7THE APPLICATION OF FOILS IN HAMLET
William Shakespeare's Hamlet, written during the first part of the 17th century, is an excellent demonstration of a character foil. A foil is a literary device that reveals the true nature of a character by comparing and contrasting him or her to other, usually minor, characters. In Hamlet, nearly every character that surrounds Hamlet is an arguable foil to him. Laertes and Fortinbras are the most obvious foils, each possessing a multitude of important similarities and differences. These similarities and differences serve to create parallels and contrast between the opposing character concepts of Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras, ultimately revealing the true nature of Hamlet's character. Those aspects of Hamlet which are easily perceptible, such as his inability to act, are intensified against the foils and more subtle qualities are brought to light. Laertes and Hamlet are placed in very similar situations during the course of the play; Hamlet's father was murdered and he is duty-bound to seek revenge, the same duty that drives Laertes when his father is murdered. Both men love Ophelia very much, although the type of love is fundamentally different. While these parallels are important, Laertes is the best example for contrast to Hamlet. The most obvious difference is Hamlet's cautious tendency to overthink versus Laertes' single-minded and furious drive. Four months after learning about the nature of his father's death and Hamlet still had not made any progress toward revenge, whereas the instant Laertes learned of his father's death he returned to Denmark, summonded a mob, and stormed the castle. Laertes, unlike Hamlet, is not ruled by reason. In fact, it takes quite a bit of logical reasoning from Claudius just to calm Laertes down after storming the castle. Hamlet is not capable of action until completely worked up into a passionate fury, far from reason. This juxtaposition between the two characters unveils Hamlet's tragic flaw by placing against Laertes' decisive action. While love for Ophelia is a link between the two, it becomes a point of contrast as the type of love felt by Hamlet and Laertes is very different. They even pit the mangitude of their love against one anothers at the gravesite of Ophelia, staying true to their characters by Laertes acting first and drawing Hamlet into a rage, which then causes him to emerge from hiding. Fortinbras is the prince of Norway, whose father was killed in battle by Hamlet's father. Fortinbras' uncle took the throne instead of him, prolonging his wait for kingship. These circumstance are symmetric to Hamlet's, drawing attention to the importance of Fortinbras as a foil. Fortinbras does not emerge as a significant character until later in the play because he is not needed until then. As the state of Denmark steadily spirals downward, Fortinbras bides his time until he is ready to properly avenge his own father's death. Fortinbras' patience and Hamlet's cautious tendencies seem similar at first, although the difference between the two brings very different rewards: death for Hamlet and a kingdom for Fortinbras. Hamlet's lack of action throughout the entirety of the play leads the reader to a a very narrow opinion of Hamlet, presenting him as merely an over-philosophical scholar. Fortinbras dispels this singular perspective, voicing his belief in Hamlet's nobility and allowing Hamlet a soldier's rites of passage. Fortinbras as a foil reveals these obscure aspects of Hamlet, indicating that he once would have made a good soldier and deserves the same. Shakespeare employs Laertes and Fortinbras as foils by characterizing them in certain ways so as to draw attention to aspects of Hamlet that reveal the true nature of his character.
A successful character foil consists of both similarites and differences with the foiled character that are meangingful, and Laertes is the most profound foil character in Hamlet. He is introduced to the reader early in the play as the caring older brother to Ophelia, whom he warns not to "slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet" (Shakespeare, .133-134). This open opposition sets Hamlet and Laertes at odds in terms of plot logistics, and foreshadows their eventual conflict. At this time in the play, though, it only serves to set the two at across from one another, one of the ways in which foil characters are implemented. The next time Laertes enters the setting, his father has been unjustly killed and he believes Claudius to have had something to do with it. This is a huge contrast to Hamlet; the moment Laertes receives word of his father's death, he abandons his business in France to avenge Polonius' death. Hamlet has spent four months feigning insanity to play word games with those of lesser wit, but he has made little progress toward freeing his father from purgatory. Considering all the additional offenses against Hamlet involving his father's murder, one would think that all of Hamlet's thoughts would be preoccupied with the thought of revenge. Initially, Hamlet was bent on revenge, "with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love" (I. v. 29-30). True to Hamlet's nature, he says this in a moment of passion. As time wears on, his contemplative side regains prominence and his vengeful thirst is dulled. This occurs on it's own, in stark contrast to the effort Claudius has to use to calm Laertes when he stormed the castle. Laertes was so set on revenge that he swore "both the worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes, only I'll be revenged most thoroughly for my father" (IV. v. 134-136). Hamlet does not take his own life for fear of divine consequence, yet Laertes would "dare damnation" and do "to hell allegiance, vows to the blackest devil, consience and grace to the blackest pit" (IV. v. 131-132). Laertes would jump at the chance to "cut Hamlet's throat i' th' church" (IV. vii. 127); Hamlet had this very opportunity with Claudius, a perfect setup, but his passion was diverted to another destination. Against Laertes' relentless loyalty to his father, Hamlet's efforts seem lackadaisical and distracted. Hamlet and Laertes are locked in the same situation, bound by duty, and it is in the actions of both that the foil is succesfully achieved.
