... father. First of all, Hamlet tried to avenge on King Claudius because his uncle, Clauduis, poisoned his father and claimed the throne. Secondly, Laertes, who was the son of Polonius, wanted to revenge on Hamlet because Hamlet accidentally killed his father, Polonius and Hamlet should also be responsible ... for the death of Ophelia who was Laertes's sister. And finally, Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, whose father had been killed by King Hamlet many years ago, wanted to take over ... Then, Hamlet stabbed Claudius and forced him to drink the poisoned wine. After all, Claudius died and ...

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• Grade Level: High School

... send Claudius to heaven and leave Hamlet in eternal hell fire and he would not really avenge his father. Laertes then agrees to a duel between himself and Hamlet for which Claudius has concocted a scheme. Laertes's rapier will be sharpened and the tip will be poisoned and Hamlet's will just be blunt. In case ... He is justly served/It us a poison tempered by himself/Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet'' (Lines 307-309, Act 5 scene 2). We see that Laertes has realised his mistake and has learned that he must answer to his own actions. He is saddened by his own immoral actions which...

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... father's deaths. The different ways that each deals with their grief and how they enact their vengeance is one of the main contrasts between the three characters. Both Fortinbras and Laertes serve as foils to the main character of Hamlet. The character of Laretes is a mirror to Hamlet. Perhaps Shakespeare made them similar to provide a greater base for comparison when ... the worlds I give to negligence, "(IV, V, 134) he declares. Hamlet however, philosophizes about the afterlife, and whether "...In that sleep of death what dreams may come."(III, I, 66) Hamlet and Laertes represent the t...

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... dire consequence resulting in chaos and mayhem. In Shakespeare's "Hamlet" this is very apparent through the embodiment of this exact scenario in Hamlet, Laertes, and Prince Fortinbras. All three men have lost their fathers to cold undaunting homicide and all three have been compelled to avenge their father's ... the concluding scenes, the guilty as well as the innocent become victim to treacherous death. In the case of the proud and brash Laertes he takes the exact opposite approach of Hamlet, where he neglects the necessity for analyzing his situation for enacting proper and successful ...

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... and major characters play equally important roles in the progression of the plot. Although the courtiers in Hamlet, such as Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Laertes, help Hamlet find his true self, evoke the madness and spying theme, and they ironically bring his destruction and ultimately show the spectrum of courtiers ... in the court of Denmark. Polonius is "a man devoted to his family and his state"(Church 416) who looks out for his children, Ophelia and Laertes. His wife is nowhere to be found, so as a single father he has responsibility at home, and in the court of Denmark a...

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... not lasting." It is unequivocally clear that Ophelia's brother believes Hamlet is only physically attracted to her, and that any relationship could not seriously last. Laertes points out that "Perhaps" Hamlet loves Ophelia now, but "his will is not his own" and "he himself is subject to his birth". ... choose a wife who has royal blood, regardless of whom he might actually love. Therefore Ophelia could not become Hamlet's wife. In addition, Laertes suggests that his sister should remain "chaste" as she would lose her honour if she lost her virginity to Hamlet before marriage, and she wou...

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... a goodly king." One of Hamlet's most significant themes is the one about revenge. Throughout the play there are three central plots for revenge. Hamlet vows revenge on his uncle, Claudius. Laertes vows revenge on Hamlet. Fortinbras vows revenge on King Hamlet. There is also another minor revenge plot during the play within a play where Priam seeks revenge for his father's murder ... . All three characters endure the death of their father, which shows a common bond between Hamlet, Fortinbras and Laertes. The theme of war runs alongside Hamlet's revenge plot as the army of Norway led by Fo...

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... children is touched upon in Hamlet, throughout the entire play. The first example of this is seen through the relationship of Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia. Polonius offers Laertes good, fatherly advice before Laertes leaves Denmark. Polonius tells him, "Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; / Take each man's censure, but reserve ... thy judgement." (I, iv, 68-69). He wants his son to be wise and stay clear of conflict. He suggests that Laertes should listen to others rather than interject. Polonius eventually offers his last piece of advice saying, "This above all: to thine own s...

