Hamlet

Hamlet
Character foils, through their similarities and differences concerning the main characters, are used to mirror their real character traits that may not be directly evident to the readers. In the book Hamlet by Shakespeare, various characters have been used as character foils of Hamlet, who is the main character. These minor characters through their actions and words aid readers to understand him more. The characters that have best been used to foil Hamlet and his struggles are Fortinbras, Ophelia, and Claudius. These characters go to an extent to explain Hamlet’s character and also reveal some of the hidden mysteries Hamlet. He further says that there is more than meet the eye since the characters play a significant role towards the revelation of this theme. It is through these characters that certain mysteries about the prince can be solved.
Fortinbras is just a prince like Hamlet, and they are similar in that their fathers are both killed. The characters show motives are determined to take actions in avenge for the death of their parents. Therefore, these different ways and various incentives also facilitate a case of similarities between the characters. The way they act and react further mirror their differences and in doing this, he serves as the foil for Hamlet. Fortinbras brings out Hamlet’s interpersonal conflict and his indecisive nature by his organizational skills and disregard for moral judgment. His plan to revenge is not a personal initiative, but he is rather working in the name of Norway and of honor.

He also organizes an army and strategically plans his revenge. When he sees Claudius, he is not hesitant to kill him as he is not confined to the walls of moral dilemmas. He is also not reluctant to murder innocent people. It totally differs from Hamlet who considers personal vengeance and is unable to act out publicly on his revenge plan. He works on it secretly, and this shows us that he is a secretive person.
Fortinbras’ rash decision to kill anyone demonstrates that Hamlet lives within the confinement of personal moral values as is evidenced when he decides not to kill Claudius when he finds him praying in the Chapel. Fortinbras kills those whom he thinks to deserve revenge, unlike Hamlet who is indecisive of what to do. At some point, we notice that Hamlet is jealous of Fortinbras when it is stated that he desires to be like him. Fortinbras thus shows how incapable Hamlet is when it comes to dealing with the struggle of having lost his father following his inability to act when he gets the chance.
Another character that serves as the foil to Hamlet is Ophelia, the woman that he loves. Through Ophelia’s life, we can discover a few things about Hamlet. We can find out that Hamlet is capable of love and romance as he did send her letters and gifts before his view of women was tainted by his mother’s betrayal. The inability to control his thoughts and emotions when around her justifies Hamlet’s madness and desire for females. It is because while he hates Ophelia at some point, he wishes to be sexually intimate with her the next moment. She brings out his overt cruelty when he lashes out at her, mistreats her, demeans her and disrespects her. These actions also explain his reaction towards his mother’s betrayal when he marries her brother-in-law after the death of her husband. His inability to face the queen and tell her how he feels results in him repudiating Ophelia. His actions on poor Ophelia leads us to conclude that Hamlet is heartless. Ophelia also shows that
A final character who acts as a foil character to Hamlet is King Claudius. He is a man who is a shrew, lustful and conniving and he is the killer of Hamlet’s father. The instances as the play begin demonstrate his changing attitude towards his brother and dad. His lack of emotion towards the death of his brother reveals to readers how much he loves his father. His grief intensifies when Claudius tells him to “throw to earth his unprevailing woe” and can be interpreted to mean that he was asking him to stop grieving his father. Claudius also brings Hamlet’s desire for revenge and his search for justice through his actions and words. As a conniving king, he was only desperate to maintain his power instead of ensuring justice in his kingdom. It, therefore, prompts Hamlet to find ways to kill him as vengeance. Through Claudius, we can gauge the extent of Hamlet’s madness.
Claudius is in constant fear that in his madness, Hamlet could have attacked him had he been in the same room as Pontius. His constant fear also shows Hamlet’s determination and the quest for actions that lead to vengeance. Hamlet’s loss in humanity and bitter cynicism is as a result of Claudius’ treachery when he murders Hamlet’s father and goes ahead to marry his mother. He can be said to be a spawn in Hamlet’s confusion, anger, and search for vengeance, thus fulfilling his role as a foil character. Through him, we understand Hamlet’s actions and character in the book.