Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Shakespeare's play Hamlet is its emphasis on its eponymous character. In Shakespeare's drama "Hamlet", the two characters Hamlet and Laertes contrast in obvious ways. Hamlet – the son of the late King Hamlet of Denmark – is a contemplative, brooding and moody young man, while Laertes, a young Danish lord – son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia – is impulsive and immediate. Both are faced with very similar problems: respectively the desired departure from home, espionage, the death of Ophélie and the murder of their father. With reference to these four situations, we will see below how Hamlet and Laertes can be compared to each other. Hamlet is intelligent, thoughtful but calculating and seeks revenge for the murder of his father. However, he is unable to take immediate revenge, which is crucial for fairness and his rightful ascendancy to the Danish throne. However, he rationalizes to hide behind excuses instead of taking revenge by killing Claudius. Hamlet's inability to act and make a final decision is his only tragic flaw. On the other hand, Laertes suffers from not being able to control his emotions. He returns from France angry at Claude with a suggestion of a coup d'état. However, when Claudius turns Laertes' anger away from himself, he is so angry about killing Hamlet that he would not mind killing him in a church. Claudius was able to use Laertes to achieve his goal. Laertes is so angry that he is easily manipulated, which impairs his judgment if he does not realize the terrible consequences of a poisoned sword. Seeing the crazy Ophelia and then learning of her death, he completely loses control of his emotions and...... middle of paper......the storyline and details that could be remotely linked to his situation. The most striking evidence is that Laertes proclaims that he would go so far as to “cut his own throat in church” to take revenge on Hamlet. Laertes does not hesitate to commit a murder in a church, where violence is not tolerated. This is even more apparent when comparing a scene in which Hamlet hears Claudius confessing his sins in prayer. Hamlet could have acted at that moment, but chose not to after thinking about it. Laertes in Hamlet functions primarily as a foil for Prince Hamlet. Their differences in personality and behavior highlight the negative aspects of Hamlet's personality to the audience and imply their direct impact on Hamlet's fate and the fall of Denmark, ultimately, to Norway. Works Cited: • Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New Haven and London: Yale UP, 2003. Print.