Hamlet_and_Laertes__a_Tainted_Mirror

In the course of Shakespeare’s great tragedy Hamlet, two characters, Hamlet and Laertes, develop as “foils,” or contrasting characters. Several comparisons and contrasts can be shown between the two characters, many of which center around three main topics. Throughout this essay, I will show how Hamlet and Laertes compare and contrast in terms of avengers, sons, and personalities. To begin with, one of the most obvious examples of Hamlet’s and Laertes’s similarities rests in their roles as avengers. At first both become angry. Hamlet’s desires are revealed in his words “So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word./It is ‘adieu, adieu, remember me.’/I have sworn ‘t.” (Act I, scene v, lines 115-117). Here, it is apparent that Hamlet is angry and ready to seek revenge on his uncle, Claudius. Similarly, Laertes reveals his anger against Claudius for the death of Polonius, his father. Unlike Hamlet, Laertes literally mobs the castle upon receiving news of the death of his father, threatening the King while the Queen observes with worry. Another important aspect to note is the fact that Laertes is so bent on getting revenge that he is willing to be damned to Hell. He states that he would be willing “To cut [Hamlet’s] throat i' th’ church” (Act IV, scene vii, line 140). Hamlet, on the other hand, believes his soul more valuable than instant revenge. For this reason, he refuses to kill Claudius while he is praying. Clearly, the only similarity between Hamlet and Laertes as avengers is their desires are rash in anger. Hamlet and Laertes also can be compared as sons. Both Hamlet and Laertes have fathers deeply concerned with whether or not their son is going to soil their family name. Polonius’s concern is exposed in Act II, when he tells Reynaldo “You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo,/Before you visit him, to make inquire/Of his behavior.” (Scene i, lines 3-5). Throughout the dialog, Polonius requests that Reynaldo check up on Laertes, even at the risk of ruining Laertes’s name. Evidently, Polonius is very concerned with his son’s actions. Claudius, too, worries about Hamlet’s actions and how it will look on the castle. He believes that Hamlet is crazy and wishes to send him off to England (and even have him killed) in order to prevent the family name from being dirtied. Obviously, both sons have fathers anxious about how the sons will influence the way the family is viewed. Finally, Hamlet’s and Laertes’s differences are most evident in their personalities. To begin with, the single biggest difference between the characters of Hamlet and Laertes is the fact that Hamlet is a thinker – for that matter, an over-thinker. Until the very last act of the play, Hamlet is plagued by procrastination. Although he is extremely motivated by the story of his late father’s ghost, Hamlet sits to think about mortality and the usefulness of killing the king. For instance, Hamlet’s most famous speech appears in Act III, scene i, lines 62-94, and in it he ponders whether or not it is better to live an unhappy life or to face the unknown beyond of death. His thinking generally renders him inactive. Standing in stark contrast to Hamlet’s thinking-not-action style, Laertes moves quickly and acts rashly in his anger, choosing to act first and apologize later. This is made apparent in act V, when he speaks “I am justly killed with mine own treachery.” (Scene ii, line 323) immediately after he falls. Laertes quick action and lack of though also leads to another contradiction in his and Hamlet’s personalities. Laertes is significantly more obedient then Hamlet. While Laertes listens carefully to both his father’s and Claudius’s words, Hamlet often defies and even goes so far as to manipulate Claudius. Hamlet’s character is much deeper than Laertes. He is more intelligent, which results in Hamlet’s quick wit and sarcasm. Undoubtedly, Hamlet’s and Laertes’s personalities are considerably different.