Hamlet: A play about death
Death pervades the play. Of the 11 principal characters, one is already dead (the Ghost) 8 die during the course of the play (Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildernstern, Ophelia, Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, and Hamlet), one attempts suicide (Horatio, who is stopped by Hamlet) and one is responsible for the death of thousands (Fortinbras). Death is referred to or someone dies in 18 of the 20 scenes of the play. The exceptions are the scenes of Laertes departure (1.3) and Polonius with Reynaldo and Ophelia (2.1)
Hamlet is obsessed with death. In every one of the 13 scenes in which he appears there is a reference to death or someone dies. When he first appears, (1.2) he is dressed in black and is in mourning for his father. He contemplates suicide: “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self slaughter” (1.2.129-132). His meeting with the ghost is about murder and death and a demand that Hamlet revenge his death. (1.5). He longs for death: When Polonius asks: “Will you walk out of the air, my lord?” Hamlet answers “Into my grave.” (2.2. 203-204). When Polonius says: “My honourable lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you.” Hamlet answers: “You cannot, sir, take from me anything, that I will more willingly part withal: except my life, except my life, except my life.” (2.2.210-214). When he meets with the players, he has one of them recite a speech about the death of Priam. (2.2.435-505). He asks them to play the Murder of Gonzago. (2.2.522), thinking it may cause Claudius to confess to the murder (2.2.573-590). He again contemplates suicide in his soliloquy: ”To die-to sleep, no more, and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to: ‘tis a consummation devoutly to be wished” (3.1.60-64). He banters with Polonius about the death of Caesar (3.2.100-102) and talks with Ophelia about his father’s death (3.2.122-127). He has the player Queen talk of killing her husband. (3.2.172-174; 177-178). He talks of the murder of Gonzago. (3.2.230-231, 252-255). He almost kills Claudius (3.3.73-96). He frightens the Queen into believing he intends to murder her. (3.4.21). He kills Polonius, thinking he is Claudius. (3.4.24-27). He accuses Gertrude of participating in the murder of King Hamlet. “Gertrude: O what a rash and bloody deed is this!” Hamlet: “A bloody deed, almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king, a marry with his brother.” (3.4.24-26). After he is brought to the King, he banters with him about death and the location of Polonius’ body. (4.3.16-37). He ponders death and honor. (4.4.32-66). In writing to Horatio upon his return to Denmark he says: “repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldest fly death.” (4.6.21-22). Hamlet and Horatio are next seen in a graveyard. Hamlet engages in a discussion with the sexton (gravedigger) about corpses and philosophizes about death. (5.1.63-206). He fights with Laertes in Ophelia’s grave and wishes to be buried alive with her. (5.1.245-274). He tells Horatio of Claudius’ letter to England to have him instantly beheaded and how he substituted a new letter ordering the immediate death of Rosenkrantz and Guildernstern. (5.2.13-47). He kills Laertes and Claudius. (5.2) He stops Horatio from committing suicide, so as to have a witness to testify on his behalf. He tells Horatio “Absent thee from felicity awhile and in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain to tell my story.” (5.2 340-42). Hamlet directly or indirectly causes 8 people to die. He himself kills 3: (Polonius, Laertes and Claudius), has 2 put to death (Rosenkrantz and Guildernstern) and indirectly causes himself and 2 others to die (Ophelia and Gertrude). The last scene of the play (5.2) is an orgy of death. Four characters die on stage: Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius and Hamlet, the death of two is reported, Rosenkrantz and Guildernstern, Horatio almost commits suicide, and Fortinbras after a bloody war with Poland, enters the scene and seeing the dead bodies, says: “O proud Death, what feast is toward in thine eternal cell, that thou so many princes at a shot, so bloodily hast struck?” (5.2.356-359). The play ends on a final note of death, with the body of dead Hamlet and the others being carried off. (5.2. 388-395)
