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Hamlet and Laertes, A mirror image?

Throughout the play we realise that there are many similarities between the characters Hamlet and Laertes. Laertes is known to be a foil of the young Hamlet because of the qualities that they share and the similar events that occur to them in the play. Although they react to situations in different ways, they are still very similar characters.

Let us take all the qualities that Hamlet and Laertes share in common. A similarity that may be a little hidden, is that they both love Ophelia. Hamlet is in love with Ophelia, she is the love of his life in the play. Although he treats her very poorly he wishes that one day they will marry. Laertes has a different type of love with his sister. It is a familial bond between a brother and sister. He cares for her and advises her to stay away from Hamlet, Another thing that the two share in common is they're royal blood. Both of them were raised in Denmark under powerful families. Hamlet's father being king and Laertes' father being Lord of Chamberlain. They share a skill for sword duelling as you can see at the end of the play. The most obvious similarity however, which I'm positive you have already noticed, is that they honoured their fathers and search for some sort of revenge. Claudius killed Hamlets father and then Hamlet killed Laertes' father and they both wont stop thinking about revenge until finally it is achieved.
In Hamlets case he waits and waits before he ever acts on actual vengeance towards Claudius, but in Laertes case he just bursts into the castle, letting his emotions take the better of him. With that anger he does not care about any consequences all he wants is his revenge on Hamlet for his father's death. quote "How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with; To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: to this point I stand, That both the worlds I give to negligence, Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged most thoroughly for my father." As you can see he clearly states he wants revenge at all costs and this is almost right when he enters the castle. He acts solely on his emotions and does not think it through. Hamlet acts upon revenge in a very different matter. He finds out about his father being murdered quite early, yet procrastinates throughout the play and doesn't act till the very end. He also takes the time to think everything over. He first proves that he was poisoned and that the ghost

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