Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Play Study - 734 Words

Do opposites attract? Or just want to destroy one another? Foils highlight the characteristics of the protagonist by contrasting their behavior to other characters. Hamlet is a foil to Fortinbras, Laertes, Horatio, and Claudius. Hamlet’s father kills Fortinbras’s father, Claudius kills Hamlet’s father, and Hamlet kills Laertes’s father. Each character reacts differently to the situations they are put in. Though similar in some ways, the character differences are magnified when they are challenged. Fortinbras is opposite Hamlet when it comes to their behavior in regards to their circumstance. Hamlet’s father has been murdered and Hamlet was passed over as heir to the throne. Likewise, Fortinbras had his father and his throne taken from him (at the hands of Hamlet’s father). However, the ways the two react to their similar situations differ substantially. Hamlet indecisively contemplates revenge while Fortinbras actively engages an army to aven ge his father. It is in this action that Fortinbras successfully regains the throne that belonged to him, and it is in the inaction that tortures Hamlet. Fortinbras is similar to Hamlet - both lost their fathers, both are princes of their respective nations. But where Hamlet is primarily concerned with internal politics in Denmark, Fortinbras is engaged in real leadership of the Norwegian armies and expands his countrys territory. Laertes is another foil character of Hamlet. When Laertes discovers that his father, Polonius, has beenShow MoreRelatedHamlet Theme Of Death1278 Words   |  6 Pagesanalysis of the theme of death in Hamlet, Acts 3-5) â€Å"The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will,† (Shakespeare 144 Act 3 scene 1 lines 86-87). The question that still plagues humanity today. What is after death, where do we go? No one of this earth can answer this question. In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the theme of death is one of the main themes of this famous play. The theme of death continues throughout the entire play from the beginning of the firstRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare: A Legendary Author Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s intellectual use of the English language is what brought him prosperity throughout his lifetime, and what brings us to tears and laughter in the modern world. The life of Shakespeare is of great importance to English literature because of his many contributions including poetry, stories, and plays. However, many people do not know that he also owned a business. â€Å"William Shakespeare was a professional actor , a businessman, and a playwright. Today, nearly four hundred yearsRead MoreThe Life of William Shakespeare669 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeare, extensively known as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language in addition to England’s National poet. 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Multiple authors have written on the topic of afterlifeRead More The Wo rks of William Shakespeare Essay1429 Words   |  6 PagesThe Works of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is customary regarded to be the finest dramatist the world has ever seen and the greatest poet who has created his plays in the English language. Besides, Shakespeare has been the world’s most famous author. No other writer’s works have been published so many times or read so broadly in so many places. Shakespeare knew human nature as few other writers have. He could notice in a particular dramatic case the qualities that refer to all humanRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Hamlet 1366 Words   |  6 Pages21, 2015 Literary Analysis Psychological State of the Characters in Hamlet The English Play writer, William Shakespeare had written many well-known pieces of work including Hamlet. Hamlet is known to be one of his most popular works. Hamlet was written in the late 16th Century about the Prince of Denmark. The original title of the work was The Tragedy of Hamlet, now it is referred to as just Hamlet. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the mental state of his characters to prove that not all charactersRead MoreSomething and Nothing in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1731 Words   |  7 Pages   Ã‚   Can nothing be something? Or can something turn into nothing? Shakespeare would have the reader believe both are possible. A person can be something and nothing as exemplified when Ophelia asks Hamlet What is my Lord? and Hamlet replies Nothing.(3.2. 109,111) Shakespeare uses nothing multifariously in his tragic play   Hamlet.   Nothing becomes a way for the reader to draw parallels between Young Hamlet, and his slain father.   Young Hamlets   use of   the word nothing, consistently