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Mirando, Mark B.

2013-00862
Eng 23 – Hamlet

HAMLET’S REVERSAL OF FORTUNE

One of the most important themes in Hamlet is death and mourning. The play begins with the
death of the father and ends with the death of several characters like Polonius, Claudius, Laertes,
Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude. To highlight this theme of death Shakespeare uses one of the
most iconic image in the play, the skull. It is mentioned in the play that the skull belonged to the
late jester of the late King Hamlet, Yorick. One of the play’s memorable passages is Hamlet’s
reflection on Yorick’s skull:

“To what base uses we may return, Horatio. Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of
Alexander till he find it stopping a bunghole?”

This reflection makes all human beings base six feet under. This particular act also highlights
several “reversal of fortune” of many characters in the play. Although, Ophelia is considered as
virginal and pure in the play, this scene states that she will not have a proper burial for her death
because suicide is considered immoral by the church in the play. Another reversal of fortune that
occurred in the play is the tragic death of the King, Queen and Laertes in the last scene of the
play, but, one of the most important highlight of this tragedy is Hamlet’s decision to end his life
in the last scene as he drinks the poisonous wine.

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