Hamlet And Laertes Character Analysis

Hamlet, a play written by William Shakespeare, uses a myriad of personalities to develop complex and intricate character relations. Between the different characters, there are numerous comparable similarities. Hamlet and Laertes are just one example of the play’s use of parallel characters. Hamlet and Laertes exhibit similarities in the ways that they are both impulsive, they both have a deep love for Ophelia, and they are both domineering over the women in their lives. Firstly, Hamlet and Laertes are both very rash when making decisions. When angered, both Hamlet and Laertes act impulsively without thought. The first example of Hamlet’s rashness is in Act 3, Scene 4, when Hamlet assumed that Claudius was hiding behind the tapestry and immediately drove his sword through the curtain. Hamlet did not know if the king was behind the curtain and as a result, murdered Polonius instead. The murder of Polonius then led to an example of Laertes’s recklessness in Act 4, Scene 5, to storm to the castle and demand to know
Laertes in Act 1, Scene 3, expresses his brotherly concern about Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet. He states that Hamlet may love her now, but in the future, Hamlet’s marriage will most likely be arranged and he will break her heart. Hamlet’s love for Ophelia withered slightly throughout the play, though after Ophelia’s initial rejection of Hamlet’s affection, Hamlet seemed to be incredibly dishevelled. Hamlet came to Ophelia with an unkempt appearance and acted completely bizarre. We see little signs of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia again until after her death. Both Hamlet and Laertes seemed to be distressed over her death. When Laertes learns of his sister’s death, he is afflicted with despair. Hamlet, on the other hand, was initially shocked and outraged by the news. Both of the men are so deeply distraught by Ophelia’s death that in Act 5, Scene 1, the engage in a brawl within her