Character Analysis: Laertes

1. "Out of the shot and danger of desire. The chariest maid is prodigal enough If she unmask her beauty to the moon. Virtue itself ’scapes not calumnious strokes. The canker galls the infants of the spring too oft before their buttons be disclosed. And in the morn and liquid dew of youth, Contagious blastments are most imminent. Be wary, then. Best safety lies in fear. Youth to itself rebels, though none else near." (I.3.35-44)

Laertes is explaining to his sister, Ophelia, that Hamlet is after one thing, her body, and that is all he wants, whether it seems like it or not and whether he knows it or not. Laertes has a very good point about how men are and he seems to display a stroke of wisdom to his naive sister.

2. "I stay too long. But here my father comes. A double blessing is a double grace; occasion smiles upon a second leave." (I.3.52-54)

Laertes is talking to his sister about Hamlet's feelings for her as well as her feelings for Hamlet, when Polonius, their father walks in, and Laertes seems to immediately want to leave the presence of his father. He truly does not like his father that much, and its funny to see how he does not even want to be around his father, Polonius.

3. "O thou vile king, Give me my father!" (IV.5.114-115)

Laertes has just found out that his father has been killed by, so he thinks, the king. His immediate way of grief seems to be revenge rather then depression, like it was with Hamlet.

4. "I will do't! And for that purpose I'll anoint my sword. I bought an unction of a mountebank, So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare, Collected from all simples that have virtue under the moon, can save the thing from death this is but scratch'd withal. I'll touch my point With this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, It may be death." (IV.7.139-148)

Laertes was talking with the king on how to kill Hamlet, since they both want him dead for their own different reasons, and Laertes agreed to challenge Hamlet to a duel and to take the protective layer off of his sword, put poison on the tip, and if that doesnt work, the King will give Hamlet a poisoned drink. This goes to show again just the corruptedness of each character, including Laertes as the reader sees.

5. "Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet. Mine and my father's death come not upon thee, Nor thine on me!" (V.2.330-332)

Laertes is in a duel with Hamlet when they accidently switch swords and Hamlet has the poisoned sword that Laertes was going to use to kill Hamlet. Hamlet trikes Laertes and these are Laertes final words. Unlike almost every other character in the book that dies, Laertes dies forgiving Hamlet as well as asking for forgiveness. He dies well.