Act V Notes

Day 1: 5.1

– serves as comic relief after such a powerful act, but not wasted with truth
- the “clowns” deal with the issue of ritual
– what is the proper burial?
- their caste is shown through mistakes in wording
- there was a case in 1554
– where water “killed” a man
- they see her wealth as influence
- men jest about honors of grave digging (Adam, joke)
- Ham sees error in clown’s jovial attitude and treatment of the dead
- ponders the life of the discarded bones
- Ham interacts with the clown who jokes with him as Ham has with others
- Clown gives people’s view of Hamlet situation
- He’s been a grave digger all Ham’s life – point to dying once we are born?
- Question as to Ham’s age regarding remarks of 30 years…
- Ham wonders about the life of the bones
- Yorick’s skull is found – sparks speech complimenting “To be…”
o Memory is what makes life last
- Existentialism referring to cycle of life constantly shifting
- Oph and the mourners enter
- L fights with the priest b/c she is not receiving full rites (questionable death)
- QG claims she wished Oph would have married Ham
- L leaps in the grave in a show of sadness
– wants to be buried alive with her
- Ham comes forward and announces himself “the Dane” – title for king....
- Ham takes offense to his “bravado”
- he claims he feels more pain
- Ham will have his day
- KC placates L with references to the plot

Day 2: 5.2
- Ham explains events on the ship
~ found the letter requesting his death
~ wrote a new letter to kill R&G
~ pirates arrived - R&G got between 2 powerful forces by choice
- now he must act before news returns, but no longer wants to wait anyway
- regrets his treatment of L, but couldn’t help himself
- Osric brings KC’s request o Ham messes with him & keeps interrupting
o KC bet 6 horses against 6 French swords that L won’t hit Ham 3 times out of 12
o Ham agrees
- Ham continues to treat Osric like he had Pol. after he leaves

Day 3:
- Lord calls for Ham 2 come to the fight
o Ham is ready
o Hor warns him & suggests he not go through with it
o Ham accepts his fate (sparrow speech)
– he is ready if death comes
- The fight
o Ham tries to explain himself to L
o Blames madness and lack of intent
o Still can’t forgive on level of honor, but will accept
o Ham notes his lesser skill in swordplay
- KC offers a pearl for Hamlet’s cup (a way to get the poison in?) if he gets one of the first 3 hits
- Ham does
- KC tries to get Ham to drink of the cup, but QG does instead
- L feels badly about going through with the killing
- Ham spurns him – claiming L is just toying with him (he may be)
- L & Ham fight and swap rapiers – they are both hit w/the poison
- QG dies from the poison
- L confesses that Ham too is finished and that KC is to blame
- Ham attacks KC and forces him to drink the poison
- L apologizes and releases Ham of guilt
- Hor wants to die too, but Ham makes him promise to set the record straight
- Ham expects Fort to take the throne
- Fort is amazed at the sight
- Ambassador reports death of R&G from Eng
- Hor will announce the tale to all
- Fort requests a soldier’s burial for Ham for the royal he would have been (appropriate?)