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In Hamlet, Hamlet goal is to nobly avenge the murder of his father. Three other sons in the play are
Hamlet’s search is, in part, to find himself and certainty in the consequences of his actions. In the process, Hamlet is constantly comparing himself to others, be they from history, mythology, or real life. These other characters are foils for Hamlet. By comparing them to hamlet, we can judge Hamlet’s character more thematically. The first foil, who is discussed directly by Hamlet, is Pyrrhus, a Greek who killed the King of Troy, Priam, in revenge for his father’s death. ... Hamlet, like Pyrrhus, is sneaky and camouflaging his intentions. The difference between Hamlet and Pyrrhus lies in the fact that Hamlet hesitates to find moral reasoning behind his actions. Pyrrhus pauses too, “neutral to his will and matter” just as Hamlet “lose[s] the name of action” (II, ii, 506), (III, I, 96). ... Pyrrhus possesses a rage and determination that Hamlet rarely encounters in himself throughout the play. In a soliloquy shortly after the discussion of Pyrrhus, Hamlet makes a self-declaration:
“I am pigeon-livered and lack gall
To make oppression bitter…
I should have fatted all the region kites
With this slave’s offal.” (II, ii, 604-7)
Hamlet is confessing to being “unpregnant for [his] cause” and criticizes himself for not taking bloody action like Pyrrhus (II, ii, 595).
Approximate Word count = 1101
Approximate Pages = 4.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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