'Laertes and Fortinbras are conventional revenge heroes; Hamlet is more then that.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare presents us with the character of the conventional revenge hero through his depiction of Laertes and Fortinbras. He also presents the audience with a more complex and pensive heroic figure through his portrayal of Hamlet. All three characters can be perceived as heroes but for very different reasons.
The play, Hamlet, is commonly regarded as a revenge tragedy. The theme of preceding conventional revenge tragedies was the punishment of the villain by someone who had suffered because of his actions. These plays included The Spanish Tragedy' (Kyd, 1587), Hercules Furens' (Seneca) and Locrine' (1595). In the Elizabethan theatre the revenge theme was defined by rash action that was stimulated by passion. Hence the character of the conventional revenge hero would be one that did not contemplate his actions, but rather took instantaneous retribution. This archetype is seen in the characters of Laertes and Fortinbras. .
Laertes, the son of Polonius, does not adopt the role of a "hero- in the play until the final stages. He is absent for most of the play but we are given the impression that he is an influential character by the way he speaks to Ophelia. He warns her to stay clear of Hamlet and "weigh what loss [her] honour may sustain- (I.III.29). This reveals the importance that Laertes places on family honour. This initial impression of Laertes is important in understanding his later actions.
Laertes truly takes the role of a conventional revenge hero towards the end of the play, when he returns to Denmark, to take revenge for his father's murder. He enters very strongly and makes it clear that he will "not be juggled with- (IV.V.127). We are shown his intense emotion and it is clear that he is going to take action in order to gain revenge on his father's murderer. He is not concerned with what will happen to him in this life or after his death, and he states, "that both the worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes- (IV.
