1. ENGLISH
RESEARCH
ASSIGNMENT
HAMLET:
LAERTES
Rupert Averill

2. LAERTES
 Laertes is a character in the Shakesperian play Hamlet. He is the
son of Polonius and brother of Opheila. He is an antagonist
character in the play because he causes conflict. This play is a tragedy
because of all the conflict and deaths. ‘Hamlet’ is set in the 16th
century in Denmark.

3. Synopsis:
Not long after Laertes returns to France he finds out about his fathers death
and returns to Denmark as soon as possible to solve the murder and get
revenge. At first Laertes suspects King Claudius has killed his father but after
confronting the King he finds out it was actually Hamlet. Soon after this he
hears that his sister Ophelia has drowned because she was driven mad, just
as Laertes had feared. Laertes gets revenge on Hamlet by poisoning his
sword and slashing him in a fencing match that ends up killing both himself
and Hamlet.

4. CONFLICT IN THE PLAY
‘HAMLET’
 Person vs Person – Laertes has confliction on Hamlet for driving his
sister Ophelia mad to the point of suicide and for the murdering of his
father Polonius.
 Person vs self – Laertes has an extensive inner conflict of loyalty,
honour and becoming a good man, understanding what Polonius has
told him. He deals with conflict very prompt and direct, ‗as soon as he
hears about his fathers death, he acts as soon as he can to go get
revenge.

5. MAIN CONFLICT
 The main source of conflict driving the play is the conflict
between Hamlet and Laertes and the revenge the both
want on certain people. The more hungry Laertes got for
revenge his inner conflict of honour, love and loyalty was
taken over by vengeance. The deaths of Polonius and
Ophelia is the driving force behind Laertes and King
Claudius's plot in killing hamlet.

6. STRUCTURE OF PLOT
 Introduction: We are introduced to Laertes when he first
comes into the play asking King Claudius if he can leave to
France, so he can escape the questionable circumstances of
his marriage and subsequent ascension to the throne.
 Exciting force: Hamlet kills Polonius so Laertes returns to
Denmark to seek revenge.

7.  Rising action: Laertes just suspected that King Claudius Killed
Polonius but finds out that it was actually Hamlet and this changes
the way he feels about revenge.
 Turning point: Ophelia drowns because she was driven mad,
Laertes blames Hamlet for this which makes Laertes even hungrier
for revenge on Hamlet.
 Falling action: To this certain decisive point Laertes has followed
his love, honour and loyalty but now the scales have tipped off
balance and now he turns to take the other end of the spectrum.

8.  Resolution: King Claudius and Laertes plan way to kill hamlet and get
revenge. The out come is a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes
which results in Hamlets death as Laertes had poison on his sword that
just sliced Hamlets flesh.
 Untangling: Laertes honour finally takes control as he admits his guilt
but it is too late as he lost the match to Hamlet because he slashed him
three times with his own poisoned sword.
 Comic relief: The Graveyard scene provides dramatic relief when the
gravediggers are digging Ophelia‘s grave deciding weather she should be
buried in a churchyard because her death was a suicide.

9. BEGINNING OF PLAY
 In the beginning of the play Laertes is simply seen as a miner
character. In the first lines that Laertes speaks in the play he is asking King
Claudius for his approval to allow him to return to his duties in France.
This is important from the viewpoint as it demonstrates his dislike of the
King and wish to escape from the questionable circumstances of his
marriage and subsequent accession to the throne. Before he leaves he
show‘s love for his family epically Ophelia by trying to warn her about her
relationship with hamlet and asking her to be careful, but she refuses to
listen as she is in love with Hamlet.

10. CHANGES THROUGH THE
PLAY
 As the play goes on we find out Laertes is a great importance in the
play, so far he has followed his loyalty, love and honour to the decisive
point where the scales are starting to tip off balance. He has tried the stoic
way, of staying totally apart but has failed and now tries to take the
other end of the spectrum and by acting with vengeance and revenge.
This results in planning with King Claudius to get revenge on Hamlet.
Laertes ends up going through with the plan to poison Hamlet in a
fencing match therefore driving the conflict further.

11. BY THE END
 By the end of the play Laertes Honour finally takes
control of him as he realises what he has just done was
wrong. He admits his guilt and tells all of the kings plot to
kill hamlet even though it‘s to late as it doesn‘t do any
good. He realises and learns the hard way that killing
Hamlet was neither achieving or gaining anything and
revenge doesn‘t bring back the love ones lost.

12. • LAERTES
QUOTES
 I'm lost in it, my lord. But let him come;
It warms the very sickness in my heart, How came he dead? I'll not be juggled
That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, with:
'Thus diest thou.' To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest
• Laertes, scene vii
devil!
 For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favours, Conscience and grace, to the profoundest
Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood; pit!
A violet in the youth of primy nature, I dare damnation. To this point I stand,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, That both the worlds I give to negligence,
The perfume and suppliance of a minute — Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged
No more. Most thoroughly for my father.
• Laertes, scene iii (4.5.6)
 Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears. ―Laertes: It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou
• Laertes, scene vii
art slain;
 I lov'd Ophelia: forty thousand brothers
No medicine in the world can do thee
Could not, with all their quantity of love,
Make up my sum.
good.
• Hamlet, scene In thee there is not half an hour of life.
 Lay her i' the earth: The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,
And from her fair and unpolluted flesh Unbated and envenom'd. The foul practice
May violets spring! Hath turn'd itself on me. Lo, here I lie,
• Laertes, scene i Never to rise again. Thy mother's poison'd.
I can no more. The King, the King's to
blame.‖

13. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Websites:
 http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/characters.html
 http://www.answers.com/topic/hamlet-1
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laertes_(Hamlet)
 http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=7963
 http://schoolworkhelper.net/laertes%e2%80%99-role-importance-in-shakespeare%e2%80%99s-hamlet/
 http://www.ez-essays.com/free/1862.html
 http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/hamlet/at-a-glance.html
 http://www.enotes.com/hamlet
 Books:
 Insight publications- Hamlet Sample essays- 2009
 John Jump- Shakespeare Hamlet- 1968
 Leon Garfield- Shakespeare, the animated tales of hamlet- 1992