Laertes Use Of Internal Conflict In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Upon his return from France, Laertes is faced with the death of his father and the madness of his sister. His use of antithesis, apostrophe, and irony conveys his internal conflict between avenging his father or protecting his sister. His words reflect a sense of turmoil; he does not know whether to choose peace or war. The text presents this question multiple times, with Fortinbras’s revenge and Hamlet’s failure to act.

Initially, Laertes returns to Denmark to avenge the murder of his father. He shares his plan to punish Hamlet for his role in his father’s death in the lines, “It warms the very sickness in my heart that I live and tell him to his teeth, ‘Thus didst thou.' ” (IV, vii, 52-54) There is irony in him using the phrase “It warms my heart” to describe the sickness of it. Laertes admits he finds joy at the thought of killing Hamlet, but his diction/word choice suggests that he is disgusted with himself. The contradiction in the quote indicates his internal conflict about whether or not to take action.

In response to her apparent madness, he says, “Do you see this, O God?” (IV, v, 194) He uses the rhetorical device of apostrophe to display his uncertainty about how to confront the situation. Laertes seems to be in disbelief that he has lost his father and now his sister as well. He believes that God allowed this to happen to his family and is looking for guidance on how to protect Ophelia from her own madness. However, it could be argued that Laertes wants justification for the sins he is going to commit on his path to vengeance. By asking the rhetorical question, Laertes is blaming God for his violent actions and denying responsibility for them. Laertes is conflicted about who is at fault and whether he should watch over his sister or use this as an excuse for