Notes on Hamlet: Act 5

Part 1 Hamlet has returned to Elsinore with Horatio To be, To do, To act Hamlet wonders why he sings while digging graves The man keeps throwing out skulls of the grave Hamlet asks the grave robber whose grave he is in The man says a dead womans The man also talks about Hamlet (Yet does not know he is talking to him) Hamlet questions the man asking why Hamlet went to England. The man replys that he was mad...and as Hamlet questions further on what grounds...yet the man seems a bit naive ..he jokes and sings so waggishly Hamlet comes back to find his old jester dead (yorick) Part 2 Hamlet sees the king, the queen, Laeretes, and all nobility coming to a funeral (he hides) Laeretes speaks profoundly over Ophelias death, Hamlet listens to it all. We can tell Laeretes blames Hamlet, Hamlet rushes out of hiding to confront Laeretes. Hamlet is destroyed to find out that it was Ophelia who took her own life Laeretes tries to kill Hamlet Hamlet tells his love of Ophelia Claudius says Hamlet is just mad Claudius tells Gertrude to send watch on her son Part 3 Horatio tells Hamlet that Rosencrantz and Guilden stern are dead Hamlet does not care, he says Claudius has killed his king and whored his mother Hamlet is invited to a duel The man inviting Hamlet tells him how Claudius is betting on Laeretes winning That is Claudius's plan to make Hamlet fight ..thus winning...thus drinking from a poisoned cup Part 4 Hamlet says he fights of love with Laeretes No wrong Laeretes lies and says he accepts Claudius admits to betting against Hamlet Hamlet gets a fraud hit and Claudius gives him the wine to celebrate his winnings The wine is poisoned Hamlet denies the wine and plays yet again Hamlet again wins except now his mother took the cup Claudius warns her not to drink but Gertrude says " I will my lord, I pray you pardon me" Laeretes and Hamlet fight again, except this time Laeretes tries to kill Hamlet, cutting the back of his neck....Hamlet runs after Laeretes Hamlet cuts Laeretes neck too Gertrude falls , Hamlet comes running... Gertrude tells him that it was the drink...poisoned The blades were poisoned...Laeretes falls and tells him it was the king Hamlet cuts Claudius and gets him to drink what his mother drank Claudius dies Hamlet now falls in Horatio's hands Horatio tries to follow Hamlet to the death Hamlet throws the cup Hamlet tells Horatio to tell Hamlet's story...then dies