Why is fortinbras in hamlet

Behind the stories of both Fortinbras and Hamlet is the question of why their uncles are wearing the crowns that should, in the normal pattern of who-gets-to-be-king, go to them the sons. Fortinbras deals by going out and conquering other countries; Hamlet, in contrast, only mentions the fact that Claudius has "popped in between the election and [his] hopes" in other words, his hopes of becoming the King of Denmark.

He distracts himself with thinking, not with conquering. Our prince compares himself explicitly to Fortinbras when he passes Fortinbras' armies in the fields and he sees Fortinbras as a model for how he should behave.

In other words, Hamlet realizes that Fortinbras doesn't have very good reasons for leading an army against Poland —but reasons don't really matter. Great men don't need a reason to preserve their family's honor.

Fortinbras, like Laertes, is an example of action with little thought —precisely the opposite of Hamlet. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. In many plays there is a central character who believes that something is rightfully theirs. Since Zeffirelli did not include the scenes with Fortinbras, the question brought to viewers is why this character is so carelessly left out of the movie.

By leaving Fortinbras out of the movie Hamlet, an element of contention and collation between himself and Hamlet is absent that is present in the play. In the play, the background stories of Fortinbras and Hamlet are similar. Both of their uncles are king, when the rightful throne should be theirs; however, the two princes deal with the aftermath differently.

While Fortinbras deals by going out and conquering other countries, Hamlet distracts himself with thinking and plotting against Claudius. In Hamlet's soliloquy in Act 4, he compares and contrasts the differences between himself and Fortinbras. Hamlet explains that he would be more like Fortinbras with his actions. The young Prince of Norway is known for is conquest in countries and also for what he hopes to accomplish in the end.

At the end of the play, when the royal family collapses and Hamlet is dead, Fortinbras is the character who receives the crown. Without this element in the movie, who could take over the helpless land and been able to keep it together and successfully rule the kingdom?

Only Fortinbras is the prime choice to rule this kingdom because of his clear motive, direction, and his will to succeed. Works Cited Hamlet. Franco Zeffirelli. Mel Gibson and Glenn Close. Warner Bros. Even in her lapse into madness and death, she remains maidenly, singing songs about flowers and finally drowning in the river amid the flower garlands she had gathered. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is clearly a foil for the reflective Hamlet.

The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. However, it is not entirely certain whether the ghost is what it appears to be, or whether it is something else. Hamlet speculates that the ghost might be a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him into murder, and the question of what the ghost is or where it comes from is never definitively resolved.

Courtiers whom Claudius sends to Norway to persuade the king to prevent Fortinbras from attacking. The officers who first see the ghost walking the ramparts of Elsinore and who summon Horatio to witness it. Marcellus is present when Hamlet first encounters the ghost. Ace your assignments with our guide to Hamlet!

The Importance of Laertes and Fortinbras in Hamlet The Shakespearean play, Hamlet, is a story of revenge and the way the characters in the play respond to grief and the demands of loyalty. They are also important in Hamlet as they. In Hamlet, one of these characters is Fortinbras.

The character of Fortinbras is someone with an extremely similar background to the protagonist of the play, Hamlet. One might say that Fortinbras and Hamlet are parallel versions of each other, being in the same situation even though they have a different lineage.

Despite being in the same situation, Fortinbras and Hamlet are. Shakespeare expresses the importance of a king possessing several qualities throughout the play and it is debatable as to whether Hamlet meets the plays standards for a good king, particularly when compared to the plays other real and potential kings. Hamlet would be a very difficult play to understand without the masterful use of foils.