Is laertes a villain in Hamlet?

Answer 1

Claudius is not a full-blooded villain like Aaron in Titus Andronicus or Richard III in Richard III. He has committed murder, fratricide no less, because of his love and desire for his brother's wife. This is a very bad thing, but it appears that this is really the only bad thing he has done.

However, Hamlet's provocative and dangerous behaviour (which results in the death of Claudius's close advisor) makes him someone who cannot be safely left alive. "Do it, England", says Claudius, "for like the hectic in my blood he rages and thou must cure me. 'Til I know 'tis done, howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun."

Laertes, on the other hand, is someone who is motivated, not by love or questions of safety for himself or the state, but out of revenge. He is the person who acts like we imagine the ghost wants Hamlet to act. So long as he can kill his man, he will "cut his throat i' the church".

If we step back from this, we may ask, what do we consider to be the best way to deal with killers like Hamlet? For Hamlet has certainly killed Polonius, and he had no right to do so. Should it be the job of the son of the deceased to get the killer back? Is revenge laudable in a civilized society? Or rather do we not say that the disposition of murderers should be left to the government, which in a monarchy is the king? From this perspective, Laertes's plot on Hamlet's life is much more villainous than Claudius's.

Answer 2

Not at all. He is a perfectly decent guy. However, his father has been murdered, and he feels that it is his duty to revenge himself on the murderer. This is exactly the position which Hamlet himself is in. All of those people over the years who say "Hamlet's fatal flaw is his indecisiveness" are really saying "Hamlet should be more like Laertes."

That is really a dubious contention because Laertes embraces his duty to revenge without question or reservation, stating that he would be quite prepared to "cut [Hamlet's] throat i' the church". In other words his duty to revenge cuts through all other moral imperatives. Hamlet is less sure, and although he several times talks himself into such a position, he always ends up backing away from it. Is it because he doubts the moral high ground of the revenger? or because he is a coward or is overly delicate? or lazy? or because he is looking for the perfect opportunity that will never come? There are lots of possibilities, which is one of the things that makes Hamlet such a great play.

Answer 3

Opheila's brother, also polonius's son.

Answer 4

Yes. Laertes was Ophelia's brother.