Death in Hamlet

Death is considered final. This is because of it's relation to life, life is the beginning and death is the end. Life and death are opposites yet they go together because you cannot have one without the other. Since death is the end there is no wonder as to why it is seen with curiosity. Nobody has any clue what happens after so we make our amends and say our goodbyes. Death is considered the ultimate sacrifice and the ultimate revenge. Hamlet wishes to get the ultimate revenge on his uncle after he has enacted such a horrible crime upon his family.

"No, faith, not a jot; but to follow him thither with
modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it: as
thus: Alexander died, Alexander was buried,
Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of
earth we make loam; and why of that loam, whereto he
was converted, might they not stop a beer-barrel?
Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away:
O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe,
Should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw!
But soft! but soft! aside: here comes the king."-- Hamlet

Death has been a reoccurring theme in Hamlet. It has caused the play to retain an ominous tone, one in which there is a tug of war between heart and mind. "to be or no to be.." Hamlet questions whether or not to enact revenge on his uncle in his mind, but he is bound by an oath to his father that burns a passion in him greater than morality. In Hamlet's soliloquy's, he comments on death through this ominous tone. He talks of the dread of the afterlife as an unknown country turning brave men into cowards as a result. Even in the quote above, Hamlet speaks in this ominous tone. Anyone and everyone no matter greatness will return to the earth and we become skulls, indistinguishable skulls that will degrade as everything does. Before this quote he spoke of an old jester he knew, who has lost his gibes and remains a skull of the earth. Hamlet sees several skulls and learns that these could be anyone from a lawyer to Alexander. In the last lines of this quote Hamlet wishes that this Earth would allow life to go on and expel the winter flaw, death. Perhaps the ominous tone that is so present throughout the play is a result of the looming threat of death.

Hamlet speaks these lines at the end of the play as death is at his door, maybe even knocking. He learns that his revenge will cause him to lie in the ground a skeleton as any other man. Hamlet wishes life to go on as death is looming over him. As Hamlet understands this, he sees his revenge as being but nothing and loses his mad visage. His true feelings come out during Ophelia's burial, he watches his mother die and his anger comes to lite as he makes Claudius drink the poison he so swiftly dished out. As other character's see their end nearing, Gertrude and Laertes make amends and say their goodbyes as they are about too enter the undiscovered country. Even Hamlet finds himself tying up loose ends. He tells Horatio, the good man he is, to tell Fortinbras only of what happened here and avoid the beginning of the affair. Even though Horatio is not dying, he too makes his goodbyes with Hamlet. Both the living and the dying fear death.