Fortebraccio, Laertes and Horatio, as complements of Hamlet"What a work of art is a man!" (II, 2, 305). In his statement, Prince Hamlet, in his role as the protagonist of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, recognizes the complexity of man; man is described as "infinite in faculties... expressed and admirable... like an angel [or] like a god... and yet... [a] quintessence of dust" (II, 2, 307) . Shakespeare emphasizes the observation by defining Hamlet as “a man,” exposing his strengths and weaknesses through the contrast provided by Fortinbras, Laertes, and Horatio, as foils to the tragic hero. In his first appearance, the young Fortinbras shows himself inferior to Hamlet. ; being "of unperfected metal, hot and full" (I, 1, 96) unreasonably "[filling] a list of earthless steadfasts" (I, 1, 98), it is in sharp contrast to the "sweet and praiseworthy" ( I, 2, 87) Hamlet introduced in the next scene. As the play develops, however, Hamlet's weakness is highlighted as Fortinbras works to earn his name, "which seems to symbolize the soldier's strong arm" (xxvii). Fortinbras' simple and naive determination towards the final revenge of this father's death. contrasts with Hamlet's intermittent efforts towards the same goal. The Norwegian's first appearance in the play, which does not occur until Act IV, Scene 4, is conveniently placed while Hamlet is in another of his "lows." Fortinbras' triumphant and stately entry into Denmark testifies to his ability to plan and act, bypassing obstacles in his plan as they arise, which contrasts with Hamlet's inability to do the same. Hamlet condemns himself and exposes one of his weaknesses - his inability to act when required or possible - by asking "What... in the middle of the paper... the deadly duel in the final scene. The scholar has a strong code of honor and ethical, which drives him to commit suicide upon Hamlet's death, contrasts with Hamlet's lack of morals, sending his old acquaintances Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths in England and mercilessly "strangling [his mother's] heart" (III, 4 , 35) during the wardrobe scene. By exposing and emphasizing Hamlet's many strengths and weaknesses as they appear throughout the play, Fortinbras, Laertes, and Horatio act as foils to the tragic hero of Hamlet, they do not fully analyze the inner workings of the main character, thus testifying to the complexity of an individual indeed, what a work is a man!, 1996.