Death in Hamlet: Acts Four and Five
(An Understanding of Death in Hamlet: Acts Four and Five)
Although death is the main theme of the entire play of, “Hamlet,” the only accounts of death during the play were during acts four and five. To understand the beginning of the deaths, one must understand that Hamlet is hellbent on vengeance. His revenge would only be complete after the death of his uncle Claudius, who had killed Hamlet’s father, defiled his mother, and took the throne. This is significant because Hamlet spies on all of the potential conspirators he can think of, and this includes his mother. However, Hamlet’s uncle also spies on him, and the first account of death occurs in act four, when Hamlet kills Ophelia’s father in his mother’s …show more content…
To begin explicating this scene, the reader must comprehend the significance spying plays within the play. Everyone seems to be spying on each other, especially Hamlet and Claudius. This scene begins with Polonius and Gertrude, speaking about what the situation is, and could turn out to be. When they hear Hamlet coming in, Polonius hides behind the curtains while Hamlet begins to speak to his mother. After a brief altercation of words betwixt mother and son, Gertrude begins to yell, “help,” and Hamlet hears a noise behind the curtains. Thinking that it was the king, he stabs the sword through the curtain, and Polonius slumps over in a heap on the floor. Hamlet begins to get questioned frantically by his mother. Hamlet starts yelling at his mother for the pain she caused him for marrying the rat of a husband she now has. He states, that compared to his brother, the previous king, he is a maggot and a thief, while his father was glorious and practically perfect. The ghost of his father then enters, and after Hamlet talks to him, his mother begins to question his sanity by asking who he is talking to. Hamlet responds thusly, “On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares! His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, would make them capable.” (Hamlet 3:4 Lines ) Although it happened inadvertently, the death of Polonius caused the outbreak between the mother and
(An Understanding of Death in Hamlet: Acts Four and Five)
Although death is the main theme of the entire play of, “Hamlet,” the only accounts of death during the play were during acts four and five. To understand the beginning of the deaths, one must understand that Hamlet is hellbent on vengeance. His revenge would only be complete after the death of his uncle Claudius, who had killed Hamlet’s father, defiled his mother, and took the throne. This is significant because Hamlet spies on all of the potential conspirators he can think of, and this includes his mother. However, Hamlet’s uncle also spies on him, and the first account of death occurs in act four, when Hamlet kills Ophelia’s father in his mother’s …show more content…
To begin explicating this scene, the reader must comprehend the significance spying plays within the play. Everyone seems to be spying on each other, especially Hamlet and Claudius. This scene begins with Polonius and Gertrude, speaking about what the situation is, and could turn out to be. When they hear Hamlet coming in, Polonius hides behind the curtains while Hamlet begins to speak to his mother. After a brief altercation of words betwixt mother and son, Gertrude begins to yell, “help,” and Hamlet hears a noise behind the curtains. Thinking that it was the king, he stabs the sword through the curtain, and Polonius slumps over in a heap on the floor. Hamlet begins to get questioned frantically by his mother. Hamlet starts yelling at his mother for the pain she caused him for marrying the rat of a husband she now has. He states, that compared to his brother, the previous king, he is a maggot and a thief, while his father was glorious and practically perfect. The ghost of his father then enters, and after Hamlet talks to him, his mother begins to question his sanity by asking who he is talking to. Hamlet responds thusly, “On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares! His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, would make them capable.” (Hamlet 3:4 Lines ) Although it happened inadvertently, the death of Polonius caused the outbreak between the mother and