Nexus resource
Hamlet Act 5
Scene summaries
Subject:
Age range:
Topic:
English
12–14 15–16
Hamlet
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. ©British Council 2015
Source | This resource was originally developed by Ruth Wilson for Wolverhampton Local Authority
and has been adapted by EAL Nexus. Images from Self-Made Hero’s Manga Shakespeare series.
Hamlet Act 5:
Scene summaries
Scene 1
In a graveyard
Hamlet is back at the castle of Elsinore. He talks to a gravedigger
who is digging Ophelia’s grave. They find the skull of a man Hamlet
used to know called Yorick. Hamlet talks about what kind of a man
Yorick used to be and about death. The gravediggers are comical.
Hamlet sees Laertes, who is mourning for his sister, and Hamlet
realises that Ophelia is dead.
When Laertes sees Hamlet at Ophelia’s funeral he is very angry and
they have a fight on Ophelia’s coffin. The people at the funeral stop
the fight.
Key words or phrases with pictures
Yorick’s skull
to dig
a coffin
a grave
a gravedigger
to fight
Hamlet and Laertes have a fight on Ophelia’s coffin
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Translation
Meaning
death
a funeral
comical
Scene 2
Hamlet tells Horatio that he has sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
to England. He has sent a letter to the King of England asking the
king to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
A man called Osric brings Hamlet a message from Claudius. Claudius
asks Hamlet to have a fencing match (fight with swords) with
Laertes. Hamlet agrees.
Hamlet and Laertes have a fencing match. They exchange swords in
the middle of the match, so both Hamlet and Laertes are wounded
by the sword with the poisoned tip. Claudius has got a goblet of
poisoned wine ready for Hamlet, but Gertrude drinks the poisoned
wine and she dies.
Laertes tells Hamlet about the plan he made with Claudius. Hamlet
and Laertes forgive each other and Laertes dies.
Hamlet stabs Claudius and then forces him to drink the poisoned
wine. Claudius dies.
©British Council 2015
Hamlet tells everyone that Fortinbras should be the next King of
Denmark. Hamlet dies.
Fortinbras comes in with messengers from England. The King of
England has sent message to say that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
are dead. Fortinbras becomes King of Denmark.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a goblet
Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine
Hamlet forces Claudius to drink the poisoned wine
Hamlet and Laertes forgive each other
Fortinbras becomes King of Denmark
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Translation
Meaning
to exchange (to
swap)
wounded
the plan
to forgive
poisoned wine
©British Council 2015
©British Council 2015