Hamlet Discussion Questions

Act V
1. Why does this act begin with two clowns trading jokes? Do their jokes make any sense in the context of
the play?
The jokes add a sense of upbringing

2. Where do Hamlet and Laertes fight in Scene 1*?

In the castle hall

3. Who is Osric, and why is he included in the play?

He was a servant of Claudius and used as a messenger.

4. What is the outcome of the fight scene?

Both Laertes and Hamlet stab each other with the poisoned foil. They both end up dying after Laertes
forgives Hamlet. However, before Hamlet dies he stabs Claudius with the poisoned foil and having
Claudius drink from the poisoned cup.

5. When Gertrude drinks from the cup, Claudius asks her not to drink and she refuses. Has she ever
disobeyed Claudius before?
I don’t believe that Gertrude had ever disobeyed Claudius previously. From earlier acts it was noticeable
that Gertrude was always on Claudius’s side. This makes you wonder if Gertrude wanted to kill herself
or if it was all just an accident and she was caught up in the chaos to not listen to Claudius.

6. Who is alive at the end of the play, and how do the others meet their ends?
Horatio and Fortinbras are the only characters alive. Hamlet, King Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, and
Laeertes die due to poison, Polonius gets stabbed by Hamlet, Opehlia drowns, and Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern die due to execution. This leaves Fortinbras as the ruler of Denmark & Horatio to be left
with all the guilt of everyone’s deaths

7. Why is Fortinbras’s presence important?

Fortinbras ends up becoming king after Hamlet, tells Horatio that he gives the title of King of Denmark
to Fortinbras.

8. How has Hamlet changed over the course of the play? Do you think he actually went mad/crazy?
I believe Hamlet throughout the play showed a mix of both madness & sanity. As the play advanced he
slowly became more and more mad though. Near the beginning of the play, he seemed to formulate a
 smart plan to get back at Claudius, showing his sanity. However, once he killed Polonius he really
became mad and would do anything to feed his bloodlust.

9. In the play, are there forces beyond human control that shape the ends for the characters, or do they
make their own fates?
I believe most of the characters control their fate. However, if you were to pin the reckoning of fate on
one person, it would be Claudius. As king he had power over Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Gertrude,
Laeteres, etc. which allowed him to have a large influence on their actions. I believe if Claudius wasn’t
king then almost no one would’ve died. This means Claudius is the primary reason for everyone’s
deaths since he killed King Hamlet to gain control of the throne.

10. What questions do you still have after reading the play? Can those questions be answered?
Did Fortinbras know of the fight? What happened to the ghost?

11. In your opinion, which character is the most tragic in the play? Explain your reasoning and provide
support from the play.
I believe Opehlia is the most tragic character in the play. Most of the play she is cast aside and is only
ever mentioned as a way for her family to control her or a “plaything” of Hamlet. Once she died no one
really cared to notice and Gertrude, who witnessed the death didn’t try to help her.

12. Give this Act a name or title that captures the heart of the action. Be as creative and specific as you can
in naming this Act.
The Moments of the Inevitable

Quotes, notes, observations, connections, etc.