Thursday, January 27, 2011

Hamlet - Act 5

Scene 1: The gravedigger and another man discuss whether or not Ophelia should be given a Christian funeral since she killed herself. One thinks she shouldn't and the other thinks she should. Hamlet comes upon the scene and sees the gravedigger digging up a skull and tossing it behind him. Hamlet is offended by this because it belonged to someone. He finds out that one belonged to the Jester that he used to know and is saddened. Ophelia's funeral procession enters and she is put into the ground. Laertes wants more prayers said, but they can't because she died under suspicious circumstances.  Laertes jumps into the grave, and Hamlet comes out of hiding and jumps in after him. Hamlet says that he would do things that Laertes never would for Ophelia. The king proclaims that Hamlet is mad and Hamlet stalks off. The king then tell Laertes to be patient, because he will soon have a chance for revenge.


Scene 2: Hamlet tells Horatio about how he got his friends killed in England. A courtier named Osric enters and tells Hamlet that the king has bet that Hamlet can beat Laertes in a duel. The king wants to know if he will accept that offer. Hamlet accepts and fights Laertes that same day. The king says he will drop a pear into the wine after Hamlets first hit and give to Hamlet. Hamlet declines the drink and keeps playing. His mother drinks in his honor and is poisoned. The two boys then get into a fight and Hamlet is cut, they end up switching swords and Laertes gets cut with his own sword. Hamlet then stabs Claudius and makes him drink the poisoned wine. Hamlet orders Horatio to stay alive and to inform Fortinbra, who has just arrived, about what has happened. He wants the true story to get out. When Fortinbra arrives Horatio orders him to be carried away like a solider.


The last act is the marxist perspective and psychological. It's Marxist during the sword fight. The men are fighting over who should be in power and who's the better man. They are both set out to kill or injure the other. The king is showing his power by having control over the poison. He shows his power by putting the poison pellet into Hamlet's drink. This makes him feel like that master of death. When Hamlet realizes that he is dying he feels at a loss of power. He knows that he has no power left, so he passes his power onto Horatio.  This is psychological because Hamlet needs to feel like a man and beat out Laertes. When the queen is dying Claudius feels no remorse. This shows how crazy he has come over needing to kill Hamlet. He doesn't even show emotion when his wife dies. Hamlet and Horatio both get cut with the sword and this brings them together for a common cause. They realize that the king is the one at fault here. They unite and pray before they die, which brings them to peace. In Hamlets last moments you see that he is not crazy. He has sense enough to put is trust into Horatio who is calm. Horatio is a loyal servant. He knows that he will get into power so he stays alive. He also needs to get the truth out and clear Hamlet's name.

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