Who Is Laertes A Foil In Hamlet

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare there are many distinct characters, who each have their own original characteristics and personalities. Hamlet, the main character, has incredible character depth, as he is neither good nor bad. His interactions with other personalities in the play are what helps the reader to form opinions on the nature of Hamlet’s own actions. These characters also help the reader to notice the faults and or triumphs in the character of Hamlet. There are many personalities in Hamlet that are stark contrasts with Hamlet himself, these foil characters help the establish the depth of Hamlet’s personality.

One of the most evident cases of a foil character is Hamlet and Fortinbras., for both these men have lost their fathers,

and both are princes who feel they need to avenge them. Hamlet is not a man of action but rather talking about action.While staring down at the army Fortinbras commands, Hamlet shames himself for not taking action against his father's death like Fortinbras when he says, “I do not know why yet I live to say 'This thing's to do,' sith I have cause, and will and strength, and means to do 't...How stand I, then, that have a father kill'd, a mother stained, excitements of my reason and my blood, and let all sleep”(4.4.44-46,56-59). Hamlet knows what he must to do avenge his father, for King Hamlet gave direct orders to him, yet he cannot take action. Hamlet is ashamed of himself for being weak and indecisive when it comes to his own father being murdered and his mother stained with inces, and yet the men in Fortinbras’ army march to their likely death for simply some land and glory. Being almost the exact opposite of Hamlet; Fortinbras takes action. When Claudius hears of his Fortinbras’ plan he says, “ He hath not fail’d to pester us with message importing the surrender of those lands lost by his father” (1.2.22-24). Fortinbras’ father had been killed by King Hamlet in a battle, and therefore, took the land that Norway had. As soon as Fortinbras heard that King Hamlet had passed he sent note to Denmark to warn them that he was to avenge his father’s death. This is a foil to Hamlet’s character because it shows how Hamlet is not a man of action but more talking about action, for he hesitated, and talked himself out of doing what he needed to do. On the other hand Fortinbras is barely has any lines, yet he is mentioned throughout both as a threat and in admiration. This is a stark contrast to Hamlet and his personality traits. Fortinbras’ strong and swift actions are admired by all, even Hamlet himself. Hamlet, as he watches Fortinbras’ army, says, “Witness this army of such mass and charge,led by a delicate and tender prince, whose spirit with divine ambition puff’d” (4.4.47-49). When Hamlet directly admires Fortinbras and his actions it shows that he knows Fortinbras is more driven than himself. Hamlet later realizes his imminent death, and knows Fortinbras is the best option to take the crown, so he gives it to him giving him his dying voice. Fortinbras, after Hamlet has passed, says “Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage for he as likely..to have proved most royal”. (5.2.375-376). Both the men have suffered a great loss, but Fortinbras proved to be the most driven and determined. These characteristics of the prince helped the reader to better see the hesitance and hor frightened Hamlet was of actually taking action; therefore solidifying the fact that Fortinbras is a foil for Hamlet.
Yet another character who suffers a tragic loss similar to those of Hamlet’s is Ophelia. Ophelia loses her father at the hands of her past lover, and suffers from the disappointment of someone she once loved, much like Hamlet; thus created large amounts of stress upon the young girl. Hamlet was first betrayed by his mother, for she had left Hamlet in mourning for his father to wed his uncle. Hamlet speaks of the betrayal that he felt when he says, “so excellent a king,... so loving to my mother… and yet within a month-- let me not think on’t Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.139-140,145-146). Hamlet witnessed the love his mother felt for his father, and he felt as though she had betrayed him and his father when she, as he saw it, forgot about him to marry his brother. Hamlet is greatly disappointed by his mother's weakness. Ophelia is also a victim to such disappointment, but hers comes from a lover. Hamlet brakes Ophelia’s heart and trust when he blatantly tells her after denying his love for her, “You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not”(3.1.116-117). Hamlet had made Ophelia fall for him by telling her many lies, for he is even telling her that she cannot believe any men due to the fact that they will lie to her because of her beauty. Not only is Hamlet playing off the affair as though it meant nothing to him, he is also telling Ophelia that all men will lie to her as he did, so she should simply give up and go to a nunnery, for there is no way to escape the disappointment of men. Ophelia can be seen as a foil to Hamlet for how they both handle these betrayals. While Hamlet does take these acts of disloyalty seriously, for he cannot trust his mother for the rest of the play, he does not let them eat away at his thoughts. Hamlet often thinks about suicide as an escape to the murderous tasks and betrayals he faces. The best example of this is in one of his soliloquies when Hamlet asks, “To be or not to be, that is the question:whether ‘tis nobler in the mind so suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against the sea of troubles” (3.1.56-59). Hamlet knows he has a duty to avenge his father, but the pressure put on him and the disappointment he feels is daunting enough to make him think dying would be a better option. Ophelia copes with this pressure and betrayal in a directly opposite way. Ophelia slowly goes mad after the loss of her father and betrayal and embarrassment felt after Hamlet humiliated her. In the midst of her self-destructive madness she sings a song with the lyrics, “ You promised me to wed, So would I ‘a’ done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed” (4.5.62-64). Here Ophelia is directly blaming Hamlet for leaving her and betraying her. Ophelia eventually succumbs to her mental fracturing madness and kills herself. Her failure to push through the pressure and disappointment makes Hamlet's mental strength more apparent to the reader, as he went through similar struggle. This make Ophelia a successful character foil for Hamlet.
Laertes is yet another character who loses his father in the play, and he also loses his sister Ophelia, who is Hamlet’s love interest.

