The Northman brings to life an age-old tale of revenge and betrayal as the Norse warrior Amleth vows to gain revenge against his uncle who murdered his father and married his mother. As he embarks upon his quest, Amleth comes across many friends and foes, who each affect the outcome of his life's work.

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While, for many, the tale of The Northman might seem brand-new, it actually draws on an ancient legend from which many similar tales have been told, including the classic Shakespeare play Hamlet. As such, many of the personalities Amleth meets along the way fall into the same characterizations as in Shakespeare's famous play.

Finnr And Hallgrimr - Rosencrantz And Guildenstern

The Northman masked soldiers

Finnr and Hallgrimir are the lowly housecarls of Fjölnir, who assist their master in murdering his brother. These two fail in their duties, however, when it comes to killing the young Amleth, who escapes after removing Finnr's nose. In the end, it is this pair's failure that strikes the match on Amleth's revenge.

This pair of henchmen bear some resemblance to the bumbling duo of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the former friends of Hamlet who are ordered by the king to kill the prince on a voyage to England. However, much like the mighty Amleth, Hamlet dispatches his would-be assassins and lives to fight another day.

Seeress - Ghost Of Hamlet I

Bjork as Seeress and Patrick Stewart as Ghost of Hamlet I

Björk returns to the acting scene for the first time in over a decade to play the mysterious prophetess that sends Amleth on his mission of revenge, known only as the Seeress. This character's origin is never explained, but her role proves to be vitally important, as she is the one who finally reveals to Amleth that his time for vengeance has come.

In the legend of Amleth, the Seeress fills the same function as the ghost does in the first act of Hamlet. In Shakespeare's tragedy, the titular hero confronts the ghost of his father, who reveals to him the truth behind his own death, igniting the spark of revenge that leads to the events of the next acts of the play.

Harald Of Norway - Fortinbras

Fortinbras in Hamlet on a throne

An unseen character in The Northman is also an incredibly important one. In a quick line of dialogue between Amleth and a fellow soldier, it is revealed that the land that had once comprised Aurvandil's kingdom was lost shortly after Fjölnir took over, taken by the more powerful Harald of Norway.

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Much like King Harald, Fortinbras is more of a presence felt throughout his respective tale rather than a legitimate character. He is the looming danger that threatens to take away the land of the principal cast. Unlike Harald, however, Fortinbras does arrive by the play's end, if only to find the scattered bodies of the royal family strewn across the stage.

Aurdvandil - Hamlet I

The Northman: Ethan Hawke as Aurvandill, about to die, with two arrows in his chest

Ethan Hawke portrays one of The Northman's bravest characters, King Aurvandil, War-Raven. Aurvandil is the father of Amleth who is murdered before his son's very eyes and has his land stolen by his own brother. Though appearing in only a select number of scenes, Aurvandil is indeed one of the most important characters in the entire film.

Aurvandil is a clear parallel to Hamlet I, the father of the titular protagonist in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Though Hamlet the elder is never seen alive in the play (his only appearance is in ghost form), he plays a pivotal role in his son's development, as his murder at the hands of his brother Cornelius is the wrong that the younger Hamlet must right in order to achieve justice.

Thorir - Laertes

Gustav Lindh as Thorir in the Northman; Michael Maloney as Laertes in Hamlet

Thorir the Proud is the cousin of Amleth and son of Fjölnir who, much like his title implies, has a particularly high view of himself, even if he has not the skill to back up such a lofty attitude. Thorir is the first of Fjölnir's family upon whom revenge is enacted, as Amleth murders him in his sleep.

Thorir bears some resemblance to the character of Laertes in Hamlet. Both characters are young and hotheaded, eager to use violence as the answer to any perceived injustice. Thorir and Laertes each vow to avenge fallen loved ones after they find them dead, a path that leads both of them to die at the hands of the hero. Unlike Laertes, however, Thorir is unable to take his enemy Amleth with him in death.

Heimir - Polonius

Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool in The Northman; Oliver Ford Davies as Polonius in Hamlet

Heimir the Fool, as played by Willem Dafoe, is the jester in the court of King Aurvandil. He is a loyal servant to the king and his family, who also dabbles in the Norse mysticism of the day. After Fjölnir takes rulership of the kingdom, Heimir is tortured and executed, though he does speak with Amleth from beyond the grave in order to guide him to the sword with which he will take his revenge.

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Heimir resembles the character of Polonius, the bumbling "wise man" of Cornelius's court. While Heimir is meant to be an ally and friend to Amleth, Polonius is quite the opposite, whose false platitudes encourage Cornelius's hunt for his nephew. Despite this distinction, both are presented as the "fools" of their respective court, albeit in very different ways.

Olga - Ophelia

Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga; Kate Winslet as Ophelia

Olga of the Birch Forest, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, is one of the most intelligent characters in The Northman. She is a sorceress who meets Amleth along the trip to Fjölnir's farmstead, allying herself with the hero to help him avenge his father's death. She eventually falls in love with Amleth, sparking a romance that would end in tragedy at her lover's demise.

Taylor-Joy's character is most similar to Ophelia from Shakespeare's play. Both are the protagonist's main love interest who is swept up in their quest for vengeance. There remains an important distinction between the two characters, however, as Ophelia finds herself becoming as much a victim of Hamlet's rage (albeit unintentionally on Hamlet's part), whereas Olga becomes an active participant who escapes the story's events with her life.

Gudrún - Gertrude

Nicole Kidman as Gudrun; Penny Downie as Gertrude

Nicole Kidman plays her part in making The Northman one of 2022's best films so far, lending her talent to the character of Queen Gudrún. The queen is the widow of King Aurvandil and mother to Amleth who is taken as Fjölnir's wife after he seizes his brother's kingdom. It is later revealed that she orchestrated the entire betrayal, as her heart had always been with Fjölnir.

The clear parallel for Kidman's royal character is Queen Gertrude, the mother of Hamlet who marries her brother-in-law after her husband's death. Unlike Gudrún, however, Gertrude is not portrayed as a villain, but as a sympathetic victim of Cornelius's manipulations, unaware of his machinations until it is too late. Despite their clear difference in morals, both characters lose their lives by the story's end, Gertrude by the poison meant for her son and Gudrún from a wound sustained in battle with Amleth.

Fjölnir - Claudius

Claes Bang as Fjolnir in the Northman; Patrick Stewart as Claudius

Fjölnir is the usurper of Aurvandil's throne and the main target of Amleth's revenge. Years after seizing everything that had once belonged to his brother, including his wife, Fjölnir begins to find that some unknown force appears to be haunting his farmstead, eventually learning that the nephew he believed to be dead has returned.

Fjölnir is clearly meant to resemble the character of Cornelius, Hamlet's uncle who usurped the throne of his brother and married his widow. Much like Fjölnir, Cornelius plots to kill his nephew after the young man becomes privy to his misdeeds. Both characters manage to orchestrate the death of their vengeful nephew, but not before losing their own lives in the process.

Amleth - Hamlet

Alexander Skarsgard as Amleth in the Northman; Kenneth Branaugh as Hamlet

Alexander Skarsgård plays the legendary hero Amleth, the escaped child of Fjölnir's plot of betrayal that returns as an adult to set things right. Making allies along the way, Amleth must also ponder the merits of his quest and whether revenge is truly worth his life.

Aside from the similarity in name, Amleth and Hamlet bear many resemblances in character and story, as both are based on the same legend. These two protagonists pursue bloody vengeance against their traitorous uncles, only to later ponder the mysteries of fate and mortality itself as they approach their goals. In the end, each avenges his slain father, only to lose his life in the process.

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