Death_and_Hamlet

Death and Hamlet Death in Hamlet Essay written by: Juliette “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 the deaths of King Hamlet, Ophelia, and Prince Hamlet. The first, and probably most important death in Hamlet, is the death of Prince Hamlet’s father, Hamlet, King of Denmark. Even though this death is not portrayed in the play, it sets off a chain of events that comprise the plot of Hamlet. Hamlet, King of Denmark died recently before the play begins. Claudius, King Hamlet’s brother, succeeded him. This upset Prince Hamlet, who thought he should hamlet, death, king, polonius, prince, hamlet’s, claudius, scene, denmark, ophelia, lines, laertes, father, deaths, play, ghost, act, however, sword, one, important, dead, cause, been, very, thy, suicide, queen, poisoned, point, murdered, horatio, father’s, during, dies, died, daughter, councilor, about, words, william, while, unnatural, time, three, thought, though, theme, sweet, speaks