Hamlet
Act V Questions
1. What purposes do the grave diggers' exchange (with each other and with Hamlet) serve? How do they function in the story? What themes and issues do they introduce?
2. Why do Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia's grave?
3. How did Hamlet escape being killed in England? How does he feel about having Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed in his stead?
4. What does Hamlet mean by "the readiness is all" (5.2.218)? What does such a statement reflect about him? Could he have made such a statement in Act 1?
5. What are we to infer happens after all the bodies are cleared away? Does Denmark come into a time of peace and healing or are they headed for greater troubles? How do you know?
posted by dconlay @ 11:44 AM
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18 Comments:
evelez-sanchez p.3
Act V Questions:
1.The purpose that the grave diggers exchange is that they will never get out of being grave diggers. They will always be grave diggers no matter what. When Hamlet arrived to the scene, they started talking about how one of Hamlet’s nannies died a couple of years ago and one of the grave diggers found the skull. Also, Hamlet started to remember all the things that the nanny would do to him and how she was a great person. Furthermore, Hamlet and the grave digger started talking about who Hamlet was and to Hamlet’s surprise, the grave digger did not know who he was until his mother, Claudius, and Leartes came to bury Ophelia. One of the themes that are introduced is that the grave diggers represent a humorous type of people. Two other themes are the ears and the mouth because of the way that Hamlet communicates his anger and misogyny. He shows misogyny because he is shattered to see his mother remarried right away after his father died.
2.The reason why Leartes and Hamlet fight in Ophelia’s grave is because Leartes does not believe that Hamlet would do things that Leartes never thought Hamlet would do for Ophelia.
3.The way Hamlet escaped from being killed in England was that he found out about the evil deed that Claudius was planning on Hamlet. Hamlet read the letter and rewrote what it said. Instead of having Hamlet killed, the person who gave the letter to the King of England, would get killed which would be Rosencrantz and Giuldenstern. In my opinion, I don’t think he feels sorry for what he did to Rosencrantz and Giuldenstern because basically they were in charge of getting him killed.
4.What Hamlet means about “the readiness is all”, is that although the King might think that he is clever, Hamlet is always one step ahead. What the statement reflects about him is that he is much smarter than anybody else. No, because he didn’t know who actually killed his father or how he died. Now that he knows, he can plan everything accordingly to kill King Claudius.
5.What we are to infer happens after all the bodies are cleared away, is that the new king was placed by Hamlet before Hamlet died. Also, Denmark gets into a bit of peace, but they still have a bit of troubles. “Fort- Take up the bodies. Such a sight as this becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. Go, bid the soldiers shoot” (147).
Taylor Brown’s
1. The gravediggers question Ophelia’s burial because since they believe she committed suicide, then she doesn’t deserve a Christian burial. While clearing the grave for Ophelia, the gravediggers help Hamlet realize that once you die you virtually become forgotten. He realizes this when they dig up the jester’s skull.
2. Because Hamlet claims that he loves Ophelia more than Laertes ever could and this angers Laertes so they begin to argue about the matter.
3. He changes the letter that the king sent with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from basically saying kill Hamlet to kill the people who carry this letter. So Hamlet is let free and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed. Hamlet claims that he has no sympathy for them since they betrayed him.
4. He means that all wise men know they are going to die one and day and expect it. His father did not expect his murder, which is why his spirit remained. By the end of the play, Hamlet realizes his time is coming to an end and accepts it because he knows that it is the only way to die peacefully.
5. I think Demark is finally coming into a time of peace and healing because Fortinbras is now king and he seems like a smart leader instead of a corrupt one like Claudius. Which means he will try and make good choices for the country instead of look out for his best interests.
Hamlet – Act 5 Responses
1. What purposes do the grave diggers' exchange (with each other and with Hamlet) serve? How do they function in the story? What themes and issues do they introduce?
The purpose of the exchange is to provide humor within the play by allowing a commoner to gain the better of his social superior in a witty argument. The gravedigger representing the commoner argues with Hamlet who is the superior in social status, and the gravedigger outwits Hamlet in an argument. The themes introduced by the gravediggers and Hamlet are suicide and its justification, and death and its power to take away meaning from life. The topic of suicide and whether it is justifiable arises when the gravediggers speak of the woman that they are burying. They come to the conclusion that suicide is not justifiable, but it can be made justifiable if the suicide is covered up as a normal death. For example, the woman who is being buried is given rites since it is claimed that she was drowned by water and did not drown herself. Therefore, there was no suicide since she never committed the act of suicide but was only killed by water. Then, Hamlet brings up the topic of death and how it can make a human’s life meaningless. On page 282, Hamlet states, “The very conveyances of his lands will hardly lie in this box, and must the inheritor himself have no more, ha?” Within this quote, Hamlet is analyzing how a dead man could have owned a great deal of land and be left with only a coffin proving how the pursuits of humans can be meaningless since eventually they will lose all that they have acquired and be left with a coffin like the dead man.
