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The importance of laertes in hamlet
The importance of laertes in hamlet
Relationships in hamlet on love
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A father – son relationship is a very odd and beautiful thing, naturally a son looks up to his father in everything especially on how to be a man. In contrast a father’s goal is to raise and advise his son using past experiences so that he can surpass him and carry on the honor of the family. In the tragic play Hamlet by William Shakespeare it’s all about family relationships especially father and sons, Shakespeare includes the stories of three young men who have all lost their fathers: Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras. All their relationships and fate at the end are very different but it is Laertes and Polonius that is the most striking in the play because we get to see more of their relationship in action, it seems as though it’s the most normal, and it definitely highlights the flaws of the other two relationships. In this tragic play there is an element of duty and protection, trustworthiness, and loyalty between Polonius and Laertes. Though there relationship is not perfect with these vital elements in their relationship it shows there ever living love for each other.
Naturally when a son tells his father that he wants to move out and live his own life in a different country it might spark some worry for his well-being in a father. Towards the beginning of the play you can see a great deal of a father and son’s duty and protection for one another when Laertes tells us of his move out of Denmark to France. : In Act 1 Laertes exclaims to the king “My dread Lord, You leave and favor to return to France… Yet now I must confess, that duty done,”(1.2.51-54) saying that he has done his duty to him and desires to leave Denmark; this may seem odd at first because it sounds like Laertes want to leave his father, family, and home. But ...
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All in all based on their duty and protection, trustworthiness, and loyalty to each other Laertes remained the most normal relationship in the play and it’s clear that they both loved each other deeply though they didn’t have the change to tell it to each other. The long list of normal fatherly advice that Polonius gives creates a somewhat stereotypical father-son signifying his love for Laertes, in the play’s many family relationships. Though Polonius was distrustful of Laertes in France it’s arguable that he could have been over protective of his son because of his love for him. The headstrong, active, loyal and affectionate Laertes when his father died contrasted with Hamlet becoming his foil in the play. The purpose of Polonius and Laertes father – son relationship is important as it enriches the conflicts occurring in Fortinbras and Hamlet’s family.
The first foil or character that sets off Hamlet, in the play is Laertes. After King Hamlet's death, he, along with Prince Hamlet, return to Denmark for the funeral services. That is the first sign that Laertes will become a foil to Hamlet in the play. Both Laertes and Hamlet are very fond of Laertes' sister, Ophelia, which is the second similarity of the two. Another similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is the father figure of each, Polonius to Laertes and Claudius to Hamlet, has someone to watch them to see if they are acting accordingly. [accordingly?] In act two, scene one, Polonius instructs Reynaldo to go to Paris to give Laertes money and messages, and to find other Danes that will give him gossip about Laertes. In act two, scene two, Claudius instructs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out why Hamlet is acting so strangely. The next similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is that they both grieve over a death in the play. Laertes grieves the death of Ophelia, while Hamlet grieves over his father, King Hamlet's death. The final similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is that both seek revenge for the death of their fathers. Laertes wishes to kill Hamlet after Hamlet murders Polonius and Hamlet wants to kill Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet. Both succeed in their quest for revenge.
In Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Hamlet and Laertes act as dramatic foils, where their similarities are used to highlight their differences. Each character learns that his father has been murdered and each plots his revenge against the murderer. In the first act of the play, the ghost of Hamlet’s father tells him “Let not
New studies show men who did not have a relationship with their father tend to act out in stressful situations (Tobin 1). Father and Son relationships are a crucial part of a man’s life, it shapes who they will become; however, it is in the most strenuous circumstances that, in order to survive, a strong father-son relationship is vital. In Hamlet, a play by William Shakespeare and in the novel Night, by Elie Wiesel, Hamlet and Elie are pushed in different ways in trying to help their fathers. Night by Elie Wiesel and Hamlet by William Shakespeare emphasize how necessary a father-son relationship is in a boy’s life.
The Shakespearean play, Hamlet, is a story of revenge and the way the characters in the play respond to grief and the demands of loyalty. The importance of Fortinbras and Laertes in the play is an issue much discussed, analysed and critiqued. Fortinbras and Laertes are parallel characters to Hamlet, and they provide pivotal points on which to compare the actions and emotions of Hamlet throughout the play. They are also important in Hamlet as they are imperative to the plot of the play and the final resolution. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are three young men who are placed in similar circumstances, that is, to avenge their father's deaths. The way the each comes to terms with their grief and how they rise to the call of vengeance is one of main contrasts between the three.
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.
Laertes holds the most important role as a foil to Hamlet. He represents the rage that boils within Hamlet and the revenge which he seeks. In many ways Laertes mirrors Hamlet's character. Their anger is precipitated through the same source, the untimely death of their fathers. Other similarities between the two men include the love that they both felt for Ophelia, and the heartfelt sorrow which they displayed upon her tragic death. The differences between Hamlet and Laertes become obvious as the two characters are played off of each other. Both men are the dutiful sons of their father's. However Leartes is portrayed as the well-breed son, while Hamlet's character is played down to that of a more peculiar type commoner who possesses few royal qualities. Although both men are students, Leartes prefers to indulges in a Parisian type lifestyle, whereas Hamlet chooses to study in the more subdued atmosphere of Whittenburg. There is also a difference in the way that both men react to the death of their fathers. Upon learning of his father's death, Laertes immediately allows his grievances to be known and chooses to go strait to the arena for his revenge. Hamlet chooses a more peculiar approach...
