Hamlet Meets the gravediggers
Hamlet has met up with his one true friend, Horatio.
They are on their way back to the castle. It seems
that, while on their way to England, pirates had
attacked the ship Hamlet was on. In the confusion,
Hamlet had gotten onto the pirate ship and
managed to convince the pirates to bring him back
home to Denmark.
As Hamlet & Horatio pass by a graveyard they see two
men digging a new grave. The gravediggers are
complaining about how unfair their life is, and the
way people look down on them because of what they
do. But it’s an honest job, and everyone will
eventually need it, as they say:
“Put your body and soul into digging that hole
‘Cos we all end up there in the end.”
As Hamlet and Horatio watch it becomes clear the
ground has been used for graves in the past, and
there are a number of skulls and bones dug up.
Hamlet questions the gravediggers, who tell him
that one of the skulls had belonged to King
Hamlet’s (Hamlet’s dad) jester, Yorick. Hamlet
is deeply moved by this; he remembers how kind
Yorick had been to him in his childhood saying,
“Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio; a fellow
of infinite jest.
I rode on his back a thousand times.”
A funeral procession approaches and, seeing it is
accompanied by some of the court (royal family
and friends), Hamlet & Horatio hide until they
know what is going on. A body is put into the
grave and Queen Gertrude throws in some
flowers, saying:
“Sweets to the sweet; farewell! I had hoped you
would be my Hamlet’s wife!”
As he hears his mother’s words, Hamlet realizes
the funeral is for Ophelia. Laertes suddenly
becomes overwhelmed by grief, and jumps into
the grave to hold his sister one last time.
Hamlet is angry when he sees Laertes jump into
Ophelia’s grave. Hamlet comes out of hiding and
proclaims his love for Ophelia. Hamlet tells the
shocked onlookers that his grief is far greater
than Laretes’s, saying,
“I loved Ophelia; forty thousand brothers could
not equal my love for her.”
Laertes is appalled to see his hated enemy Hamlet,
at such a sad moment. Laertes jumps out of the
grave and he starts to fight Hamlet. The Queen
pleads for understanding saying,
“He is mad, Laertes.”
Finally, Hamlet and Laertes are torn apart and
forced to go their separate ways. But King
Claudius has seen an opportunity to get rid of
Hamlet forever, while appearing guiltless
himself. Later that day, Claudius offers Laertes
the chance of revenge against Hamlet – with a
courtly duel with Hamlet. Laertes agrees, and
announces intention of dipping his sword in a
deadly and incurable poison. He tells King
Claudius,
“It is so lethal that, if I graze him even slightly, he
will die within minutes.”
Claudius is delighted but adds that, for complete
assurance, he will poison a glass of water Hamlet
will use between bouts to refresh himself. King
Claudius and Laertes agree on their foolproof
scheme and send off a challenge to Hamlet.