The Importance of Polonius and Laertes in Hamlet In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses various foils to make the play more complex. These foils involve numerous characters that help to develop different relationships and conflicts. Without these foils, the relationships and conflicts would not happen, and the play could not develop. They help us to understand Hamlets actions and bring diversity to the play. Polonius and Laertes are the main foils for Hamlet. Polonius shows how irrational Hamlet thinks, and Laertes shows that Hamlet must pay for his actions, even if he is royalty. This plot and conflict develop from the similarities and differences between Hamlet and the foils. Why are foils required to understand and develop the play? A foil is a minor character used to help develop or understand a major character. The foil must have some similarities with the major character in order to create a link with him. A foil must also be different in order to show or distinguish something about the major character. The foil does not always have an active role. Sometimes the foil is just someone for the major character to talk to. This allows his ideas to come through to the audience without a narrator; therefore, the foil is a kind of prop to help develop the role of the major character. Without a foil, there is no one to help develop or understand the major character; thus his ideas cannot be revealed to the audience. Polonius was an important foil for Hamlet. Polonius and Hamlet were similar in that they both loved Ophelia and tried to protect her. While Polonius died trying, Hamlet encouraged her to go to a nunnery. Unfortunately, she died anyway. Also, Hamlet and Polonius both died trying to protect a woman. Polonius was trying to protect Ophelia from Hamlet, just as Hamlet was trying to protect his mother from Claudius. Both men were also loyal to a king--Polonius to Claudius, and Hamlet to his father. Here again, both kings were killed. Polonius and Hamlet also had their differences. While Polonius was loyal to Claudius, Hamlet was not loyal or even respectful to him. Hamlet knew Claudius was a murderer and Polonius was not even suspicious of King Hamlet's death. Although they both died, Polonius and Hamlets murders were different. Hamlet's death was planned. Claudius unsuccessfully attempted to have Hamlet drink poison. Laertes effort to kill Hamlet was successful by poisoning the unblunted tip of his foil. Polonius's death was an accident, since Hamlet thought he was killing Claudius behind the arras. Polonius also helped to develop and carry the plot that Hamlet was "mad". After talking with Ophelia, Polonius discussed Hamlet's "madness" with Claudius several times. Without Polonius, Claudius would not have been so sure that Hamlet was "mad". [Nice] Also, Ophelia would not have had anyone to confide in about Hamlet's strange behavior. If Polonius were not present in the play, Laertes' loyalty to family would not have been so strong. [Nice point] Also, Ophelia would not have become so distraught over her father's death and therefore, would not have drowned. Polonius' death would not have created any conflict between Laertes and Hamlet. Laertes would have had no reason to revenge his father's death; thus, he would not need to return to kill Hamlet. This conflict makes Laertes a foil also. Laertes and Hamlet were similar, in that both of their fathers had been killed. They were both looking to revenge the murders. Both men loved their families and were loyal to them, as shown by their need for revenge. Also, at the end of the play, before Hamlet dies, they both know that Claudius has killed the king. [What evidence is there that Laertes knew that Claudius killed his brother?] Hamlet differed from Laertes in that he did much plotting and scheming to seek his revenge. He almost drove himself mad plotting revenge. [You need a transition here.] Hamlet wanted Claudius dead and purposely killed him without any regret. Although Laertes' plan was simple, and he killed Hamlet, he regretted it in the end. The most important difference here was Laertes lived while Hamlet died. [Ouch! Laertes doesn't live.] This is the most important difference because it is what makes Laertes a necessary foil. Without him, Hamlet would live. He may have eventually died at Claudius's hand, but he may never have learned that his father was really murdered. Hamlet would not have been punished for the murder of Polonius, because he was royalty. Without the duel with Laertes, the poison would not have been available for Gertrude to drink, and she may have lived also. [Nice point, but it doesn't depend on Laertes living.] In turn, Hamlet would not have realized that Claudius was planning to kill him or that Claudius had killed his father. All of these events were related to Laertes "the foil". Without Laertes as a foil, this play would have been entirely different. As foils, Polonius and Laertes were major assets to this play. Without them, the play would lack diversity, since they are the keystones to this play. Foils are required to help develop a major character, in order to show the audience what he is really like. The foil of a play must do the work of a narrator of a story, because a play has no one to tell the audience what the character is thinking or what his ideas are. [But Shakespeare also uses soliloquies.] Polonius and Laertes help reveal what Hamlet is thinking and why he is doing what he is doing. They also make the play more realistic than someone standing on stage explaining what the character is doing and why. Without these two foils, this play would have had less conflict and less excitement; consequently, it would be less memorable. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet". Literature for Composition: Essays, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Barnet, S.; Berman, M.; Burto, W.; Stubbs, M. 4th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1996. 628-735.
