Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Act Five - “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Act Five - “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”

Shakespeare is a master at using comedy at the most dramatic of moments in a play. Act Five of 'Hamlet' begins in a churchyard with two gravediggers designated to dig a grave for Ophelia. They discuss whether if Ophelia’s death was suicide, she should be buried in a churchyard. The First Gravedigger then poses a riddle for the Second Gravedigger in “What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?” When the Second Gravedigger answers that it is the gallows-maker because the house he builds outlasts a thousand tenants, the First Gravedigger thinks that this answer is almost as impressive as the correct answer, which is the gravedigger, since the houses he builds will last until Doomsday.

Then Hamlet and Horatio enter and watch the gravediggers from a distance and contemplate the mortal nature of humans and the equalizing nature of death and the grave. Hamlet queries the First Gravedigger about whose grave he is digging and after claiming that it is his own, then claiming that it belongs to no-one and then that the grave belongs to no man and no woman, the gravedigger reveals that the grave belongs to one that  “… was a woman sir; but, rest her soul, she’s dead.” When asked by Hamlet how long he has been a gravedigger, the Gravedigger replies (not knowing who he is talking to) that he has been a Gravedigger every since the day Young Hamlet was born. Hamlet then picks up a skull, and asking the Gravedigger whose skull it was, the Gravedigger reveals that it belonged to the Court Jester, Yorick. Hamlet then picks up the skull and reflects to Horatio how he knew Yorick:

“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow

of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath

borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how

abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at

it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know

not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your

gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,

that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one

now, to mock your own grinning? Quite chap-fallen?”

Hamlet goes on to muse over the fact that even Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar end up as dust that could be used to patch up a poor man’s wall.

Ophelia’s funeral procession arrives with Claudius, Gertrude and Laertes amongst the entourage. As the body of Ophelia is put into the grave, Hamlet realizes the tragic truth that this is a burial for Ophelia. Laertes leaps into Ophelia’s grave to take a hold of his beloved sister one more time only to be followed by Hamlet who is overcome with grief. They fight in the open grave. Eventually they are separated and Hamlet exits while King Claudius talks to Laertes about their plan to kill Hamlet in a duel.

We then swap to the next day and encounter Hamlet as he informs Horatio of the full details of Claudius’ plan to have Hamlet murdered in England and how he, Hamlet,  forged a letter to order the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and put an official seal on it. He shows no remorse for punishing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s betrayal in this way but he is repentant for his argument with Laertes.

Suddenly, the foppish courtier Osric enters and after Hamlet mocks and uses Osric’s sycophantic nature against Osric, eventually it is revealed that Laertes has challenged Hamlet to a dual and King Claudius has placed bets on Hamlet winning. Horatio thinks that Hamlet should not fight but Hamlet accepts the challenge. Suddenly, all of the court enters and Laertes and Hamlet face off with one another.

Hamlet begins by asking the forgiveness of Laertes who offers his love to Hamlet but not forgiveness. They select their foils and start the bout. The point of Laertes’ foil is already tipped with poison and Claudius has already placed poison in a cup for Hamlet’s refreshment. Hamlet gets the first strike in the bout and rejects refreshment (in the form of the poisoned chalice) to complete the second bout. Hamlet wins again and suddenly his mother Gertrude rises to drink from the cup. Claudius tries to warn her but it is too late and Gertrude drinks the poison. Suddenly, Laertes scores a hit against Hamlet, drawing blood with the poisoned blade and in the confusion, Hamlet gets Laertes’ poisoned blade and strikes Laertes with the poisoned blade.

Queen Gertrude decries that the cup must have been poisoned and a dying Laertes tells Hamlet of the poisoned blade and how he will soon too die. Hamlet takes the poisoned blade and strikes Claudius with poisoned foil and then forces the poisoned wine into Claudius mouth to be sure to kill him. Hamlet and Laertes forgive one another and Laertes absolves Hamlet before he dies. Horatio offers to kill himself Roman style for Hamlet but Hamlet asks him to stay alive and tell his tale and all that has happened.

Young Fortinbras of Norway arrives after having conquered Poland and along with the English ambassadors, announces that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead and they ask for an explanation of all that has happened. Horatio proclaims that he will:

“Of that I shall have also cause to speak,

And from his mouth whose voice will draw on more;

But let this same be presently perform'd,

Even while men's minds are wild; lest more mischance

On plots and errors, happen.”