2. Why do Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia's grave?
Hamlet and Laertes fight within the grave of Ophelia since Laertes jumps into the grave to embrace Ophelia once more, and afterwards, Hamlet jumps into the grave to pray for Ophelia. Laertes blinded with rage attacks Hamlet since he believes Hamlet is responsible for Ophelia’s death.
3. How did Hamlet escape being killed in England? How does he feel about having Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed in his stead?
Hamlet escaped his assassination by rewriting the letter that was meant to instruct the king of England to kill Hamlet to instead kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet felt that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deserved their fate. In fact, Hamlet stated on page 304, “Why, man, they did make love to this employment.” This meant hamlet believed that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were asking for their fate. His reasoning would be that this is the fate of little men who get caught in the crossfire that was Hamlet’s war for revenge against Claudius.
4. What does Hamlet mean by "the readiness is all" (5.2.218)? What does such a statement reflect about him? Could he have made such a statement in Act 1?
This statement reflects that Hamlet is unafraid of his destiny. He makes this statement when he is offered the challenge to combat Laertes; Hamlet, however, begins to have resentfull feelings for this challenge but decides to shun his feelings and take on the challeng believing that his fate is sealed. Hamlet would have never made this statement in Act 1 since his actions showed a different set of beliefs in which Hamlet could control his destiny. For instance, when Hamlet had the opportunity to kill Claudius, he never killed Claudius since he felt that the circumstances would not appease his revenge. This example proves that Hamlet had no concept of destiny since he felt that he had the power at that moment to control Claudius’ fate. He chooses to postpone Claudius’ death in order to bring him greater suffering.
5. What are we to infer happens after all the bodies are cleared away? Does Denmark come into a time of peace and healing or are they headed for greater troubles? How do you know?
It could be inferred that Denmark could be entering into greater troubles since the deaths within the court could act as an omen for future events. In fact, Fortibras on page 334 inquires, “O proud death, what feast is toward in thine eternal cell, that thou so many princes at a shot so bloodily hast struck?” This implies that he believes death could be planning something by welcoming Fortinbras with the corpses of royal blood, which could mean greater troubles for Denmark and its new royalty since the plans death always involve more deaths.
J-Aranda Per.3
1. The exchanging of the grave diggers with each other and Hamlet serve to show that a grave has some significance. “Clown- Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she/willfully seeks her own salvation?” (Scene 1: Lines 1-2) What the grave digger is trying to say is that someone who committee’s suicide should not be buried in a Christian grave. This act is a sin against the religion. When Hamlet starts to exchange with the grave digger, Hamlet explains that it doesn’t matter who you are or how you lived because one still dies. This exchanges function in the story to foreshadow that there will be many deaths with out reason. The themes that are portrayed are death and lament. Hamlet is shown a skull of a man he once knew and feels bad that how everyone end’s up dieing.
2. The reason why Hamlet and Laertes fight in the grave is because Hamlet believes that Laertes should not show much affection for Ophelia. Hamlet tells Laertes that no one loved Ophelia more than he did. “Hamlet- I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers/Could not with all their quantity of love/Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?” (Scene 1: Lines 271-273) Hamlet loved Ophelia more than Laertes and Hamlet question’s Laertes of what has he done for her. Hamlet says that he would do anything for Ophelia.
3. The way that Hamlet escaped from being killed in England was that he discovered a letter from the king that sent Hamlet to execution. Hamlet got this letter and changed the words around so the ones who turn in the letter will be killed. “Hamlet- That on the view and knowing of these contents,/Without debatement further, more or less,/He should those bearers put to sudden death,/Not shriving time allowed.” (Scene 2: Lines 44-47) Hamlet knew that the ones who were going to deliver the letter were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his friends, but he did not feel sympathy for them. They had betrayed Hamlet by turning themselves in favor for the king. “Hamlet- They are not near my conscience; their defeat/Does by heir own insinuation grow.” (Scene 2: Lines 58-59)
4. What Hamlet means by “the readiness is all” is that everything has now come to what was planed. Hamlet is now prepared to face the King and go against anyone who is put in his way. What this statement reflects about him is that he is a person who is ready to face what was destined when it comes. He could have not made this statement in the beginning because he was trying to plan out in how to kill the King.
