Hamlet - In what way is Act 5 Scene 2 a fitting climax to the play?

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NAME OF CANDIDATE:  KAMEL AL-HADDAD        

TITLE OF ASSIGNMENT: HAMLET

PURPOSE OF TASK: TO FIND OUT THE WAYS ACT5 SCENE 2 IS A FITTING CLIMAX TO THE PLAY

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 29/NOV/2004

STIMULUS MATERIAL: ENGLISH LITERATURE TEXT BOOK

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: FINAL DRAFT

Q. In what way is Act 5 Scene 2 a fitting climax to the play?

A.     William Shakespeare is a man known greatly worldwide as one of the best and most creative writers and playmakers in history, right down to this very day. He was born on 23rd april1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. A man such as he has dealt with all the different aspects of life and death through his heart catching comedic and tragic plays which aroused with outstanding performances, a man who brings alive the ancient form of poetic English as well as a man greatly recognized and loved by the many readers around the world today, is the ideal writer for the tragic play, King Hamlet.

Shakespeare has a variety of tragic plays which includes a number of well known all time classics, namely Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet and so on. Hamlet is a piece full of desire and emotions let alone the spookiness of King Hamlet’s ghost it is also filled with great suspense and anxiety as well as giving the audience a touch of mystery. Prince Hamlet was a man with great responsibilities he was filled with courage, determination and last but not least, enormous will power.

A vast tragedy, negating any attempt at a single interpretation, Hamlet is before anything else the drama of a man who does not hesitate to confront his own imperfections and who refuses illusions and idealized appearances. A spooky touch is used in Hamlet by the role of King Hamlet’s ghost. Three other Shakespeare plays have ghosts as characters: Julius Caesar (Brutus is visited by the ghost of Caesar), Macbeth (Banquo’s ghost interrupts Macbeth’s banquet) and Richard III (the king is haunted by the ghosts of his victims). In Hamlet the role of the ghost, who appears as early as the first scene, is to trigger the action by revealing Claudius’ crime and by demanding vengeance.

Act5 scene2 is moreover about how Hamlet tells Horatio how he was able to substitute for a letter from the king asking the English authorities to execute him, with another demanding the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the bearers of the message-“Without debatement further more or less, he should those bearers put to sudden death, not shriving-time allow’d”-“So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to’t”. Next he tries to effect reconciliation with Laertes and offers him apologies for having wronged him -“Give me your pardon, sir. I have done you wrong”. Osric, a courtier, enters to ensure that Hamlet takes part in the duel-“Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his majesty”. Laertes had seemed ready to accept Hamlet’s friendship but now insists that they fight each other; Hamlet accepts the challenge and the duel begins. After the first exchanges and parries the king offers the poisoned goblet to Hamlet, who puts it aside -”Give him the cup.”/ “I’ll play this bout first. Set it by a while”. Hamlet carries the opening exchanges and the queen drinks to her health from the poisoned goblet.

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In the following chaos both duellists are wounded by the poisoned sword, the queen dies and Laertes reveals the plot concocted by himself and the king-“It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet thou art slain ...I can no more. The king—the king’s to blame”. Hamlet throws himself on the king and stabs him with the poisoned sword before finishing him by forcing him to drink from the deadly goblet-“The point envenom’d too! Then venom, to thy work”/”Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damned Dane, drink off this potion”. Laertes dies after reconciliation with Hamlet-“Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet”. Horatio also wants to ...

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