Hamlet Vs. Fortinbras Essay, Research Paper
HAMLET AND FORTINBRAS
In Hamlet the character of Fortinbras, a young Norwegian
prince, has been used as a foil for the main character Hamlet,
the Prince of Denmark. Hamlet and Fortinbras have both lost
their fathers to untimely deaths. Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet,
was killed by his uncle Claudius and Fortinbras’ father was
killed by King Hamlet. Both Hamlet and Fortinbras have vowed to
take revenge for the deaths of their fathers. However, how they
go about doing this is the complete opposite of the other.
Hamlet, after learning that his father’s death was murder
and promising to take revenge, waits and makes sure that what he
knows is the absolute truth before he even attempts to take
revenge on Claudius. Even after Hamlet is sure beyond any doubts
that Claudius is the murderer, he hesitates to kill him.
Fortinbras, however, has been taking action even before the play
begins. As the play opens, we learn that Denmark is in a state
of alert. The audience learns that the country has been pre-
paring for a war, and from Horatio, the they also learn that the
young Fortinbras is getting ready his “lawless resolutes” for
action against Denmark for the killing of his father and for the
return of lands previously owned by Norway, (Hamlet I.i. 79-107)
These differences between Hamlet’s and Fortinbras’ action are
further mentioned in Hamlet’s last soliloquy, (Hamlet IV.iv. 32-
66)
Before the soliloquy begins, Hamlet has been informed by one
of Fortinbras’s Captains that Norway is preparing to fight
Poland over a “little patch of land”, and that twenty thousand
men are willing to fight for this worthless piece of land just
for honor’s sake. This begins Hamlet’s last soliloquy. In it
Hamlet is reflecting upon Fortinbras’ determination to go
against the Polish army for the honor over a trivial matter
while he himself is taking such a long time in avenging the his
father’s fate and his mother’s disgrace.
The soliloquy begins with Hamlet’s thoughts on how much
time has passed and he still hasn’t done anything. He says:
“How all occasions do inform against me,
And spur my dull revenge! What is a man,
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more.”
(Hamlet IV.iv. 32-35)
In these lines, Hamlet is thinking about all the time he has
wasted in not taking action. He sees how everything around him
is taking shape, all except his own actions. He goes on to say
“Sure, he that made us with such large discourse, Looking before
and after, gave us not that capability and god-like reason to
fust in us unus’d “(36-39) Here Hamlet is saying that every man
has reason, and that reason should be put to good use. He also
expresses the thought that he has “……cause and will and
strength and means to do’t” (45-46) but still waits and thinks
instead of taking action.
Next, Hamlet goes on to describes Fortinbras. He asks the
audience to:
“Witness this army of such mass and charge
Led by a delicate and tender prince,
Whose spirit with divine ambition puf’d
Makes mouths at the invisible event,
Exposing what is mortal and unsure
To all that fortune, death and danger dare,
Even for an egg-shell. Rightly to be great
Is not to stir without great argument,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
When honour’s at the stake.” (47-56)
These lines are describing Fortinbras. The audience learns
that Fortinbras is this young, driven, and ambitious prince who
is willing to risk everything for what he feels he must do and
achieve, even if it’s for an “egg-shell”. He is willing to risk
so much for so little just for his honor. This is a great con-
trast to Hamlet’s own character. Hamlet then finishes his soli-
loquy with a comparison to his situation and that of Fortinbras
and his army of twenty-thousand men.
After learning of Fortinbras’ plan against Poland, Hamlet is
disgusted with his inability to avenge his father’s murder. He
wonders why he has “let all sleep” after his father’s wrongful
demise and the moral death of his mother, (56-59). He is even
more ashamed when he thinks of the twenty-thousand men who are
willing to go to their deaths for a valueless piece of land
that’s not even big enough for their graves, (59-65). All of
this is going on while he is still thinking about his revenge.
This was enough to set his mind once and for all. He decides
that from that moment on, all he will think about is his revenge
against anyone that has committed any injustice towards him. He
says “O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be
nothing more ” (65-66)
Hamlet’s personality is clear to the reader for the last
time in the play. He is contrasted against another Prince who is
the exact opposite of him in the same situation. By this, the
reader learns more about Hamlet’s characteristics and the way he
thinks. Also, here Hamlet has finally made a decision on what to
do. He has made up his mind to have only bloody thoughts instead
of ones that are well thought out. Fortinbras’ pursuit of his
goal has given Hamlet the example on how to act if an oppor-
tunity presents itself. Hamlet is so determined to do something
he does not wish to think about the consequences anymore.
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