Hamlet and Laertes are also linked by their love for Ophelia, similar and contrasting at the same time. Laertes' love rings of kinship and caring, evident in the scene early in the play where he leaves Ophelia his affectionate instructions. Hamlet's love is more actively passionate, supposedly so much that "forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up his sum" (V. i. 271-273).. At Ophelia's burial site Hamlet and Laertes pit their feelings for Ophelia against one another, the confrontation ending in a physical grapple. Laertes claims to love Ophelia so much that they buried together, burying "the quick and dead till of this flat a mountain you have made t' o'ertop Pelion or the skyish head of blue Olympus" (V. i. 253-256). This proclamation is enough to spark Hamlet's passion and draw him from hiding to profess his love for Ophelia and counter Laertes "upon this theme until his eyelids no longer wag" (V. i. 268-269). Hamle and Laertes are connected by their love for Ophelia and contrasted by their inevitable opposition, foreshadowed early on in the play. Laertes acts as a foil in this instance and plays upon Hamlet's ability to only take real action when provoked or in a state of passion.
Fortinbras, like Laertes, encounters circumstances parallel to Hamlet. Fortinbras is the Norweigan prince. His father was killed by Hamlet's father years ago and instead of inheriting the throne, his ageing uncle now sits on it. The connection between the two is obvious: each is a prince, each had their rightful occasion to kingship prolonged, and each is bound by duty to avenge his father's death. Fortinbras makes scattered appearances through the play, but he is not really connected to until Hamlet is being taken to England to be killed. Hamlet comes within view of Fortinbras' army, which is moving through Denmark toward Poland, and learns of the nature of the military movement. Hamlet vocalizes the essence of the foil of Fortinbras - his "dull revenge" is "spurred" (IV. iv. 33) by the image of "delicate and tender" (IV. iv. 48) Fortinbras who marches for honor. Hamlet is ashamed at how he "lets all sleep" while having "a father killed, a mother stained, excitements of his reason and blood" (IV. iv. 57-59). Hamlet has every reason in the world to take revenge against Claudius with fervor, but he does not; yet, "twenty thousand men... go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot whereon the numbers cannot try the cause" (IV. iv. 60-63). Hamlet sees Fortinbras as a man of action and himself as a procrastinator at this stage of the play. Hamlet's perceptions of himself and Fortinbras are accurate and proven for the reader by the character foil. Hamlet is spurred by comparing himself against Fortinbras, doing for himself what a foil is meant to do for the reader. Hamlet is able to better realize his flaw and attempt to act on it; he states resiliently, "O, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!" ( IV. iv. 65-66). This is a large ultimatum for Hamlet, especially so because he so naturally relies on his constant thought and contemplation to decide courses of action. Ironically, it is because Hamlet finally places his trust in a place away from his rational thought that leads him to the circumstances that kill him. It is too late at this stage of the play for Hamlet, even though he does not know it. The entrance of Fortinbras' soldiers and the Norweigan prince himself at the climax of chaos in the castle solidifies this.
Near the end of the play, the royalty of Denmark finally outweighs its crumbling foundation and begins to collapse into chaos. The fencing scene is the setting for the destruction of Denmark's leadership; this becomes obvious as most of those within the room are killed. Notably, it is Laertes who in the end gives Hamlet the final spur onward to finally finish the deed he was appointed to and kill Claudius. Because Hamlet had just previously done his best to abandon his old tendencies to overthink and underact, the character concepts of Hamlet and Laertes were no longer at odds with one another. The foil character then had more in similar with Hamlet than contrasting, and it helped Hamlet clearly realize "the King, the King's to blame" V. ii. 321). As the last of the royal family of Denmark breathes his last few breaths, the character foil embodying everything that Hamlet needed arrives to restore order and foundation to the state of Denmark. This restoration comes in the form of revenge, a fitting foil aspect to Hamlet's achievement of revenge. With his last bit of energy, Hamlet "prophesies th' election lights of Fortinbras" (V. ii. 356-357). Hamlet had previously recognized qualities in Fortinbras which he needed in order to set affairs right, qualities which the reader is able to recognize through the character foil. Fortinbras is the best option for Denmark at this point, so he inherits the throne without resistance. At the same time, all three characters have fulfilled their duty to avenge their father's deaths. Fortinbras gives Hamlet the rites of passage for a soldier, reminding the reader of Hamlet's parallel as a soldier to Fortinbras and not only an overly-philosophical thinker. Fortinbras as a foil plays an important role in defining the aspects that Hamlet needed to possess in order to successfully avenge his father.
Laertes and Fortinbras exhibit specific qualities and traits that, through similarity and contrast, illuminate Hamlet's character and ultimately serve to reveal the nature of Hamlet's hamartia. Laertes' furious devotion of avenging his father's death contrasts sharply with Hamlet's seemingly half-hearted attempts at avenging his own father. For most of the play, Hamlet and Laertes as character concepts are at odds with each other until the point when Hamlet is able to recognize his flaw and take steps to overcome it, no matter how late. Fortinbras is very patient in his pursuit of maintaining his honor and avenging his father, willing to go to great lengths - even war - to work toward his goal. This too contrasts sharply with Hamlet's inactivity, although it eventually leads to Hamlet's abandonment of constant contemplation. Fortinbras is a foil for the qualities that would have been best for Hamlet to have in order to deal with his unique situation. Therefore, it is fitting that Fortinbras, in the act of avenging his father, should gain the throne of Denmark. When implemented skillfully, as Shakespeare does in Hamlet, foils greatly enrich the literature and tell the reader far mre than is readily visible about a character and the decisions that character makes.