Question

How does Laertes serve as a foil for Hamlet in act IV, scene V, of Hamlet?

Answer 1

Answer:

The fathers of both Laertes and Hamlet have been murdered. Yet the young men’s reactions to these events stand in sharp contrast. Laertes reacts immediately to the news of his father’s death. In act IV, scene V, he breaks into Claudius’s castle and confronts him. However, Claudius eventually convinces Laertes that he did not kill Laertes’s father. Laertes gets manipulated rather easily and complies with Claudius.

Hamlet, on the other hand, chooses to procrastinate and dwell on the murder, even testing his uncle’s guilt through a play. While Laertes is easily swayed into believing Claudius is innocent, Hamlet is harder to convince. Laertes seems rather rash in his decision-making. This character trait allows Claudius to control him, eventually leading to his downfall. In contrast, Hamlet is slow to act and delays the revenge he seeks; his indecision also leads to his downfall.

Explanation:

Answer 2

Unlike Hamlet, Laertes is a man of action.  He is far more vocal of his actions and has no problems with getting revenge without hesitation. Yet Hamlet is also smarter than him-basically a genius compared to a common man.