...Act IV-A: To Kill, That is The Answer Through Hamlet’s soliloquy, the concern of human action reinstates the focus of the play. In scene iv of act 4, Hamlet stumbles upon the Norwegian captain which serves as a reminder that Fortinbras is still present within the play. He is shown as Hamlet’s foil and points out the willingness to take action that Hamlet lacks. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, it is clear that he is both awestruck as well as ashamed of himself when reflecting on the daringness of Prince Fortinbras. Fortinbras not only dedicates his energy and risks his own life, but also risks the lives of thousands of soldiers, in order to claim a small, worthless piece of land. When hearing of this, Hamlet begins to understand that he is over-thinking,...
Words: 328 - Pages: 2
...It’s interesting how Fortinbras has come back in act IV scene 4. He is getting ready to enter Denmark to go to Poland. When Hamlet encounters the captain of Fortinbras’s army, he says that the land they are going to try to claim is worthless. The captain says, “We go to gain a little patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name” (IV, iv, 19-20). Basically, the land is useless, yet Fortinbras still wants it. This again goes to support my point that Fortinbras isn’t in it for the land, but to enter Denmark and get his revenge. Furthermore, this scene seems to give Hamlet the motivation to carry out his revenge and kill Claudius. In our discussions, we questioned whether Hamlet actually wanted to kill Claudius. Through this scene, it seems like maybe he was hesitating a little before. But after he sees the army, he no longer has those doubts. Hamlet says, “The imminent death of twenty thousand men / That for a fantasy and trick of fame / Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot” (IV, iv, 63-65)....
Words: 662 - Pages: 3
...Angela Romero 1226344 English IX Tim Keppel An analysis of the characters of Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, revenge is the central topic, which breathes life into the play. As his main objective in life, Hamlet craves to avenge his father’s death, the king of Denmark, betrayed and killed by his own brother. Throughout the play, Hamlet comes across two other main characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Laertes and Fortinbras, whose fathers are also murdered. Even though there are differences between these 3 characters, this series of unfair deaths puts them in the same situation and makes them have aspects in common. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras in terms of behavior, the honor for their beloved fathers, the desire to revenge their fathers’ death and their modus operandi of vengeance; as well as to explain the perception they have of each other. On one hand, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is characterized by his eloquent behavior, his philosophical thinking, which constantly leads him to questions that cannot be answered easily, such as his famous one “to be, or not to be”. He is smart and lets others think he’s just mad. One of his other characteristics are his constant thoughts about existence and the duties of a man. “What is a man, if his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.” “For there are actions...
Words: 1467 - Pages: 6
...Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet is definitely one of them. In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Fortinbras, Hamlet and Laertes each demonstrate the ways revenge leads to tragedy when they are unable to cope with the loss of a loved one. Young Fortinbras has intentions of honoring his father’s loss by gaining the territory that was rightfully theirs. The lengths he is willing to go compare to Hamlet’s determination to seek revenge upon his uncle, and father’s murderer, Claudius. Hamlet’s hopes of wanting to destroy Claudius the way he had done to King Hamlet are delayed several times throughout the play, making it nearly impossible to follow through with his plan. One of Hamlet’s setbacks is being shipped off to England for the murder of Polonius, which is Laertes’ father. After discovering that Hamlet was responsible for the death of Polonius, Laertes does all he can to get revenge on Hamlet. The three men’s need for revenge relates to the corruption of the characters within the play. The corruption of the characters within the play results in the tragic death of each major character. The first of the murdered fathers was King Fortinbras who was the King of Norway. King Fortinbras challenged King Hamlet to a single combat over the state of Denmark by which King Hamlet won. This incident is responsible for Young Fortinbras’ hopes of seeking revenge upon his father’s death and winning back the land that he believes was rightfully his family. Young Fortinbras wants to honor his...
