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Comparing Shakespeare's Hamlet: Polonius, Laertes And Ophelia

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In Act 1, Scene 3 of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia’s father, prepares and warns his children about their near future as young adults. This scene veers away from Prince Hamlet’s main storyline and focuses on the domestic relationship of the chief counselor’s family. Though their discussion primarily reveals their family dynamic, it also alludes to Hamlet’s future. In Scene 3, Laertes’s relationship with his father and sister appears typical for the time. His father advises him to stay true to himself and reminds him to protect his reputation and family legacy while studying in Paris. While Polonius displays immense care for his son, he and his son also exhibit over protection of Ophelia. Both men agree on Hamlet’s …show more content…

Like any fine father, Polonius grants Laertes advice for his academic transfer to Paris. Polonius’ advice derives from his own honesty and experiences as he states, “to thine own self be true... Thou canst not then be false to any man” (Line 84-86). In addition, Polonius also encourages him to regulate his money wisely and to associate with proper individuals. His strong emphasis on integrity heavily reflects himself as he likely abides by the same rules. Similarly, when giving Ophelia advice to disassociate with Hamlet, Laertes also speaks from experience. Proven on line 51, Ophelia remarks, “Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven” (Lines 51-52) and calls Laertes a hypocrite. She claims that he too uses his words untruly and indulges in unholy acts with women. Nonetheless, Laertes still applies his knowledge for the welfare of his sister. His endearment further attests to his righteous character which derived from his honorable father. The Juxtaposition of their healthy relationship and Hamlet’s toxic relationship with his new stepfather create contempt between the characters. Buried with grief and loathing, Hamlet despises King Claudius’s absence of empathy and support for himself. The relationship between Polonius and Laertes is everything that Prince Hamlet and King Claudius’s lack. Though neither relationship reflects the other,

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The Awakening Of Hamlet and Laertes Comparing Laertes and Hamlet. Figuring out how they are alike and dislike in many ways, most of the play they are well alike. After Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes down the road faces the same problems as Hamlet; a murdered father. In the beginning Laertes and Hamlet didn’t have the same similarities, but since both of there fathers were murdered they both have something in common. While Hamlet, is messing around and playing with the murderer as if he was an animal, Laertes takes immediate action.

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This is evidence of tension between Laertes and Hamlet and foreshadows the later confrontation between them. On the contrary, Hamlet feels romantic love for Ophelia. His love is supposedly so passionate that “Forty thousand brothers/ Could not with all their quantity of love” (V, i, 275-276) care for her as much as he does. Both Laertes and Hamlet carry their love to Ophelia’s grave. While at the grave, Laertes shows his brotherly love for Ophelia once more when he stands inside her grave and exclaims “Hold off the earth awhile,/

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murder, he accidently stabs Polonius in the chest. Ophelia thought that Hamlet didn’t love her, so she jumped off of a bridge. The quote implies here, because it shows Hamlet lost everything, and everyone he loved in the process. Laertes had a brother like relationship with Hamlet. He loved Polonius, and Ophelia a little too much.

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However, as the daughter of Polonius, councillor to the king, her love life is heavily controlled by her father. Yet, this is not the only person interfering with her autonomy; Ophelia’s brother, Laetes treats her as his own “mock-daughter” (Olivas, 2015, p. 12). In his “moral instructions,” Ophelia is “treated as an object” (Olivas, 2015, p. 12). Laertes warns that “For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor / …Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting / The perfume and suppliance of a minute / No more” (Ham. 1.

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Polonius comes to his senses and finally realizes that Hamlet is only acting wild because of his mad love for Ophelia.

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From the outset of the dramatic tragedy, Hamlet, William Shakespeare portrays Polonius, the advisor to King Claudius, as one of a controlling, artful, manipulative, and self-centered nature, which, consequently, leads to his demise in Act III of the play. Such a character manifests itself when Polonius, warns his daughter, Ophelia, to avoid interactions with her beloved Hamlet. By ridiculing Ophelia’s affection for Hamlet, he derides at his daughter’s choice of partner with the remark, “Affection, puh? You speak like a green girl… Do you believe in ‘tenders’ as you call them?”

