the reader a basis to summarize his character within the play. Such foils include Laertes, son of Polonius, Claudius, current king of Denmark and stepfather of Hamlet, and Fortinbras, the prince of Norway.

    Read More

  • Laertes and Polonius as Foils to Hamlet

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    Foils are the minor characters in a play that aid in developing the more important characters. By using the similarities and differences between two characters, the audience can get a better understanding of that major character. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many foils to develop the major characters of his play. Two foils that Shakespeare used to develop Hamlet's character were Laertes and Polonius.

    Read More

  • Fortinbras as Foil for Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1032 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Foils in Hamlet

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    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 - deceit.

    Read More

  • A Raisin In The Sun And Hamlet Character Analysis

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    Claudius feels much guilt about the death of his brother he also faces the desires of power. The guilt of his brother death drives Claudius to be on his toes around the kingdom. He remains very scared that someone like Hamlet Jr. might avenge his father’s death. Hamlet Jr. chooses to use a play to test Claudius’s guilt. He rewrites parts of the play to replicate the story voiced by the ghost. Hamlet Jr. watches Claudius carefully during the performance, and the king leaves during it (Gale). Claudius gets up and leaves because he cannot bear to see the reenactment of how he killed his own brother. The internal conflict of the guilt about his brother eats Claudius up and he goes to repent for the corrupt act he has done: “My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent,/ And like a man to double business bound,/ I stand in pause where I shall first begin,/ And neglect; what if this cursed hand,/Were thicker than itself with brothers blood” (3.3.40-45). Claudius repents but knows his words will mean nothing to the heavens because Claudius is an insincere being whom

    Read More

  • Foils in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1238 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a well known play.   Shakespeare uses foils in Hamlet to further create and explain Hamlet’s character. Foils are created in a play to help the audience better understand a major character by giving the character someone to talk to and compare the major character to. [Using the definition as the thesis was not a good idea in this paper. The assignment said not in the first paragraph, i.e., the paper was to be about how foils affect the meaning of this play.]

    Read More

  • Laertes and Fortinbras as Foils for Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1639 Words  | 4 Pages

    Foils are used in plays so that the readers are better able to understand the major character (Hamlet). In a foil, the minor character is similar in many ways to the main character so that we will compare the two. However, it is through these similarities that we are able to see the more important differences between the two.

    Read More

  • Hamlet and Ophelia

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    1. Plays have foils to help the audience understand important characters in the play. Foils are minor characters that have similarities and differences with a more important character in the play. Sometimes the minor character is just there for the character to talk to; this is the basis for being a foil. In the play "Hamlet," [Titles] by William Shakespeare, the character Ophelia is a foil to Hamlet.

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Use of Deception in Hamlet

    886 Words  | 2 Pages

    Claudius decieves everyone in different ways and at different times , always and only to protect himself from everyone else finding out that he killed the king. We can't truly say that he deceived Gertrude or not because we still don't know if she knows about Claudius killing the king or not because that is part of her own deception , but we know that he deceived the people and Hamlet himself (before he talks to the ghost). This next quote comes from the ghost of the king convicting Claudius of the murder ,"If thou didst ever thy dear father love- revenge his foul and most unnatural murder(p.57, act1,scene5 ,lines29-31). This quote proves that Claudius actually did commit the murder. This next quote is from Claudius himself after the funeral and the wedding giving a speach about the death of the king and the whole deal with Fortinbras,"To our most valiant brother-so much for him(p.21, act1 ,scene2 ,line25)." This quote shows that Claudius obviously doesn't have much remorse for his dead brother and might be covering up the fact that he killed him. And we all know what that means...What does it mean?! It means that he actually is the rat and is the evil one in the play.

