Pennsylvania College of Technology   Dr. Vavra's ENL 121: Lit & Comp

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1     Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare is a play about a man's revenge for his father's murder and all the tragedy that comes along with it. The play takes us through the emotions and doubts Prince Hamlet finds within himself after speaking with the presumed ghost of his father, the former King of Denmark.  Through Hamlet we meet Horatio, a friend of Hamlet's and a fellow student.  When reading [ref] the conversations between Hamlet and Horatio[,] it becomes clear how Hamlet feels about his father's murder and his plans to avenge this murder.  We also meet Laertes, son of Polonius and sister to Ophelia.  Through interactions with Laertes we see another side to Hamlet. The similarities and the differences between them both help to show off more of Hamlet's personality and feelings about the revenge. Through both Horatio and Laertes we see not only Hamlet's plan for revenge but also some of his feelings of doubt and confusion between what he thought he wanted and what he was actually capable of.

2     A foil is a minor character in a play or novel that shows the feelings  and thoughts of the major character. This is done not only by the dialog between the two characters but also their similarities and differences. As a foil, Horatio can be seen as a window into what Hamlet feels and does.  Horatio is one of the first to see the ghost of King Hamlet and he also informs Hamlet of this sighting.  This is something that they have in common because not all of the characters can see the ghost.  The queen, for instance, was unable to see it when talking to Hamlet in her bedroom (act III, scene 4(694-695). [Citation] Horatio and Hamlet seem to have a long friendship with one another judging [ref] by the friendly manner in which Hamlet treats him when Horatio first meets Hamlet in act I.  They also were students together at Wittenberg.  Both Horatio and Hamlet seem to see life and people in the same way.  This is apparent when they met Osric and both Hamlet and Horatio made comments on Osric['s] mannerism towards Hamlet (act 5, scene 2, p727).

3     To be a foil there must also be some differences between the two characters[,] and there are some minor differences in Hamlet and Horatio. These differences help to show Hamlet's character.  Horatio seems to be more realistic and more sincere.  This is shown when he does not take advantage of his friendship with the Prince and always treated and addressed Hamlet in the proper manner.  This ceremonial language is countered by Hamlet's request that Horatio treat [him?] like an ordinary man and call him by no other name except Hamlet.  Act I, Scene 3, is the first meeting between Hamlet and Horatio since arriving at the castle. Horatio addresses Hamlet as his lord and calls himself Hamlet's poor servant.  Hamlet counters this by saying "Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you".  Meaning that Hamlet will call Horatio by his name and Horatio should do the same. [Frag - 1]

4     To be a foil[,] the character also has to be a sounding board for the main character, someone that, for instance, Hamlet can talk to and tell his thoughts. Hamlet uses Horatio as a release and tells Horatio some of the plans he has in order to take revenge.  In act 2, scene 1, Hamlet tells Horatio that however odd he may act, that [Delete "that."] it is just that, an act (652).  Hamlet trusts Horatio not to tell his secret and not to give him away.  He also tells Horatio of his plan to catch the king during the play[,] and he asks Horatio to watch every emotion of the new king. When Hamlet came back from England and his terrible trip, Horatio is the character that Hamlet first went to see. Hamlet tells Horatio of [Delete "of."] how he was tricked by the king and how the deaths of Rosencratz and Guildenstern came to be.

5     As a foil, Laertes shows us how different Hamlet compared ["is"] to what he wanted to be.  The major similarity between Hamlet and Laertes is the deaths of their father's [no ' H - 50] and the revenge that they both choose to take for these deaths.  Both Hamlet and Horatio feel strongly about their father's [no ' ]. They also were two very good swordsmen.  Their fight at the end is energetic because of the talent and skill that both men share in this field. They also had a very deep love for Ophelia, and both leaped into her grave at her funeral (act 5, scene 1, p722).  Both Laertes and Hamlet die at the end of the play by Laertes' poisoned sword.

6     As a foil, the differences in Laertes and Hamlet show much more about Hamlet than what is realizable and [at?] first glance.  Firstly, the way in which both died and the reasons for revenge are somewhat different in each case.  His brother killed King Hamlet simply for power and greed.  Polonius was killed simply because of mistaken identity and Polonius's own nosiness to find if Hamlet's craziness was due to his daughter.  King Hamlet's death was premeditated and was by poison, whereas Polonius['s] was by sword  accident.  Laertes also blamed Hamlet for Ophelia's death, something he had nothing to do with. [Hmmmm]

7     The actions that each man takes are also different[,] and it shows Hamlet's inability to act on his feelings.  Throughout the play[,] Hamlets [no "s"] balks on every chance he has to kill his stepfather Claudius and make[s] excuses as to why he can't and when it will be better time.  Laertes[,] on the other hand[,] goes straight for Hamlet and tries to do away with Hamlet right from the start. The only thing that slows him down is that Claudius wants the right time and the right place to not only make sure that Hamlet is dead but to also save him from any repercussions that might come his way from Hamlet.

8     Through different minor character[s,] the true feelings and personalities of the main character in a novel or a play come out. Hamlet's weaknesses and strengths and thoughts and desires came out because of his relationships with others.  Without  Horatio or Laertes the small aspects of Hamlet's personality would not be clear. This is true of every relationship whether it be fact or fiction. People, real or fake, need others about themselves. These people to Hamlet are Horatio and Laertes[,] and without these two essential characters[,] the play would be less than great.
 

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