Hamlet

Act 5 Scene 1

This scene opens in a church yard where two clowns (not the clowns that we see in a circus).
Here, the clowns are rather rustic ordinary men. They are engaged in digging Ophelia’s grave
and seem quite unaffected by the gloomy side of their occupation. Indeed, they are constantly
joking and making puns (playing on words).
There is an extended discussion on whether Ophelia will receive a Christian burial given that
she has committed suicide. The clowns seem to know a lot of things: (lines 23-24): if an
ordinary woman had committed suicide, she would not have received a Christian burial. Line
25: It’s unfair that important people have more right to kill themselves than other less
important people.
The comic aspect of the scene gives us a sense of homeliness. The fact that they are joking
gives a certain element of commonness to the scene, an element of domesticity. The clown
sings while digging. And Hamlet finds it strange that someone with such a job is singing
instead of being in awe of death.
When the clown ‘throws a skull’, this starts off a train of thought in Hamlet’s mind. Death
reduces everyone, however important, to the same level. Death is a leveller; it does not
differentiate between people; it treats everyone equally. The skull could have belonged to a
politician who occupied himself in the intrigue of the court and now the clown is throwing it
a dirty litter. Hamlet has learnt how puny man is.
Line 80: It could be the skull of a courtier such as Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, who would
always be ready to use flattery for their own interest. Now that courtier has been reduced to
nothing. At the same time, Hamlet is satirizing the hypocrisy of the court.
Lady Worm (Line 85): worms feast on the bodies of dead people whoever they may be. So,
even if it is a king or a common person, all become food for worms. Hence, Hamlet wonders
what is the value of the vanity of man at the time of death? The thought of the futility of
human achievement makes Hamlet sad.
Lines 95-108: Hamlet makes fun of the pompous complications of legal language and
practice. They seem superficial compared to the simple reality of death. It’s the same for the
person who engages in buying a lot of property. Hamlet jokes about the pointlessness of
collecting so much property which he cannot take with him and all his self-importance
reduced to decay.
We can say that we meet a different Hamlet in this scene. He seems to have lost the doubt and
depression that weighed him down in the previous scenes. After speaking to his mother in Act
3 Scene 4, he seems to have achieved a certain calm, a mature calm. The encounter with the
clown in the graveyard brings much awareness to Hamlet.
Lines 170…: the skull of Yorick, the King’s jester. He died when Hamlet was 7 years old. He
had been Old King Hamlet’s jester. Hamlet is shaken to find that what he had been discussing
lightly (skull) has taken a personal note. His satirical descriptions of the imaginary owners of
the skulls seem callous now that he finds this one belongs to someone he knew personally, he
admired and loved. He is brought face to face with death and he is awed by the completeness
with which it reduces to nothing all ambition, pomp, gaiety, friendship. “And now how
abhorred in my imagination it is!”: He is repelled by the skull.
Line 185…: Awareness of death and how it reduces everything to nothing should make us
become humble and give us a sense of proportion.
Line 195: “To what base uses we may return, Horatio!”: The bodies of the very greatest
people can end up in undignified circumstances; thus of what use is fame and power. He
remembers Alexander the Great, a conqueror who conquered a huge empire but has now been
reduced to dust.
Lines 201-204: simplistic summary of what happens to us after death: rot, become dust, go
back where we belong. The “loam” is a mixture in which clay is used. This mixture is used to
block small holes. Far from being depressed, Hamlet seems to have become clear-headed. He
breaks into a song about Julius Ceasar reduced to clay and this clay being used to fill holes.
Thus, Hamlet seems to have reached a state of spiritual awareness.
Funeral of Ophelia: Laertes is indignant that Ophelia’s funeral rites are shortened. Naturally,
Laertes is indignant that his innocent sister is treated in this way. Also, this shabby funeral
damages his family reputation. In reality, since they believe Ophelia committed suicide, she
should have been buried on unconsecrated ground and broken crockery and stones thrown on
her, but Ophelia is being given a Christian burial (white garlands and flowers, funeral bell,
proper grave) at the request of the King. In a way, Shakespeare is attacking the Church and its
traditional beliefs.
Line 239…: Laertes gets emotional and leaps into the grave and embraces Ophelia’s corpse
saying he wants to be buried along with her. Laertes cannot bear the death of Ophelia. For
him, it is as if life has stopped. Hamlet is irritated by this excessive show of grief. He finds
Laertes presumptuous and melodramatic, especially since he has now reached a new level of
awareness, knowing that death reduces all to nothing. Hamlet too leaps into the grave.
This part becomes quite dramatic. Successive shocking moments for the audience: Hamlet’s
reaction, Laertes dares to attack a prince…
Lines 260-261: “Why, I will fight with him upon this theme until my eyelids will no longer
wag.” – dramatic irony because Hamlet doesn’t realise that he will have to fight a duel with
Laertes.
Hamlet challenges Laertes telling him that even he can show as much grief as him.
Contemptuously, Hamlet dismisses Laertes excessive show-off.
Lines 283….: Hamlet fails to understand Laertes anger towards him. He seems to overlook
the fact that he has killed Polonius which consequently has brought to the present situation.
Lines 285-286: “Let Hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew, and the dog will
have his day.” – Hamlet’s maturity. Life goes on. Nature goes on.
Line 288: The king leads Laertes to one side and asks him to wait patiently until they are able
to carry out the plan they had formulated. This reveals how cold and calculated the king is.
He deals with the situation with calculated calm, showing his machiavellic side. Within the
same dialogue he deals with both Laertes and Gertrude and by extension, manages to get
control over both Laertes and Hamlet.