Ophelia's Foil Characters In Hamlet

Denmark’s Demise through Foil Characters in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet In his quest for revenge in order to retaliate the responsible party for the death of his father, the character of Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s famed play Hamlet is coincidentally supported by a range of characters through their actions that emphasize the protagonist’s idiosyncrasy of inaction – thus, justifying the conclusion of the play. His lover, Ophelia, emphasizes Hamlet’s hypothesized lack of masculinity which makes him subject to the “female-like” decision making process. Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, brings light to Hamlet’s inability to act promptly enough as intended. Lastly, his opposition, Fortinbras, draws attention to Hamlet’s lack of presence within the

The ghost tells Hamlet that King Claudius is culpable of regicide – thus, setting Hamlet on his path for vengeance. Through his quest for vengeance, Hamlet peruses how he will kill King Claudius; in turn, he kills numerous characters such as Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern instead. Although Hamlet claims to have put on an antic disposition (1.5.173) to further his plans, his madness seemingly becomes more real. For example, in a dialogue between Hamlet and Queen Gertrude, Hamlet is able to see the ghost while she looks upon a vacant space (3.4.105-139). Although Hamlet follows the instruction of his father, his questionable madness leads him to the answer of his questions – such as the guiltiness of King Claudius. Hamlet’s death is ultimately caused when he is stabbed with a poisoned sword; however, he finally attains his goal of killing King Claudius. By comparing the plotlines of Ophelia and Hamlet, the similarities become clearer. Both characters are young individuals that want to follow the wishes of their fathers. By doing this, they are indirectly led to their own death.

When Hamlet discovered that it was King Claudius that had killed his father, Hamlet maps out a process in which he would go about the death of Claudius. He ponders and thinks of the repercussions that may arise in every situation. At times, he inadvertently lets his emotions get the best of him. For example, his plan of revealing Claudius’s guilt through the observation of the self-reflecting play called “Mousetrap” works as Hamlet had intended. However, Hamlet’s impatience overcomes his control, allowing Claudius to realize the motives of Hamlet. Furthermore, Hamlet kills Polonius out of anger when he believes him to be King Claudius. Overall, Laertes is exceptionally comparable to Hamlet. Laertes’ father was killed by Hamlet; but the two act in completely different ways when they realize their fathers were murdered. While Hamlet is full of self-doubt and conflicting emotions, Laertes is quick to attempt to avenge his father. Laertes immediately jumps to the conclusion that King Claudius is the murderer of his father and he seeks vengeance. He is willing to storm into the Demark court – without thinking – and tell King Claudius that, “only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father” (4.5.132-133). In contrast to Laertes’ sudden actions, Hamlet ponders the chance to kill the man responsible for his father’s death. Even when Claudius is alone and the option is available, Hamlet fails