Honor In Hamlet Essay

Consider the theme of honor within Hamlet. Discuss how Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras contrast three kinds of honor.

By definition, honor is the “quality of knowing and doing what is morally right” (Merriam-Webster). In Hamlet, three sons of three murdered fathers - Hamlet, Fortinbras, Laertes and Hamlet - are subject to the obligation of honoring their fathers’ deaths. Despite all three of these characters having to seek revenge for the deaths of their fathers through the murder of another person, the kinds of honor that these three sons are fulfilling are unique. Hamlet is avenging the murder of his father by his uncle, Laertes is avenging the muder of his father by Hamlet, and Fortinbras is avenging the death of his father, by Hamlet’s
The aim of this revenge is primarily to relieve his father from purgatory through the completion of this murder as his father unfinished task on earth. Hamlet does not question the will of his father and accepts his task. Hamlet’s task of honor differs from the other 2 sons’ tasks because his task is brought on by the supernatural. Furthermore, Hamlet does not care if his task leads him to hell. His father’s soul is at risk of being left in purgatory for eternity if he does not complete his assignment tasked by his undead
His revenge is unique because it is put upon by the nation he leads, Norway. His father, the former King of Norway, was defeated in a fair duel by Hamlet’s father. The loss resulted in the relinquishment of Norwegian land. Now, in an act of honor as the Norway’s leader Fortinbras is obliged by his countrymen to take back what is theirs. His honor is also different to that of Hamlet and Laertes because it is not as hell-bent on murder as the tasks asked of the other two sons. Fortinbras task is less of a duty of a son to his father, but more of a king to his