5. When all the bodies are cleared away what will happen is that Hamlet will be carried as a soldier and then shot. Fortinbras will then become King of Denmark. I think that Denmark is headed towards peace and healing because Fortinbras is now king. He is now going to perform his plans he once had towards Denmark. “Fortinbras- I have some rights of memory in this kingdom,/Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me.” (Scene 2: Lines 390-391) Fortinbras shows to be strong leader and capable of taking leadership.
1. The grave diggers somewhat foreshadow the events in the end. They give a glimpse into what is going to happen. They introduce the issues of how people that die and are buried in the ground end up as dust. They also add some humor to a gloomy scene.
2. Hamlet and Laertes fight into Ophelia’s grave because Hamlet thinks Laertes is trying to out do him. Hamlet does not like the fact that Laertes jumped into his sister’s grave and begged to be buried with her. Hamlet saw it as him trying to out do him.
3. Hamlet stole the letter that was meant for the king and re wrote it. He wrote that the men that delivered it were to be put to death. He feels the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is Claudis’s fault.
4. Hamlet means that it all comes down to this one final showdown. It shows that he has finally chosen the path he will take and is clear in his motives. He could have made such a statement in ACT I. In the beginning he was just playing it how it came but in the end he had it all planned out.
5. After everything is over and done with Denmark becomes peaceful under th rule of Fortinbras.
Josie Flores
The gravediggers give a semi comic, dark image to this part of the play. They converse with Hamlet and give him an idea of what happens when people die, what happens of everyday people, and they also introduce the idea of burials for suicides. The diggers talk about it being immoral and not deserving of a Christian burial.
While the funeral begins Hamlet discovers it is Ophelia’s funeral. He than expresses his love towards her. Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia’s grave because Laertes is outraged of the sight of Hamlet. He blames the death of Ophelia on Hamlet because it is he who killed their father. When Laertes sees Hamlet he is immediately filled with anger towards him.
Hamlet was supposed to be killed when Claudius sent to England a letter. The people sending the message were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet escaped death by switching the letter to state that the person/people which deliver the letter must be killed, instead of what it originally said. Hamlet does not feel sympathetic towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern whatsoever because of the party they played in the king’s scheme.
When saying the readiness is all, he is making somewhat of a crazed statement. He could not have made such a statement in Act one because in that act he had been perfectly fine and had not given off any madness or crazed behavior.
After the bodies are cleared away Fortinbras comes to rule. I think that peace will follow this great tragedy. In the beginning the spirit in act one is there to pretty much signify that something is wrong and that something tragic is about to occur. After the spirit conversed with young Hamlet the entire royal family turns out dead. Even though this has occurred, it seems that Denmark will heal itself with the new leader it has been given.
1. The grave diggers introduce humor into this play. They talk to each other of how they feel that the gravedigger is an important job. They are used to appeal to commoners, as they are one of the only ones mentioned in the play.
2. Hamlet claims that he loves Ophelia more than Laertes ever could have and this is why they fight. Laertes is possibly fighting Hamlet because of the hatred he has for him for having killed his father and therefore being the cause of his sister's death.
3. Hamlet replaced the letter that Claudius wrote, asking for his execution. He rewrote it telling the receiver to execute whoever delivers the letter. He claims that he does not feel sorry for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because they went against his back and betrayed him by siding with Claudius.
4. When Hamlet says “the readiness is all” he is referring to death. He says that all people must be ready for death because it will inevitably happen to everyone. He could not have said it in Act 1, because he himself was not prepared for death. He was still mourning his father’s death.
5. After the bodies are cleared and Denmark’s reign is given is given to Fortinbras, I believe that Denmark will have peace. All the evil and corrupt members of the royal family are all dead. The new king is someone completely different who can handle his job asking. Even in the face of dead bodies, he is able to think clearly and keep moving.
ParsonsS
1. The gravediggers remind everyone that every man, no matter how great they are, is mortal. Eventually, men all die, and whether or not they were a great leader, such as Julius Caesar, or a poor carpenter, they all end up as dust that is recycled back into the earth. This reminder of humanity horrifies Hamlet, and he reflects on the meaning of life, his life, and man’s purpose in general.
2. Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia’s grave because Hamlet claims to love Ophelia more than Laertes. When Hamlet finds out that the person being buried is Ophelia, he cries out in anger and grief, and wants everyone present to know how much he cared for her. “Forty thousand brothers, Could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum” (p.254-255, 5.1). Here, Hamlet is trying to say that he loved Ophelia more than her own brother, or any other person, could even imagine. Since both men loved Ophelia, and both are grieving tremendously, they become violent and fight with each other in her grave.
3. Hamlet escaped being killed in England by replacing Claudius’s letter. Instead of giving the English ambassadors a letter saying that Hamlet was to be executed, Hamlet wrote a letter that said the carriers of the letter were to be executed. “Without debatement further, more or less, He should the bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving-time allow'd” (p. 272, 5.2). This then resulted in the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Hamlet was able to escape from England. Hamlet goes on to tell his friend that he does not feel bad about the deaths of his friends, because they betrayed him, and did everything that the King told them to do.
4. When Hamlet says. “the readiness is all,” (p. 274, 5.2), he is saying that everything is supposed to work out in certain ways in life. This kind of thought out resolve could not have been stated by Hamlet in the first act, because in the first act, Hamlet was an even bigger mess, because he was still in shock in regards to his father’s death.
5. As the bodies are being cleared away, we can see that a new era is dawning in Denmark. As far as conflicts go, with the death of all of the main characters in Hamlet, we know that this conflict in particular has been resolved, but we are not assured that a time for peace is coming. We can sense this from the words that Prince Fortinbras speaks: “Take up the bodies: such a sight as this, Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. Go, bid the soldiers shoot,” (p. 294, 5.2). From this statement, we can see that peace is not in the near future for Denmark, instead, a different conflict will take over.
imuradian, p3
1. The grave diggers' exchange with each other reveals a common aspect of Shakespeare's plays: peasantry. The two grave diggers exchange conversation regarding death and its victims, and their far from aristocratic occupation added an element to the play that appealed to even the most common of crowds. Regardless of their peasantry, the grave diggers' exchange with Hamlet shows their witty and shrewd side. They get the best of Hamlet through their wit, and thus ironically falls the play's heroic figure to mere commoners. The grave diggers introduce the theme of the inevitability of death, and thus death should not be a matter of woe and dire nature.
2. Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia's grave primarily because the two men wish to establish their domain over the deceased woman. The brother claims his love is superior while the lover adamantly exclaims that his love is infinitely greater. Both men seem to be driven to violence; Hamlet through shock and Laertes through grief.
3. Hamlet escaped being killed in England by intercepting the letter intended to kill him and altering it so that it demanded the murder of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in his stead. Hamlet seemed indifferent toward the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, for at this point his immense desire to avenge the death of his father forces him to view the two as mere tools.
4. "The readiness is all" illustrates Hamlet's transformation from the respectful prince in the beginning of the play to the vengeful pursuer of justice at the end. He is aware of what he must do, and his objective shall not be hampered by any means. His readiness to fulfill his deed is reason enough for his own death. This bold claim is the product of his transformation and thus would not be seen from the Hamlet in Act
5. Following the cleaning of the bodies, we are to infer that the death of all these political figures were by no means a purification of the state of Denmark. The final appearance of Fortinbras amidst the bloody scene represents a stern, capable leader but the actual future of Denmark is not addressed in the play's close.
1. The purpose of the grave diggers' exchange with each other was to show some cultural background of the time. “If the man go to this water and drown himself, it is, will he nill he, he goes, mark you that. But if the water some to him and drown him, he drown not himself. Argal, he that is not guilty of his own death shorten not his own life” (lines 14-18). The Grave-digger tells the Other about what is right and what is wrong. The grave digger exchange news to Hamlet of how Hamlet was gone mad and he was sent to England. “It was the very day that young Hamlet was born – he that is mad and sent to England” (lines 148-149). The grave diggers were giving information to Hamlet, who now knows what to plan. The theme of the story becomes revenger and the issues is having Hamlet being betrayed by his own famly.
2. Hamlet and Laetres fought in Ophelia's grave because Hamlet felt as though he loved her more than Laetres. “Dost come here to whine, to outface me with leaping in her grave? Be buried wick with her, and so will I” (lines 270-271). He wanted to have everyone recognize that he truly loved her more than anyone else. For Laetres, he distrust Hamlet because he was still mad him for killing his father, which Ophelia died because of the death of their father. “The devil take thy soul!” (line 249).
