Though This Be Madness, Yet There is Method In 'T

"And so have I a noble father lost. A sister driven into desperate terms... But my revenge will come" (4. 7. 27-31) Laertes proclaimed his need for vengeance after Hamlet has killed his father and thus driven his sister insane. Laertes is one of several tragic heros in the play Hamlet and both receives, as well as deals, ample amounts of misery and suffering.

	Laertes initially seems as though he won't be one of our many tragic characters. However, this is quickly proven wrong when he returns after his father's death. He is furious and seeks the most dire form of vengeance. What's more, even though she isn't his top concern per say, Ophelia has lost her mind and he grieves for it. "Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia! O heavens is 't possible a young maid's wits. Should be as mortal as an old man's life? Nature is fine in love, and, where 'tis fine, it sends some precious instance of itself after the thing it loves." (4. 5. 180-187). Even though he tried to warn her about Hamlet, Hamlet still ended up breaking her heart, though not in the way Laertes expected.

	Laertes truly proves himself to be a conduit of misfortune and misery in the case of Hamlet. He first conflicts with Laertes as Laertes mourns for Ophelia and Hamlet tries to one up him. Furious at the prince, Laertes briefly scuffles before being broken apart even going so far as to curse Hamlet to hell. Of course Hamlet was the once who killed his father and caused his sister to go insane resulting in her death. The misery Hamlet has brought upon Laertes gives him every right to be outraged. However Laertes is able to return some of the pain he feels when he strikes Hamlet with the poisoned blade, resulting in Hamlet's death. What goes around comes around after all.

	Initially, Laertes is furious at the king and demands answers regarding his father's death. However the clever king is able to twist Laertes into working for him, turning his hatred towards Hamlet. The king causes Laertes to duel Hamlet, resulting in the former's humiliations at his better's hands. Though as with Hamlet, Laertes is able to return the pain. In his dying breaths he reveals the truth of the matter, turning the spotlight to Claudius resulting in the murdering king's death. "Lo, here i lie, never to rise again. Thy mother's poisoned. I can no more. The King, the King's to blame" (5. 2. 349-351).

	Laertes shows himself to be a magnet for trouble. However he also deals just as much as he takes. Laertes' suffering is not much different from any of the other characters. They all go through pain and they all push it onto others. This cycle of suffering is what pushes the play onwards. First Claudius causes the old king Hamlet suffering. Then Hamlet suffers and is spurned on by dead Hamlet to make Claudius suffer. Polonuis makes Hamlet suffer and Hamlet kills Polonuis. That suffering drives Ophelia crazy and drives Laertes to see vengeance. The king uses Laertes, Laertes betrays the king, and Hamlet kills the king, then dies.


"To cut his throat i' th' church." (4. 7. 144)