Final answer:
The exclusion of Fortinbras from Hamlet simplifies the play's thematic complexity and diminishes the foil between action and indecisiveness present between him and Hamlet. Critical engagement with the primary text, supported by secondary sources, allows for a deeper original analysis in an academic context.
Step-by-step explanation:
In considering the exclusion of Fortinbras in a review of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it is important to ascertain the intended effect of such a decision on the text’s dynamics. Fortinbras functions as a foil to Hamlet, highlighting the protagonist’s indecisiveness and philosophical nature through his own decisiveness and action-oriented character. The relationship and conflict between Fortinbras and Hamlet adds layers of political intrigue and thematic complexity, suggesting an outer world of order contrasted with Hamlet’s internal chaos.
Omitting Fortinbras would simplify these dimensions and potentially limit discussion on themes of action versus inaction or the impact of external conflict on a character’s internal development. In crafting an essay on this subject, one should engage critically with the text, using an 80-90% original analysis based on the primary text, rather than relying predominantly on secondary sources. This approach aligns with academic writing that integrates source material to support one's argument, rather than letting sources overshadow one's unique analysis.