Free Hamlet Essays: The Foils :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Foils of Hamlet Hamlet is a play about a young man who is seeking revenge for his fathers death. In the process of doing so, diametric things happen and it becomes more and more of a complex plot. Throughout the play, we argon introduced to many different foils. One of which is Laertes. Shakespeare chooses to portray Hamlet and Laertes differently although they are both(prenominal) so similar.Hamlet and Laertes are all in basically the same position. Both of their fathers have been killed and they are both looking to avenge those fathers deaths. However, we see when we are reading that some characters are set up so that they gain more sympathy and such than others from the reader. For example, Shakespeare makes Laertes look like a bad roast because he wants to kill Hamlet unless in essence, Hamlet is doing the same exact thing to Claudius. It is as if Shakespeare is saying that it is okay for Hamlet to kill but it isnt ok for Laertes to feel the need for revenge.Hamlet begins a soliloquy with the line, How all occasions do inform against me and spur my dull revenge (Act IV, sc. IV, li. 32-33) It is like Shakespeare is onerous to make it look like it is such a shame the Hamlets plans arent working out so well and that he isnt as stable as he wants to be. It is or so like Shakespeare wants to reader to take pity on Hamlet who is not such a genuine person. He has killed Polonius and some say he has killed Ophelia. Should people really pity him because his plans to kill his uncle arent falling correctly into place? Shakespeare is almost trying to get the reader to do so.On the other hand, in that respect is Laertes who is Hamlets position. His father was killed, actually by Hamlet, and he is out to avenge that death. He is furious and passionate about it just like Hamlet is but it almost seems that when one is reading the play, they should think of Laertes as a bad guy and as the antagonist. Laertes says It warms the very sickness in my heart that I shall l ive and dictate him to his teeth, thus didst thou. (Act. IV sc.VII. li. 55-57) He is basically saying that he would make him so happy to kill Hamlet and to show his what he really did.