William Shakespeare's Hamlet is an extremely well thought out play. Each component is included quite purposefully. All have their own specific contributions to the play. Perhaps, it is Hamlet's peers that endow the most. Horatio, Ophelia, and Laertes all provide key character contrasts to Hamlet. They also serve to elucidate particular themes that, eventually, aid in deciding the outcome of the play. Many significant contributions are made to the plot and play in individual scenes by Hamlet's three peers. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Hamlet's peers, Horatio, Ophelia, and Laertes present to the play as a whole.
             To truly see the contributions of Hamlet's peers to the play, this paper will briefly look at their personalities and obvious traits and proceed to relate them to the plot and major themes of the play. Also, this paper will describe how each peer impacts the major character, Hamlet.
             Laertes occupies a unique role in the play. The relationship between Hamlet and Laertes develops into a very interesting one as the play progresses. Hamlet spends almost the entire play attempting to avenge his father's murder by killing the person who committed the deed, Claudius. When Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes father, he assumes the same role for Laertes that Claudius represents for himself. The stark contrast between the two is shown in the ways each chose to go about avenging their fathers' deaths. Contrast and comparison between them can also be seen when each of their lives is described in the beginning of the play. Laertes is essentially Hamlet's parallel. He is also the member of the younger generation that is manipulated the most by the older generation, namely Claudius. The scene in which Laertes' contributions are best demonstrated is Scene seven, Act four.
             The scene begins with a conversation between Claudius and Laertes. Claudius is attempting to manipulate Laert...