Comparing Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras: Parallel journeys of revenge

📚 Understanding Revenge in Hamlet

Shakespeare's Hamlet is a play saturated with the theme of revenge. Three central characters, Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras, are all motivated by the deaths of their fathers, setting them on parallel, yet distinct, paths. Examining their journeys provides a deeper understanding of the complexities of revenge, justice, and morality in the play.

📜 Historical Context of Revenge Tragedy

Revenge tragedy was a popular dramatic genre during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. Plays of this genre typically feature a protagonist who seeks vengeance for a real or imagined injury. These plays often include elements of intrigue, murder, madness, and moral corruption. Hamlet is a prime example, reflecting the anxieties and moral questioning of the time.

• 🏛️ Senecan Influence: Roman playwright Seneca's revenge tragedies heavily influenced the genre. His plays often featured ghosts, dramatic soliloquies, and scenes of extreme violence.
• 🎭 The Spanish Tragedy: Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy is considered one of the earliest and most influential examples of the English revenge tragedy.
• 🕰️ Elizabethan Morality: The tension between personal vengeance and divine justice was a central concern during the Elizabethan era. Revenge tragedies often explored the moral implications of taking justice into one's own hands.

⚔️ Hamlet's Hesitation and Intellectual Struggle

Hamlet's father, the King, is murdered by his brother Claudius, who then usurps the throne and marries Hamlet's mother. The ghost of Hamlet's father reveals the truth and commands Hamlet to seek revenge. However, Hamlet is a scholar and a thinker, and his quest for revenge is marked by hesitation and introspection.

• 🧠 Philosophical Contemplation: Hamlet's famous soliloquies, such as "To be or not to be," reveal his deep philosophical 고민 about life, death, and the morality of revenge.
• ⏳ Delay and Procrastination: Unlike Laertes and Fortinbras, Hamlet delays his revenge, weighing the consequences and questioning the ghost's authenticity.
• 🎭 Feigned Madness: Hamlet adopts an "antic disposition" to observe Claudius and gather evidence, further complicating his path to revenge.

🔪 Laertes' Impulsive and Passionate Response

Laertes is the son of Polonius and the brother of Ophelia. When Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes immediately seeks revenge. His approach is direct and driven by passion, contrasting sharply with Hamlet's intellectual approach.

• 🔥 Immediate Action: Laertes returns from France determined to avenge his father's death without hesitation or moral 고민.
• 🤝 Collaboration with Claudius: Laertes readily agrees to Claudius's plot to kill Hamlet in a fencing match, using a poisoned sword.
• 💔 Grief and Anger: Laertes's grief over his father's death and Ophelia's madness fuels his desire for revenge, making him a more impulsive and less calculating figure than Hamlet.

🛡️ Fortinbras' Pragmatic and Political Vengeance

Fortinbras is the Prince of Norway, whose father was killed by Hamlet's father. Fortinbras seeks to reclaim the lands lost by his father through military action. His revenge is less personal and more political, focused on restoring his family's honor and territory.

• 🌍 Territorial Ambition: Fortinbras's primary motivation is to regain the lands forfeited by his father, reflecting a more pragmatic and political approach to revenge.
• ⚔️ Military Strength: Fortinbras leads an army and is willing to use force to achieve his goals, in stark contrast to Hamlet's internal struggle and Laertes's personal vendetta.
• 👑 Seizing Opportunity: At the end of the play, Fortinbras arrives in Denmark and seizes the throne, demonstrating his ability to capitalize on chaos and assert his authority.

⚖️ Comparing and Contrasting the Three Avenging Sons

While all three characters seek revenge for their fathers' deaths, their methods and motivations differ significantly.

💡 Conclusion

Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras offer contrasting perspectives on the theme of revenge. Hamlet's intellectual and moral 고민, Laertes's passionate impulsiveness, and Fortinbras's pragmatic ambition collectively enrich the play's exploration of justice, vengeance, and the human condition. Shakespeare uses these characters to delve into the complexities of revenge, leaving the audience to ponder the true cost of vengeance and its impact on individuals and society.