Hamlet And Foil Characters In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Character foils are important to any story or play as they compare and contrast character traits as the story unfolds. The use of character foils allows the audience to understand a characters way of thought and the actions that they take. Character foils show the moral behaviour and can help the audience see contradictory factors that help advance the plot. Although characters may seem similar, the use of character foils can show their differences. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the use of character foils proves Fortinbras is a stronger political leader over Hamlet, the contrasting view of Laertes as a son in comparison to Hamlet and Horatio being thought of as the better man in contradiction to Hamlet.

William Shakespeare, in his play, “Hamlet”, contains characters that all widely range in personality, but all share their own similarities and differences with each other. The protagonist, Hamlet, shares many foils that he must overcome during the entirety of the play. To help him overcome the conflicts that occur in the play, one of whom being Horatio. Horatio and Hamlet have a friendship where they share similarities to help each other progress through. With all friendships, there needs to be similarities between the two persons to keep the friendship healthy. However, with all good things in life, there are negatives associated with it, and with friendships having similarities between each person, there are differences that is shared as

Therefore, Shakespeare uses these character foils to show that one’s actions do,in fact, predict their fate. Redemption in Purgatory In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as one caught in the middle of controversy. From the sudden death of his father, to his uncle taking throne, to his uncle and mother’s union, and then the revealing of his father’s murder, it is evident that Hamlet is facing a lot of conflict. As a result of this, Hamlet enters into a state of mental instability as the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder become evident.

The final way that Laertes acts as a foil to Hamlet occurs once again when Claudius and Laertes are discussing Laertes’ actions to achieve his vengeance. Claudius gives Laertes advice saying, “That we would do/ we should do when we would; for this ‘would’/ changes” (4.7.134-136). Claudius is warning Laertes that if he waits long enough, he will probably end up not doing anything at all and will not achieve his goal of vengeance. This quote spoken by Claudius is quite similar to when King Hamlet’s ghost meets with Hamlet earlier in the play to warn him about how he was killed by Claudius and that he must get revenge. King Hamlet’s ghost also warns Hamlet saying, “Taint not thy mind” (1.5.92), telling him to not over think his plan because otherwise he will not pursue his vengeance. After Claudius warns Laertes to not get side tracked, the audience is reminded of King Hamlet’s ghost telling Hamlet to not over think because then their plans will not be pursued. This scene acts as a foil towards Hamlet because soon after the conversation, Laertes does pursue his plan of seeking vengeance, whereas Hamlet has been working on his plan the whole play, and has still not started to execute it.

A foil is a minor character in a literary work that compliments the main character through similarities and differences in personality and plot. In William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", the main character, Hamlet, has three major foils. These foils are his close friend Horatio, Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, and the brother of his love, Laertes. These three characters contradict and enhance Hamlet's major characteristics.

The speech of Hamlet “O that this too sullied flesh would melt, … But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.” (1.2.129-159) is where we can see Hamlet’s sadness towards his mother, Gertrude and his uncle Claudius and feels disappointed about their decision of getting married. Hamlet is seen to be too upset after his father’s death. It’s not even a month has passed and he gets to hear another news about his mother Gertrude and uncle, Claudius getting married. In the beginning of Act 1 Scene 2, King Claudius gives a speech to his courtiers, telling them about his recent marriage to Gertrude, mother of Hamlet and his brother’s widow. Claudius says that he mourns his brother but has chosen to balance Denmark’s mourning with delight of his marriage. He also mentions in his speech that young Fortinbras has written to him, rashly demanding the surrender of the lands King Hamlet won from Fortinbras’s father, and dispatches Cornelius and Voltimand with a message for the King of Norway, Fortinbras’s elderly uncle.

In Hamlet, the main character tries to get revenge on his father’s death by plotting the murder of Claudius, but it is his indecisiveness that leads to many problems. He is supported or opposed by characters who are considered foils to him. A foil is when a main character is compared to another character to better reveal the characteristics of the main character, as well as his intentions and motivations. There are many characters who can be considered foils to Hamlet. However, the characters that truly stand as foils to the protagonist are Laertes, Fortinbras, and Claudius. Hamlet and his foils are all put in a similar situation, but it is how they react and deal with their issues that makes them distinct from Hamlet.

