Examples Of Foils In Hamlet

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Unlike many protagonists and old school plays, the literary usage of foils creates a majority of Hamlet’s nature, which are depicted by his developing traits and qualities; these traits and qualities are identified by supporting characters that serve as foils. In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Claudius had murdered Old Hamlet in order to be King of Denmark. This is where the ghost of Old Hamlet who told young Hamlet to get revenge for him. Giving revenge led Hamlet into causing one portion of Ophelia, once Hamlet’s lover, mad and Laertes’ father name Polonius death. Hamlet’s family believed that he was crazy, so Claudius sent him to England where Guildenstern and Rosencrantz got killed. Eventually, Hamlet’s actions led to

In Hamlet, there are several characters that are defined to be foils to Hamlet, which is given to Hamlet’s traits of not formulating a structurally sound plan respectively. Some examples of those traits are logical thinking, indecisiveness, and weakness; as such, they altogether identify the tragic nature that Hamlet cannot escape from.
Shakespeare characterizes Laertes as a logical person in order to highlight that Hamlet lacks these qualities. Laertes is shown to be like Hamlet because both characters had lost their father by murders and wants to accomplish their goal of taking revenge on the person who had killed their father. However, Hamlet and Laertes have one key defining difference; Laertes actually plans ahead before executing. Hamlet saw that Claudius was kneeling on the ground and saw that there was a chance to murder him when he said, “Now I could do it easily, now he’s at prayer. And I’ll do it” (III.iii.76-77). Thus, this shows that Hamlet wanted to give his revenge to Claudius as he is praying. However, seeing him praying made Hamlet think that Claudius is asking God for forgiveness for his sin he had made. If Hamlet were to kill Claudius, it can send Claudius up to heaven, and not to hell. This is