The Role of Fortinbras in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Steeped within his own pool of madness, the prince of Denmark seeks to avenge the premature death of his father. Claudius must die, die, die! Nothing else matters: not love, or death, or preservation of state, or the means to which the task is accomplished. To right what is wrong is the only focus that matters. Hamlet, blind by his own emotional transitions, is not aware until it is too late that his counterpart to the north also plots and prepares. Being one of the first writers to develop dynamic and intricate characters that leave the readers to question and interpret the characters’ actions for themselves, Shakespeare understood better than anybody else "what a piece of work is a man!" (2.2.305). In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare expresses this idea of the complexity of man through his casting of Prince Hamlet. By understanding the meaning behind the role and function of Fortinbras, it provides further innuendo into Hamlet’s character. Though similar in their predispositions, one is defined by a growing sense of certainty and resolve as the other is plagued by insanity and indecisiveness, and while Fortinbras is destined to succeed, Hamlet navigates toward his own fateful downfall.

Fortinbras functions as a foil to Hamlet throughout the play. His situation parallels Hamlet’s disposition as they enter the plot of the play. Both are princes of their own countries, their fathers have been murdered, and both are on the verge of succeeding as the next heir to the throne. The only obstacles that prevent them from the throne are their uncles, the favored successors after their fathers. While Hamlet seeks revenge against his own uncle for murdering his father in cold blood, Fortinbras’ father is murdered by the hands of H...

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...is plan to fruition after the events of the play, while Hamlet exists only as a remembrance.

Fortinbras does what Hamlet could never do. Perhaps most significantly, Fortinbras acts decisively and lives whereas Hamlet's fiasco results in a tragedy. By exposing and emphasizing Hamlet's many strengths and weaknesses as they appear throughout the play, Fortinbras in some aspects is the antithesis of Hamlet's tragic flaw. Although the Prince of Norway assists in the understanding of Hamlet, he does not fully describe the inner workings of the protagonist, thus testifying to the complexity of an individual and Shakespeare’s genius. Some people have been dissecting the character of Hamlet for years. While some characteristics can be attributed, others can only be left as questions. As long as people continue to discover Hamlet, more facets will reveal themselves.