Words: 1064 - Pages: 5
...The Theme of Hamlet - Revenge In Hamlet, Shakespeare created three revenge plots; all of the revenges involve a son seeking vengeance for the death of a father. Revenge has caused the downfall of many people. In my opinion, revenge is a very dangerous theory to live by. It will consuming ones nature and causes one to act recklessly through anger rather without any reason. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is a dominant theme. Prince Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. But in doing so, three of them rely more on emotion than thought, and take a very big risk, the risk which eventually leads to the downfall and death. In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare was written about Prince Fortinbras's attempts to reclaim the land his father lost to Old Hamlet and that is the first of three revenge plots in the play. King Fortinbras was killed by King Hamlet in a sword battle. This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a sealed compact. "…our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteemed him-did slay this Fortinbras."(Hamlet, Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 85) Prince Fortinbras was enraged by his father’s murder and sought revenge against Denmark. He wanted to take back the land that had been lost to Denmark when his father was killed. "…Now sir, young Fortinbras…as it doth well appear unto our state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those foresaid lands so by his father lost…"(Hamlet...
Words: 1291 - Pages: 6
...The Trials of Vengeance Hamlet is about to avenge; one specifically, it is about a sun-dried he revenge for the death of his father. In fact, Shakespeare has three different sons trying to get revenge for the death of their fathers. All three sons have a primary cause for revenge, develop plan to obtain revenge, deal of complications that arise with their plan, and resolve their attempt to gain revenge. fortinbras is a person attempting to gain revenge for the death of his father Horatio provides the reason fortinbras wants revenge as he waits with the guards for the ghost to appear. Horatio explains that’ [old] fortinbras of Norway/] backspace […/Was] geared to combat; in which our Valley and [old King] Hamlet/ […] Did say this fortinbras’ (1.181 – 85). Essentially worn bras is looking to avenge himself on Denmark because his father was killed by Denmark’s King Horatio goes on to explain why the country has been preparing for invasion. To help the user avenge “young fortinbras/ […] /Half in our skirts of Norway here and there/sharked up a list of lawless resolutes” (1.1.95 – 90). Fortinbras plans to use his army of “desperate men” to get his revenge. Unfortunately for him, his plan runs and problems. Claudius is aware of his preparations and wrote “to Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras / […] / […] To suppress”his attempts to gather his army “[sent] out arrests/on fortinbras” and made him vow before [the entire court] never more / to give th’assay of arms against [Claudius]”...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...August 8, 2013 Is Hamlet Primarily a Tragedy of Revenge? The play Hamlet has several occurring themes, romance, sex, madness, suicide, or even death. It is a very famous play written by Shakespeare in the early 1600's, which is also known for the many different perspectives it gives readers. Despite all these themes being present in Hamlet, Shakespeare may have intended another topic to be the prominent theme in this tragedy. The main event which sets the story, is the murder of Prince Hamlet's father, King Hamlet. The ghost of King Hamlet tells his son to seek out his killer and avenge him. The most primary theme in the tragedy of Hamlet is definitely revenge. The idea of “an eye for an eye” revenge is demonstrable in several circumstances in the play, since Hamlet swears to carry out revenge on his uncle Claudius, Prince Fortinbras of Norway vows revenge on the state of Denmark, and Laertes swears revenge on Hamlet. During the onset of the play, a ghost appears to Hamlet, and claims he is his deceased father, and that he was murdered by Hamlet's uncle Claudius in order to steal the throne of Denmark. It is evident the ghost wants Hamlet to seek revenge, since he tells hamlet he must do it by his command: "So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear"(1.5.7). The ghost also reminds Hamlet his purpose on multiple occasions. Hamlet is very distraught at the thought of his mother marrying his...