    Read More

  • Abuse Of Power In Hamlet

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    [4, 1, 40] These idiosyncrasies are observed in the play when Claudius becomes concerned he will lose power as King and the likelihood Hamlet will murder him to avenge his father’s death. This is apparent when Gertrude informs Claudius that Hamlet is, “Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend which is mightier”. [4,1,6] With these thoughts daunting Claudius, he approaches Laertes in a Machiavellian manner to convince him to murder Hamlet, for he knows Laertes is angry, deranged and “Vows to the blackest devil” [4,5,131] after the death of his father. In doing so, Claudius has the intent to use Machiavellian powers over Laertes who is currently mentally unstable, with the objective being that Laertes will murder Hamlet to avenge his own father’s (Polonius) death. Claudius is able to successfully persuade Laertes in a manipulative speech, especially with his snide comment, “Not that I think you did not love your father, but that I know love is begun by time, and that I see a passage of proof.” [4,7,96] Claudius’ malicious comment indicates he is using his power over Laertes, so that the burden and repercussions do not rest on him, so that he may retain his authority as King. By utilizing his power over Laertes, Claudius is successful, as Hamlet is slain, however, as reflected in Claudius’

    Read More

  • Soliloquies Essay - Claudius' Soliloquy in Hamlet

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    From the soliloquy I can see that Claudius feels sorry for the murder, but not sorry enough. He says, "Oh, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven." He wants to pray for forgiveness of his offense, but laments, "Pray can I not," because "I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder - My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen." He murdered Hamlet's father in order to get those things and he is not willing to give them up. He realizes that true repentance would be willing to give then up, and therefore, he is not really repentant. This is why at the end of his prayer, he says "Words without thoughts never to heaven go." There's no point in saying he is sorry because God knows he doesn't really mean it. So, the best he can do is pray that God will make him sorry, by pleading, "Heart with strings of steel, be as soft as the sinews of a new-born babe."

    Read More

  • Free Hamlet Essays: Hamlet's Inability to Take Action

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    As illustrated through his speeches and soliloquies Hamlet has the mind of a true thinker. Reinacting the death of his father in front of Claudius was in itself a wonderful idea. Although he may have conceived shcemes such as this, his mind was holding him back at the same time. His need to analyze and prove everythin certain drew his time of action farther and farther away. Hamlet continuously doubted himself and whether or not the action that he wanted to take was justifiable. The visit that Hamlet recieves from his dead father makes the reader think that it is Hamlet's time to go and seek revenge. This is notthe case. Hamlet does seem eager to try and take the life of Claudius in the name of his father, but before he can do so he has a notion, what if that was not my father, but an evil apparition sending me on the wrong path? This shows that even with substantial evidence of Claudius' deeds, Hamlet's mind is not content.

    Read More

  • Foils In Hamlet Essay

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare's play Hamlet has FOILS throughout the play, drawing comparisons and allusions to elements of life. The elements of a foil are used to display the complexity and deeper elements of a character, revealing characteristics of certain characters like Hamlet and Laertes, and the idea that while similarities rest within people, how different and similar their lives can be. Hamlet, our main character and sole point of view, is obviously the character that the audience is given the most information and traits about. Hamlet had been dealing with his father’s death in a rather poor manner- in the view of Claudius and Gertrude- Hamlet was taking too long to grieve, as “the survivor bound, In filial obligation for some term, To do obsequious sorrow.” (1.2, lines 7-9)

    Read More

  • How Is Hamlet A Dynamic Character

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet sees the greatness of Prince Fortinbras, and wonders how Fortinbras attacks over minor disputes are even possible while in his situation King Claudius still draws breath after he wrong Hamlet. He thinks through the situation with logic, but drives his thought process with emotion. This is Hamlet's final destination, the play and Hamlet’s journey leads up to this soliloquy and the final scenes with King Claudius, this is the moment when Hamlet changes for his last time, and becomes a man of action. This soliloquy finally inspires Hamlet to take action and he is now completely devoted to killing King Claudius at the next opportunity afforded to

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Hamlet and Claudius

    1922 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...udius and Hamlet pose various similarities, but they hate each other. They plot to kill one another because of the death of Hamlet’s biological father. Their similarities come from the time period that they are living in, and the fact that Hamlet’s father was king and was involved in war leaving Hamlet with his uncle. His uncle’s behavior had an impact on the man that Hamlet became. They both have similar situations; plotting to kill someone, scheming, etc. They both create similar situations for themselves, for example having advisors or their inability to act, but they do have differences. Hamlet is angry whereas Claudius is just trying to save himself.

    Read More

More about Foil Characters In Hamlet Research Paper

Open Document