What are some similarities and differences between the characters Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras in Hamlet?

Initially, these threeseem to have little in common, but they do share some
similarities: all three have lost their fathers. 's father killed 's father. 's uncle killed the
former . And Hamlet kills 's father.

They have all suffered great loss, and
thus all three seek to right the injustices they have suffered. Hamlet wants to avenge his
father's death (at least he gives it great thought for much of the play). Laertes wants Hamlet
to pay for the death of , and he also seeks justice for Hamlet's mistreatment of his sister and
Hamlet's former lover, . And Fortinbras wants to reclaim the Norwegian territory on behalf of
his father's honor. Beyond that, the three are pretty different.

Hamlet is a
man of inaction. He can't decide whether the ghost is real or not. He can't decide if he should
killor not. He breaks his commitments to Ophelia and wallows in self-pity (whether real or
feigned to achieve his own purposes) for much...