Hamlet Act V

By: Katherine, Karine, Kevin, Aakaash, Gagan T

Act V Summary • Act V Scene I: Hamlet and Horatio come into the

graveyard, and Hamlet learns of Ophelia’s suicide. • Act V Scene II: Hamlet describes his adventures at

sea and his treatment of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The entire court assembles for the fencing match, in which Laertes is wounded. Claudius drops poison into a goblet, but it is the queen who drinks it and dies. Laertes denounces Claudius, and Hamlet strikes at the king with the poisoned rapier and forces him to drink from the poisoned goblet. But Hamlet is also fatally wounded, and with dying voice gives the kingdom over to Young Fortinbras.

Themes Revenge • “Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon – He that hath

kill’d my king and whor’d my mother, popp’d in between th’election and my hopes, thrown out his angle for my proper life and with such coz’nage – is’t not perfect conscience to quit him with this arm? And is’t not to be damn’d to let this canker of our nature come in further evil?” Hamlet(V.ii.63-70)

• Don’t you think it’s my duty now to kill him with this weapon? This man who killed my king, made my mother a whore, took the throne that I hoped for, and set a trap to kill me. Isn’t it completely moral to kill him now with this sword—and an easy conscience? And wouldn’t I be damned if I let this monster live to do more harm?

Themes Con’t…Death • “O, I die, Horatio. The potent poison quite o'ercrows

my spirit. I cannot live to hear the news from England. But I do prophesy the election lights On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice. So tell him, with th' occurrents, more and less, Which have solicited. The rest is silence. O, O, O, O. (dies)” Hamlet(V.ii.351-357)

• Oh, I’m dying, Horatio! This strong poison’s overpowering me. I will not live to hear the news from England. But I bet Fortinbras will win the election to the Danish crown. He’s got my vote as I die. So tell him that, given the recent events here—oh, the rest is silence. Oh, oh, oh, oh. (he dies).

Themes Con’t…Morality • “Is she to be buried in Christian burial, when

she willfully seeks her own salvation” Gravedigger(V.i.1-2)

• Are they really going to give her a Christian burial after she killed herself?

Deceit • “I am justly kill’d with mine own treahey.”

Laertes(V.ii.301) • I’ve been killed by my own evil tricks.

Figurative Language • Allusion: “What, art a heaven? How dost thou understand the Scripture?

The Scripture says Adam digged” (V.1.33-34)- Grave Digger• “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust”

(V.1.192-193)- Hamlet• Hyperbole & Allusion: “Now pile your dust upon the quick and dead , Till

of this flat a mountain you have made T’o’ertop old Pelion or the skyish head of blue Olympus” (V.1.235-238)- Laertes

• Simile & pun: “In mine ignorance your skill shall like a star I’th’ darkest night stick fiery off indeed” (V.2.240-242)- Hamlet

• Personification: “And let the kettle to the trumpet speak” (V.2.260)- Claudius

• Repetition: “No, no, the drink, the drink!” (V.2.304)- Queen• “Treason! Treason!” (V.2.316)• Verbal Irony:“How can that be, unless she drowned herself in her own

defense?” (v.1.5)- grave digger• Aside: “It is the poison’d cup. It is too late” (v.2.284)- King after Gertrude

drinks from poisoned cup

Character Development • Hamlet: When he returns from exile in Act V, we see a very different

Hamlet. He is calm, rational, and less afraid of death. Hamlet has come to the realization that killing Claudius is his destiny, and that destiny is ultimately controlling all of our lives: “Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting,/ That would not let me sleep. Me thought I lay/ Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashly-/ And prais’d be rashness for it: let us know/ Our indiscreation sometime serves us well/ When our deep plots do pall;/ and that should learn us/ There’s a divinity that shapes our ends,/ Rough-hew them how we will- (V.ii.4-11)

• Claudius: Claudius still wishes to kill Hamlet. After, Claudius’ plan failed of getting Hamlet killed in England, he still didn’t give up. There is a match between Laertes in Hamlet in which he sets up three methods of getting Hamlet killed. First the sharpened sword, second the poison on the blade and lastly the poisoned goblet.

• Horatio: Is still seen as a protective and good friend of Hamlet. When the Lord comes to keep Hamlet that the Queen desires to see a duel between Hamlet and Laertes, Horatio tells Hamlet not to go and tells him, “You will lose, my lord.” (V.II.194) but Hamlet denies him and agrees.

Character Development Con’t…

• Gertrude: Gertrude didn’t realize that her guilt was hurting his son until Hamlet speaks with his mother about his feelings. During her last moments, Gertrude says: “No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet!/ The drink, the drink! I am poison’d” (V.ii.303-304). This proves that she truly loved her son throughout her life.

• Laertes: Laertes appears to be a man of action in Act V. He agrees to this duel with Hamlet so he could avenge his father’s death.

• Gravedigger: The gravedigger is introduced in the beginning of Act V, and is digging a grave for Ophelia.

• Priest: In Act v, Scene I, he performs Ophelia’s funeral, and does not give her full Christian burial rights, since the Church suspects that her death was suicide.

• Osric: He is the courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes.

• Fortinbras: Fortinbras is an important foil for Prince Hamlet, who has also lost a father and now finds himself seeking revenge. While Hamlet sits around contemplating life and death, Fortinbras takes clear and immediate action by raising an army to reclaim Norway’s lost territories. In the end, Prince Fortinbras helps himself to the Danish throne. He arrives calmly at the court in Elsinore immediately after the bloodbath.

Link to Modern Day

Within Act 5 of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the main issue that occurs,  which can be linked to modern day is the topic of Mass Murder. The term Mass murder is when several or numerous people (victims) are killed in a single incident. Within Act 5 6 people total, were killed: Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes,  Gertrude,  Claudius, & finally Hamlet. This act can be related to modern day, due to the fact that many killings such as those unfortunately happen on a daily basis. Although they may not be as miniscule as the one in Hamlet, they still do occur.

Handout Link

A printable copy of the handout can be found on:

www.younghamlet.tumblr.com

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think the Fortinbras presence is important in this Act?

2. Do you think that Queen Gertrude deserved to die?

3. Why does the manner of Ophelia's burial cause so much controversy?

4. Did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deserve their fate?

5. Are you satisfied with the ending?

6. How do you guys feel about this change in hamlets character and his mind state?

7. Do you guys think this is considered revenge when you look at what happens to his mother and him at the same time?

8. How do you guys feel about kingship being handed down to someone who isn’t belonging from royalty and in the family bloodlines but is a good leader.