In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses foil characters to highlight young Hamlet’s inaction and procrastination in avenging his father. Shakespeare ultimately leads us to believe that in order for action to be worthwhile, it must be both immediate and righteous—one or the other won’t suffice.
Early in the play, it becomes apparent that Laertes is a foil character for Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet are spied on by Polonius and Claudius, respectively, and both seek revenge for the death of their fathers and are successful in committing murder. Both Laertes and Hamlet are grieving—Laertes over the death of his sister and Hamlet over the death of his father. The two characters are truly juxtaposed at Ophelia’s funeral, when Hamlet leaps into her grave …show more content…
Also like Hamlet, his kingdom is currently ruled by his uncle and he is, therefore, nephew to the king. Fortinbras goes to war for a piece of land that is worth nothing in order to maintain his father’s honor. The captain of the army states that “We go to gain a little patch of ground/That hath in it no profit but the name” and admits that he would not “pay five ducats” for it and that it has no use for farming either (4.4.17-20). It is evident that Fortinbras’ father’s honor is just as important to him as King Hamlet’s honor is to Hamlet. The difference between the two characters is that Hamlet wasted time and did not act immediately, but Fortinbras took immediate action. Fortinbras could summon up the the passion and courage to fight for virtually no gain, simply to carry out his plan to avenge his father. Hamlet even swears that now he will finally do it and declares that “from this time forth,/[his] thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth” but incredibly, still succumbs to inaction (4.4.68-9). In the end, Fortinbras lives, and Hamlet dies, and we are left to modify the theme of action over inaction to conclude that immediate, righteous action surmounts both inaction and vengeful, poorly thought out action or
Early in the play, it becomes apparent that Laertes is a foil character for Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet are spied on by Polonius and Claudius, respectively, and both seek revenge for the death of their fathers and are successful in committing murder. Both Laertes and Hamlet are grieving—Laertes over the death of his sister and Hamlet over the death of his father. The two characters are truly juxtaposed at Ophelia’s funeral, when Hamlet leaps into her grave …show more content…
Also like Hamlet, his kingdom is currently ruled by his uncle and he is, therefore, nephew to the king. Fortinbras goes to war for a piece of land that is worth nothing in order to maintain his father’s honor. The captain of the army states that “We go to gain a little patch of ground/That hath in it no profit but the name” and admits that he would not “pay five ducats” for it and that it has no use for farming either (4.4.17-20). It is evident that Fortinbras’ father’s honor is just as important to him as King Hamlet’s honor is to Hamlet. The difference between the two characters is that Hamlet wasted time and did not act immediately, but Fortinbras took immediate action. Fortinbras could summon up the the passion and courage to fight for virtually no gain, simply to carry out his plan to avenge his father. Hamlet even swears that now he will finally do it and declares that “from this time forth,/[his] thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth” but incredibly, still succumbs to inaction (4.4.68-9). In the end, Fortinbras lives, and Hamlet dies, and we are left to modify the theme of action over inaction to conclude that immediate, righteous action surmounts both inaction and vengeful, poorly thought out action or