Ophelia’s brother and Polonius’s son. A student at a university in France, Laertes is gallant, worldly, hotheaded, and obsessed with his family’s honor. In hopes of avenging Polonius and Ophelia’s deaths, Laertes conspires with Claudius to murder Hamlet, challenging Hamlet to a duel armed with a poison-tipped sword. He succeeds in stabbing Hamlet with the sword, but their weapons are switched during the fight, and Hamlet fatally stabs Laertes with the poisoned sword as well. As he dies, Laertes is remorseful over the deaths of Hamlet and Gertrude (who unknowingly drank from a cup of poisoned wine, Claudius’s backup plan should the duel fail), and calls out to Hamlet that “the king’s to blame,” implicating Claudius in their murders. Hamlet, realizing the sword is poisoned, stabs Claudius and forces him to drink the poisoned wine. Just before Laertes perishes, he cries out that Claudius has gotten the fate he deserves, and that he forgives Hamlet.
Laertes Quotes in Hamlet
The Hamlet quotes below are all either spoken by Laertes or refer to Laertes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 3
Quotes
This above all—to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Laertes Quotes in Hamlet
The Hamlet quotes below are all either spoken by Laertes or refer to Laertes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1, Scene 3
Quotes
This above all—to thine own self be true;
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