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge is very palpable as the reader examines the characters of Hamlet himself, as well as Laertes, son of Polonius, and Fortinbras, prince of Norway and son of the late King Fortinbras. Each of these young characters felt the need to avenge the deaths of their fathers who they felt were untimely killed at the bloody hands of their murderers. However, the way each chose to go about this varies greatly and gives insight into their characters and how they progress throughout the play. Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are similar in the fact that each had love, or at least respect, their fathers. Enough to make an attempt to wreak revenge upon their fathers murderers at the risk of their own reputation, freedom, and souls.
Ophelia’s death caused distress in both Hamlet and Laertes and it also made Laertes more hostile towards Hamlet. Association with their families makes Hamlet and Laertes even more similar. The love and respect that they have for their fathers bring them to life threatening situations. Hamlet compares his father to a sun god “Hyperion” and similarly Laertes highly respects and loves his father Polonius.
This belief leads to the death of Polonius, and furthermore to the death of Hamlet. In the next scene, Hamlet's fate is sealed. Polonius, the "Wretched, rash, intruding fool", (81) was up to his old tricks, while Hamlet accidentally slays Polonius mistaking Polonius for Claudius. Later on, Laertes returns to avenge his father. "How came he dead?" (99) asked
Hamlet has a strong love for his parents and is hurt to see them either die, or fall into the scheme of Old Hamlet’s brother-in-law. Without love in our lives, we would feel almost neglected by the world. After Hamlet’s father dies, he desires his father’s love and comfort that he is unable to get. He turns to his mother after his father’s death and is turned away by her because she has other things to focus on rather than the grieving of Hamlet. Hamlet feels hurt by his mother’s actions and is jealous that she appears to love Claudius and not her own son.
This piece takes into account Hamlet’s thoughts of suicide, how his revenge will affect Claudius’ soul, and his dislike of deceit and other violations of Christian law to emphasize Hamlet’s devoutness. This devoutness is demonstrative of Hamlet’s strong moral compass and willingness to follow his conscience. This same consideration of one’s conscience is not demonstrated by two other characters in Hamlet who are in situations similar to Hamlet’s, Laertes and Fortinbras. Laertes is the son of a noble man named Polonius, who Hamlet accidentally murders because he mistook him for Claudius. Fortinbras is the Prince of Norway, whose father was killed by Old King Hamlet in war. All three of these young men have faced the death of their father, and pursue justice. However, Hamlet’s deep sense of morality binds him to Christian doctrine, which prevents him from immediately taking action toward avenging his father’s death. Laertes and Fortinbras lack this dominant moral compass possessed by Hamlet. This is made clear by their immediate, aggressive pursuit of vengeance and their employment of deception as means to an end.
"Laertes is a mirror to Hamlet. Shakespeare has made them similar in many aspects to provide a greater base for comparison when avenging their respective fathers' deaths" (Nardo, 90). Both Hamlet and Laertes love Ophelia in different ways. Hamlet wishes Ophelia to become his wife, Laertes loves Ophelia as a sister. Hamlet is a scholar at Wittenberg; Laertes is also a scholar at France. Both were brought up under this royal family of Denmark. And both are admired for their swordsmenship. But most important of all, both of them loved and respected their fathers greatly, and showed great devotion when plotting to avenge their fathers' deaths.
Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. His contribution to the ideology of sexism and incest is not as direct as the other characters but it is just as significant. His daughter, Ophelia, is deeply in love with the title character, Hamlet. Polonius constantly observes the suspicious relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet. He tries to intervene between his daughter’s relationships with Hamlet. Since her love for Hamlet is so strong, Ophelia becomes disobedient and rebellious to her father just so that she could make a way to fulfill the needs of Hamlet. Polonius tries to help Ophelia understand that she is basically “bait” to Hamlet and she must avoid falling for his word but she refuses to listen. Along with Polonius, his son Laertes is also attempting to protect Ophelia from Hamlet.
... the only way to honour his father Polonius is by killing Hamlet. In addition, as Claudius reads the letter from Hamlet to Laertes he says “'Tis Hamlet’s character. “Naked” And in a postscript here, he says “alone.” Can you advise me?” (IV, VII, 52-53). This shows that Claudius takes advantage of Hamlet’s return alone as an opportunity for Laertes to kill him. Through Claudius’s actions the readers observe how he deceives Laertes into killing Hamlet for his own benefit without getting blood on his hands. Furthermore, Claudius’ desperation to kill Hamlet leads to him losing sight of what is important, which is being the king of Denmark, what he originally wanted, instead the lies he told and the manipulation he spread is now taking over. To conclude, it is evident through the play that the words and actions of Claudius have only lead to the spread of deception.
”(153) It becomes clear that the parallels presented throughout the play are there to further illuminate the flaws of Hamlet’s character. Laertes is a hot-headed man looking for revenge. 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.