Why Does Laertes Want to Kill Hamlet?
Let’s start with something that might surprise you: Laertes isn’t just some angry revenge-killer who shows up in the middle of Hamlet looking for blood. He’s a character who carries the weight of family honor, political corruption, and a very specific set of grievances that make his quest personal. When he returns to Denmark seeking vengeance for his father’s murder, he’s not just following a script—he’s playing a dangerous game where loyalty, betrayal, and power all collide.
So why exactly does Laertes want to kill Hamlet?
It’s not because Hamlet personally ordered his father’s death. It’s deeper than that. It’s about betrayal, manipulation, and the slow erosion of justice in a court poisoned by intrigue.
What Is Laertes’ Role in the Story?
Laertes is Ophelia’s brother and the son of Polonius—two men who are themselves caught in the gears of Copenhagen’s political machine. He’s been abroad, likely in France, living a life removed from the corruption eating away at the Danish court. His presence in Denmark isn’t random. But when word reaches him of his father’s death—murdered on the orders of Claudius—he returns with one purpose: revenge Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
And Hamlet? To Laertes, Hamlet is the instrument of that betrayal.
Here’s the thing most people miss: Laertes doesn’t know Hamlet killed his father. Not at first. But he knows Claudius did. And he knows Hamlet was the one who exposed Polonius—by accident or design, it doesn’t matter to Laertes. That act of exposure led to his father’s death. So when Hamlet becomes the new king’s favorite, Laertes sees a threat. Not just to himself—but to the idea of justice.
Some disagree here. Fair enough.
Why Does He Care So Much?
Because Laertes isn’t just fighting for personal vengeance. ”* That armor isn’t just literal—it’s symbolic. Still, his father, Polonius, was a man of words and warnings—cautious, calculating, but ultimately powerless against the machinations of Claudius. Plus, he’s fighting for something bigger: the idea that no one should die because of court politics. Consider this: laertes sees what happened to his father and says, *“I’ll put an armor on. He’s arming himself against a system that rewards betrayal.
And Hamlet? Now, the new king. Hamlet represents everything that went wrong. Practically speaking, the man who spied for the old one. The man who, whether consciously or not, helped bring down an old guard that Laertes still respects.
There’s also the matter of Fortinbras. Laertes knows that if Hamlet becomes king, the balance of power shifts. And in a world where honor is currency, that shift threatens everything Laertes holds dear.
How the Plot Unfolds
When Laertes arrives in Denmark, he doesn’t immediately go after Hamlet. Think about it: he starts with a plan—one that involves a fencing match, poison, and a carefully worded letter to the king. But here’s the twist: Laertes is being manipulated too.
Claudius, ever the schemer, plays Laertes like a fiddle. He feeds him information, promises him power, and sets him up as the perfect instrument for eliminating Hamlet—who is, after all, the obstacle to Claudius’s rule. That's why laertes thinks he’s pulling the strings. In reality, he’s dancing to someone else’s tune.
And that’s when things get messy. And in that final moment, when Laertes tries to stab Hamlet one last time, it’s not just about revenge anymore. It’s about survival. Even so, both are poisoned. Consider this: because as Laertes fights his duel with Hamlet, both men are wounded. It’s about who gets to die with honor.
What Most People Get Wrong
Here’s where a lot of analysis goes off the rails: people assume Laertes wants to kill Hamlet because he’s jealous or spiteful. Now, laertes isn’t envious of Hamlet’s wit or his brooding. But that’s not it. He’s afraid of him.
Hamlet, for all his indecision and madness, is a force. So he’s unpredictable. On the flip side, he’s dangerous. And in Laertes’ eyes, he’s the reason his father died Most people skip this — try not to..
Another common mistake is thinking Laertes is just a pawn. He’s not. That said, he’s a man with agency, with passion, with a clear moral compass—even if that compass points toward violence. He chooses revenge. He chooses honor. And he pays for it.
And let’s not forget: Laertes is the only one in this story who fully understands the corruption around him. He sees the court for what it is—a place where fathers die for political convenience. So when he says, “My revenge shall have breath,” he’s not just talking about killing Hamlet. He’s talking about restoring balance.
