Two of the character’s fathers are brutishly murdered. The first murdered character is King Hamlet who is supposed to be revenge by his son prince Hamlet. The second murder is Polonius who is supposed to be revenged by his son Laertes. Both Prince Hamlet and Laertes go to seek revenge for the death of fathers, however they will each use different methods to accomplish their deeds. Prince Hamlet has a meeting with the dead ghost of his father King Hamlet.
King Hamlet’s ghost reveals to his son, his murder by his brother Claudius. Hamlet is informed by his father that he needs to be avenged by the death of his brother Claudius. By this time Claudius has already ascended the throne, and married Hamlet’s mother Queen Gertrude. Hamlet decides to take a passive approach to avenge his father. Hamlet first decides to act abnormal which does not accomplish much besides warning his uncle that he might know he killed his father.
Later in the play a troop of actors come to act out a play, and Hamlet has them reenact the murder of is father in front of his uncle Claudius. The actors murder scene also make Hamlet question himself about the fact that he has done nothing yet to avenge his father. Hamlet says ” But am I Pigeon-livered and lack gall To make oppression bitter, or ere this / I should ha’ fatted all the region kites / With this slave’s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! ( Act II scene 2 page 84 line 577- 580 ).
During the play Hamlet watches is uncle Claudius to see his reaction when the actors perform the murder scene. Hamlet plan works his uncle throws a fit and runs out the room, where Hamlet goes after him. When Hamlet catches up to his uncle his uncle is kneeling down praying, and Hamlet pulls out his sword and gets ready to kill him. But all the sudden Hamlet changes his mind because if he kills his uncle while he’s praying he will go to heaven, and Hamlet wants him to go to hell.
So hamlet postpones the execution of his uncle. The next confrontation does not happen till the end of the book when Hamlet escapes from his uncle’s ill murder attempt on his life. Hamlet later sword fences with Laertes. All the sudden Hamlet’s mother Queen Gertrude drinks a poison glass intended for Hamlet. When Hamlet is not looking Laertes stabs him with a poison sword then Hamlet takes hold of the poisoned sword, and stabs Laertes with it.
As this happens Queen Gertrude dies from the poison drink. As Laertes lays down dying he reveals to Hamlet that his uncle King Claudius was behind it all, the poisoned sword and drink that has just killed his mother. Hamlet then in a fit of rage runs his uncle through with the poison sword. Hamlet has now finally revenged his father through much time then after his task is completed he finally collapses from the poison on the sword. Polonius is murdered by Hamlet when Polonius his discovered listening to Hamlet, and his mother’s Queen Gertrude conversation .
Hamlet unknowing of who the person behind the tapestry is, kills Polonius from where he was spying. When news of his fathers death reaches Polonius’s son Laertes, he comes back with an entourage to seek revenge for his fathers death. In this conversation Laertes believes Hamlets uncle King Claudius is responsible for his fathers death. ” How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with. To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation.
To this point I stand, / That both the worlds I give to negligence, Let come what comes, only I’ll be revenged / Most thoroughly for my father. ( Act IV scene 5 page 134 line 133-139 ) Laertes takes a more aggressive stand point than Hamlet Laertes is ready to kill the king right away thinking that he murdered his father. But king Claudius tells Laertes that Hamlet is the one who killed his father. King Claudius also finds out that Hamlet has escape the trap that he setup to get him murdered.
So King Claudius sets up another plan with Laertes. This plan calls for Hamlet and Laertes to have a mock sword fight, but Laertes will be using a real poisoned sword. Laertes agrees with this, ready to claim Hamlets life for his father’s vile murder. When the sword fight begins Hamlet is winning, but Laertes gets frustrated and stabs Hamlet when he is not looking with the poisoned sword. After Laertes stabs Hamlet, Hamlet then turns around and manages to take the sword from Laertes and stabs Laertes with it. Although Laertes dies first he accomplishes his purpose because Hamlet will die shortly from the poison on the sword.
In this play Hamlet by William Shakespeare these two characters Hamlet and Laertes both seek to revenged their slayed fathers. Hamlet with is passive and scheming approach manages to kill his father’s murder his uncle Claudius. Laertes with his direct, and forceful dedication slays his fathers killer Prince Hamlet. Altough Laertes took a much more direct approach than Hamlet wasting no time, they both however accomplished their goal but at the ultimate price of both their lives!.