King makes good use of Aristotle's three argumentative appeals. Though, he does not use strong facts in his logical appeals. This is reasonable, as he was in jail. He did not have any way to get evidence, which would be necessary to provide proof. Nonetheless, this would have made King a much more reliable source. King's letter is mostly an ethical piece. And it has to be, because the letter is a reply to criticisms pointed to King. For whatever reasons, the cultural effects of the letter are great. King used the letter to explain what his logic, reasons, and purposes were.
In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, the audience finds a docile, manipulated, scolded, victimized young lady named Ophelia. Ophelia is a foil to Hamlet. Plays have foils to help the audience better understand the more important characters in the play. The character of Ophelia is necessary so that the audience will give Hamlet a chance to get over his madness and follow his heart.
Throughout history, the concept of “Bad Bosses” has been displayed in various types of literature. These various types of literature range from plays, to poems, and even short stories. Although the literature stated above may be different types, they all have potential to share the same aspect. The aspect that is similar to all the literary works we have reviewed over the course of the semester was bad bosses and how bad bosses have changed for the better or for the worst as time progressed.
Hamlet questions what may or may not happen however Laertes just wants the revenge fast and effective. Although these characters have different standards when it comes to revenge, they both immediately blamed and directed their anger towards Claudius when they found out their father’s were dead. Hamlet’s reason to blame Claudius is simply because he is his father’s murderer. In 1.5 while Hamlet is talking to the ghost of his father he says, “Haste me to know ’t, that I, with wings as swift/As meditation or the thoughts of love/May sweep to my revenge” (Shakespeare 1.5.31-33). At first is seems as if Hamlet would seek revenge right away because he seems eager to find out who the killer is and when he does find out he says he knew it was Claudius all along. He is furious and after this part in the play, Hamlet’s anger is mainly focused on Claudius. On the other hand when Laertes found out Polonius is dead he went straight to Claudius assuming it was him. By doing this he shows that he is controlled by his impulses unlike Hamlet who waited until he got proof to act on his fury. Laertes also blamed Claudius for not giving his father a proper burial, which can relate to Hamlet’s anger too because Hamlet felt as if there was not enough mourning for his father death. Not only did they both lose their fathers, but they both lost Ophelia, a female figure in their lives that they both loved.
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.
(1) In many short stories and plays there are persons involved which [who] help characterize other main characters. This process of characterization is called a foil. [A foil is not a process.] "A foil is a minor character, who by similarities and differences, reveals characteristics of a more important character, and who, as an element of plot, is there for the more important character to talk to" (Vavra). The foils in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, help the reader understand the main character; [, not ;] Hamlet.
1. In his play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses various foils to make the play more complex. These foils involve numerous characters that help to develop different relationships and conflicts. Without these foils, the relationships and conflicts would not happen, and the play could not develop. They help us to understand Hamlet[']s actions and bring diversity to the play. Polonius and Laertes are the main foils for Hamlet. Polonius shows how irrational Hamlet thinks, and Laertes shows that Hamlet must pay for his actions, even if he is royalty. This plot and conflict develop from the similarities and differences between Hamlet and the foils.
