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Dramatic Foils In Hamlet

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Hamlet and Laertes are dramatic foils because of their different personalities, their difference in personalities cause them to be dramtic foils. A dramatic foil is a character who contrasts with another character. A quality that differs from Laertes from Hamlet is how they handle obstacles. Hamlet approaches situations with more thought; planning and strategizing. Laertes on the other hand likes to jump to conclusions, and reacts with no thoughts about future consequences. Throughout the play Hamlet and Laertes prove to have different personalities, but share love for the same people, and are both on missions to avenge their father. When Hamlet first learns that Claudius is the murderer of his father, he first makes sure that he is proven guilty of the murder by creating a plan. First he investigates his dads murder, then he waits until it is the perfect time to avenge his father’s death. Here he hesitates to kill claudius because if he does he’ll go to heaven and that would be pointless to send a villain to heaven. “And so he goes to heaven, And so I am revenged. That would be scanned; A villain kills my father and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain to heaven.” (Shakespeare.83) Hamlet lets the opportunity to kill Claudius go here because in result he will just …show more content…

When he is notified about his father’s death he goes through an instant rage. During his rage Laertes enters the Kings castle and threatens to kill him. He says “Where is this King?-Sirs, stand you all without.” (Shakespeare.122) Laertes doesn’t take his time to research the murder of his dad. Laertes just assumes it is the King who has killed his father, so he seeks revenge on the King without realizing the consequences he may suffer in result. Laertes is not as introspective, after a while he just wants to get the revnge

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