Laertes, Claudius, and Fortinbras as complements to Hamlet In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the young prince Hamlet faces murder, corruption, and incest. The contrasts with Prince Hamlet provide the reader with a basis to summarize his character within the play. Such elements include Laertes, son of Polonius, Claudius, the current king of Denmark and Hamlet's stepfather, and Fortinbras, the prince of Norway. The first element or character that makes Hamlet stand out in the play is Laertes. After King Hamlet's death, he, together with Prince Hamlet, returns to Denmark for funeral services. This is the first sign that Laertes will become Hamlet's foil in the play. Both Laertes and Hamlet are very fond of Laertes' sister Ophelia, which is the second similarity between the two. Another similarity between Laertes and Hamlet is that the father figure of each, Polonius for Laertes and Claudius for Hamlet, has someone watching them to see if they behave accordingly. [consequently?] In Act Two, Scene One, Polonius orders Raynald to go to Paris to give Laertes money and messages, and to find other Danes to give him gossip about Laertes. In Act Two, Scene Two, Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out why Hamlet is behaving so strangely. The next similarity between Laertes and Hamlet is that they both mourn a death in the play. Laertes is saddened by the death of Ophelia, while Hamlet is saddened by the death of his father, King Hamlet. The final similarity between Laertes and Hamlet is that they both seek revenge for the death of their fathers. Laertes wishes to kill Hamlet after Hamlet killed Polonius and Hamlet wishes to kill Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet. Both succeed in their quest for revenge. One of the main differences between Laertes and Hamlet is that Laertes did not procrastinate in his attempt at revenge. He went straight for it with Claudio's encouragement. His haste is what ultimately gets him killed. Since Laertes does not think long before getting his revenge, it gives the reader reason to compare Laertes and think about Hamlet's struggle to decide that revenge on time [H-50] is the right thing to do. [SS -1] Throughout the entire weather play [H-50] contemplates whether or not to kill Claudius, leaving the reader with the feeling that Hamlet is very careful when making decisions. [This point deserves no further discussion?