Hamlet: Act V

By: Clara Sewell Cinthia Flores Robert Zarasua Stephanie Vela Donna Flores

Background
Written

in England Setting is in Denmark, around the Renaissance time. Genre: Classical Drama/Tragedy Shakespeare uses many allusions throughout the play

Scene i: Hamlet enters the churchyard and is disgusted when the gravedigger tells him that the skull belonged to Yorick, King Hamlets jester. He realizes that everyone becomes a pile of nothingness after they pass. Ophelias lifeless corpse is in the process of being buried and the funeral proceeds into the churchyard. He finds out that Ophelia has drowned and is devastated. Hamlet confronts her brother Laertes and says that he loves Ophelia more than her own brother ever could. Scene ii: Claudius seals a letter ordering the death of Hamlet and Hamlet finds out. He then switches the letter out to order the death of the two men who deliver this letter. Hamlet also decides to keep Laertes own interest at best since he sees himself in him. Claudius comes up with the plan for Laertes to battle Hamlet in fencing in which Claudius wagers on Hamlet. In this way, if Hamlet dies, it will not look like a crime and if he wins, they will toast to victory and Claudius will poison him through the drink. During the duel, Hamlet gets nicked by the sword and wounds Laertes. Gertrude, Hamlets mother, drinks the poisoned liquid before anyone can stop her and dies. Laertes dies from the poison on his sword and Hamlet forces the drink down Claudius throat, thus killing him. Hamlet then dies, but before he does, he names Fortinbras the king of Denmark.

Brief Overview of Act V: Scenes i & ii

Light/Dark Imagery
Faith, ifa be not rotten before a dieas we have many pocky corses now-a-days that will scare hold the laying in, I will last you some eight year or nine year. A tanner will last you nine year. Gravedigger (Act v, Scene i)

Discussion on Quote
-Gravedigger brings up the fact that some individuals may already be rotten before they die. -Some people are just bad. For example, this quote could be said of Claudius. He killed Hamlets father, which the reader eventually finds out, and then marries his brothers widow. This makes him a rotten being and he is still very much alive.

May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest, A ministering angel shall my sister be when thou liest howling.Laertes (Act v, Scene i)

Light/Dark Imagery cont.

An angel represents someone or something of a greater good and it stands under the category of light. This quote speaks of an angel, the greater good, and states that this entity is there to give help and comfort. Laertes is telling the priest that while he wanders in hell, his sister will be in heaven. Laertes is upset that they even question giving Ophelia a proper funeral based on what appeared to be a suicide.

Animal Imagery
Anon, as patient as the female dove Gertrude
A female dove is use of animal imagery. Gertrude is explaining Hamlet and his craziness that seems to come and go. She says that his insanity will fade away and he will be calm like a bird.

 Because

of what appeared to be an apparent suicide, there were questions as to whether Ophelia should be buried in a churchyard. Suicide is a SIN. Do you think Ophelia really committed suicide?

Ophelias Burial and Religion.

Death: The play is centered primarily around death. King Hamlet, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, and Hamlet all die by the end of the play. Skulls are used to represent death and are seen throughout the graveyard just before Hamlet realizes that Ophelia has died. The gravediggers set the mood for the upcoming deaths in scene ii. The scene and atmosphere give a sense of something tragic coming along and Hamlets revelation about death and what happens afterwards creates the mood and emotions. This readies the reader for death.

Major Theme(s)

Why do you think Shakespeare decides to kill all of the main characters at the end of the play?

Major Theme(s) cont.

-Madness: Hamlets madness is a huge factor in the play. At first, he pretends to be crazy as part of his plot to prove that Claudius killed King Hamlet. By the end of the play, it seems as though Hamlet as truly gone mad trying to avenge his father. In most tragedies, the main character changes by his/her motivation or ambition and this usually leads to their demise.

Similarities to Macbeth
-Shakespeares plays share things in common. At the end of Hamlet, Hamlet names Fortinbras as king before he dies and this suggests that the kingdom will return to order. Hamlet killed King Claudius previous to Fortinbras being named king. This resembles Macbeth in that Macbeth murders King Duncan and at the end of the play, Malcolm becomes king after Macbeth dies and all returns to order. Both the main characters Hamlet and Macbeth, motivated by their different ideas, end the play in their death.

Why does Shakespeare kill off all of the main characters at the end of the play?

Some speculate that because he drew from other Greek plays in which main characters die, he decided to make a powerful ending with all of the deaths. The tragedy part of the play was taken to another level by killing off some innocent characters such as Polonius, Laertes, and Gertrude. Shakespeare wanted to tie up the loose ends and just have the main characters die so that there would be a clear path to order when Fortinbras reigns as king.

Did Hamlet truly love Ophelia? Why.or why not? That is thy question.

His flirtation turned into what appeared to be the greatest love for Ophelia. Was his plan for revenge or his act of craziness associated with his love for Ophelia? Did Hamlets priorities change? Laertes and her father advised against Hamlet. Was that motive for her suicide?

Is Hamlet truly crazy?