Laertes and Horatio as Foils for HamletIn the play Hamlet, Shakespeare uses a cast of characters who have many roles. Among this cast, Shakespeare uses two characters, Laertes and Horatio, as foils for the character of Hamlet. Through similarities and differences, these characters accentuate Hamlet's claim to be mad, emphasize how Hamlet is an inappropriate son by the standards of the time, and make him a tragic hero. A foil is a minor character that helps develop a major character by sharing similarities. and the differences with the main character. This is a common practice that Shakespeare uses in many of his plays. The use of foils in Hamlet is particularly effective in asserting Hamlet's anguish. Laertes and Hamlet share two fundamental similarities. Laertes and Hamlet want revenge for the death of their father. Hamlet wants revenge on his uncle and Laertes wants revenge on Hamlet. Both want to protect their family names. The revenge that Hamlet wants is what causes him to pretend that he is crazy. He attempts to use his dementia as a ploy to get his uncle to confess to the murder. Both Laertes and Hamlet are believed to have acted inappropriately on the part of their parents. Laertes' father sends two spies to Paris to monitor his son and report their findings because, "in his worldliness and cynicism, he is absolutely sure he knows how young men behave when they escape parental control." [Source?] This perspective alludes to the way Hamlet behaves without his parental control. Hamlet is presumed mad because he claims to see the ghost of his deceased father ['H-50] and is obsessed middle of paper...... substantial causes (reasons) for Hamlet's behavior are shown, so is he not shown as acting reasonably, not foolishly?] By using similarities and differences to compare to Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the minor characters to help the reader learn or better understand Hamlet. This is why Laertes and Horatio are foils for Hamlet. These two minor characters interact with Hamlet throughout the play and constantly present him as a tragic hero. Horatio seems to prove the exact opposite of what the writer claims. On the other hand, this author started with a very good thesis and attempted, throughout his essay, to support that thesis.. ]