The Ghost of Hamlet's Father: A Foil for Hamlet

Many playwrights utilize foils to assist the audience in deeply understanding the meaning of a play or the motivations of the characters . Foils are minor characters that have similarities or differences with a major character. Often the minor character is in the play so that the major character has someone to speak with. The similarities between the foil and the major are typically gender, same social class, or being in the same situation. The differences between the two may be an important aspect in their character. In his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the Ghost, Laertes, and to foil Prince Hamlet and help define his character for different points. The Ghost of Hamlet's father is a foil for Hamlet. The ghost is featured in the play for two large reasons: establishing the conflict, showing a supernatural improbability to Hamlet's character, and giving Hamlet someone to speak with. The ghost gives the information of how he died and who committed the murder. While Hamlet is talking with the ghost, he becomes very angry with his mother and uncle. He decides he wants revenge from Claudius for the murder of his father. Both Hamlet and the ghost believe Claudius should pay for what he has done, although neither do anything about it. Among others, one similarity between the ghost and Hamlet is that they remain in the same social class. Along with similarities, Hamlet and the ghost have a few significant differences that contrast Hamlet. The ghost was murdered before the beginning of the play; however, Hamlet dies at the end of the play while he was fighting with Laertes. When Hamlet and his father talked about his mother, he said he wanted to punish her for what she has done. The ghost told him to leave his mother alone and that she would eventually be punished. The ghost said it was fine for Hamlet to go after Claudius. Hamlet was mad at his mother for marrying his uncle and the fact that she did not wait long enough after her husband's death. The ghost helps to explain why Hamlet wants revenge. Laertes is another foil for Hamlet. A strong reason that Laertes was in the play is so that Hamlet would have someone to fight at the end of the play. Both Hamlet and Laertes want revenge for their father's death: Laertes contrarily wants revenge from Hamlet. Hamlet killed Polonius by accident when he was in his mother's bedroom because he thought it was the king. Hamlet and Laertes love Laertes' sister Ophelia. Both are very distraught over her death. When Laertes finds out, he is mad and really wants to kill Hamlet. Laertes blames Hamlet for the death. Hamlet did not want anything to happen to her because he told her they could not be together. He was afraid he would turn out to be just like the rest of his family. Laertes and Hamlet have a few differences between them. Their disposition throughout the play was very different. Once Hamlet found out who murdered his father he started to act very strange. He wanted everyone to believe he was going crazy so they would not know what he was up to. Everyone began to believe that there was something wrong with him. Laertes did not hide his true feelings. When he found out about his father, he was very angry. He wanted Hamlet to pay for what he had done. Another difference between the two was their locations during the play. Hamlet was in the play from the beginning. Laertes was in Paris and did not show up until after his father's death.