final Hamlet reading

AHAHA Gertrude called her own son fat!!!

Wow a lot just happened. Everyone is dead but Horatio and Fortinbras (a foreigner!) is the king of Denmark. The act opened in the grave yard with grave diggers discussing the death of Ophelia whose grave they are currently digging. I found it ironic that they somehow knew that she had committed suicide. This pretty much confirms our class's suspicion that she did in fact kill herself and for what ever reason Gertrude lied.

When the everyone is bringing in Ophelia's body for her burial Hamlet and Horatio just happen to be wandering into the graveyard and they learn of Ophelia's death. I feel bad for Hamlet. He had to find out by accident at the funeral that his girlfriend died. Although he told Ophelia he did not love her I think he really did. His love for her was pretty much the only thing he had left since he had lost his father to death, and his mother to his uncle. Their relationship was his last piece of sanity. He's mourning once again and yet his family is still just calling him crazy.

Later back at the castle Hamlet is telling Horatio of the events that took place on his way to England including his discovery of Claudius plot to have him killed once he arrived. He basically tells Horatio that he did not feel bad for getting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed. His lack of remorse or really any feelings prove that he may be actually going insane just as his family is saying.

There is not much time between Ophelia's burial and the duel. Hamlet has no time to mentally recover or prepare but he chooses to go ahead and do it anyway. When the duel begins Hamlet seems to truly be losing it. Hes talking to Laertes in the third person and saying his "madness" killed Polonius not himself. So apparently Hamlet has a mad alter ego now.

As soon as Gertrude is poisoned the whole plot unravels and Claudius realizes he is in trouble. Even with the king and queen dead and both men dying, Laertes and Hamlet forgive each other. At first I found this sweet because they were settling their differences, however as I think about it more now, it could have just been for selfish reasons. If they forgave each other, they would not have any sins when they died so they could go straight to heaven. Maybe they did just want to forgive one another to be good men, but they were probably just looking out for their souls.