Laertes
Character Profile – At a Glance
- Role: Son to the Lord Chamberlain Polonius, brother to Ophelia, and a foil to Prince Hamlet.
- Key Traits: Passionate, impulsive, protective, traditional, and easily manipulated.
- The Core Conflict: Consumed by grief and rage over the murder of his father and the subsequent madness of his sister, Laertes demands immediate justice but sacrifices his own moral integrity to achieve it.
- Key Actions: Lectures Ophelia on her relationship with Hamlet; leads a popular rebellion against Claudius; fights Hamlet in Ophelia's grave; conspires to murder Hamlet in a rigged fencing match.
- Famous Quote: "To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil!
Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!
I dare damnation."
(Act 4, Scene 5) - The Outcome: He is fatally wounded by his own poisoned blade during the duel. In his final moments, he confesses the King's treachery, exchanges forgiveness with Hamlet, and dies.
The Passionate Foil
Laertes serves as the most direct behavioral foil to Hamlet. While both young men are studying abroad, both return to Elsinore to find their fathers murdered, and both are plunged into a desperate quest for revenge. However, their reactions are diametrically opposed. Where Hamlet is paralysed by philosophical hesitation and theological dread, Laertes is a creature of pure, unthinking action.
Original
Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged
Most throughly for my father.
(Act 4, Scene 5)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
For what will be will be, if I’ve revenge
For my dear father’s death.
Laertes literally bursts through the castle doors with a riotous mob at his back, ready to overthrow the King without a second thought. He publicly discards his allegiance, his conscience, and his fear of damnation. This fiery, melodramatic readiness perfectly highlights exactly what Hamlet lacks, demonstrating the destructive power of action divorced from reason.
The Patriarchal Brother
Before the tragedy consumes him, Laertes is established as a conventional, somewhat overbearing young nobleman. His relationship with his sister, Ophelia, is affectionate but deeply steeped in the patriarchal expectations of the era, directly tying into the play's exploration of gender. He echoes his father’s cynical view of love and actively dictates how his sister should manage her sexuality and reputation.
Original
Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain,
If with too credent ear you list his songs,
Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open
To his unmaster'd importunity.
(Act 1, Scene 3)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
So think about your damaged reputation
If, gullibly, you’re sucked in by his words,
And lose your heart or, worse, virginity
By his insistent, uncontrolled flirtations.
Laertes views Ophelia's honour not as her own, but as a commodity tied to the family's reputation. While his warnings about Hamlet's princely obligations are politically accurate, his lecturing tone reduces Ophelia to a fragile entity that must be shielded. His profound grief over her subsequent madness and death is genuine, yet it fuels his transition from a protective brother into a ruthless killer.
The Corruption of Honour
The ultimate tragedy of Laertes is the degradation of his honour. He begins as a straightforward, traditional nobleman demanding open justice. However, because he acts on raw emotion rather than intellect, he is incredibly susceptible to deception. King Claudius easily channels Laertes's rage away from the throne and towards Hamlet, infecting the young man with his own corruption.
Original
I will do't:
And, for that purpose, I'll anoint my sword.
I bought an unction of a mountebank,
So mortal that, but dip a knife in it...
(Act 4, Scene 7)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
I will do it.
And, for revenge, I’ll consecrate my sword.
I bought a potion from a scallywag
That is so poisonous that, from a knife dip...
By agreeing to use a sharpened, poisoned foil in what is supposed to be a friendly exhibition match, Laertes abandons the chivalric code he claims to hold so dear. He allows his desire for vengeance to completely compromise his morality. It is only when he is dying by his own treacherous weapon that his conscience returns, allowing him to reclaim a shred of his nobility in his final breath.
"Laertes is the quintessential man of action; his fiery readiness to plunge into the abyss of revenge throws Hamlet’s agonized delays into sharpest relief, yet proves just as fatal."
— Harold Bloom, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, 1998
Key Quotes by Laertes
Quote 1
To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil!
Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!
I dare damnation.
(Act 4, Scene 5)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
Allegiance, go to hell! I’ll stand with devils!
Good manners and good will, dig in the dirt!
I don’t care if I’m damned.
Quote Analysis: This is the ultimate expression of the revenge tragedy archetype. Laertes openly rejects the political authority of the King ("allegiance") and the religious authority of God ("grace" and "damnation"). He is willing to sacrifice his eternal soul for immediate, earthly vengeance, presenting a stark contrast to Hamlet's spiritual paralysis.
For Hamlet and the trifling of his favour,
Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,
A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting...
