Death in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay - 950 Words

â€Å"So shall you hear of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,† (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 2, Lines 381-384). So says Horatio, best friend of Prince Hamlet in the final few lines of the play. He speaks these words after the deaths of Hamlet, Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude, Queen of Denmark, and Laertes, son of Polonius. Also dead are Hamlet, King of Denmark, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, former friends of Hamlet, Polonius, councilor to the King, and Ophelia, daughter of Polonius. Death is an extremely prevalent theme in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. However, each death is unique in circumstances, causes, and effects. Three important deaths in Hamlet were†¦show more content†¦Hamlet had not realised that his father had been murdered. The ghost goes on to say, â€Å"The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown,† (Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5, Line s 38-39). It is at this point that Hamlet realises that his father’s murderer was his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet swears to have revenge. This sets up the circumstances that cause the remainder of the action in the play. One of the most interesting deaths in Hamlet is the death of Ophelia. Ophelia was the daughter of Polonius, councilor to the king. However, she was also Prince Hamlet’s girlfriend. She died by drowning in a river. It is most likely that she committed suicide, though there was never any evidence to that effect, and it is impossible to say for sure. The chain of events leading to her death came from two different directions. One cause of her apparent suicide could have been Hamlet’s madness. They had been lovers, but during the time prior to her death he became very cold toward her and bordered on insanity. In one brief soliloquy she says the following: And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his musicked vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason Like sweet bells jangled, out of time and harsh, That unmatched form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me T’ have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1, Lines 158-164 She is lamenting the factShow MoreRelatedThe Death Penalty In William Shakespeares Hamlet And Claudius958 Words   |  4 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, King Hamlet was pierced to execution, by his own brother, Claudius. Hamlet had never really thought about killing Claudius, until Claudius had murdered Hamlet’s father, just to become the new King of Denmark. Hamlet had several opportunities to kill Claudius but never did. He was immensely sane, and never wanted to kill anyone because that was not the person he was. 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