Hamlet Act V, Scene 1 & 2 Notes and Analysis

Scene 1 – The Grave Digger This scene serves as some comic relief to all of the tragedy that has happened so far in the play. Shakespeare was very good at creating characters, like the Grave Digger (clowns), who offered witty remarks and served as way to lighten the mood. The gravediggers represent a humorous type commonly found in Shakespeare’s plays: the clever commoner who gets the better of his social superior through wit. The Grave Digger asks if they are really going to give this girl a Christian burial after she killed herself. (It was believed that if you committed suicide you have thrown away the gift of life that God has given you, and therefore you may not receive a Christian burial) The other man answers yes because the coroner decided it should be so. She was justified in what she did.

Ophelia’s Burial The Grave Digger says that her suicide can’t be considered justified unless she drowned in self-defense, something that is impossible. She knew she was drowning herself. He goes on to say that if the water had come to her, then she would not have been responsible for shortening her life, and therefore it would have a proper burial. But because she went to the water, she shortened her life by choice. The other man relents and says the reason she is given a proper Christian burial is because her family is rich. An important conclusion is reached by the Grave Digger: the rich have more freedom to kill themselves because they can buy their redemption and forgiveness. They can buy their way into heaven.

Ophelia’s Burial cont. That being said, the priest only gives Ophelia the barest of ceremonies/blessings claiming that she has already received more than she should have and to do more would demean the value of the blessings given to those buried who really deserved them. The priest’s hypocracy is quite evident in that he has already accepted payment for Opheila’s burial and blessings. Laertes curses the priest claiming his sister will be welcomed in heaven while the priest burns in hell. Laertes leaps into Ophelia’s grave to hold her once again in his arms. Grief- stricken and outraged, Hamlet bursts upon the company, declaring in agonized fury his own love for Ophelia.  Interestingly, Hamlet never expresses a sense of guilt over Ophelia’s death, which he indirectly caused through his murder of Polonius. 

Scene 2 – Death and Forgiveness In this scene we have a clear change in Hamlet’s attitude towards death and dying. He seems to have accepted the idea of death and no longer worries about the supernatural as he did with the ghost. Against Horatio’s advice, Hamlet agrees to fight, saying that “all’s ill here about my heart,” but that one must be ready for death, since it will come no matter what one does (V.ii.222). We also learn that Hamlet has arranged for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s death at the hands of England. He feels no remorse in arranging for their deaths for it was they wo betrayed him.

Death and Forgiveness cont. Hamlet even shows sympathy towards Laertes and asks him for forgiveness, claiming that it was his madness, and not his own will, that murdered Polonius. This seems wholly inadequate, given that Hamlet has previously claimed repeatedly only to be feigning madness. But by the same token, to expect moral completeness from a character as troubled as Hamlet might be unrealistic.  This shows a change in Hamlet’s mental state: before he was only concerned with himself and his family whereas now he is able to show sympathy for others. While Hamlet does not take responsibility for Polonius’ death, he is at least able to understand the grief both Polonius’ death and Ophelia’s death would cause Laertes.

Hamlet’s revenge finally realized. Hamlet finally does achieve his revenge on Claudius, but only after being spurred to it by the most extreme circumstances: witnessing the death of his mother and realizing that his own life will soon be over. Hamlet’s death is not heroic nor is it shameful according to the moral of the play. In keeping with a Shakespearean tragedy, our hero has indeed fallen because of his own free will. His hesitation and procrastination (his tragic flaw) have led to his own demise.

Death, death and more death! As the play draws to close, we are left with a scene of death and mourning. The dead include Gertrude: poisoned from the wine Laertes: poisoned from the tip of his own sword Claudius: poisoned from both the wine and the poisoned sword Hamlet: poisoned from the sword Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: executed by England *Horatio wanted to kill himself but Hamlet convinces him to stay alive so that the whole story can be told.