Hamlet Act 5! 
5.1 “A very grave situation”
1. What do we learn from the two gravediggers? What is the
mood of the conversation?
2. “Yorick” – What does this exchange (5.1.190-224)
between Hamlet and Horatio reveal about major themes or
ideas in the play?
3. What key events happen when the others (Claud, Gert,
Laer) arrive at the gravesite? What do we learn?
4. Compare and contrast the characterizations of Laertes and
Hamlet toward the end of the scene.
5. How mad does Hamlet act during this scene? Give
evidence from the text to justify your assertion.
5.2 “The Finale”
1. See the dialogue between Hamlet and Horatio (5.2.190). What do we learn? How has Hamlet changed since
his trip to England?
2. What does the scene with Osric reveal about Hamlet?
Why does Shakespeare include this encounter before
the big duel?
3. Give the highlights of the duel scene. What happens
of significance?
4. Analyze the motif of communion in this scene. How is
it represented? How does it function?
5. Consider Laertes’s final lines where he seeks forgiveness
with Hamlet. Is this appropriate? What does this reveal
about both characters? (5.2.360-364)
6. Why is Horatio the only Dane left alive at the end of the
play? What function does this serve?
7. How relevant is this play? What universal experiences,
questions, and problems does it present that we still deal
with today?
8. Place the following characters on the below continuum in terms of their
innocence by the end of the play: Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, Ophelia,
Rosencrantz/Guildenstern, and Polonius. No ties!
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Least Innocent
Neutral
Most Innocent