Words: 905 - Pages: 4
...Cause and Effect Hamlet Essay William Shakespeare, arguably the greatest language in the English language and England’s national poet, has written numerous histories, tragedies, comedies and poems. Throughout his plays, his use of dramatic irony, immaculate word choice and wording, and his vast imagination has made him a successful playwright even in his time. Shakespeare’s scripts for his theatrical company, needed to pertain to the needs and fascinations of the Elizabethan audience. It is safe to assume that all his sonnets, poetic speeches, electrifying action and soliloquies in his play were created for the delicate and quickly appreciative of language Elizabethans of his time. A particular example out of the many soliloquies present in the tragedy of Hamlet is the beautiful and moving speech in Act IV, Scene IV (IV, iv, 35-70) of Hamlet depicting his admiration of Fortinbras and his disappointment in himself. The poetic loving audience is noticeably the cause while this splendid speech, along with the many others, is the effect. This soliloquy is a mere example of Shakespeare’s disgust for the political manipulations of his time, the acceptance of murder, and the change of self brought on by others. In the brilliant vocalization of Shakespeare’s feelings through the speech made by Hamlet, it is evident that Shakespeare despises the waste of lives due to war without justification. Perhaps, knowingly that the audience would share this view or dissentient of lives lost...
Words: 902 - Pages: 4
...survival. However, in The Tragedy of Hamlet, this belief is put to the test. The Tragedy of Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is a story set in medieval Denmark that focuses on the protagonist Hamlet and his quest for revenge. Hamlet struggles to avenge the murder of his late father, the former king of Denmark. As time passes Hamlet discovers that the murder was committed by none other than his uncle, the new king, Claudius. Hamlet’s inability to avenge his father is seen as a hidden warning to the audience. What this means is that William Shakespeare includes a message throughout...
Words: 726 - Pages: 3
...blindly. In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, the play deals with three revenge plots. Each revenge plot involves three sons seeking vengeance for the death of a father which highlights the inadequacy of revenge. The inadequacy of revenge is demonstrated through the actions of Hamlet, Fortinbras, and Laertes due to the fact that they get caught up in their emotions and motives, and do not fulfill their intended purposes. Hamlet constantly struggles to swiftly avenge his father King Hamlet, murdered by “the serpent that stung the whole ear of Denmark(1.5.36)”, King Claudius. The ghost tells Hamlet that he was poisoned by his brother Claudius and demands Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder(1.5.25).” Hamlet responds eagerly “with wings as swift may sweep to [his] revenge(1.5.31)” before Hamlet knows that his uncle killed his father. After finding out it was his uncle, Hamlet sounds hesitant to kill a king and “couple hell”. Nevertheless, Hamlet writes down a call to action or motto to avenge his father, “so, uncle, there are you. Now to my word: it is ‘Adieu, adieu! Remember me.’ I have sworn’t(1.5.112).” Still hesitant, Hamlet proposes a play for the king that encompasses the ghost’s story. After watching one of the players(actor) speak “a broken voice in a dream of passion(2.2.570)” he is bewildered his inability to avenge his father, but an actor can show more passion to kill than himself. Hamlet continues to tell himself he has “cause, and will...
Words: 751 - Pages: 4
...While absent from most of the play, the character of Fortinbras in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is significant to Hamlet’s character development. According to Latham, the name Fortinbras is derived from ferri brachium, meaning arm of iron (Rolfe, 173). In Act IV Scene IV, Fortinbras exemplifies this forceful characterization. He remains a means of power with his threat to Poland, displaying to the reader a strong “iron arm” leader, opposite of Hamlet’s leadership style: consisting solely of words in the absence of action. Fortinbras’s character also reflects that of Hamlet. Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, and Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, were both replaced from power by their uncles upon the death of their fathers, but the parallel ends when...
Words: 400 - Pages: 2
...In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, a common theme is revenge. The plots all have one common driving factor. Three revenge plots in Hamlet are Hamlet’s revenge on King Claudius, Fortinbras’s revenge on Denmark, and Laertes’s revenge on Hamlet; they add inadequacy to the play. To begin, Hamlet wants to get revenge on King Claudius for killing his father. Hamlet discovers, after speaking to the ghost of his late father, that King Claudius killed King Hamlet for power and love. The Ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death and kill King Claudius, which Hamlet has a hard time accepting. Hamlet has to plot a revenge plan against King Claudius in order to avenge his father’s death. Next, Fortinbras, Prince of Norway, wants to bring revenge on Denmark to...
