Hamlet vs. Laertes
During the time of the Elizabethan theater, plays about revenge were very common and a regular convention was formed on what aspects should be put into a typical revenge tragedy. In revenge tragedies, a crime is committed and for various reason laws and justice cannot punish the crime, so the individuals go through with the revenge in spite of everything. The play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, closely follows the dramatic guidelines in Elizabethan theater. The characters of Hamlet and Laertes both seek retribution for the unlawful killing of their fathers. Although both Hamlet and Laertes love their fathers and Ophelia, Hamlet's revenge for his father's murder is plagued with uncertainty, whereas Laertes revenge for his father's murder is predictable and to the point. Both Hamlet and Laertes are alike in the fact that both love and respect their fathers deeply. Hamlet's respect for his father is demonstrated by the way he speaks of him: See what grace was seated on his brow, Hyperion's curls, in the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars, to threaten and command, A station like the heralds Mercury New-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill, A combination and a form indeed Where every god did seem to set his seal To give t
The spirit that I have seen May be the devil, And the devil hath power T' assume pleasing shape yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses to damn me. I'll have grounds More relative than this. (II, ii, 627-634) In all of Laertes' actions, there is a forcible contrast to the indecisive Hamlet. Laertes exacts his revenge with unfledged impulsiveness. For example, when Laertes hears the news of his father's death, he does not wait for proof, but with impetuous haste charges forward in quest of revenge. He rushes madly into the king's presence, allowing no obstacle to stop him. Furthermore, his passion, unlike that of Hamlet, is sustained until the enemy is defeated. He does not falter during the fencing match, and while confessing that it is almost against his nature to fight Hamlet, he nonetheless deals the final blow that avenges his father's death. When the opportunity for vengeance thrusts itself in Laertes' way he seizes it with enthusiasm. When Claudius suggests killing Hamlet in a fencing match, Laertes goes a step further: Hamlet and Laertes both share a deep but different love and concern for Ophelia. Before his departure for France Laertes provides lengthy advice to Ophelia pertaining to her relationship with Hamlet. Laertes voices his concern of Hamlet's true intentions towards Ophelia and advises her to be wary of Hamlet's love: Despite the fact that both Hamlet and Laertes love Ophelia and their fathers, Hamlet's revenge is characterized by uncertainty, while Laertes' revenge is characterized lby impetuosity. Both believe revenge is the only course of action that will vindicate the nefarious killing of their fathers. This theme of revenge in William Shakespeare's Hamlet closely follows the criteria of typical Elizabethan theater. I wil
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Approximate Word count = 1232
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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