Hamlet Fortinbras Analysis

The Effectiveness of Having Laertes and Fortinbras in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is infuriated with his mother, Gertrude, for marrying his uncle, Claudius, less than two months after his father’s death. Hamlet, the main protagonist, has two characters who act as foils to him, and they are Fortinbras and Laertes. Not only do they want revenge on their father’s murderers, but they are willing to do so at all costs, even if it means destroying their reputation and independence. They also find different ways to cope with their troubles. These foils enhance the importance of Hamlet’s character throughout the play.

Even though Fortinbras

He brings excuses to not kill Claudius because he is very particular about when the best time is to kill him. For example, when Claudius is supposedly repenting and asking for forgiveness for his wrongful deeds, Hamlet thinks too much, for he believes that killing Claudius now will send him to Heaven. Hamlet thinks, “A villain kills my father, and for that, / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To heaven” (3.3.76-8). How could he be so sure that there is even a Heaven or Hell? In other words, he poses a problem where, in reality, none exists. As a result, because of this difference between Fortinbras and Hamlet, we learn that Hamlet can be overcritical.

Moreover, Fortinbras is about to conquer a small piece of land without hesitation in order to honor his father. Consequently, his purpose is to characterize the bloody deeds that Hamlet cannot descend to. Hamlet praises Fortinbras, “Exposing what is mortal and unsure / To all that fortune, death, and danger dare, / Even for an eggshell” (4.4.53-5). Therefore, Shakespeare allows the audience to see how Hamlet admires a man who can act on an action that is much smaller than Hamlet’s cause of action. That is, hamlet is conflicted, and he proclaims, “My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!”

For example, seeing Ophelia so crazy makes Laertes even more willing to plot his revenge. Similarly, seeing the ghost for the second time reassures and reminds Hamlet about his main purpose, which is to simply kill Claudius instead of wasting time and energy by accusing his mother and arguing with her. As a result, the Ghost visits Hamlet a second time in order to strengthen his desire to kill his uncle. The only difference is that Laertes did not ponder on the situation like Hamlet did. This opens the eyes of the audience to see that after all Hamlet has seen and heard concerning the truth about his father’s death, he still has doubts and questions. This stands out and brings to our attention, for we might say, “After so much evidence has been clearly shown to you, Hamlet, how come you still do not believe?” As a result, he is clearly a complex