Laertes and Polonius as Hamlet's FoilsFoils are minor characters in a play that help develop the more important characters. By using the similarities and differences between two characters, the audience can better understand this major character. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many foils to develop the major characters in his play. The two foils that Shakespeare used to develop the character of Hamlet were Laertes and Polonius. One of the important foils for the play is Laertes. Although Laertes does not appear often in the play, he adds much to the plot and character of Hamlet. These two are similar in many ways. They both appear to be around the same age, well educated, and gentlemen. One of their main similarities is that they both seek revenge for the death of their father. Both of their fathers were killed needlessly. Hamlet's father was killed by his father's brother for the crown and his wife, and Hamlet killed Laertes' father for mistaken identity. It is the revenge of these two that constitutes the plot of the story. Thanks to Laertes, the two men were finally able to take revenge in the final battle that killed Hamlet and the new king. If Laertes had not defied Hamlet, the king would have died in another way; however, the king died of poisoning just as he had killed his brother. Another similarity in the play is the fact that Laertes and Hamlet both died by the poisoned tip of the same sword. Laertes and Hamlet were the last two to die. This closed the circle of all those who had been directly involved in this shameful scandal. [SS] Poison killed the king, queen, Hamlet and Laertes, Polonius was killed by Ha...... middle of paper ... sheets that Shakespeare used to develop the character of Hamlet . But the one who best accomplished this task was Laertes. Laertes and Hamlet had a common goal, and without it, history would have taken an entirely different path. Polonius was a good foil in that he convinced everyone that Ophelia was the cause of Hamlet's madness. If he hadn't been Ophelia's father, this part of the story might not have been as effective. Works CitedBloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations of Hamlet. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Charney, Maurice. All Shakespeare. New York, New York. Columbia University Press. 1993. Magill, Frank N. Masterplots. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1995. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Shakespeare by the River. ED. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Haughton Mifflin Company, 1974.