Laertes /leɪˈɜːrtiːz/ is a character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Laertes is the son of Polonius and the brother of Ophelia. In the final scene, he mortally stabs Hamlet with a poison-tipped sword to avenge the deaths of his father and sister , for which he blamed Hamlet.
Why is Laertes important in Hamlet?
Laertes, a character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, is a young man who wants to protect his sister from heartache and avenge the death of his father, Polonius. Laertes is impulsive and irrational in his quest to avenge his father's death , which ultimately leads to his own demise.
How is Laertes is best described?
The word that best describes Laertes is “passionate .” In act IV, he is informed of his father's death and decides to return to Denmark. ... His zeal characterizes him as a passionate person who follows his heart. Detailed answer: Laertes, a young Danish lord, is Polonius's son and Ophelia's sibling in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
How is Laertes Hamlet's foil?
Laertes is a major foil of Hamlet. Laertes was in the play so Hamlet would have someone to fight at the end of the play . ... But Laertes wants revenge on Hamlet. Hamlet killed Polonius by accident when he was in his mother's bedroom because he thought it was the king.
What is Laertes motivation?
The key thing about Laertes is that his motive for revenge is the same as Hamlet's ; both have had a father murdered and both feel under pressure to avenge the death. Laertes's rage only increases when he learns at the end of act 4, scene 7 that Ophelia has drowned herself.
How does Laertes killing Hamlet affect the plot?
Laertes, knowing fully that Hamlet is doomed to die because of Laertes' deal with Polonius, forgives Hamlet and has a perfect way out, and the perfect chance to balance the scales, but, due to his great desire for vengeance he goes on with the match, and the plan to kill Hamlet, effectively closing all routes of ...
Is Laertes Hamlet's brother?
| Laertes | Hamlet character | Laertes and Ophelia by W. G. Wills | Created by William Shakespeare | In-universe information |
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Does Laertes get revenge?
In 4.5, Laertes is bent on revenge against Hamlet due to the fact that he has killed Polonius , his father. Now while this might be a slight exaggeration on the part of Laertes, it does prove the point that he is completely committed to seeking revenge on Hamlet due to him killing his father. ...
What is Laertes like in his temperament and personality?
In Shakespeare ‘s Hamlet, Laertes is a character that appears to be protective towards his family, revengeful, and impulsive . Impulsive behavior is the act of displaying behavior without thinking of the consequences or acting on a whim.
Is Laertes a victim?
Laertes and Hamlet are victims of the Patriarchy in a different way: the expectation of men to be bloody and willing to kill. When both Laertes and Hamlet fathers are murdered, they both come to conclusion that they must seek revenge (Hamlet is, of course, prompted to this conclusion by his ghostly father).
Is Laertes a foil to Hamlet?
Character Analysis Laertes
Still, Hamlet refers to Laertes as “a very noble youth.” Hamlet recognizes what Shakespeare has made abundantly clear throughout the play, that Laertes is Hamlet's foil . He mirrors Hamlet but behaves in the opposite manner.
How is Laertes a foil to Hamlet in Act 4?
Laertes is Hamlet's best foil throughout the play, and in this scene the contrast between the two, each of whom has a dead father to avenge, reaches its peak. ... When Claudius later asks Laertes how far he would go to avenge his father, Laertes replies that he would slit Hamlet's throat in the church (IV.
How does Horatio act as a foil to Hamlet?
Hamlet's best friend Horatio is also a foil to him. ... He cares for Hamlet and when Hamlet is about to die, he goes to drink from the poisoned cup but Hamlet stops him, telling him he must tell the story of what transpired here. The final character foil to Hamlet is Fortinbras.
How does Hamlet compare to Laertes?
What is the difference between Hamlet and Laertes? Both Hamlet and Laertesare impulsive characters, but Hamlet is more of a thinker while Laertes is more of a straightaway doer . Hamlet waits for the right time to come to seek vengeance while Laertes runs straightway with a sword to King Claudius.
Why is Laertes angry?
Why does Laertes return from France? ... Laertes storms into ther oom very angry at Claudius because he just found it his father died and wanted to know where he was because he thought it was him at first . He had come to avenge his dad's death. Laertes followers want Laertes to be king.
Who is to blame for Ophelia's death?
Gertrude, The Queen of Denmark , is responsible for Ophelia's death. By looking at Gertrude's over protective relationship with Hamlet, her lack of initiative on the situations around her in a time of tragedy, as well as her vivid account of Ophelia's death, evidence that...show more content...
