4. 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.
5. 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?
6. 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).
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
15. 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?
16. 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.
