HAMLET

1
HAMLET

• William Shakespeare
• ESSAY REVISION
• The Ending
• ACT 5

2
RESOLUTION TO CONLFICT

• In the end of the play, Ophelia dead by her
  maddness, Hamlet kills Laertes by swapping the
  poisoned fencing sword Laertes has and hitting
  him with it. Hamlet also dies at the very end
  because he was originally hit by Laertes sword.
  The Queen drinks the drink Claudius prepared for
  Hamlet with the poison and dies. Fortinbras takes
  over Denmark. Hamlet has good ceremony as
  respected man Horatio lives to tell the tale.

3
Resolution Of the ThemesCORRUPTION

• Ophelia
• In the end of the play, we see the result of
  Ophelia being a continuous victim of the theme of
  corruption within this play. We can see firstly
  the way in which the gravedigger has a lack of
  respect for the dead bodies
• Hamlet Tis een so, the hand of little
  employment hath the daintier sense. ACT 5,
  SCENE 1 Hamlet is shocked by the lack of respect
  and the brutality of the grave digger towards the
  bodies, which is in a sense corrupt because youd
  expect dead bodies to be treated with dignity as
  Hamlet points out.
• We then see Ophelia has no ceremony at her
  deathbed. This is surprising because Polonius is
  the Kings advisor and she is his daughter this
  would then lead us to expect, in those days, for
  her to have a large ceremony as she is somewhat a
  proper lady. However, instead because the
  Priest suspects that she killed herself he
  refuses to give her a ceremony (in those days
  suicide was regarded an outrage as a loss of
  faith and you would be unable to be buried on
  sanctified ground or have a ceremony Ophelia
  does get to be buried on the sacred grounds
  though)
• Laertes is outraged by the fact his sister
  is not given a ceremony.
• Laertes What ceremony else? ACT 5, SCENE
  1
• The Priest explains the fact its suspected
  Ophelia committed suicide, she is therefore lucky
  she is even buried on sanctified ground.
• Priest Her death was doubtful
• And but that great command oersways the
  order,
• She should in ground unsanctified been
  lodgd ACT 5 SCENE 1
• The conclusion of Ophelias corruption is simply
  a death with no funeral.

4

• Ophelia
• Ophelia has been a victim of the corruption
  around her throughout the entire play. She is a
  character who has done nothing wrong but has been
  effected by others.
• The first example of this is in ACT 1 SC 3, where
  Ophelia is told by her father she cant see
  Hamlet anymore the man she is in love with. He
  in a sense is quite cruel to Ophelia in the way
  he speaks to her and talks down to her for
  thinking Hamlet loves her
• Polonius ..you speak like a green girl,
• Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.
• Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?
• Polonius That you have taen tese tenders for
  true pay
• Which are not sterling.
• Polonius then bans Ophelia for seeing Haml
  truly corrupt as he is banning her from doing as
  she pleases and she must agree as she is his
  daughter (in those days daughters always followed
  their fathers command)
• Polonius I would not, in plain terms, from this
  time forth
• Have you slander any moment leisure
• As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
• Look tot, I charge you.

5

• Ophelia
• Corruption also exists when Polonius forces
  Ophelia to betray Hamlet by arranging for her to
  bump into him and allow for Polonius and the
  King to watch their conversation so they can see
  if the reason for Hamlets madness is love for
  Ophelia. This is cruel and corrupt as they force
  her and watch secretly secret corruption theme.
  ACT 3 SCENE 1
• Polonius even admits what they are forcing
  Ophelia to do is wrong
• Polonius Tis too much provd, that with
  devotions visage
• And pious action we do sugar oer
• The devil himself. this means Polonius admits
  in attempting to do good they are really doing
  bad by forcing the bump in CORRUPT THEME,
  OPHELIA VICTIM OF CORRUPTION THROOUT.
• Hamlet then blames Ophelia and is mean to her,
  not realising Ophelia was forced only knowing
  that she has betrayed him somewhat. Ophelia in a
  way had no choice and so it is unfair and corrupt
  she is blamed continously victimised.
• Hamlet I loved you not.

6

• Ophelia
• Hamlet accidentally kills Ophelias father
  Polonius in trying to kill Claudius. This then
  leads to Ophelia going mad and shows how she is
  continuously a victim of corruption as she is
  innocent in her fathers death. She ends up
  drowning in a river because she is so mad that
  she accidentally drowns herself.
• Laertes Hadst thou thy wits ACT 4 SCENE 7
• Gertrude As one incapable of her own distress
• Gertrude Drownd, drownd.

7
Resolution Of the ThemesCORRUPTION

• Laertes
• A victim of corruption end of play, Laertes
  tricked into killing Hamlet by Claudius he
  kills him because Hamlet killed his father
  (Polonius which is also corrupt because he was
  spying and this is wrong sugar coat quote in
  ophelia section he dies corrupt too) and led to
  his sisters madness King spurred him to kill
  Hamlet though by in a way winding him up,
  questioning true love for his father etc. more
  of the corruption theme and corruption of
  Claudius who is a corrupt character.
• ACT 4 SCENE 7
• King Laertes, was your father dear to you?
• In the end Laertes makes it up with Hamlet and
  accepts the fact Claudius has tricked him.

8
Resolution Of the ThemesCORRUPTIONCLAUDIUS

• In the end of the play Claudius has not changed
  still corrupt. Dies corrupt because he dies by
  trying to act badly towards Haml.
• A5 SC2 Hamlet Here, thou incestuous, murdrous,
  damned Dane,
• Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?
• Follow my mother.
• Claudius symbolises corruption throought.
• Firstly murder of his own brother for power
  etc.
• When Claudius is regretting the murder (which
  does not last long, only lasts in confession
  time, he then goes back to more plotting on how
  to get rid of Haml.
• Claudius Of those effects for which I did the
  murder-
• My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.
• He cant truly be remorseful, not willing to give
  up what he gained from it.
• THUS dies in sin and corruption.

9
Resolution of themesKNOWING WHAT TO DO/CONSCIENCE

• Hamlet is a changed character in the end of the
  play. Throout the play Hamlet would constantly
  procrastinate and never act there are 4
  soliloquy's of him doing this. He considers
  everything that may happen in the result of his
  action. He considers death in particular, and
  says the reason no one kills themselves is for
  fear of unknown and Hamlet is too scared to kill
  himself because of this
• TO BE OR NOT TO BE, ACT 3 SCENE 1 Hamlet The
  undiscoverd country, from whose bourn
• No traveller returns
• However, in the end of the play Hamlet has
  changed he no longer feels the need to
  procastinate and is more accepting of fate he
  cant change his future, what will be will be.
  Before Hamlet goes to fence with Laertes he says
• Hamlet Theres a divinity that shapes our ends
• Hamlet If it be now, is not to come if it be
  not to come, it will be now
• Irony if Hamlet had taken this instinctive
  approach earlier a different resolution to the
  play would have been seen perhaps Polonius
  wouldnt have died, Ophelia not mad and dead,
  Laertes not dead, Hamlet not dead, Queen not dead
  with the King dead.