Laertes is a foil to Hamlet once again with his actions upon hearing of his father’s death. We see Hamlet struggle with avenging his father's death throughout the entire play. Hamlet lets his intelligence talk him out of killing Claudius when he sees him praying; Hamlet tells himself, “Now might I do it pat, now ‘a is a-praying, and now I’ll do’t-- and so a’ goes to heaven” (3.3.73-774). Hamlet knows he must requite his father, but does not make any rash decisions because he knows he must be smart about it, as to get full revenge. Laertes, like Hamlet, loses his father, but he reacts rashly and without much thought. In fact, Laertes assumes it is Claudius who kill his father at first and he says, “To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father”(4.5.129-134). Laertes is ready and willing to avenge his father and kill Claudius, but he does not take anytime to think. While Laertes does not even know Claudius was not the one who killed him. It is as simple as that, his father is dead and he wants revenge, it requires no time for thought or consideration. When he finds that it is Hamlet, rather than Claudius he shows great pleasure in the fact that he, himself, will be able to deal Hamlet a fatal blow in a fight. There is no soul-searching, no worrying about an afterlife and no concerns about conscience. It is a simple matter. His father has been killed by Hamlet, so Hamlet must die at his hands. It was Laertes’ rash decisions guided by his desire to take quick action that eventually lead to his demise. Laertes unfortunately does not get to see the the results of his revenge, but he does realize the error in his rash ways. Before he dies

he tells Hamlet, “Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee” (5.2.309). While Hamlet is dying due to wounds caused by Laertes, he does manage to finally enact his revenge on Claudius and kill him. His revenge though, barely acted on time, was committed moments before his death. Hamlet angrily shouts as he kills Claudius, “Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother” (5.2.305-306) It is in this scene that Laertes and Hamlet are most apparent as foils. Laertes is in this position due to his rash actions, yet Hamlet’s inability to act gave Claudius the opportunity end Hamlet’s life and also accidently his mother’s as well. Hamlet's greatest flaw is shown through the foil between him and Laertes; this is his hesitation and inability to commit and take action.
All of the these characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet face similar struggles and pressures, but it is the way they cope with these issues that create foil characters. Hamlet’s morals and character traits are shown through the use of foil characters contrasting his traits making them more apparent and creating more character depth.