Act 5, Scene 2: Key Ideas
English Lit: OCR A Level - Hamlet, topic 2.5.3
Act 5, Scene 2: Key Ideas - Fate & Order
The acceptance of fate and the restoration of order are key ideas in Act 5, Scene 2.
Role of fate in Tragedy
- Fate has been a key concept in Tragedy since the dramas of Ancient Greece featured Gods that would interfere in human affairs and contribute to the downfall of the tragic hero.
Hamlet's belief in divine control
- After his wild adventures at sea, Hamlet returns to Denmark a changed man. He speaks to Horatio about his belief that human affairs are overseen and directed by a “divinity” that “shapes our ends” and that, while humans are able to influence their destiny, they cannot control it.
- Hamlet appears to be more at peace with himself than when we saw him in Act 4, racked with doubts and self-reproach.
Hamlet's acceptance of death
- Hamlet has misgivings about the fencing match, sensing something is wrong. But he still agrees to it.
- Referring to his own death, Hamlet accepts that “it will come” and that, in the end, we all must be prepared to face it: “The readiness is all”.
- Hamlet’s acceptance of his fate makes him a more dignified and tragic figure.
Hamlet's conventional structure
- Hamlet follows a conventional tragic structure with the restoration of order secured by the end of the play.
- The play ends in a bloodbath with the dead bodies of the King, Queen, Prince and Laertes all lying on stage. This ‘blood-letting’ could be seen as the necessary cleansing of the state of Denmark - needed to restore it to health.
Hamlet's final words
- Hamlet’s final words help to put his house in order.
- He gives his “dying voice” to Fortinbras, recommending him as the new King who will restore order to Denmark.
Fortinbras' restoration of order
- When he enters, Fortinbras is appalled by the “havoc” (chaos, disorder) he sees in front of him and he directs the clean-up operation.
- The gunfire which sounds at the end of the play marks the transition from old regime to new; from disorder to order.
Test yourself on Act 5, Scene 2: Key Ideas
What does Hamlet have misgivings about in Act 5?
Whose bodies lie on stage at the end of Hamlet?
What are Hamlet's last words in the play?