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Far too often we see men and women with noble causes lose their motive because of their emotional behavior. Their emotions cause them to lose track. We see no finer example of a man with a noble cause whose emotions cause him to lose sight of his noble cause: the character of Laertes in the play Hamlet. Laertes has a vendetta against Hamlet for killing his father. Although Laertes meant well in avenging his father's death, his emotional behavior overtook him in the process. If we look at other characters in the play, we find a similar struggle between a noble goal and one's emotions.
Hamlet fights the same battle as Laertes does; however, Hamlet is better able to control his emotions. To maintain a noble goal without faltering, one must be able to rid one's self of emotions that lead to undesirable actions. To understand Laertes's erratic behavior, we must first establish his proper motive. The play Hamlet takes place in Denmark around the medieval times.
Laertes's desire to avenge his father's death is an honorable trait in his society. In the play, the fathers put on a role as the giver of values. Laertes's father, Polonius, gives Laertes certain values on living life: "Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; / Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment" (1. 3. 72). Polonius instructs Laertes how to behave properly in life. Laertes needs his father's opinions to make decisions in life. Laertes asks permission from Claudius to go to France only after Polonius has given his consent to go.
Laertes did not ask to leave until his father agreed. Laertes values his father's opinion so much that he does not wish to disobey it. Polonius tells the king that Laertes was persistent in seeking his permission: "By labor some petition, and at last/ Upon his will I sealed my hard consent" (1. 2. 61). Laertes could have easily left for France on his own, yet he waited until he had his father's approval.
As Laertes embarks for his journey to France, he delights at a second chance to say goodbye: "Occasion smiles upon a second leave" (1. 3. 58). Ophelia, sister to Laertes, also receives advice on behavior from Polonius. Polonius advises Ophelia to make herself less available to Hamlet. When Ophelia is confused as to how to behave, she asks her for advice: "I do not know, my lord, what I should think" (1. 3. 111). Polonius then replies, "Marry, I will teach you!" (1. 3. 112). Ophelia turns to Polonius for the proper guidance in how to behave.
Ophelia values Polonius far above all other characters, including Laertes and Hamlet. When Polonius inquires what Laertes told her, Ophelia readily tells her father what Laertes told her. Later, when Hamlet asks Ophelia where her father is, she lies to Hamlet to protect her father: "At home, my lord" (3. 1. 144). Ophelia cherishes the values that Polonius gives more than her love for her brother or even Hamlet.
Not only do fathers set values on how to live, they also bring stability to the children. Once Polonius is murdered, Laertes and Ophelia lose their stability in life. The once happy Laertes quickly turns into a raging man bent on revenge. The stability of his father's advice is gone. Laertes solitude quickly turns to anger.
When Claudius beseeches Laertes to calm himself, Laertes replies angrily, "That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard" (4. 5. 124). Laertes is so angry that he cares for nothing but revenge. His lack of control shows that he lost a certain stability that Polonius had instructed in him. The counsel Polonius gave to Laertes about reserving judgment is all but lost when Laertes rants out that he "dares damnation" (4. 5. 144) and he promises that he shall "be revenged most thoroughly for my father" (4. 5. 146). Laertes complete turnaround is directly caused by the loss of his father. Ophelia, likewise, experiences a loss in stability once Polonius dies.
Instead of going mad, she instead goes insane. A gentleman reports of Ophelia's insanity: "She speaks much of her father; says she hears/ There's tricks in the world, and hems, and beats her heart" (4. 5. 3). Before Polonius's death, Ophelia would turn to him for complete advice. Once Polonius has died, Ophelia lacks the guidance and counsel to lead her life. She ends up going insane because she has no one to guide her in life. Once the stability that Polonius gave Ophelia leaves, she goes insane and eventually dies.
The loss of a father also affects the stability of another character, Hamlet. After Gertrude's remarriage with Claudius, Hamlet rejects any notion of a stepfather. When Claudius calls Hamlet his son, Hamlet replies that he is "a little more than kin, and less than kind" (1. 2. 68). This means that Hamlet knows Claudius is his stepfather, but he does not want to have any further relations with him. Hamlet's sulkiness is heightened by his mother's quick marriage, which he considers incestuous.
Hamlet cries out that "Frailty, thy name is woman" (1. 2. 152) because he watches his mother quickly marry another man only two months after his father's death. Hamlet wants to maintain stability in his ever-changing world. Hamlet rejects any affection from his father and he abhors his mother's quick marriage. The two changing aspects are effects of Hamlet Sr. 's death.
Avenging a father's death proves the loyalty the children have for their father. The love that these characters exemplified to their fathers is similar to the love one has for one's country. Each character pledges their highest loyalty to their fathers. By avenging their father's death, they are showing their loyalty to their fathers. In Hamlet, this is an honorable trait. Claudius notes the divinity in Laertes's desire for revenge: "There's such divinity doth hedge a king/ That treason can but peep to what it would, / Acts little of his will" (4. 5. 133).
Claudius's admiration for Laertes's will for revenge shows that revenge in that society is justified. Furthermore, Hamlet calls himself a coward for his inability to avenge his father's murder: "What an ass am I... that I, the son of a dear father murdered... must unpack my heart with words" (2. 2. 593).
Hamlet, much like the rest of the society in Hamlet, sees vengeance for one's father as a just cause. Laertes, with such a noble cause as avenging his father's death, fails because of his inability to control his emotions. As soon as Laertes hears of his father's death, he goes into a state of fury. Before Laertes's arrives to Denmark, a messenger warns Claudius that the arrival of Laertes is the head of "a riots head" (4. 5. 106). The moment Laertes enters the castle he blames Claudius for the murder.
Laertes storms into the castle demanding instant vengeance. In Laertes's haste, he cries out that he cares for nothing except revenge: "I dare damnation. / Both the worlds I give negligence, / I'll be revenged/ Most thoroughly for my father" (4. 5. 146). His imprudent behavior causes Laertes to act before analyzing the situation. Laertes's reckless behavior only heightens with Ophelia. After hearing Ophelia's babble, Laertes becomes more resolute in his quick revenge. His desire for revenge turns to hatred as he plans to desecrate Hamlet's grave after his death: "No trophy, sword, nor hatchment over his bones, / no noble rite nor formal ostentation's" (4. 6. 229).
Laertes acts based on his emotions. He reacts violently whenever his emotions react...
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Research essay sample on Avenging His Father Death Avenge His Father
