Hamlet and Laertes in the 1990 movie version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet are

contrasting characters. Although Hamlet and Laertes are both Danish noblemen scholars

who have studied abroad, are excellent swordsmen and good sons who die as a result of

avenging their fathers’ deaths, their differences are greater than their similarities.

Shakespeare uses Laertes as a contrast to Hamlet to show the depth of Hamlet’s character.

The methods by which they seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers show their

contrasts most vividly. A month or more after his father’s death, Hamlet still appears

depressed and withdrawn from others. He suspects his father was murdered and believes

his uncle Claudius is to blame. However, Hamlet does not act upon his feelings until he

has proof. Laertes, on the other hand, spends no time grieving, but acts immediately

upon hearing of the murder of his father. Laertes storms the castle, physically confronts

Claudius and tries to kill him with no proof, only his belief, that Claudius is the murderer.

Hamlet weighs both sides of most situations. He spies on conversations between

people in the castle to learn more details about their motivations. Through spying he sees

that his mother is happy in her new marriage. He hears that Laertes opposes a marriage of

Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet learns that Polonius plans to set him up to prove that his

intentions with Ophelia are not honorable. Even after seeing the ghost of his father who

relates the truth of his death and exposes the details of Claudius as the murderer, Hamlet

questions whether or not the ghost is really that of his father’s spirit or just a devil trying

to manipulate him to action. Hamlet even questions whether or not it is better to be alive

or dead. In his “to be or not to be” speech, he examines many aspects of human

existence and debates which types of actions are most honorable. In contrast, Laertes

questions nothing. His father is dead and he takes immediate action to avenge the death.
 Hamlet not only ponders his own motivations, but makes judgments of others.

While his mother tries to cheer him as she celebrates her remarriage, Hamlet rejects her

consoling and wonders how she can get over her grief so quickly. Hamlet sets up a play

to tell the story of his father’s death as told to him by the ghost. Hamlet believes the play

will produce reactions by the guilty party. The idea works as Claudius strongly reacts

which convinces Hamlet that he is King Hamlet’s murderer. Laertes, however, does not

ponder death or judge the actions of others affected by his father’s death as Hamlet does.

Laetes thinks only of himself. He does not consider the effect of his father’s death on his

sister, Ophelia, until he sees her in her madness and is surprised at her state. Laertes

makes no judgments on others except upon the one he believes guilty. His only concern is

immediate revenge.

Hamlet is concerned about afterlife. Hamlet speaks of the unknown after death as

one of the main reasons people do not often act on impulse. When he sees his uncle in

prayer and hears proof that he is the killer, Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to kill

Claudius. However, he steps back realizing that if he kills Claudius while he is in prayer,

Claudius will go straight to Heaven. Because Hamlet wants Claudius to suffer eternal

damnation, he holds off killing him. In contrast, Laertes has no concern for the afterlife.

Laertes will get immediate revenge no matter where the opportunity, even if in church.

Even if the killer would go to Heaven and Laertes to Hell, Laertes’ concern is for the

immediate action, not the afterlife.

Not only does Laertes not reflect on the afterlife, he also does not think through

other consequences of his actions. He is easily manipulated by Claudius into a plot to kill

Prince Hamlet. He never considers that the poisoned sword might be turned upon
himself. Hamlet who plans in detail is not easily manipulated even by his father’s ghost

who must appear again to remind him of his duties as a son. On only two occasions

Hamlet does not think through the consequences of his actions. One is when he acts

rashly and kills Polonius by mistake. The other is when he sword fights Laertes. Hamlet

is more interested in making Laertes look like a fool than keeping up his defenses. Both

times Hamlet does not think through consequences and tragedy results. The contrast

between the characters of Hamlet and Laertes shows Hamlet to be a much more

complicated figure.