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The more I read Hamlet, the more I think that Laertes is the real tragic figure--or at least an equally tragic figure--of the play. His father is slain; his sister kills herself; and he, like every main character, is duped and manipulated by the king. Does anyone else feel this way?

Laertes definitely has it rough-- to start with, his dad is Polonius who is a nice guy but pretty clueless.

To get really contrarian about it, Hamlet isn't tragic at all-- a real man would've killed the villianous Claudius and become King. And it's good to be King! Such was just the way of life in the world of royalty for years and years, Hamlet needed to get with the program and the fact he didn't isn't really 'tragic'. So, yeah, I think you're on to something there.

i wouldn't go as far as to say that hamlet isnt tragic, try having to decide whether to trust a ghost and have to either kill your step father -the king, or not trust the ghost and let him rot in purgatory. I would though go as far as to say that the fact that he waited so long to act would make him an ant- hero. I think the true vicitms are all the people that had to die just to save his father's soul. what about their souls? but i think that Horatio definitely is tragic at the end because he's left with no one; but I would say that he's the true hero, not just because he lived out of all of that, but because he convinces himself not to kill himself at the end when everyone dies. Laertes represent passion and decisiveness- what hamlet was lacking the whole time, but they are foils to one another, Hamlet represents reason and logic, what Laertes was missing.

I think I addressed this in another thread, but I think the real foil to Hamlet, or a better one, anyway, is Fortinbras: he actually is a prince (or was, anyway), has lost his father, and is looking to be aggressive, and not passive about it.

I agree, therefore, with this thread. I think Laertes isn't a good opposite to Hamlet, and as such, he stands alone in his misery and pain. He becomes even more tragic, to me, when he recognizes what others were trying to do at the end of his life, and essentially apologizes to Hamlet for what has happened. The fact that he has that epiphany makes him, compared to the others that die, less stupid, more tragic, and far more human. I'm not entirely sure where he gets all of this from, because Polonius is a weasel. He must get it from mom.

David Becker 

Getting back to the idea of Laertes as a tragic figure...definitely yes, he was.  But at the same time, I'm not sure how sympathetic I am toward him, considering how insistent he is, prior to leaving for France, in telling Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet.  It's pretty clear that he's trying to protect his younger sister, but I'm not sure how much he actually realized Hamlet's feelings for Ophelia.  Between Laertes and Polonius, they mess with Ophelia so much that, by being a dutiful daughter (rather than following her own heart), she ends up a tragic figure, drowning in a stream.  Besides that, Ophelia gently reminds Laertes to heed his own advice and not be promiscuous with women in France.

I hope I'm not coming at this sounding ultra feministic.  I know times were different back then, and yes, daughters were expected to listen to their fathers and brothers.  I just feel bad for Ophelia because by doing what was expected of her, she got the shortest end of the stick.