Laertes and Hamlet are both sons who are trying to avenge their father’s death. Both men desire to achieve this goal by killing the man that killed their father. However, the two men carry out their revenge plot in different ways. Laertes is much more incisive and hot-headed while Hamlet is much more of an overthinker and is considered a more decent person than Laertes. So, Laertes acts as a foil to Hamlet because he is: sharp, impulsive, and makes a shift to become a more noble man.
When having a conversation with Ophelia, Polonius says, “I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth/ Have you so slander any moment leisure/ As to give words or talk with the lord Hamlet./ Look to’t, I chanrge you. Come your ways.” (I.III.138-141). This quote shows how Polonius is manipulating Ophelia into not ever talking to Hamlet ever again.
In “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”, William Shakespeare uses the sayings and behaviors of many of his minor characters to show his audiences the true characteristics of the protagonist, Prince Hamlet. This literary device is called a foil. A foil is a character whose traits help to clarify the character of the protagonist. In this famous play, Prince Hamlet has many foils. Laertes is the most effective foil to Hamlet because of how his life and reactions compare to that of Hamlet.
Act 4 Scenes 7. Claudius tells Laertes that it was Hamlet who out of madness killed his father. “You must believe in me that I am innocent. You must believe that I am your friend, since you’ve heard with your own ears that he also intended to kill me.
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,
Polonius comes to his senses and finally realizes that Hamlet is only acting wild because of his mad love for Ophelia.
Polonius’ nature of devious actions continues as he advises Ophelia to discontinue her relationship with Hamlet by saying “Tender yourself more dearly; Or - not to/ Crack the wind of the poor phrase, running it thus - you’ll tender me a fool” (I.III.107-9). Polonius
Polonius wants to tell the King,Hamlet's reaction about Ophelia. Hamlet's friends are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The King and Queen asked them to find out if he actually is going crazy. The King and Polonius set up a met with Hamlet to Ophelia and will hide behind the curtain to see if Hamlet will act crazy with Ophelia; that way they will know If Hamlet really loves Ophelia. Hamlet’s friends tell him that they were sent from the King and they tell him that a group of actors are coming.
Polonius and Claudius are willing to sacrifice the well being of their family members for the benefit of the court, highlighting the way in which loyalty to the ruling class takes precedence over personal relationships. They are both concerned with maintaining and enforcing societal norms, reflecting the way in which the ruling class rules over those beneath them in the societal ladder. This evidence is pungent in the act of Polonius spying on his daughter to ensure she is behaving appropriately. Both Claudius and Polonius serve as antagonists in some form to Hamlet, but they both have different motivations and actions. Polonius is the chief counselor to King Claudius, and father to Ophelia and Laertes.
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.
Before Laertes leaves for France, Polonius gives him sound fatherly advice saying: “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; / Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgement” (1.3.68-69). Polonius is telling his son to listen to many different opinions, but not to give his own. This is hypocritical of him because throughout the play he is constantly giving his own opinion. In 2.2, he tells Claudius that he believes Hamlet is mad due to his love for Ophelia. He also tells Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet because he believes Hamlet’s feelings for her are fleeting.
In Act III, scene i of The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare, readers will come upon Ophelia’s soliloquy. After Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have failed to find a reason as to why Hamlet is acting in a peculiar and mad way, Claudius is persuaded by Polonius that the reason for Hamlet’s madness is the broken romance between Hamlet and Ophelia. To prove this, Claudius and Polonius plan to spy on Ophelia’s meeting with Hamlet. During their conversation, Hamlet denies ever having loved her and curses her. Ophelia is left fretting over his sanity.
He is Hamlet’s love interest’s brother who implicates Hamlet’s success through conflict. Hamlet sparks the rivalry between the two families by killing some of the family members. By executing Laertes father and Polonius, this causes Polonius’ son, Laertes, to seek vengeance for his father. Consequently, Hamlet’s family goes against him and his love, Ophelia, kills herself. This demonstrates that family ties, even if not blood related, have serious impacts on Hamlet’s life which causes misery to overwhelm his life; this misery prohibits his success.
Ophelia responds to Polonius’ requests without resistance. For example, Ophelia easily gives away Hamlet’s love letters that. This shows her lack of appreciation towards Hamlet’s trust and love be being easily manipulated. In addition, Polonius’ corruption flaw Ophelia’s innocence when she agrees to let her father eavesdrop in on her conversation with Hamlet. Likewise, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern allow themselves to get manipulated by blindly following the crown.
Furthermore, knowing that Gertrude and Ophelia are dependent and obedient towards their male authorities, they are a little more than pawns for the scheming men in their lives. For example, when Polonius discovers Hamlet 's craziness from Ophelia, Polonius says, " Come, go with me: I will go seek the king / That is the very ecstasy of love / Whose violent property fordoes itself / And leads the will to desperate undertaking / As oft as any passion under heaven / That does afflict our natures"(2.I.101-106).