Consider Laertes contribution to the theme of revenge in Hamlet.

Laertes provides many contributions to the theme of revenge in Hamlet, I think his most
obvious and overall function is to provide a contrast to Hamlet as an avenger and also to
show qualities in Hamlet as a person even if they are not acknowledged by Hamlet
himself. Laertes also helps show the importance of balance between blood and judgement
in the play and for an avenger.

Shakespeare sets Laertes and Hamlet up to be a direct contrast to each other because of
their similar situations, they are both sons who want to avenge their father, they have
been brought up in the same place, and they both also have a relationship with Ophelia,
Laertes as her brother and Hamlet as someone she loved. So it is clear that Shakespeare
meant the two of them to be compared. Laertes function is to demonstrate the traditional
revenge figure in contrast to Hamlet. He is put in the same status as Fortinbras and Pirus
as an avenger, presented as being ruthless and passionate, when Laertes comes to avenge
his father the messengers describe him as being in “a ritious head”. This image is the
opposite of Hamlet who is not presented to be unthinking with passion but someone who
plans, procrastinates and internalises everything rather than acting. This is shown when
he says “resolution is sicklied over with the pale cast of thought” his resolution to act is
hindered by his thinking about it. Laertes also uses his popular support to his advantage
and the messenger also describes him as coming with a “rabble who call him lord”. We
know Hamlet is also popular with the public as Claudius says he can not put Hamlet on
trial on account of this, but Hamlet unlink Laertes does not act and use his advantages
this is another contrast to their characters. Even when Hamlet shows his passion it is in
the form of words not action, “now could I drink hot blood” this is similar to the images
of the other avengers who are portrayed as bloody whereas they act and he does not. This
is the opposite of Laertes who is seen as a “hot headed avenger” which is a quality
Hamlet admires. This description of Laertes is very similar to Pirus who is described like
“unproved mettle hot and full” these images show their similarity in their passion and
there is an almost unthinking aspect of them which can be seen to be a bad thing.
However Hamlet admires this, for example he describes Fortinbras, “To all that fortune,
death, and danger dare, /Even for an eggshell”. He is impressed that Fortinbras acts and
causes fighting for something so insubstantial and so feels self loathing because his
reasons to act are not insubstantial, “I have cause, and will, and strength, and means”
these are all the reasons why Hamlet should be acting. His admiration and desire to be a
passionate avenger is shown by his portrayal of Lucianus in the play who is put in the
category of bloody like Laertes, he uses words like “thoughts black, hand apt” to make
him sound evil. He is projecting the image of how he feels a murderer should be and this
is what he is not.

Hamlet is angry at himself for not acting and presents an image of himself as almost
animal like because of his idleness, “Whether it be/ Bestial oblivion…or thinking to
precisely on the event” this again shows Hamlet is rationalising everything “thinking to
precisely”, but also presents this image of animal like inaction. He feels he is just doing
basic actions like eating and sleeping, however although Hamlet thinks this of himself,
the audience may not feel this is true, since passion in the play has been presented as
bestial, for example Hamlet describes Claudius as a “satyr” because he has been led on
by his incestuous passion. This compares to the passion of Laertes as an avenger which
can be seen to be animal like because he is irrational, this causes him to make many bad
judgements, for example he accuses the wrong man, Claudius, firstly for killing Polonius.
Laertes demonstrates that this kind of passionate unthinking revenge has consequences;
this is proven when Laertes is manipulated by Claudius into corrupting the revenge which
he wanted to do honourably, “teeth to teeth” but is made to do by tricking Hamlet with
poison. The consequence of this is shown to be tragic with Laertes’ own downfall and
also Gertrudes, Laertes acknowledges this before he dies saying, “justly killed with my
own treachery”. So Shakespeare uses Laertes to show that the unthinking passionate
revenge that Hamlet admires is not necessarily to be admired by the audience. Moreover
even Hamlet himself admires Horatio’s thoughtfulness, he describes Horatio, “Whose
blood and judgement are so well co-meddled”. Hamlet admires Horatio because of his
balance of passion and reason; Laertes is shown to have not enough balance between
them and puts Hamlet in a favourable light as Hamlet shows himself to have a lot of
judgement, and some of his delay may be understood by this. For example when he sees
Claudius “at prayer” he doesn’t kill him there because he thinks Claudius is praying and
so will be sent to heaven with all his sins confessed, there was an importance placed then
on the last rights which the ghost Hamlet tells him he didn’t get and so is stuck in
purgatory. Although this may have been seen as an excuse and Hamlet trying to delay his
task further, it could also show Hamlet’s good judgement as he wants the revenge to last
forever.

Laertes also shows the difference in attitude between Hamlet and himself to the afterlife.
Hamlets great concern with the afterlife and awareness of mortality leads to his inaction,
for example he says, “Conscience makes cowards of us all”. He is scared to commit the
murder because of the fear of what will happen when he dies; whereas Laertes says he
will “cut throat in the church” to show his loyalty to his father, this sacrilegious image
shows Laertes disregard of the afterlife, he says “I dare damnation” he doesn’t care if he
goes to hell because he is so angry and loyal to his father. The loyalty to his father is also
a contrast to Hamlet who, initially responds to the ghost Hamlet passionately, but then
doesn’t act for so long and is visited again by the ghost because he hasn’t done what he
has promised. Although this may not demonstrate less loyalty to his father, but rather that
Hamlet delays for a number of reasons for example his melancholy, and his
preoccupation with his mother.

Shakespeare uses Laertes to provide a contrast to Hamlet as an avenger. Laertes shows

Hamlets failure to act but also the benefits of Hamlets judgement as he does not make
irrational decisions and is guarded against manipulation by Claudius as he knows what
Claudius has done and describes him as a “smiling villain”.