Hamlet Act V

This scene opens in the graveyard and the gravediggers/clowns are preparing for Opelia’s burial. The first gravedigger questions why she gets a Christial burial if she committed suicide. This was one of the things that was brought up in Hamlet’s “To be or not to be soliloquy.”

Ophelia is not supposed to have a Christian burial because she supposedly committed suicide. Claudius tells the priest to give Ophelia a Christian burial so the circumstances of her death will be kept a secret.

The gravediggers function in the play as the comic relief after the tension of Ophelia’s breakdown and death. The banter and humor of the gravediggers provides a relaxation of the atmosphere.

Hamlet and Horatio walk in Hamlet and Horatio walk in. The gravedigger sings a contemporary song about having been in love and making love, and thinking it was great, but now being dead and in a grave as if he'd never lived at all. As the gravedigger is digging the grave he is making jokes about Hamlet’s “madness”. He tosses up a skull.

We also learn that the gravedigger has been at his job since Hamlet was born. This provides a symbol for Hamlet’s own mortality. Hamlet is in disguise and he asks who is to be buried.

Hamlet talks to the gravedigger about himself Hamlet talks to the gravedigger about himself. They have a conversation about Hamlet losing his wits. We, and Hamlet, find out that the skull belongs to the old court jester, Yorick. Hamlet remembers him fondly.

Hamlet and the others hear a funeral processional and see that the funeral services have limited Christian characteristics. Laertes is upset by this. He tells the Priest that he will go to Hell. Hamlet and Horatio hide so they can observe what is going on.

Hamlet finally learns that it is Ophelia’s funeral. We learn that Gertrude wanted Ophelia to be Hamlet’s wife. This is very interesting because Polonius and Laertes both told Ophelia that she would never be able to be with Hamlet because of the different social classes.

Gertrude “Sweets to the sweet? Farewell./I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet’s wife;/I thought thy bride-bed to have deck’d, sweet maid,/And not have strew’d thy grave.” V, i, 229-232 (page 262)

Overcome with grief and emotion, Laertes jumps into Ophelia’s grave and embraces her corpse. Hamlet comes out of hiding and Laertes attacks him. They fight in Ophelia’s grave. Hamlet tells them that he loved Ophelia.

Hamlet “I lov’d Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers/Could not, with all their quantity of love,/Make up my sum!” V, i, 260-262 (page 264)

Ophelia’s death is a blow to Hamlet and produces a moment where he truly loses control of his emotions. Especially this on top of the death of his father. Hamlet has a complete breakdown. Claudius asks Horatio to look after Hamlet. He then tells Laertes to wait to get Hamlet at the fencing match.

V, ii

Hamlet tells Horatio about his voyage with Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. He couldn’t sleep one night so he broke into their cabin and stole the papers with the order for England to kill Hamlet.

Hamlet changed the royal commission so that it read to be-head Rosencrantz & Guildenstern instead of himself. They are now dead. The next day was the run-in with the pirates. Hamlet credits divine intervention with the change of events and his placement back in Denmark.

Hamlet “Rashly--/And praised be rashness, for it let us know,/Our indiscretion sometime serves us well/When our deep plots do pall; and that should learn us/There’s a divinity that shapes our ends,/Rough-hew them how we will— V, i, 6-11 (page 266)

Horatio is shocked by what Claudius has done. Hamlet is now more determined than ever to exact his revenge on Claudius. He does, however, express his regret to Horatio about fighting with Laertes. Hamlet would like to apologize to Laertes.

Osric (a messenger) comes to Hamlet with a message that Claudius has a bet of 6 valuable horses against 6 valuable weapons from France that Hamlet can beat Laertes in a fencing match. Hamlet accepts the challenge. Osric exits and a Lord enters for confirmation that Hamlet will fight.

He also comes with 2 other messages: Is Hamlet ready to fight now? Gertrude wants Hamlet to apologize to Laertes before the duel starts.

Horatio thinks that Hamlet will lose the fight. Hamlet tells Horatio that he won’t because he has been practicing since Laertes went back to France. Horatio says if Hamlet has any reservations about the fencing match to let him know and he will tell Claudius that he isn’t ready to fight.

Hamlet “Not a whit, we defy augury; there’s a special providence in/ the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ‘tis not to come, if it be not to/ come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The/ readiness is all. Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what/ is’t to leave betimes? Let be.” V, i, 202-206 (page 280)

Quote is another reference to destiny. Hamlet knows that death is inevitable. He is ready for death. Forgotten now are his former obsessions with mortality and the hereafter. He is now willing to accept his fate.

Hamlet apologizes to Laertes before the fencing match. Laertes says he is satisfied with Hamlet’s apology. The two men select their swords.

Claudius announces that if Hamlet gives the first or second hit they will drink a toast to Hamlet. Thus, setting Plan B into action if Plan A doesn’t work.

Hamlet gets the first hit. The king wants to toast. Claudius also drops a “pearl” into the cup of wine for good fortune. Hamlet says he will drink later. The Queen wants to toast so she drinks the wine. The king tries to stop her but he can’t.

Laertes starts to have second thoughts about killing Hamlet. Laertes in an aside: “And yet it is almost against my conscience.” V, ii, 292 (page 288)

Because he is having second thoughts, Laertes wounds Hamlet illegally (with the poisoned sword) so that he does not “chicken” out. In their scuffle they switch swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with his own poisoned sword.

Laertes “I am justly kill’d with mine own treachery.” V, ii, 305 (page 288)

When the two fighting men are parted, Osric focuses the courts attention on Gertrude who has fallen. Claudius tells them that Gertrude has fainted because she saw blood.

Gertrude speaks up and says it is the drink that makes her fall. “No, no! the drink, the drink!—O my dear Hamlet!--/The drink, the drink! I am poison’d.” V, ii, 308-9 (page 290)

She dies after she tells Hamlet her drink was poisoned. Hamlet wants to know what is going on and orders Horatio to lock the doors. Laertes (who is wounded) is feeling guilty and tells Hamlet that Hamlet is slain and that Claudius is to blame for all of this.

Laertes “Hamlet, thou art slain;/No medicine in the world can do thee good…Lo, here I lie,/Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poison’d./I can no more. The King, the King’s to blame.” V, ii, 312-319 (page 290)

Hamlet stabs the king and then forces him to drink the wine. Hamlet tells Claudius “Follow my mother!” V, ii, 325 (page 290) Claudius dies

Laertes says that the king was justly served. He then asks Hamlet to exchange forgiveness with him. Laertes dies.

The poison is starting to work on Hamlet. Horatio wants to die he is so distraught. Hamlet tells him he must live to tell his story so that his legacy is not tainted. He drinks some of the poison wine to speed his death.

Hamlet proposes Prince Fortinbras the new King of Denmark. Hamlet wants Horatio to tell Prince Fortinbras his story. Hamlet dies.

Horatio “Good night, sweet prince,/And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” V, ii, 362-3 (page 292)

Fortinbras and The Ambassador from England arrives. The Ambassador says that they have come to late to help Hamlet. He also says that Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are dead. Horatio tells Fortinbras the story.

Fortinbras about Hamlet: “Let four captains/Bear Hamlet, like a soldier to the stage;/For he was likely, had he been put on,/To have proved most royal; and, for his passage,/The soldiers’ music and the rites of war/Speak loudly for him.” V, ii, 403-408 (page 296)

Fortinbras orders that Hamlet will have an honorable, soldier’s burial.