Words: 332 - Pages: 2
...Adhikari Mr. Lee AP English Period 5 26 May, 2015 Hamlet Final Essay There are many instances in which the protagonist’s key traits are highlighted in the behavior of another character. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, nearly every character is a foil to Hamlet in some way but three men stand out amongst the crowd. Young Fortinbras, Laertes and Claudius are all faced with problems that are similar to situations that Hamlet faces, and yet the reaction of each man in varies from Hamlet’s own methods of dealing with the same issues. The character of Young Fortinbras is the foil that is most similar to Hamlet in regards to the circumstance. Hamlet’s father has died, murdered by the hand of his own brother; therefore discarding Hamlet as heir to the throne. Similarly, Young Fortinbras is the prince of Norway and his father is murdered by Hamlet’s father so therefore, his uncle has unjustly stolen the throne from him. Hamlet is spending time merely contemplating revenge, while Fortinbras is leading an army in an attempt to reclaim the land that is his. Hamlet is a man of words while Fortinbras is a man of action. After Hamlet sees Fortinbras planning for revenge, he wishes for his “thoughts [to] be bloody, or be nothing worth” (86). Even while wishing for revenge, Hamlet wishes for his “thoughts” to be violent, not his “actions”. Fortinbras’ desire for action with which to avenge his father is the catalyst that Hamlet needs to catapult himself out of this state of inaction...
Words: 609 - Pages: 3
...common motivation for characters in a story. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare it is a motivation for the characters Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras. In the play all three characters lose their fathers in by acts of murder, which causes the characters to want get vengence on those responsible. Having different personalities the audience gets to see different approaches and outcomes to the same situation by the three characteres. By the end of the story they are characters who ultimately reach their goals in similar but different ways as avengers. First looking at the character Hamlet, the audience can see a change of the character throughout the play, because of this it allows the audience to think about the character state of mind, based on the actions he takes throughout the play. At the beginning of the play we see that Hamlet is very saddened by the sudden loss of his father, only to find out after meeting the ghost of his father that his death was not a cause of age but murder, which was committed by the new king who has taken power, his uncle Claudius “ The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown.” ( Shakespeare I.v, 7). Gaining this information from the ghost of his father we see where Hamlet wants to avenge his father which is proven by his soliloquy, “ that one may smile and smile and be a villain” (Shakespeare I.v, 63), “ now to my word...” ( Shakespeare I.v, 63). It is from this point we see that Hamlet starts to plan out his revenge by putting on...
Words: 1432 - Pages: 6
...Hamlet Essay Nicole Schinke Truth is seen differently through different people, for example in Hamlet people appear as one way, where in reality they really aren't like that (Claudius), as well as others in the play who just hide behind a mask. They differentiate between what is a lie/ fake and what is the truth. Some people think that the truth hurts so they try and avoid it. Other people may think that the truth can set you free. The pursuit of truth is a challenging and satisfying affair. In this play, Hamlet is more looking for the pursuit of truth rather than revenge. He’s been looking for his father’s killer. He wants to know who killed his father just so he can act upon it and get revenge. He ends up finding out that the killer was his uncle who ended up marrying his mother. Truth can cause so much curiosity that can really make or break some people in life. Claudius is a big liar and coward in Hamlet, he is a master of deception. He shows that he is grieving and sad about his dead brother but in reality he is very dark and is the killer. We know since the beginning of the play that Hamlet does not like his uncle being married to his mother which is another reason to get rid of the king. The ghost of Sir Hamlet gives him a plan that seems like a great idea. “ The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wear his crown” (1.5 39-40) This was still at the point where he didn't know the truth that Claudius did kill his father so he waited and didn't jump to the idea...
Words: 1016 - Pages: 5
