Foils in Hamlet

Hamlet

The different characters with various characteristics make the play with more color and plots. In the play there are several foils exist within the characters which are interesting to look into. Hamlet and Horatio, Hamlet and Fortinbras, Hamlet and Claudius and Hamlet and Laertes are all have more or less some qualities that are opposite.

Compare to Hamlet’s irrational action Horatio is more rational which can be shown in act1 scene4, where Horatio stops Hamlet to go deeply into the forest. “Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,”(1,4,67-68) definitely Hamlet is a brave man as he is not dear any circumstances. However, he is not considering anything else. On another hand, Horatio is more clear mind as he says, ”be ruled. You shall not go”(1,4,85) it’s not that he is coward or frighten(although he might be) but he has considered it clearly that Hamlet might be in danger after all.

Different form Horatio whose meaning for Hamlet is so important that he can share everything with him. Fortimbras’ roll in this play is too small that has only be talked about from other people’s words. However, we can still see the opposite characteristics between Hamlet and Fortinbras. Hamlet is aggressive without control while Fortinbras is aggressive with control. After Hamlet knows the murder of his father which has been committed by his uncle he determined to take revenge almost right away without any doubt. In the contrast, Fortinbra obeys his uncle’s order and swear not to invade Norway any more although he is aggressive and good at fighting.

Here comes the most important protagonists which is Hamlet and Claudius. Hamlet is a character full of love without desire and greedy while Claudius’s characteristic is full of desire and greedy without love and kindness. Hamlet loves his father so much that he is still mourning for his father two month after his death. He loves his father so much that he can not except his mother’s marriage with his uncle so soon.. he loves his father so much that he is dear to enter the forest to see the ghost regardless all the dangerous factors. He loves Ophelia that he offers his special attention as a prince to her. He loves Ophelia that he stands up to face the dangerous at her funereal. Although Hamlet only expresses his hatred to his mother,