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... vengeance that does not end with his own demise, as well as, ascendancy to the conveniently empty throne of Denmark. Secondly, there is Laertes, son of Polonius. Laertes seeks out revenge using lex talionis, "an eye for an eye;- and to this he is entitled to. In these times, the eldest ... but if honour meant anything to him; and in these times, honour meant everything, than it was his obligation to exact his vengeance upon Hamlet. Laertes, having such noble qualities as being inherently good and having a basic honesty and courage, takes up this challenge to kill Hamlet. Unfortunately, ci...

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... of the king's courtiers tells Hamlet that the king "has laid a great wager on your head" (5.2.97-8), Hamlet learns that he is challenged to a duel with Laertes which is to happen before the king and queen. Even though Hamlet has a sword in his hand and Claudius perfectly reachable he still does not kill him. It ... is that Claudius planned the duel in order to kill him. In an earlier scene Claudius and Laertes make plans to poison the tip of Laertes's sword so that the slightest cut will kill Hamlet. Claudius decides that if Laertes cannot cut Hamlet they will need another way, so Claudiu...

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... trust in Claudius and all he wants is revenge. This encouraged him to makes terrible decision while he is seeking his revenge. Claudius confides in Laertes: Hamlet comes back: what would you undertake, To show yourself in deed your father's son More than in words? (Act 4:7 124-126 ... that Claudius tells him, some of which is true. The very fact that Laertes questions Hamlet about his father's death, shows just how difficult it is for Laertes to trust Hamlet. Hamlet's poor decision on killing Polonius believing it was Claudius has caused Laertes to lose trust in Hamlet. If Hamlet had the...

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• Grade Level: High School

... , what they say and what others say about them. The most revengeful characters in the play are Hamlet, the Ghost of King Hamlet, King Claudius and Laertes. Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is very disturbed by his father's death and his mother's quick marriage to his uncle. Hamlet feels that, "Denmark is ... election and my hopes,"(i.: v.: 975). The devious King Claudius plans to kill Hamlet anyway that he can. When his first attempt fails, he manipulates Laertes to have him help. The king boldly states in one of their discussions, "No place indeed should murder sanctuarize, Revenge should...

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... love for her seem false and childish. "A toy in my blood"- a passion without meaning or depth. This advice seems highly hypocritical, Ophelia makes Laertes aware of this - "Do not as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles like a puffed and reckless ... less sensitive and somewhat dismissive. "Affection! Pooh!" and "Think yourself a baby." Polonious" tone is patronizing, condescending and much less thoughtful than that of Laertes. Yet Ophelia vows to obey both of their advice. ""Tis in my memory locked, and you yourself shall keep the key of it" and...

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... was always conducted by his father, can not support his death. Now she doesn't have his protection anymore and feels very insecure and desolated. Even her brother Laertes is not there to console her. So, because of his father's death and Hamlet's behavior, Ophelia goes mad and commits "suicide". Her death is the ... thing it loves." (Act IV, scene V, page 150, l.152-160) "One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So fast they follow - your sister's drown"d, Laertes." (Act IV, scene VII, page 185, p.164-165) Although there is no textual evidence to support that Ophelia commits suicide, sin...

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... there is a sense of closeness between Hamlet and Gertrude. Later in the play when Ophelia exits after her maddened singing and Claudius is conversing with Laertes, he says: "the Queen his mother lives almost by his looks-. This reveals the need for Hamlet in his mother's life. The Closet Scene ... as his indecisiveness and his unwillingness to undertake the murder of the King because ultimately Hamlet also dies due to his delay in action, as Laertes and Claudius were able to produce a counter-attack. Hamlet is a hero because he eventually avenges his father's death, which was his origina...

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... certain individuals to speak rationally with. The final argument proving Hamlet's sanity during the course of the play is that after Hamlet's altercation with Laertes at Ophelia's funeral, Hamlet suddenly ceases to put on this antic disposition. During Hamlet's feigned madness, whenever he was speaking to someone ... the fact that he believes that Osric is a member of the court only because he possesses a great deal of fertile land. Immediately prior to Hamlet and Laertes engaging in their duel Hamlet, whilst speaking in a sane coherent fashion, requests: "Give me your pardon, sir. I ha...

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... here because later in Act 5 we see that Hamlet feels sorry that he had fought with Laertes because Laertes is in the same state of revenge for the death of his father. This shows that Hamlet and Laertes are similar in the way they associate with their families. Laertes highly respects and loves his father Polonius, so does Hamlet (Hamlet compares his father to ... after Hamlet has told her about Claudius's act of murder she still protects him; and when Laertes rushes into the king's apartment accusing him of murder, she tries to calm him down "calmly good Laertes" and later defends Clau...

