Death Surrounding Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” tragedy is well-known for its theme of death. From the opening scene with the ominous ghost to the bloodbath of the final scene, death makes itself known as an unwelcomed guest that never cares to leave. However, there must be some further meaning, deeper connotation, and purpose to which death is made so apparent in the play, both physically and spiritually. Consider, for a moment, the amount of times death occurs throughout the play. King Hamlet has slain King Fortinbras in military battle before the play opens. Claudius becomes king by killing King Hamlet, his brother. Originally thought to have died from a “serpent’s sting,” the ghost of King Hamlet informs us that he has been killed by poison having
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The play within the play is also an entertainment on the subject of murder and is also an exemplar of art’s primary purpose: to hold a mirror up to life. Then, Hamlet kills the unarmed, elderly, eavesdropping Polonius by stabbing him with a dagger through a drape. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to England with Hamlet with sealed orders in which Claudius asks that Hamlet be executed on the spot. Hamlet rewrites the orders in self-defense, sealing the fate of his friends. Finally, there is the gruesome fencing-match death scene, where Gertrude is killed by the poison wine that Claudius intended for Hamlet. Laertes avenges his father’s death by cutting Hamlet with a poisoned sword, but Hamlet has switched swords with Laertes in a scuffle, and he cuts Laertes with his own sword, resulting in the entire royal family dying. With that being said, the theme of death goes hand-in-hand with the play’s objective of bringing retribution to those who do evil; at the end of the play, justice is delivered through death, and the characters who have been wronged, the audience, and society itself are …show more content…
First Clown: Why, sir, his hide is so tanned with his trade, that he will keep out water a great while; and your water is a sore decayer of your whoreson dead body.
(V. I. 144-152) Time and time again, “Hamlet” reiterates the theme of death. The play’s last words summarize the theme of death. Fortinbras enters the castle and effectively asks what “feast of death” has occurred. Then, respecting Hamlet’s wishes, Horatio tells Hamlet’s story. The last scene of the last act ends with a “dead march” in which Hamlet’s body is borne off my Fortinbras’s men to the sounds of cannon in a military cortege. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is nothing short of a tragedy, by any means. After all, the entire royal family dies, including Hamlet himself. There are so many themes to this timeless piece of literature, including suicide, language, madness, and intrigue; however, I truly believe that death is the focal point of the play. We are also left with many unanswered questions. Shakespeare’s play does not provide answers to the most prominent questions surrounding death, but it does provide an interesting discussion and a different perspective on death and its
The play within the play is also an entertainment on the subject of murder and is also an exemplar of art’s primary purpose: to hold a mirror up to life. Then, Hamlet kills the unarmed, elderly, eavesdropping Polonius by stabbing him with a dagger through a drape. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to England with Hamlet with sealed orders in which Claudius asks that Hamlet be executed on the spot. Hamlet rewrites the orders in self-defense, sealing the fate of his friends. Finally, there is the gruesome fencing-match death scene, where Gertrude is killed by the poison wine that Claudius intended for Hamlet. Laertes avenges his father’s death by cutting Hamlet with a poisoned sword, but Hamlet has switched swords with Laertes in a scuffle, and he cuts Laertes with his own sword, resulting in the entire royal family dying. With that being said, the theme of death goes hand-in-hand with the play’s objective of bringing retribution to those who do evil; at the end of the play, justice is delivered through death, and the characters who have been wronged, the audience, and society itself are …show more content…
First Clown: Why, sir, his hide is so tanned with his trade, that he will keep out water a great while; and your water is a sore decayer of your whoreson dead body.
(V. I. 144-152) Time and time again, “Hamlet” reiterates the theme of death. The play’s last words summarize the theme of death. Fortinbras enters the castle and effectively asks what “feast of death” has occurred. Then, respecting Hamlet’s wishes, Horatio tells Hamlet’s story. The last scene of the last act ends with a “dead march” in which Hamlet’s body is borne off my Fortinbras’s men to the sounds of cannon in a military cortege. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is nothing short of a tragedy, by any means. After all, the entire royal family dies, including Hamlet himself. There are so many themes to this timeless piece of literature, including suicide, language, madness, and intrigue; however, I truly believe that death is the focal point of the play. We are also left with many unanswered questions. Shakespeare’s play does not provide answers to the most prominent questions surrounding death, but it does provide an interesting discussion and a different perspective on death and its