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

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1      In the play, Hamlet , Shakespeare uses a cast of characters that have many roles. Of this cast, Shakespeare uses two characters, Laertes and Horatio, as foils for Hamlet’s character. Through similarities and differences these characters, accentuate Hamlet’s pretense of being crazy, emphasize how Hamlet is an improper son by standards of the time[,] and turn him into a tragic hero.

2      A foil is a minor character that helps develop a major character by sharing similarities and differences with the main character. This is a common practice Shakespeare uses within many of his play’s [plays]. The use of foils in, [no ,] Hamlet, is especially effective in affirming Hamlet’s anguish.

3      A similarity between Laertes and Hamlet is that, [no ,] both men want revenge for their father’s deaths. Hamlet wants revenge against his uncle and Laertes wants revenge against Hamlet. Both want to protect their family name. The revenge Hamlet wants is what starts him pretending he is crazy. He is attempting to use his dementedness as a ploy to get his uncle to confess to the murder.

4     Another similarity is that Laertes and Hamlet are both thought to be acting improperly by their parents. Laertes’ father sends two spies to Paris to watch his son and to report back their findings because, " in his worldliness and cynicism, he is absolutely sure that he knows how young men behave when away from parental control." [Source?] This outlook hints at the way Hamlet is behaving without his parental control. [Nice observation] Hamlet is presumed mad because he claims to see his dead father[' H-50]s ghost and is obsessing about his mother and her new life style.
 

6      The difference in the time spent on revenge by the characters is significant because it shows the reader what is expected from a son according to standards of the time. In a[A]ct one, s[S]cene three, Laertes is being told the responsibilities of a young man and the importance of protecting the family’s honor. Part of protecting the family’s honor is revenging any wrongful deaths. If one is truly concerned with protecting the family name, seeking vengeance would most likely be a top priority; not something delayed for months on end. Therefore Laertes as a foil for Hamlet is significant because Laertes is a more dutiful son and seeks his vengeance quickly. Since he delays his vengeance for so many months, Hamlet is not a dutiful son. [This is a nice idea, but Fortinbras would be an even better foil to make this point.]

7      Another foil for Hamlet is Horatio. Horatio and Hamlet both see the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Horatio demands the ghost to speak[,] but it only speaks to Hamlet. Horatio believes the ghost may be a warning of horrible things that are going to happen, as he recalls the death of Julius Caesar. Hamlet, however, identifies the ghost as his father who needs help. The author helps support Hamlet’s insaneness by having Horatio see the ghost before Hamlet. If Hamlet had seen the ghost first, Horatio may not have believed Hamlet when he asked Horatio for help. [There is a problem here. Doesn't Horatio support Hamlet's sanity, rather than his insanity? If Hamlet were the only one to see the ghost, what would we think? Moreover, because Horatio is of lower social status, it is much more likely that he would believe whatever Hamlet said, rather than vice versa.]

8      The fact that Hamlet asks Horatio for help leads to another similarity. Hamlet and Horatio both believe that Claudius is guilty of murder. In act three, scene two, Hamlet asks Horatio to keep close watch on the king and to note the king’s reaction to one speech in particular from the play. After seeing the king’s reaction Horatio declares, " I did very well note him, " and he agrees that the king acted like a guilty man. [Is it the asking for help that is the similarity, or is it that they both see -- and agree on -- the reaction of Claudius to the play?]
 

10      [This should not be a new paragraph.] This difference accentuates Hamlet’s act of being deranged by showing all of the circumstances that could have caused him to behave the way he did. Hamlet’s craziness was also used as a tactic by the tragic hero to accomplish what he needed to do. [If all of the circumstantial causes (reasons) of Hamlet's behavior are shown, then is he not being shown as acting reasonably, and not insanely?]

11      By using similarities and differences to contrast them to Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the minor characters to help the reader learn or understand Hamlet better. This is why Laertes and Horatio are foils for Hamlet. Both of these minor characters interact with Hamlet throughout the play and they constantly set him off as a tragic hero.

     In looking back, my initial sense is that the grade I gave this essay is too high. The primary point discussed in relation to Laertes could have been better made using Fortinbras, and the evidence provided in the discussion of Horatio appears to prove just the opposite of what the writer claims. Based on that, I might have given the essay a high C, rather than the solid B. On the other hand, this writer started with a very good thesis and attemped, throughout the entire essay to support that thesis. (Compare that to the essays that got lower grades.) The writer also clearly read the directions and followed most of them -- attempting to establish meaningful similarities and differences for each foil.
     [For readers of this page who can hear the music, I chose the Beatle's "Let It Be" before preparing this essay for the net. In a sense, I still find that choice appropriate -- I would let the grade be. (A bad pun?)] 
 

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