After all of this Polonius figures out he could help the king spy on Hamlet by forcing Ophelia to him. This created some awkward and frightening moments in the play, some of which certain murderers would come to regret. It is these kinds of activities for the king that led to Polonius’ death and ultimately many others.
Another character used as a foil to Hamlet was Laertes. Both Hamlet and Laertes had endured the lose [loss] of their fathers at the hands of a murderer. Both character[s] sought revenge for these murders. Laertes immediately wanted to kill Hamlet for his crime, expressing how he would cut his throat in the church.
Laertes is another foil for Hamlet. Laertes was in the play so Hamlet would have someone to fight at the end of the play. Both Hamlet and Laertes want revenge for their father's death. But Laertes want revenge from Hamlet. [SV Agr -1] Hamlet killed Polonius by accident when he was in his mother's bedroom because he thought it was the king.
...ooms Laertes as it did Hamlet, because it clouds his judgment. His rashness causes him to be easily played by Claudius. Regardless of the fact that Hamlet killed Polonius, Claudius never specified that it was an accident, which could have played a major role in Laertes’ decision to go along with the King’s plan.
...aying edge. Four to five individuals would stretch the wet skin over the drum head to apply tautness at the same time fasteners were driven into the basin. The reduction of the skin while it dried then applied adequate extra tension for the skin to resonate. Factory-made Djembe drums, use a comparable system. However, instead of using vertical ropes, the top circle is pulled against the skin ring by motorized lugs that are fastened with a wrench.
His father was killed by Hamlet and his sister was driven insane due to the series of events that took place because of Hamlet. Like Hamlet, Laertes wants to avenge his father by killing the man who killed Polonius. As described earlier, Hamlet is slow to act. Laertes, on the other hand, acts quickly and with precision, wasting no time in acquiring his target and formulating a plan. Robert Palfrey Utter, Jr., puts it best, Hamlet and Laertes both come to the same conclusion that murder must be carried out, but Hamlet reaches that conclusion only “after he has had a few minutes to think it over.” (140) Once Laertes finds out that the man who killed his father was Hamlet he is ready to charge in and kill him as soon as possible. He is only stopped by Claudius, who advises him on a more subtle approach. Straight off the bat it is clear how efficient Laertes is compared to Hamlet. Hamlet wastes a large amount of time scheming up complex ideas on how to get a confession out of Claudius and how to kill him. Laertes on the other hand wastes no time in getting a straight and to the point plan that he can execute immediately. After spending more than half the play watching Hamlet squirm around on the stage getting almost nothing accomplished, the audience would be acutely aware of the stark difference between Hamlet and Laertes even though they share the same motivations. Laertes has his speed but he shares in Hamlets lack of critical thinking when he gets hot headed. He is in such a blind rage that he doesn’t think on what he is agreeing to do with Claudius. Just like Hamlet, his brash actions cost those around him his life. In carrying out the plan, the King, the Queen, Hamlet, and he all die to the poison that was used in the duel. Hamlet was slow and reckless while Laertes was quick and reckless. Wilds sums up the relationship between Hamlet and Laertes perfectly, “Laertes and Hamlet have been foils to each other
The focus on wind energy will become the end of the world’s economy, electricity, and survivability if we continue to only focus on this source of power. Governments should decrease production of wind energy alone, and instead formulate a plan that consists of all “green” energy sources, which in turn will provide maximum power outage.
TOM was to arrive early in the afternoon, and there was another fluttering heart besides Maggie's when it was late enough for the sound of the gig wheels to be expected; for if Mrs Tulliver had a strong feeling, it was fondness for her boy. At last the sound came - that quick light bowling of the gig wheels - and in spite of the wind which was blowing the clouds about, and was not likely to respect Mrs Tulliver's curls and cap-strings, she came outside the door, and even held her hand on Maggie's offending head, forgetting all the griefs of the morning.