omic Relief: The Gravediggers in Act 5 offer a comic relief from the drama and death of the previous scenes. Their jokes heavily rely on death and the religion along with it. During 5.1, whilst digging Ophelia’s grave, they question with each other if she should be allowed to be buried within the Christian church graveyard since her death seems apparent that it was a suicide, and if this is the case that is prohibited within the Christian church. “Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation?” (Hamlet …) They first begin to joke around with each other when talking about gallows making. “What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?” (5.1.46-47) They only joke around
