Laertes is the son of Polonius and brother to Ophelia whom Hamlet loves. King Claudius poisons Laertes's sword with the intent to kill Hamlet in the tragedy play by Shakespeare titled Hamlet.
Laertes is the father of Odysseus in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Laertes is also a character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
"Lay-ert-tees"
Laertes is a character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. His name is taken from the father of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey.
The play about Hamlet was totally made up by William Shakespeare - there was no 'real' Hamlet.
There is an irony that he is killed with his own poison (hoist with his own petard, one might say). Also, since Laertes knows he's going to die, he has an incentive to spill the beans on Claudius: "The king's to blame!"
Death toll in Hamlet: Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. (8)
Laertes will anoint his sword with poison. In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," he plans to use this deadly poison in a duel with Hamlet to ensure that he can kill him, as part of his plot for revenge for the death of his father, Polonius. The poison on the blade represents the treachery and deceit that permeate the play.
That character Ophelia is a central person in the Shakespeare classic Hamlet. Potentially married to Hamlet, Ophelia is the sister of Laertes who kills Hamlet.
In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," there is no widespread desire among the Danes to make Laertes king. Although Laertes is respected and has the support of the people after the death of his father, Polonius, the political scene is dominated by the power struggle between Hamlet and Claudius. While Laertes seeks revenge for his father's murder, his potential as a ruler is not a central theme in the play. Ultimately, the focus remains on Hamlet's quest for justice and the consequences of the existing power dynamics.
The Laertes in Hamlet doesn't do this. Are you thinking of some other Laertes?
At line 202 in Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Laertes is preparing to leave for France, expressing his desire to return to his studies and distance himself from the turmoil in Denmark following his father's death. He is concerned for his sister Ophelia and warns her about getting too close to Hamlet, emphasizing the importance of guarding her heart. Laertes's actions reflect his protective nature and foreshadow the conflicts that will unfold as the play progresses.
Hamlet stabbed him with the poisoned sword which Laertes had poisoned to kill Hamlet. He was, in Hamlet's phrase, "hoist with his own petard."