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The Foils of Hamlet Hamlet, Fortinbras and Laertes have something in common. All their fathers have been killed and they are searching for some way to channel their mourning. They want to avenge their father's death some way. Fortinbras wants to conquer land, no matter how small or worthless. As Hamlet says to the captain, "Goes it against the main of Poland, sir or for some frontier?" And the captain replies, "We go to gain …

…s father and Hamlet is unable to shed a tear. Shakespeare's Hamlet is a story of how three men deal with mourning for their fathers' deaths. Today we are still forced to deal with the hardship of mourning loss and death. These three characters chose extreme actions to get through their mourning. Shakespeare shows that the pain of losing a father as well as flawed character can push a man to the ultimate sacrifice, death.