3. Hamlet escaped being killed in England by stealing the letter, writing a fake letter, sealed it with the king's ring, and have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deliver the letter. When the letter is delivered, they will be killed because that is what the letter said, which is explained in the beginning of scene two. Hamlet does not feel anything except that he thought the two men wanted the job. “Why, man, they did make love to this employment” (line 61).
4. When Hamlet says, “the readiness is all,” he means that things that are supposed to happen will happen. It will happen for a reason. The statement reflects him because he was always prepared with the future, but he used his predictions to run away from now. Now, he has to face it. He could have made the statement in Act 1, but it shows his true self in the last act, which becomes interesting for the readers to read further.
5. After the bodied were taken away, we can infer that the battle was still continuing. Denmark is headed for a greater trouble because the people who came in the end were still talking about the battle. Also, the cannon was still being shot at the end of the scene.
T. McClanahan
1. The gravediggers – those that live with death and surround themselves in death everyday – give commentary on the mortality of man and how every man is equal in death. They relate mortality to the death of Julius Caesar and back to the poor carpenter, saying, basically, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” – everyone ends up in the same place, throwing into question everything people live and work for.
2. Laertes and Hamlet fight in Ophelia’s grave to prove their love to her, with Hamlet claiming that “forty thousand brothers, could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum” (Act 5, scene 1). He claims that Laertes only cared for the family name and he actually care for her and no one could understand how much in love with her he really was. They are both protective of her and feel that she was closest to them, even though there was no way to know that for sure.
3. Hamlet replaced letters condemning him to death with letters that condemned the carriers of the letters – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - to death, giving him time to escape from England to Denmark. And afterward, he feels no remorse because his ‘friends’ betrayed him and were loyal to an unrighteous king..
4. When Hamlet says, “the readiness is all,” he is saying that to be ready to do what one hopes will promote him socially, or really anything, is the key to success. Throughout the play, Hamlet is trying to work up the courage and bravado to kill or discredit Claudius to take his throne, but doesn’t in the many opportunities he has, claiming, in some way or another ,that he is not ready.
5. Though this particular conflict has been resolved in Denmark, the future looks unstable, as seen from the quote, “take up the bodies: such as sight as this, becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. Go, bid the soldiers shoot.” (act 5, scene 2). Surprisingly, this quote was spoken by Prince Fortinbras who was opposed and militarily against Denmark but saw that the political turmoil was not caused by outside forces but by internal affairs. Peace is not in the near future for Denmark, which is rightly realized as the bodies are being cleared away – there will be no clean transfer of power within the royal family.
Chelsea Leon
Hamlet
Act V Questions
1) The grave diggers are improtant to the story because they discuss meanings and purposes of life and what happens after. When the grave digger speaks with Hamlet, Hamlet learns what the more common folk think of him and the situation at the castle.
2) Laertes is angry and blames Hamlet for the death of his sister. Hamlet confesses that he loved Ophelia with all his heart and Laertes is wrong to try to tell Hamlet he cared more than Hamlet could ever have.
3) Hamlet intercepted a letter saying that upon retrieval of the envelope, Hamlet should be killed. He changed the letter to read that the persons who deliver the letter should be killed immediately. Hamlet feels that whatever has to be done in order to avenge his father’s death has to be done.
4) By saying, “the readiness is all,” Hamlet means that what really matters is to be prepared for anything and everything. This statement shows that he has learned from his experiences since Act I. In the beinging of the play he was more focused on grieving the death of his father in a pitty me sort of way and now he believes everything happens for a reason.
5) I think that Denmark is not headed for greater troubles, but is not in an immediate healing process. “But let this same be presently performed even while men’s minds are wild…” (Act V. Scene II) This quote can be translated to say, “Lets do this quickly while people are still in the shock of all that has happened so we can move on faster.”
PPham
per3
1. The purpose of grave diggers' exchange with each other is to reveal many aspects of Shakespeare's plays; which include the reminisce of memory and tragic conversation. The grave diggers act as the actualization of the mind, Hamlet was able acknowledge their wit, despite their peasantry. They introduce the theme that death is inevitable and that lamentation should not be the feeling that death entails.
2. Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia's grave because, they believe that their love for Ophelia is greater then the others. Hamlet proclaims that his love for Ophelia is infinitely greater then any other, they begin to fight because Laertes anguish is overwhelming.
3. Hamlet escapes being killed in England by altering the letter that was intended to kill him and changing it so it will demand the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern instead. Hamlet seemed uninterested toward the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, because, at this point the only thing occupying his mind is the desire to avenge his father.
4. "The readiness is all" Hamlet's words symbolize his readiness for change. As we observe Hamlet through the acts we can see him transform from a melancholy prince, to a motivated avenger. The line could have been said in Act 1 because, throughout the play Hamlet has matured and now is ready to follow through in his task.
5. One can believe that the most obvious state of Denmark following the cleaning of the bodies, that Denmark is left amidst destruction and the death of its political icons does not change that. This conclusion is drawn from the appearance of Fortinbras after the climax of the play.
Hkeenawinna Period 3
Act 5
1) The gravediggers offer a comic release in the play. We’re given two people who take a different view on life and they converse with each other bluntly and wittily. The first gravedigger is obviously the more clever and obnoxious one because he wittily says that gravediggers have better frames than any other maker because their graves will last until the end of the world which is s somewhat true. You can see that they a better view on life and they make an assumption that the grave they are digging for is for a woman who killed herself and by law she cannot be given a Christian burial. “Here lies the water; good: here stands the man; good; if the man go to this water, and drown himself, it is, will he, nill he, he goes,--mark you that; but if the water come to him and drown him, he drowns not himself: argal, he that is not guilty of his own death shortens not his own life.” The first gravedigger speaks to Hamlet not knowing he is the prince and gives him a taste of wit. He makes hamlet fight to get his answers though Hamlet does it in good manner. Hamlet realizes that one of the skulls he finds is the skull of his jester from when he was child and he realizes that all men will turn to dust no matter how brilliant they were.
2) Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia’s grave because both want to see Ophelia for the last time. They love her both but they believe they love her more than the other. Hamlet tells everyone that he loved Ophelia with all his heart, he would eat a crocodile and be buried alive with her.
3) Hamlet found the letter that was to be given to the King of England telling the King to kill Hamlet. Hamlet rewrites the letter and tells the King to kill the people who sent the letter who were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet doesn’t care because they wanted to kill him to be in the king’s favor and he thinks it a fitting punishment for them.
4) Hamlet means that whatever happens, happens whether it is ready or not but it’s always ready, it’s bound to happen. He will accept whatever the fates have planned for him, he will fight to the death and win or he will fight to the death and lose, he has accepted the outcome no matter what. In Act one he wanted to avenge his father’s death more than anything in the world and he would not rest until his father was avenged but here it seems almost like Hamlet has given up. It would not have made sense for Hamlet to say this in Act 1, there would be no motive for the story to continue.
5) We know that Denmark will now be rules by Prince Fortinbras because Hamlet has willed it so before his last breath. We know that Prince Fortinbras is strong-willed man and that he could rule a country well but we do not know if he will make Denmark better or worse. All we know ids that he is now King of Denmark.
J Hellmich
1. The grave diggers serve as a sort of comic relief. Here they are in a cemetey, digging a grave and they are making jokes and being merry. Hamlet is intrigued by death and the decomposition of bodies. His conversation with the grave diggers show us more of his intrigue and feelings about death.
2. Hanlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia's grave because Laetres blames her death on Hamlet. Hamlet is outraged and comes out of his hiding professing his love for Ophelia. Laetres hates Hamlet for killing his father as well. Now he's just looking for more reason to despise Hamlet and he's blaming him for Ophelia.
3. Hamlet came across the letter that was being sent to the King of England. He read it and realized that he wasn't going there for help, but he was going there to get his head chopped off! He rewrote the letter, telling the king of the country's friendship, and told him to kill the messengers who brought him this letter, therefore killing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He doesn't care about their deaths because they were going to do the same thing to him!
5. Fortinbras is to become King of Denmark by the wish of Hamlet on his deathbed. Denmark will come to peace and healing with Fortinbras as its King. We know this because he speaks of royalty, heroism, and honor.
TMorley P3
1. The gravediggers can be seen in many different ways, but I choose to see them as transition. They turn virgin soil into a grave. They see the change from real world to the afterlife, and their exchange only accentuates this by showing how there is constant shift. They do, however, have the stability of the same job each time. Their interactions with Hamlet show the transition he went through and what made him return.