What Actually Drives Him
At the heart of it all, Laertes is driven by a code. When his father dies under suspicious circumstances, he can’t just walk away. A code of honor. On the flip side, that would mean accepting that the world operates without justice. But a code of family. And Laertes refuses that.
So he returns. Even so, he schemes. He fights. And yes—he kills And that's really what it comes down to..
But here’s the tragic irony: in wanting to avenge his father’s death, Laertes ends up just as dead. On the flip side, he wants Hamlet to die with him. And in his final moments, when he tries to kill Hamlet one last time, it’s not out of anger. In practice, it’s out of a twisted sense of duty. Because that’s what a man of honor does.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re analyzing Hamlet, here’s what you should take away about Laertes:
- He’s not a villain. He’s a tragic figure, shaped by loss and rage.
- His quest for revenge is rooted in real betrayal—not just personal, but systemic.
- He’s manipulated, yes—but he’s also manipulative in his own right.
- His death is not just a plot point. It’s a statement about the cost of vengeance.
And if you’re writing about him, remember this: Laertes represents the danger of letting grief turn to obsession. Consider this: he’s the man who says, “I’ll be revenged on the whole course of my life. ” And he keeps that promise—right up until it destroys him.
FAQ
Q: Does Laertes actually hate Hamlet?
A: Not exactly. He resents him. He fears him. He sees him as a threat and a symbol of everything that went wrong. But by the end, their relationship becomes personal in the worst way.
Q: Why doesn’t Laertes kill Claudius instead?
A: Because Claudius is still the king. Killing him would make Laertes a traitor. So he uses Hamlet as the blade—plausible deniability wrapped in betrayal.
Q: Is Laertes ever sympathetic?
A: Absolutely. He’s a young man who loses his father and watches the system ignore it. His rage is understandable, even if his methods aren’t No workaround needed..
Q: How does Laertes’ story end?
A: In tragedy. After being poisoned in a fencing match with Hamlet, he tries to kill Hamlet one last time. Both men are dying. Laertes dies in Hamlet’s arms, and in his final moments, he and Hamlet reconcile—briefly—before both meet their ends It's one of those things that adds up..
Q: What’s the moral of Laertes’ arc?
A: That vengeance consumes everything it touches—including the avenger. Laertes starts with a noble goal but ends up becoming what he hates.
Hamlet and Laertes are two sides of the same coin. Both driven by loss. Even so, both willing to kill to feel justice. But where Hamlet hesitates, Laertes charges ahead. Where Hamlet questions, Laertes acts. And in the end, both pay the price Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
So why does Laertes want to kill Hamlet? Because in a world where fathers die for politics, where truth is buried under lies, and where revenge is the only currency that matters—he sees Hamlet as the gatekeeper. And he’s willing to
burn the gate down to get through it Less friction, more output..
But the gate was never the problem. On the flip side, the rot was already inside the castle. And by the time Laertes realizes he’s been used—that Claudius played him like a pawn in a game he didn’t even know he was playing—it’s too late. The poison is in the cup. The blade is tipped. The duel is underway It's one of those things that adds up..
In that final exchange, when Laertes confesses the plot and asks forgiveness, it’s not redemption. It’s clarity. He sees the machinery of revenge for what it is: a machine that grinds up everyone who feeds it. Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Polonius, Laertes himself—all consumed by the same hunger for justice that looks suspiciously like bloodlust.
Shakespeare doesn’t give us heroes here. Hamlet reflects what Laertes might have been with pause. He gives us mirrors. Plus, laertes reflects what Hamlet could have become without doubt. Neither survives the reflection And it works..
The tragedy isn’t that Laertes dies. In practice, that his honor demanded it. It’s that he dies believing he was right to try. That the only way to honor his father was to become a killer—and in doing so, lose the very thing that made him a son worth avenging Took long enough..
There is no clean revenge in Elsinore. Only wreckage. And Laertes, for all his fire, is just another piece of it.
