Hamlet Summary

Act V

Two grave diggers are preparing Ophelia's grave. They discuss the inappropriateness of Ophelia being buried in a Catholic cemetery after she killed herself. It was against Church doctrine for suicides to be buried in this way. They discuss that it is only because of her connections that the rules are being broken.

Hamlet and Horatio enter. Hamlet is surprised by the gravedigger's jokes while performing their tasks. Hamlet makes comments on the fact that no matter who you are and how you lived your life, you end up dead. A humourous scene emerges when Hamlet engages one of the grave diggers in conversation. Although Hamlet has had the upper hand in making play on words, he is overshadowed by the gravedigger's comments. Hamlet encounters the skull of a person he once knew and is disgusted by the fact that he knows someone who is buried in this grave.

Hamlet finds out that Ophelia is going to be buried in this grave after the funeral procession enters. We discover Hamlet still loves Ophelia, even though he has been mean to her and he previously told her that he never loved her. When Hamlet sees Laertes jump into the grave, crying with grief, Hamlet jumps in after and protests that he was the only one who ever truly loved her and that Laertes has no right to be displaying such emotions. Laertes and Hamlet start fighting in the grave and have to be separated. Hamlet leaves, with Horatio sent to look after him and the scene ends with Claudius reminding Laertes about their previous conversation regarding what to do about Hamlet.

Hamlet discusses the events of his trip to England with Horatio. The first night aboard, he couldn't sleep so he crept into Rosencrantz' and Guildenstern's room and read the note the King gave them. In the note there was a directive for the King of England to kill Hamlet when he arrived in court. Hamlet rewrote the note to say that the king must kill the bearers of the note, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Osric enters and informs Hamlet that the King has wagered that Hamlet could best Laertes in a fencing match and that the king will even wager on Hamlet. After some discussion, Hamlet agrees to the match. Hamlet is informed that the King and Queen would like him to come to attend them in the hall. The queen sends Hamlet a message that she would like him to show some courtesy (to apologize) to Laertes before they engage in the match. Horatio is concerned that Hamlet doesn't have a chance of winning, but Hamlet informs him that since this affair (with the ghost and his madness) started he has been practicing. Hamlet admits to misgivings about the fight, but he ignores them.

The court enters and Hamlet explains to Laertes that although he killed Laertes' father, he did not mean to. Hamlet explains further that it was a madness which came over him that caused him to do this deed. Laertes accepts Hamlet's apology, but states that his honour demands that Hamlet duel with him to defend his honour to the court. Hamlet agrees and they get ready to fight.

The winner of the fight is the first opponent to score three 'hits' on the other person. Laertes and Claudius are using this match to secretly murder Hamlet. Laertes' sword tip is poisoned and Claudius plans to have Hamlet drink a toast out of a poisoned goblet, if it seems Hamlet might win the fight. If Hamlet scores the first hit, he will offer a toast to celebrate it. Hamlet will be poisoned when he drinks the wine.

The match begins and Hamlet scores the first hit. Claudius offers a toast to Hamlet, drinks some wine, then offers the goblet to Hamlet. Because Hamlet isn't tired yet he postpones the drink and continues fighting. Hamlet scores a second hit and before Hamlet is offered the toast again, Gertrude grabs the goblet and drinks the poisoned wine, while toasting Hamlet's fortune. Hamlet once again refuses a drink at this time and continues the match. Laertes does manage to wound Hamlet, but in the scuffle they exchange swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poisoned sword.

The match is disrupted when the Queen falls. Although Claudius tries to convince everyone that Gertrude fainted because of the blood, Gertrude informs everyone that she was poisoned by Claudius' wine. Gertrude dies. Laertes falls and before he dies, he informs Hamlet that the sword tip was poisoned. He further explains that it was Claudius' idea to poison the sword and that Hamlet is going to die as well. Hamlet, in a rage, stabs the king with the sword with the poisoned tip, then pours poisoned wine down the king's throat. Claudius dies. Laertes apologizes for his actions and asks for Hamlet's forgiveness. Laertes dies. A shot is heard without and Hamlet is informed that Fortinbras is crossing Denmark, coming back from his conquest over Poland. Hamlet gives his approval to Fortibras to become king of Denmark after Hamlet's death. Hamlet dies.

Fortinbras and his Ambassadors enter and discover the deaths of Laertes, Claudius, Gertrude and Hamlet. Fortinbras informs Horatio that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been killed in England. Horatio informs Fortinbras that he knows about all the misdeeds that have been going on in Denmark, and that the cause of them all was Claudius, not Hamlet. Hamlet is carried honourably from stage.Text: Act V, Scene ii

The play ends.