Hamlet Act V

Act V of Hamlet ironically opens in a graveyard with two gravediggers in conversation regarding the death of Ophelia. The first question arises when the gravediggers ponder the reasons that Ophelia will be given a Christian burial as her death seems as though it were a suicide. This question’s answer is that she is being given a Christian burial due to her high rank, but more importantly, this question introduces the idea of death and burial for all citizens. When Hamlet and Horatio enter the scene, Hamlet immediately notices a skull and questions who the skull belonged to. In this moment, Hamlet realizes that death is death whether one was of high rank or no status at all. I found this aspect of Act V to be something worth discussing because Hamlet once again faces the idea of death, but in a somewhat different light. In a way, he answers one of his troubles that he mentioned in his famous “To be, or not to be” soliloquy: what happens after death? In his time in the graveyard during Scene i of Act V he addresses this conflict and he seems to come to peace with returning to dust. Hamlet states, “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust, the dust is earth” (V.i.176-177).

Claudius, Gertrude, and Laertes then enter the scene with Ophelia’s coffin and Hamlet then discovers the death of Ophelia. A question arises in this scene because of Gertrude’s statement that “[she] hoped [Ophelia] shouldst have been [her] Hamlet’s wife” (V.i.211) and Hamlet’s statement that “[he] loved Ophelia; fourty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up [his] sum” (V.i.236-238). This seems to be the first real moment that the audience understands that Gertrude felt that way about Ophelia and the first time we hear Hamlet express his admiration of her. I question the extent to which these statements are true because Hamlet seems, through his guiltlessness, to be forgetful that his actions in killing Polonius indirectly killed Ophelia as well. I also wonder if this makes Laertes in a way regret his warnings to Ophelia about the validity of Hamlet’s love and the fact that Hamlet could not choose his own wife.

Scene ii is when Claudius’ and Laertes’ revenge plot takes place. Before the duel begins, Hamlet asks for Laertes’ forgiveness and explains that his madness killed Polonius and does not actually blame himself. I believe he cannot blame himself because as Hamlet is imperfect, the guilt of his actions would be overbearing. As expected, the plan does not play out perfectly. Hamlet makes two hits at Laertes, but he does not accept the offer of the poisoned wine. Then, Gertrude drinks the wine, Laertes wounds Hamlet, Hamlet wounds Laertes, Gertrude dies, Laertes explains that the king is to blame, Hamlet stabs Claudius and makes him drink the poison, Laertes dies, and then Hamlet tells Horatio not to kill himself to tell Hamlet’s story, and Hamlet dies. There is a lot to analyze from this scene, but I would like to discuss Hamlet’s death in the context of its heroism or lack thereof.