“Do it or do not do it – you will regret both” (Kierkegaard 72) is a quote that echoes and expounds upon the famous “To be, or not to be” (Hamlet 3.1.56). The former quote was written by none other than Danish philosopher and poet, Søren Kierkegaard. Born in 1813, Søren Kierkegaard was well acquainted with Shakespeare’s text and often referred to it in his writings. When watching Kenneth Branagh’s unique, unabridged adaptation of Hamlet, it is apparent that Kenneth Branagh was able to capture how similar his Hamlet and Søren are in character while making his mark in cinematography history. The connection between Branagh, Shakespeare, and Kierkegaard goes beyond the setting and 19th century architecture of Branagh’s recreation of Hamlet. Through both Søren and Kenneth’s backstory, choice of esthetics, and their actions in life changing moments the story of Hamlet has proven to be a guide for both of these extraordinary men.

A foil is a minor character that helps the audience better understand a major character. A foil may exist as a comparison character, with similarities between the two, as well as differences that bring to light an important contrast between the foil and the main character. A foil may also just be someone for the main character to talk to, so we can know and understand their thoughts and feelings. Foils help us understand the obvious as well as the arcane. In the classic tragedy Hamlet, we see William Shakespeare employ foils to illustrate both examples. They become important literary tools that help the reader rationalize the concurrent theme of the play -

In the rank sweat of an seamed bed, Stewed up in corruption, honeying and making love

Hamartia is “A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine” (Oxforddictionaries.com). Hamlet’s fatal flaw is his unsteady manner to the problems he faces. He has an insignificant capacity of being decisive about situations he has fallen into, in other words, he misses the chances that he should have been taken in order to follow the storyline. For example, in act 3, scene 2 Hamlet holds himself back and wants to have a proof of that Claudius murdered his father even though he received a clear message from the ghost of his king father which he has three other witnesses’ approval of ghost’s existence. Another fact that determines Hamlet’s fatal flaw is shown in the scene where Hamlet has full access to end Claudius’s life by

Shakespeare along with Aeschylus and T. S. Eliot use character from each of their respectable work including Hamlet, Agamemnon and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock to demonstrate one must responsibly be able to decide and take action in desperate times in order to prevent tragedy or greater loss. Through the text of these three prominent literacy works from the ancient history to the 1900’s, one element that is evident in all three literature works is hamartia, which is directly related to the protagonist making a tragic error that eventually leads to the final cataclysm. To get a deeper insight of how hamartia plays a big role in these works, the audience has to get a better understanding of the main character/protagonist of each play and get familiar with their personality traits along with how they act in desperate times in order to prevent tragedy, or be the cause of it. Prince Hamlet in “Hamlet”, Agamemnon from Aescylus’ work along with Prufrock from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock are seen as victims of their personality flaws through the text presented as eventually the outcome is seen as a tragic end for these characters due to their fatal errors.

Tragedy can expose humans fallibility and weaknesses. Traditionally, a tragic hero is established into three parts: hamartia, a hero’s tragic flaw; peripeteia, the change in the hero’s fortune; and catharsis, a hero’s tragic ending. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Shakespeare illustrates how a General, Othello get manipulated by his subordinate, Iago.Iago tells Othello that his wife, Desdemona is having an affair with his friend, Cassio. Othello deeply believes in Iago’s lies, and kills Desdemona and Cassio. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Shakespeare uses hamartia, peripeteia and catharsis to show that Othello is a tragic hero. Ultimately, through Othello’s tragedy the audiences learn that one’s gullibility can lead their tragedy.

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet went through a series of events causing him to be what he is in the play. The character traits are significant to help readers understand who the character is and what that person serves throughout the book. Throughout the play, Hamlet is the protagonist who is trying to get the job done. Readers believe that the qualities of a King are shown in the protagonist of Hamlet. Furthermore, the qualities that Hamlet possesses shows loyalty to all the characters, he is ambitious towards his goals, and he is intelligent.

One loses many opportunities every time they hesitate to act. Whether it be unintentional or not, it all depends on the subject in question. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark, the character Hamlet shows qualities that are evident in his soliloquies. Since the beginning, Hamlet is unable to control his emotions towards Gertrude and Ophelia. He tends to overthink, generating doubt around life and death. Though impossible and inconvenient at times, Hamlet strives for an idealistic approach, such as justification for killing Claudius. Hamlet’s complex personality and unpredictable nature delay the commitment he makes to avenge his father.