These three characters make up a three-person character
foil. A foil is a character set up in contrast to another one who has similar
characteristics. All three of these young men, in Act IV, are approximately the same
age, have all lost a father, and all have a legitimate claim for
revenge.
However, all three differ in how they approach
this revenge duty. Hamlet, as we have seen all throughout the play, has taken a type of
avoidance tactic. He is circumventing his duty, refusing to act directly. Conversely,
Laertes is direct to a fault; he instantly attacks the king, blaming him for his
father's death. He doesn't stop to think logically at all. In this way, he is the
direct opposite of Hamlet. Finally, Fortinbras seeks his revenge in a calculated,
logically planned manner. He devises a plan to sweep across Denmark and take control by
surprise; he is driven to a degree that literally lacks
emotion.
These three men all take the same set of
circumstances and create their own, very different, outcomes.
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