Similarities Between Hamlet And Fortinbras

Hamlet and Fortinbras- A Comparison of Revenge in Hamlet

Procrastination and thinking too much may have many undesirable consequences. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare contrasts Hamlet and Fortinbras to show the effects of hesitation and over-thinking throughout the play. While both the characters suffer similar situations, with their father being killed and them wanting revenge, they complete their tasks differently. Fortinbras is ambitious and determined, and immediately starts planning to take back his father’s lands. Unlike Fortinbras, Hamlet ponders on the meanings of his life and doesn’t try to avenge his father right away. These actions lead to very different endings. Upon the death of King Hamlet, Hamlet becomes very depressed. To …show more content…
King Hamlet kills him and then also gets all of King Fortinbras’ territories. Like Hamlet, Fortinbras is distraught the death of his father. However, contrary to him, he immediately begins to plan his revenge. He goes against his uncle’s orders, organises an army to get his father’s lands back.
While Hamlet sits almost idly, Fortinbras leads a powerful army of twenty thousand men to Poland, to fight for a small piece of land. This territory was almost worthless, but the strong Polish army was still defending it. Fortinbras did not fight for the land because of its value, but for his father’s honor. He was willing to risk his life, as well as his army’s lives for an insignificant land, just to avenge his father. Fortinbras is rash and determined. Unlike Hamlet, his ambition is what helps him succeed his goal.
After seeing Fortinbras’ army, Hamlet realizes that he has not been doing enough. He compares himself to Fortinbras. He admires him and feels ashamed that Fortinbras has shown such ambition, while he has done almost nothing, even though he lost his father and, in a way, his mother. In the last line of his last soliloquy, Hamlet says, “My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth.” He realizes that he has overthought and postponed his father’s vengeance, and decides to be more like Fortinbras, and to finally act on his father’s request. However, it is much too late, and his procrastination kills him. Fortinbras becomes the new king, successfully completing his goal of avenging his

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