The Ending of ‘Hamlet’ sees the deaths of Laertes, Claudius, Gertrude and most importantly Hamlet. We also witness a change in the character of Hamlet, as he is now thinking less and acting more. He even mocks Laertes:
‘I’ll be your foil Laertes, in my ignorance your skill shall like astar i’ th’ darkest night stick fiery off indeed.’
In this scene we as an audience feel the dramatic tension, as we know all the traps lay in front of Hamlet, the poisoned foil of Laertes, and the cold goblet of wine poured by Claudius. Yet you find your self thinking that perhaps Hamlet knows that something is going on when he asks:
‘These foils have all a length’
This is to command the attention of the audience to the poison tip of Laertes foil, which within the duel is held of to prolong the dramatic tension. This is the same way Hamlet’s action is held of with his obsession with procrastinating about the action which is to be taken to revenge his father’s death. This scene is made more dramatic by the frequent use of trumpets and kettle drums. The use of musical instruments in this way makes the environment appear more exciting.
Hamlet tries to explain his actions of his recent self by asking ‘give me your pardon sir, for I have done you wrong’, but goes on to say it ‘was not Hamlet, was his madness’ and also admits that ‘his madness is poor Hamlets enemy’. This excuse is not accepted by Laertes for in his ‘terms of honour I stand aloof’ the only reason he is going along with the duel is ‘to keep his name ungored’, and also to revenge his fathers and sisters deaths. The use of language is of a high-class because the word ‘ungored’ reminds us of the poisoned tip of the foil and what Laertes planes to do with it.
Before the duel can start, Claudius plans to drink to Hamlets ‘better breath’, this is ironic as Claudius has already planed to poison Hamlets goblet of wine with a pearl. Claudius refers to this as a ‘union’, which could refer to the way in which old-Hamlet and Hamlet are to be killed, as old-Hamlet was also killed with poison that Claudius gave him. Claudius also performs this task to show the people around him that he is supporting Hamlet, so he is not thought to be guilty of Hamlets death. After the ‘king drinks to Hamlet’ there is another out burst of sound as the trumpets are blown, this is also to add to the already excited atmosphere to start the duel. This leaves the audience knowing more than the victim.
The next part of the text is split a series of short sentences, this is to create the speed of the duel and how the points are awarded by touches. The style of writing is used to build the dramatic tension between the two competitors. As you see Hamlet gaining the hits over Laertes, and with one hit left you start to think that Hamlet has foiled Claudius’s plan, and even avoids the poisoned goblet on two accounts. Mean while Claudius shows in this scene that he is now completely taking the place of his brother, as he speaks aside to Gertrude ‘our son shall win’. This small sentence shows what a twisted man he really is, as the words ‘our son’ show as Hamlet is his brothers son and Claudius is only his uncle. Furthermore this shows that he is comfortable that his plan to poison Hamlet will be successful.
Claudius is therefore shocked when Gertrude takes up Hamlets goblet to drink to him, Claudius then shouts to Gertrude, ‘Gertrude do not drink’. This line is probably by best line as it creates an atmosphere within the hall, as Claudius is pulled between saving his wife and not letting the hall of people know that he has poisoned Hamlets goblet of Hamlets wine, but in the end he is out for himself, as he does not take the goblet away from Gertrude. At this same point I think Gertrude believes all the things that Hamlet has told her earlier in the play and feels so bad that she drinks the poison, in a way this makes up for the betrayal that she committed towards her family and also the memory of Old-Hamlet.
Again Hamlet ‘dare not drink’ from his goblet as he wants to finish the duel first. This saves him from the poisoned goblet, therefore he only has one problem before him and that’s Laertes revenge. Before the third round is started Laertes strikes out violently and wounds Hamlet, therefore poisoning him, yet to do so is almost against his ‘conscience’. In the incense of the fight, as it is no longer an honourable duel, the foils are swapped and Laertes tastes his own venom, he is ‘justly killed’ by his own ‘treachery’.
The Queen mean while is laid out on the floor with Claudius attending to her; she then calls out the truth about ‘the drink! I am poisoned’. At this point Hamlet knows that some treachery is around and he calls for all the doors to be locked and to seek it out. This again changes the mood of the hall and creates a room full of panic, as people are screaming and talking in worried voices. Laertes is the first to commit that he has wronged, ‘Hamlet, thou art slain’ and that the ‘treacherous instrument is in thy hand’. Laertes also names who the blame should rest upon ‘the King, the King’s to blame’. At this point in the Branna film Hamlet troughs the foil at Claudius and wounds him. This causes another wave of panic to throng through the witnesses. Claudius’s last thought is for himself ‘O yet defend me friends’. This makes Hamlet angry and starts to make Claudius drink the poisoned goblet while saying all the sins Claudius has committed, ‘incestuous, murderous, damned Dane’. Again ‘union’ is used to link Claudius’s death to Gertrude’s, as he is united with her in death. This could also refer to the way both the brothers were killed with poison. The anger of Hamlet changes the atmosphere into a mute.
Laertes then ‘exchanges forgiveness’ with Hamlet, as Laertes dies. Hamlet is also feeling the poison within him as he admits to Horatio ‘I am dead’. He next turns to the rest of the witnesses in the hall; this is a much more kingly way to die thinking of his country and giving blessing to Fortinbras as the next king.
When Fortinbras arrives there is once again a burst of sound, but this is not to stir excitement, it is more to command respect. When he enters he is met with the dead bodies of the royal family. When Hamlet is taken away he is carried ‘like a soldier to the stage’, as Fortinbras believes that Hamlet would have been a mighty king.
I think this ending to Hamlet is a fitting ending to the play as it contains a lot of dramatic tension and a lot of action. This ending also contains a lot of honour with every thing that was wrong being righted.
