Fortinbras In Hamlet

If you were to read Hamlet to someone who was completely ignorant of the play and to whom Hamlet or Shakespeare were, what would they think of it? A tragic, captivating play filled with adultery, the deaths of eight, a mad woman, and supernatural encounters. Not knowing the play was a work of the literary genius known as Shakespeare, you would be lead to believe the play would be another tragedy filled with blood and death from which the plot was centered on; redemption. If this were true, would the reader not question as to why Hamlet didn’t immediately follow the orders from the ghost and avenge his father? The answer is simple; action is complex. In the story, the character of Fortinbras is introduced as a device to highlight Hamlet’s indecision …show more content…
Hamlet, the Danish Prince, is extremely thoughtful, strategic, and slow to act. The Norwegian Prince Fortinbras, however, is brash and very quick to act with little thought involved. In Act 4, Scene IV, Hamlet encounters Fortinbras’ Captain, whom is on his way to seek permission from Claudius to allow the safe passage of the Norwegian army through Denmark on their way to attack Poland. When Hamlet inquires to the reason of the invasion, he is informed the fight is over “a little patch of land that hath in it no profit but thy name” (Act.IV, Scene.IV, 98-99). Upon hearing this, Hamlet marvels in astonishment at the idea of such a bloody war over something so insignificant. Hamlet measures himself against Fortinbras, calling himself a coward through not avenging his father’s death in a timely manner. Inspired by the Norwegian Princes’ brash actions, Hamlet declares that “Oh, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”(Act 4, Scene 4, 65-66). This inspiration re-focuses Hamlet on the main task of avenging his father’s death by murdering Claudius. It becomes apparent throughout the play that Shakespeare not only wants the reader to compare Hamlet to Fortinbras, but Hamlet himself to Fortinbras. In many ways, Hamlet and Fortinbras are very similar, for example: both men’s fathers have been killed, both men’s uncles are …show more content…
Though it is his longest story, it is also considered the most captivating. The story challenges the reader to read between the lines and understand the underlying messages throughout the play. Lessons, according to Hamlet, to take away from the play would be: The world’s a prison, never trust your friends, you’ll never understand women, and the only truth is found through illusion. The complexity of action is a reoccurring theme throughout the story, as we often see Hamlet holding himself next to the brash Norwegian prince Fortinbras, and his quick actions. In Shakespeare’s greatest revenge drama, we see how Hamlet is inspired by Fortinbras, how Fortinbras was a literary tool used to foil prince Hamlet, and how Hamlet’s thoughtfulness came both at an advantage and disadvantage to