(Act 1, Scene 3)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
For Hamlet and his foolish faux affection,
Think of it as a passing amorous phase,
A springtime violet blooming whilst it’s young,
A short-lived show, though sweet, it won’t endure...
Quote Analysis: Warning Ophelia against Hamlet's advances, Laertes uses natural imagery to suggest that the Prince's love is beautiful but temporary. It establishes Laertes as a pragmatic, protective older brother, while also foreshadowing the floral imagery that will later be associated with Ophelia's tragic end.
Lay her i' the earth:
And from her fair and unpolluted flesh
May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest,
A ministering angel shall my sister be,
When thou liest howling.
(Act 5, Scene 1)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
Lower her down,
And from her kind and innocent remains
May violets bloom! I tell you, spiteful priest,
My sister shall become a heavenly angel
While you will howl in hell.
Quote Analysis: At Ophelia's funeral, Laertes explodes with grief against the priest who refuses her full Christian rites (due to her suspected suicide). His passionate defense of his sister's purity demonstrates his deep love for her, but his leap into her open grave also highlights his tendency toward theatrical, unbridled emotion.
Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet:
Mine and my father's death come not upon thee,
Nor thine on me.
(Act 5, Scene 2)
Shakespeare Retold (Modern Verse)
Please, let’s forgive each other, noble Hamlet;
Mine and my father’s death are not your fault,
Nor is yours mine.
Quote Analysis: In his final moments, having been struck by his own poisoned blade, Laertes's blinding rage lifts. He recognises that they have both been manipulated by Claudius. By exchanging forgiveness, he breaks the cycle of vengeance and redeems his corrupted honour just before he dies.
Key Takeaways
- The Man of Action: Laertes represents the traditional revenge hero—decisive, passionate, and willing to act without over-analysing the moral consequences.
- The Dangers of Emotion: His character serves as a warning against unchecked passion. Because he does not think critically, he becomes an easy pawn for the manipulative Claudius.
- A Compromised Code: He begins the play lecturing others on honour, but ultimately abandons his own chivalric code by agreeing to use a poisoned, unbated weapon in a sporting duel.
- Redemption in Death: Despite his treachery, Laertes is not fundamentally evil. His final act of exposing the King and forgiving Hamlet restores a measure of his lost nobility.
Study Questions and Analysis
How does Laertes serve as a foil to Hamlet? +
Laertes is the physical embodiment of the action Hamlet fails to take. When Polonius is killed, Laertes does not soliloquize or wait for proof; he raises an armed rebellion and kicks down the castle doors. This immediate, fiery response contrasts sharply with Hamlet's endless intellectualising and moral hesitation, highlighting the Prince's fatal flaw.
Why is Claudius able to manipulate Laertes so easily? +
Claudius succeeds because Laertes is operating purely on emotion. Claudius flatters Laertes's pride, acknowledges his grief, and cleverly questions the depth of his love for his father. Because Laertes lacks Hamlet's critical thinking skills, he fails to see that the King is using him as an expendable assassin to solve a political problem.
What does the grave-jumping scene reveal about Laertes? +
When Laertes leaps into Ophelia's grave to hold her one last time, it reveals his tendency toward extreme, almost theatrical displays of emotion. It triggers Hamlet to jump in after him, leading to a physical brawl. This scene demonstrates that Laertes's passion, while genuine, is highly performative and ultimately lacks the profound philosophical depth of Hamlet's grief.
How does Laertes view honour? +
Laertes views honour through a highly conventional, societal lens. He cares deeply about his family's reputation, which is why he lectures Ophelia on chastity and demands to know why Polonius was buried without state rites. However, his concept of honour is superficial; he is willing to commit a dishonourable murder (using a poisoned sword) to publicly "avenge" his family name.
What is the significance of Laertes owning the poison? +
While Claudius suggests the unbated sword, it is Laertes who volunteers the deadly "unction of a mountebank." This makes him fully complicit in the treachery. It proves that the corruption of Elsinore has infected him completely, turning a noble son into a devious murderer who actively contributes to his own demise.
Does Laertes forgive Hamlet? +
Yes. As he lies dying from his own poison, Laertes experiences a moment of profound clarity. He realises the King is to blame for the entire tragedy. By asking for and offering forgiveness to Hamlet, he officially absolves the Prince of Polonius's murder, allowing Hamlet to die with a clear spiritual conscience.
Are Polonius and Laertes similar? +
They are very similar in their conventional mindset and their controlling treatment of Ophelia. However, Polonius is a man of words, spying, and long-winded plotting, whereas Laertes is a man of blunt, physical action. Both, tragically, meet their ends because they involve themselves in the dangerous affairs of the royal family.
