hamlet discussion

7/31/2019 Hamlet Discussion

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By:

Clara SewellCinthia Flores

Robert Zarasua

Stephanie VelaDonna Flores

Hamlet: Act V


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Background

Written in England

Setting is in Denmark, around the

Renaissance time.Genre: Classical Drama/Tragedy

Shakespeare uses many allusions

throughout the play


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Brief Overview of Act V:

Scenes i & ii

Scene i: Hamlet enters the churchyard and is disgusted when the gravediggertells him that the skull belonged to Yorick, King Hamlets jester. He realizesthat everyone becomes a pile of nothingness after they pass. Opheliaslifeless 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 morethan her own brother ever could.

Scene ii: Claudius seals a letter ordering the death of Hamlet and Hamlet findsout. He then switches the letter out to order the death of the two men whodeliver this letter. Hamlet also decides to keep Laertes own interest at bestsince he sees himself in him. Claudius comes up with the plan for Laertes tobattle Hamlet in fencing in which Claudius wagers on Hamlet. In this way, ifHamlet dies, it will not look like a crime and if he wins, they will toast tovictory and Claudius will poison him through the drink. During the duel,Hamlet gets nicked by the sword and wounds Laertes. Gertrude, Hamletsmother, 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, henames Fortinbras the king of Denmark.


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Light/Dark Imagery

Faith, ifa be not rotten before a

dieas we have many pocky corses

now-a-days that will scare hold thelaying in, I will last you some eight

year or nine year. A tanner will last

you nine year. Gravedigger (Act v,Scene i)


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Discussion on Quote

-Gravedigger brings up the fact thatsome individuals may already berotten before they die.

-Some people are just bad. Forexample, this quote could be said ofClaudius. He killed Hamlets father,

which the reader eventually findsout, and then marries his brotherswidow. This makes him a rotten

being and he is still very much alive.


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Light/Dark Imagery cont.

May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish

priest, A ministering angel shall my sisterbe when thou liest howling.Laertes(Act v, Scene i)

An angel represents someone or something of a

greater good and it stands under the category oflight.

This quote speaks of an angel, the greater good,and states that this entity is there to give help andcomfort.

Laertes is telling the priest that while he wandersin hell, his sister will be in heaven.

Laertes is upset that they even question givingOphelia a proper funeral based on what appearedto be a suicide.


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Animal Imagery

Anon, as patient as thefemale dove Gertrude

A female dove is use of animalimagery.

Gertrude is explaining Hamlet andhis craziness that seems to come

and go. She says that his insanity will fade

away and he will be calm like abird.


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Ophelias Burial

and Religion.Because of what appeared to

be an apparent suicide, there

were questions as to whetherOphelia should be buried in achurchyard.

Suicide is a SIN.Doyou think Ophelia really

committed suicide?


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Major Theme(s)Death: The play is centered primarilyaround death. King Hamlet, Ophelia,Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Claudius,Gertrude, Laertes, and Hamlet all die by theend of the play. Skulls are used to representdeath and are seen throughout thegraveyard just before Hamlet realizes that

Ophelia has died. The gravediggers set themood for the upcoming deaths in scene ii.The scene and atmosphere give a sense ofsomething tragic coming along and Hamletsrevelation about death and what happensafterwards creates the mood and emotions.This readies the reader for death.

Why do you think Shakespearedecides to kill all of themain characters at the end of theplay?


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Major Theme(s) cont.

-Madness: Hamlets madness is ahuge factor in the play. At first,he pretends to be crazy as part ofhis plot to prove that Claudiuskilled King Hamlet. By the end ofthe play, it seems as thoughHamlet as truly gone mad trying

to avenge his father. In mosttragedies, the main characterchanges by his/her motivation orambition and this usually leads to

their demise.


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Similarities to Macbeth

-Shakespeares plays share things in common.

At the end of Hamlet, Hamlet names Fortinbrasas king before he dies and this suggests that the

kingdom will return toorder

. Hamlet killed KingClaudius previous to Fortinbras being namedking. This resembles Macbeth in that Macbethmurders King Duncan and at the end of theplay, Malcolm becomes king after Macbeth diesand all returns to order. Both the maincharacters Hamlet and Macbeth, motivated bytheir different ideas, end the play in their death.


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Why does Shakespeare kill off

all of the main characters atthe end of the play?

Some speculate that because he drewfrom other Greek plays in which main

characters die, he decided to make apowerful ending with all of the deaths.

The tragedy part of the play was taken toanother level by killing off some innocentcharacters such as Polonius, Laertes, andGertrude.

Shakespeare wanted to tie up the looseends and just have the main charactersdie so that there would be a clear path to

order when Fortinbras reigns as king.


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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 actof craziness associated with his

love for Ophelia? Did Hamlets priorities change?

Laertes and her father advisedagainst Hamlet. Was that motive for

her suicide?


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Is Hamlet trulycrazy?

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