Fortinbras

Fortinbras serves as the ultimate foil to Hamlet, representing decisive military action in contrast to Hamlet's philosophical hesitation. Both are young princes seeking to avenge their fathers and reclaim lost honor, but where Hamlet delays and contemplates, Fortinbras acts swiftly and purposefully, embodying the Renaissance ideal of the active, martial prince.

Fortinbras represents the restoration of political stability and legitimate authority after the chaos and corruption that destroys the Danish court. His arrival at the play's end suggests that strong, decisive leadership can restore order from tragedy, though at the cost of Danish sovereignty passing to a foreign power.

Unlike Hamlet's complex moral reasoning, Fortinbras pursues honor through military conquest with single-minded determination. His willingness to fight over a worthless piece of Polish land demonstrates the Renaissance aristocratic code that values honor and reputation above practical considerations, providing a stark contrast to Hamlet's ethical deliberations.

Though Fortinbras appears only briefly in the play, his presence looms throughout as a political and military threat to Denmark. This structural choice emphasizes how external forces and the threat of war shape the internal politics of Elsinore, while his minimal stage time makes his final triumph more dramatically powerful.

Like Hamlet, Fortinbras seeks to avenge his father's death and restore his family's honor, but he pursues this goal through legitimate military and diplomatic channels rather than personal vengeance. This parallel highlights different approaches to filial duty and suggests that Fortinbras's more conventional path leads to success while Hamlet's introspective approach leads to destruction.

Fortinbras demonstrates shrewd political intelligence by accepting his uncle's diplomatic solution regarding Denmark, then redirecting his military ambitions toward Poland rather than Denmark. His ability to adapt his goals while maintaining his martial reputation shows political flexibility that contrasts with the rigid, self-destructive politics of the Danish court.

Fortinbras's assumption of the Danish throne at the play's end represents both restoration and conquest. His promise to honor Hamlet suggests continuity with the past, while his foreign origin signals a complete break with the corrupt Danish dynasty, offering hope for renewal through external intervention.

Fortinbras arrives at Elsinore to find the entire royal family dead, making him the ultimate witness to the consequences of revenge, corruption, and indecision. His role as observer and inheritor of the tragedy positions him to learn from Denmark's mistakes and potentially govern more wisely.

Fortinbras embodies the Renaissance military ideal - courage, decisiveness, and action - that Hamlet admires but cannot emulate. His success suggests that in the political world of the play, martial virtue and decisive action triumph over philosophical contemplation, though the play leaves ambiguous whether this represents progress or merely a different form of violence.