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... into an adult. Shakespeare doesn't describe to the audience exactly what Hamlet was like while in college, but we can piece together a picture of him. Laertes describes Hamlet's attitudes toward Ophelia as "trifling", a "toy in blood" and "primy" (1.3.12-14) suggesting that Hamlet ... in the play, once Ophelia has drowned after the death of Polonius, Hamlet regrets what he's said and done to Ophelia. As he fights with Laertes at Ophelia's funeral, Hamlet shouts out, "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers/ Could not with all their quantity of love/ Make up my ... to gracefully accept t...

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... (Greenan, 83). In Shakespeare's play, the death of Old King Hamlet triggers different actions in its major characters; especially Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, Laertes, and to a lesser extent Polonius and Ophelia. These actions are disastrous not only to Denmark as a political entity; but also lead to the ... his mood alters between depression and elation (pinkmonkey.com). Although he does not commit suicide, Ophelia, his beloved, does, after Hamlet accidentally kills her father; Laertes describes it thus: " And so have I a noble father lost, a sister driven into desperate terms, but my r...

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... to take these vengeances and point them into a direction of his liking. That is all accept one. Because Hamlet keeps to himself, and "holds thy tongue" setting him apart from Laertes and Fortinbras, Claudius is unable to manipulate the situation. One reason Hamlet is so different from the other two characters could have to do with the difference in his father ... son relationship. Polonesious and Laertes are shown to have a good relationship sharing similar views. Both of them give advice to Ophelia, telling her to stay away from Hamlet. Hamlet on the other hand most likely ... , as his...

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... 59-70).[9] It is possible that "poison in the ear" is an image of temptation. In that case, Claudius's later whispered plottings with Laertes, Ophelia, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are further examples of "poison in the ear." In view of the development of poison imagery early in the ... play, it is significant that Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes ultimately fall as victims of swords "envenomed" by the same "serpent" Claudius (5.2.326). Claudius has also wed Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and queen ... inadvertently kills Polonius. As if that were not enough, he rejects Ophelia, sending he...

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... act of vengeance. His putting off of the killing of Claudius leads to the death of almost all the main characters, including Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This in turn leaves the audience feeling an unsettling sense of confusion as opposed to the satisfying sense of retribution they are ... avoid giving the audience the satisfaction they are so craving. It happens in the last scene, and in this same scene both Hamlet, Gertrude and Laertes are as well killed. This is too late and too messy an act of vengeance to provide the sense of relief found in most reveng...

• Word Count: 1503
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . His plan backfires when his wife takes a drink from the cup instead of Hamlet and the poison eventually kills her. During the time of that incident, Hamlet is fencing with Laertes. Laertes sees that Hamlet if far beyond him in his fencing ability, so he decides to wipe the blade of his sword with a cloth soaked in poison. As the fight goes ... cut on the arm, causing the poison to slowly seep into his blood. While they are fencing Hamlet is able to switch swords with Laertes and when he stabs him he unknowingly poisons him with the blade of Laertes own sword, eventually leading to his ...

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... because Claudius has just killed his mother, his love and his best friend. Throughout the play, Hamlet is often times very rude towards Ophelia. Telling Laertes, "He hath, my lord, of late made tenders of his affection to me"(I.iii.104-105), Ophelia believes their love and relationship is real, ... fall ten times treble on that cursed head. Whose wicked deed they most ingenious sense deprived thee of"(V.i.244-246), Laertes gets mad when Gertrude speaks of Hamlet at Ophelia's grave, because Laertes is so inflamed with Hamlet because he thinks Hamlet killed Ophelia. As Laert! es attacks H...

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... because Claudius has just killed his mother, his love and his best friend. Throughout the play, Hamlet is often times very rude towards Ophelia. Telling Laertes, "He hath, my lord, of late made tenders of his affection to me"(I.iii.104-105), Ophelia believes their love and relationship is real, ... fall ten times treble on that cursed head. Whose wicked deed they most ingenious sense deprived thee of"(V.i.244-246), Laertes gets mad when Gertrude speaks of Hamlet at Ophelia's grave, because Laertes is so inflamed with Hamlet because he thinks Hamlet killed Ophelia. As Laert! es attacks H...

• Word Count: 1274
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• Grade Level: High School