The Foils of Hamlet Essay Example

Intro: Hey everybody, you’re listening to The Poetic Podcast, a weekly podcast that delves into Shakespeare's incredible works. In episode 7, we'll take a deep dive into the world of Shakespeare's Hamlet this week, exploring Hamlet’s various foils. We will go over what roles they play and their importance in helping us better understand Hamlet. 

In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, there are two individuals that serve as clear foils for Hamlet. According to the play, the character foils assist the reader to connect with Hamlet and highlight the similarities and differences between Hamlet and the other characters in the play. These character foils are essential in emphasizing another character's shortcomings and attributes that they may lack in comparison to another character in the play. Hamlet’s foils are Fortinbras and Laertes, who share a lot of similarities with Hamlet, although they react to their situations in quite different ways. 

Fortinbras is a Norwegian regal prince whose father was killed by King Hamlet several years ago over a territorial dispute. Like Prince Hamlet, Fortinbras didn’t inherit his nation's throne after his father died; rather, his uncle inherited it and became king. Laertes isn’t a prince, but he is the son of the Danish court's most respected royal adviser, Polonius, while his sister is the woman expected to marry Prince Hamlet, the heir to the throne, at least by the queen. During the play, Polonius was killed, and Prince Hamlet was the assassin. Hamlet was in a very emotional state at the time, and his reaction to hearing a hidden voice in his mother's room prompted him to stab Polonius to death. Laertes' status and place in court could’ve been jeopardized if he lost his father. Thus, rather than being in court, he wanted to spend his time in France. Hamlet is the Danish court's royal prince. His father, King Hamlet, was murdered only a few weeks before the play begins. Claudius, King Hamlet's brother, was the assassin who was chosen king soon after King Hamlet's death. Hamlet is described as a soldier, but he has no actual authority and does not want to fight. He is a scholar who would rather spend his time in Wittenberg than at court, but he is unable to do so since the monarch requires it. All three men are rational and willing to avenge their fathers' deaths. 

When the play begins, Hamlet's father has only recently died; thus he is in a state of great grief. Furthermore, rather than supporting her bereaved son and grieving as a widow would, his mother remarries in an unnaturally quick manner. Hamlet is unconcerned about his mother’s new husband since he is his uncle; hence the marriage is incestuous in his eyes. Hamlet wishes to exact vengeance for his father. The ghost of his father instructs his son to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”. (Act 1, Scene 5, 29) As a result, Hamlet becomes enraged and seeks vengeance. Laertes is likewise motivated by vengeance as a result of his father's death. Although Hamlet wants to serve the royal ghost, he isn't as energetic or as sharp as Fortinbras or Laertes are. He is not in charge of an army or even a crowd and avoids making hasty decisions. He also does not inform the sentinels of the ghost's claims, deliberates, contemplates, and is ill at ease during the act. His soliloquies reflect his befuddlement and anxiety. Is Claudius truly guilty, or is the ghost a devil who is supplying false information? How can he kill the king when he is always guarded? If he kills the king while he is alone in prayer, won't it lead him straight to heaven's pleasures? 

Hamlet, unlike Laertes, is a thinker. Hamlet is also not a natural soldier like Fortinbras. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher. Before making a decision, his reflex is to think things through logically and to evaluate all options. It's not that he thinks vengeance is evil or that he approves of Claudius' actions. Hamlet is aware that Claudius is a criminal who deserves to die, it is that Hamlet is not a natural killer. Because Fortinbras is a soldier and Laertes is a hothead, they would have no trouble executing someone who deserved it. For example, Laertes is incandescent with drive and action, as opposed to Hamlet, he declares that he will throw “conscience and grace to the profoundest pit”. (Act 4, Scene 5, 150) But as for Hamlet, he is a nice man who has been horrified by all the wrongs he has witnessed. He isn't a criminal, and he couldn't kill someone in cold blood. Claudius acted in this manner. Hamlet isn't like Claudius at all. Furthermore, as a thinker, he is concerned with the right, and wrong, as well as their long-term consequences. In the face of overwhelming evil, Hamlet worries that he is not as incisive as Fortinbras and that he does not convey as much passion as an actor. Hamlet seeks vengeance for his father. He murders Claudius at the right time: when it is clear that it is a fair killing rather than treason; after Claudius has poisoned his mother and orchestrated Hamlet's death; when Laertes has publicly admitted his guilt; when Claudius is unlikely to ascend to Heaven. Undoubtedly, all three men were successful in avenging the deaths of their fathers. Hamlet kills Claudius, Laertes kills Hamlet, and Fortinbras reclaims the Danish throne.

Outro: With that being said, that concludes episode 7 of The Poetic Podcast. Thanks for joining me today! Please share this episode with others, post about it on social media, or give a rating and review if you enjoyed it and want to help support the podcast. Thank you again, and I'll see you next week. And as always, stay curious!