Who is laertes in the play hamlet

Laertes obviously loves his dad. And he loves his little sis, too—maybe even a little too much. This, of course, happens just before Laertes fights with his dead sister's ex-boyfriend about who loved Ophelia the most.

Yep, we're thinking that there's a little "more than kin" at work here. And that's not too surprising, in a play that revolves around a young man who's consumed with his mother's sexuality and marriage to her brother-in-law. And in the end, Laertes' obsession with his family ends up killing him—just as it kills Hamlet. Is Shakespeare advising us all to chill out a little with the tribal allegiances? In Elizabethan times, when Hamlet was writte Revenge is the motive for both of these princes because of their dead fathers, but the way and the reason they seek it is extremely different.

Hamlet wants revenge because the ghost of his father told him to and Fortinbras wants revenge to reclaim the land that his father lost when he died. Fortinbras is more focused on the honour of his country, Norway, but all Hamlet cares about is killing his fathers murderer. This is the beginning of a vicious cycle of hatred, death and revenge that destroys many lives.

Hamlet sees that Fortinbras is willing to risk his own life just to avenge his father and his name. However just like Laertes, Hamlet does get his revenge in the end, but was it worth all the unwanted death? So Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all get their revenge in one way or the other, but was it worth it?

Notably, the ghost tells Hamlet to enact his revenge in the opening scenes of the play; he seems hesitant, as if he questions death for the first time. His will to continuously get himself into situations that inflict a great deal of emotional stress is astonishing, and his change in attitude about his indecisiveness about murder is not beneficial, rather it kills him in the end.

Having a healthy fear of death is normal --one must realize death is unavoidable, while constant thought about death creates unhealthy anxiety. Polonius like Hamlet lets his feelings govern his decisions and does away with his reason.

Laertes decides to avenge his fathers death in a dual with Hamlet in which both get poisoned by the same sword and are killed. Fortinbras having obeyed his uncle and holding back his rage and anger saved himself from the consequences of revenge. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. The Importance of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet 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. He declares that he will repay his friends, and have vengeance on those who are his enemies.

At this point in the story, Laertes has followed his loyalty, love, and honour to the decisive point, and the scales have tipped off balance. He has tried the Stoic way, similar to Horatio, of staying totally apart, but has failed in this attempt, and he now tries to take the other end of the spectrum, to balance his previous inaction with the action of vengeance, and revenge. When the final half begins of Act Five, Scene Two, Hamlet and Laertes are ready for the fencing match, and Hamlet begs forgiveness for all transgressions against his foe.

The scales are broken. Laertes enhances the message of consistency in the play, through the extremes of his own actions. He shows that all the qualities of the characters are akin to standing on a ball, and the more one leans to one extreme or the other, without totally jumping off the ball, the more momentum is gained, and the more force is needed to offset the rolling of the ball, which is just as likely to send on spinning at a greater speed in the other direction!

Then Hamlet went away to Wittenberg and Laertes to Paris, parting the friendship. Still, Hamlet refers to Laertes as "a very noble youth. Hamlet recognizes what Shakespeare has made abundantly clear throughout the play, that Laertes is Hamlet's foil. He mirrors Hamlet but behaves in the opposite manner.