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Today, my father Polonius and my brother Laertes lectured me about Hamlet. My brother Laertes, told me that Hamlet is not honest, trustworthy and that his love for me won’t last for that long. While I was thinking about my brother's advice, my father came in to say goodbye to Laertes, it was then I realized how much I am going to miss my brother, but I thought that it was for his own good; he loves it there. Before leaving, my brother warned me one last time about Hamlet. My father also agreed with my brother's advice telling me that I should not spend time with Hamlet and that I completely stop seeing him.

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Amelia Schriner English 4 Lanning 10/19/2017 In this paper I am going to be comparing Hamlet and Laertes. Laertes is the son of Polonius and the brother of Ophelia. Hamlet is the prince of Denmark and son of Gertrude. Hamlet 's father was killed and he believes Claudius killed him.

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He now sees it as his job to disabuse her of the notion that Hamlet could be acting honourable. With good intentions. Despite Ophelia’s defence of the Prince, her father dismisses the Laertes’ words with a cynical metaphor, saying that Hamlet’s apparent earnestness is merely a ply to catch Ophelia, a silly bird Drawing upon his own experiences when he was young, Polonius appears to be judging Hamlet by his own base standards, again echoing what his son had earlier said to Ophelia. A woman should bring honor and fortune to her family, and the image Ophelia gives off for him very much concerns Polonius. Both Laertes and Polonius tell her that the man that she loves is using her.

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(3.1.43-49) Polonius orders Ophelia to distract Hamlet even though he knows the emotional distress it will cause her. He is the reason Ophelia breaks ties with Hamlet, yet he is willing to throw her at him for his own gain. Polonius cannot rationalize that spying on Hamlet is less important than his daughter’s mental stability. His utter selfishness makes him incapable of making rational decisions that are beneficial to both himself, and his children. Polonius gives good advice that he does not take himself, showing his bad decision making.

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In the pursuit of revenge, Hamlet’s mind begins to become clouded, he becomes unable to cope with the feelings that revenge has brought upon him. In effect, he shuns Ophelia, an unnecessary act which leads to the suspension of Polonius the father of Ophelia. This unnecessary step brings the whereabouts of Polonius and Claudius, who are worried about Hamlet’s safety. Ophelia an innocent and unaware character in Hamlet

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In the exposition, Laertes is introduced as the brother to the beautiful Ophelia, the girl to whom Hamlet secretly loves. As a “loving” friend and relative, they both share a common bond in wanting to care for Ophelia, but the future shows differently than what they intended. When Ophelia died towards the end, that common bond they shared for her grew stronger and added to the fire that ultimately drew them to go against one another. Hamlet became rejectful of the news and anger soon took over. When confronted by Laertes and challenged by his feeling for

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This advice proves to be quite contrary to his actions when dealing with Hamlet’s madness. Polonius jumps in the middle of Hamlet and Ophelia and preaches that Hamlet is acting off because of his love for Ophelia. He had nearly no evidence to back this up and did not care enough to do the research. He simply acted, and did not bother to think about it beforehand. As stated by Carla Stockton, Polonius spouts aphorisms that were, even in the 16th century, clichés, his clichés constitute sound advice and his observations prove themselves prophetic.

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During Ophelia’s funeral, the drama between Hamlet and Laertes magnifies which causes more hate between their families. Laertes provokes Hamlet into fighting him by Ophelia’s grave, with their families there to witness, by saying “[t]he devil take thy soul” (V, i, 243). Following this mishap, Laertes is informed by Claudius of a strategy to end Hamlet’s life in the near future. This immoral conflict being conducted in a place that already is commemorating death displays that they are inclined to cause more people to die. This plot to kill Hamlet is not beneficial to Hamlet’s success and only weakens his personal plot to kill Claudius.

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Laertes is the son of Polonius, who is mistakenly murdered by Hamlet. Laertes goes away to school in France, only to be told that his father was murdered and there was no ceremony. Subsequently, that fueled Laertes’ core issue, the fear of betrayal. He feared that Claudius killed his father because Polonius was close to Claudius; he is the King’s advisor. Laertes’ quest for redemption is to kill Hamlet.

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