2. They expressed their love for her in different ways. Hamlet loved her as a flame and romantically, where Laertes loved her as a sister. They show this at the end by displaying their differences. Hamlet responds lighter because he can always find a new love, but Laertes knows that he can never find a new sister. He also knows that Hamlet is the direct source for her insanity, which caused her to die. They have differing opinions, and their differences are expressed in their quarrel
3. Hamlet left England earlier and was never sought after. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern dying in his place evokes some sympathy from Hamlet, but for the most part he is just glad it wasn’t him. At the same time, he feels sorry because he has a feeling he is going to die soon anyway.
4. He means that what is meant to be will happen and only God has supreme control. Since he is prepared to die, it must be right and it must be the end to all. His preparedness his the end, and there is nothing that he can do to control destiny at this point.
5. My guess is that the bodies are taken away and given proper burials. Then they enter a state of turmoil and bloodshed, especially since such an army has arrived and such a ruler is in their command. He takes over and there will be no stability for quite awhile. The end of the play sends the vibe that the turmoil is never meant to end and that it will always be a factor, and that’s why I think that Denmark has a rough future ahead of it.
SBarloon
1. The grave digger’s exchange in the cemetery serves to reintroduce the theme of suicide into the play. The gravediggers discuss the morality of suicide in a dark and witty tone. The two humorous men discussing such a serious matter marks the end of values in the play and leads to the final scene of chaos.
2. Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia’s grave because both men are greiving over the loss of a loved one. When Hamlet sees the funeral procession and finds out that it is Ophelia he is upset. Laertes hugs Ophelia’s dead body and Hamlet cries out that he loved Ophelia deeply and more than anybody else. The two men fight over Ophelia’s love.
3. Hamlet escaped being killed in England by sending his own letter in place of Claudius’. Hamlet replaces Claudius’ letter that has instructions for Hamlet to be killed with a letter that says to kill the carriers. When Rosencrants and Guildenstern deliver the letter they are killed and Hamlet is able to escape England. Hamlet does not feel bad about his former friends deaths because they betrayed him and were working against him with Claudius.
4. When Hamlet says “the readiness of it all” he is refering to the way everything in life has a purpose and meaning. He could not have made such a statement in Act I because he was very unstable regarding his father’s death and mother’s marriage and he wasn’t sure what he wanted. In Act V, Hamlet has a better understanding of what happened and how he feels.
5. The death of all the characters in Hamlet marks the end of the conflict between Hamlet, Claudius, and pretty much everyone else. However, I don’t think that it ends the conflict for Denmark. Fortinbras seems eager to take over the kingdom while it is weak and I don’t think that Denmark will be seeing a time of peace for a while. It will be extra chaotic in Denmark because their leaders have all died and they are entering a war.
Williams Avery
period 3
1.The grave diggers conversation with each other and with Hamlet shine’s light of the poverty stricken lower class so abundant during this time. They discuss the randomness of death and the victims that it claims. The occupation makes them more enduring to the audience who is able to relate to them more opposed to the aristocratic Kings and such. The conversation not only displays Hamlet’s wit but also that of the peasant grave diggers. They out wit Hamlet who is taken back, but it emphasis the fall of the main character to two mere peasants. The theme’s that are introduced are that death in inevitability and one should not be sad as it is a step in life.
2. Why do Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia's grave?
Laertes and Hamlets fight over her grave because they both feel that they loved Ophelia more deeply and try to establish it among each other and men do. I feel that they loved her in different ways one as a brother and the other as a lover. They are both outrages but they other claims and violence is nearly avoided, the violence steaming from grief and shock.
3.Hamlet discovers the letter to the king of England demanding his execution. He changes the letter to read that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to be killed in his place. His obsession to avenge his father’s death blinds him from the guilt of murdering two of his oldest friends.
4. “the readiness is all” portrays Hamlet’s transformation from the level headed analytical Prince to the crazed obsessive vengeance of his father that Hamlet became at the end of the play. He feels that he must carry out his plan to murder his uncle and that nothing can stand in his way. He declares that he would even risk his life to see the murder of his father slaughtered. This rash decision would not be expected of the Hamlet in Act 1.
5. Following the cleaning of the bodies, we are to infer that the death of all these political figures were by no means a purification of the state of Denmark. The final appearance of Fortinbras amidst the bloody scene represents a stern, capable leader but the actual future of Denmark is still a question that is not answered in the plays close.
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