Quotes About Death In Hamlet

Jacob Grimm once wrote “I’m Death and I make sure everyone is equal.” There has long been this idea that death brings everyone to a common ground, and while one might not think of Hamlet’s message as one regarding the powerful equalizing effect of death, this line of reasoning is prevalent throughout the play. Death in Hamlet, is presented as a cycle, one that levels humanity. In a play where most of the characters die, death itself is therefore an underlying theme throughout the play, but some of the most interesting reflections on death happen in the scenes we least expect them to. In Hamlet’s discussion with the King after Polonius’s death, and in Hamlet’s conversation with the skull of the court jester, death and what happens after death,
is mentioned. Both present this idea that after death, one loses all control and power and becomes equal to even the most common of society. The two scenes mentioned above, are important because they help to us understand what death means to the characters in Hamlet, and places death in a new perspective so that we can better understand the play. When questioned about where Polonius’s body lies, Hamlet cryptically responds with a metaphor about the body of a king travelling through the body of a beggar. Clearly there is a not so subtle threat underlying this metaphor, but if one looks even closer, Hamlet’s metaphor presents us with an important aspect of death. Hamlet tells King Claudius: “Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service- two dishes, but to one table” (4.3.22-24).
At death all people are equal, and once you die there are no differences between the rich and poor, the powerful and the weak. And this process happens thanks to a lowly and despicable animal: the maggot, “we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots” (4.3.21-22). This is particularly insulting, to think that everything you spent your life doing is in the end only going to serve a handful of maggots as their dinner. And for the King, who has killed Hamlet’s father and worked so hard to gain power, for Hamlet to point out that his death will only end the way everyone’s else’s does, as dinner for maggots, helps to illustrate the senseless of violence and desire for power. Hamlet expands this metaphor saying “A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm” (4.3.26-27) and continues with the insult to the king by pointing out that “a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar” (4.3.29-30). Further emphasizing the idea that after the King’s death he’ll meet the fate he deserves. There is also the possibility however that this scene presents nothing more than a thinly veiled threat for the king, and is meant to provoke no deeper reflection on what death means in Hamlet. Hamlet is trying to scare the king, with constant mentions of a king dying and since Hamlet didn’t know who it was behind the screen, he could’ve been attempting to kill the king, for all Claudius knows. Hamlet also follows the extensive metaphor of the maggots with an invitation for the king to “seek him i’ th’ other place yourself” (4.3.33-34) presumably after Hamlet kills him. This makes it even clearer that this scene acts as a warning to the King, but is that it? It is possible, therefore, that Hamlet only uses the example of the beggar and King to hint at his plans for revenge and that we are not meant to look past this obvious threat, but either way we’re left with a very vivid image. Similarly, when Horatio and Hamlet encounter the gravedigger and the gravedigger presents Hamlet with the skull of the jester, Hamlet provides an insightful reflection on death and what happens to one’s body after death. Even though most of the encounter between the gravedigger and Hamlet is lighthearted and foolish, it is juxtaposed with the very serious and important subject of death. At first, it may seem like a scene easily overlooked, wedged between two more serious and important scenes, but the exchange between the two characters presents an interesting insight into Hamlet’s perspective on death. Hamlet is first horrified at the court jester’s current state. Perhaps his first time actually seeing a dead body he can’t seem to connect the lifeless skull that lays before him and the vibrant jester he knew before, exclaiming “ He hath bore me on his back a thousand times. And now how abhorred in my imagination it is” (5.1.175-177). It is clear that Hamlet uses the example of the king and beggar in the scene with Claudius to warn and scare the king, but why does Shakespeare pick the court jester of all people to have as the skull? Possibly because when one thinks of the opposite of death, someone very obviously alive, one thinks of laughs and merriment and therefore the jester is the best fitted person to contrast with death. Correspondingly, when one thinks of death and a body rotting and eaten by maggots, one does not think of a king and therefore the juxtaposition is even greater. By using such contrasting examples, Shakespeare helps us get better acquainted with death, he helps us come to grips with the fact that everyone must die, even those that are rich and powerful and those who are full of happiness and merriment.
Hamlet continues talking with Horatio and the gravedigger about death.
He asks Horatio “Dost thou think Alexander looked o’ this fashion i’ th’ earth?” (5.1.187-188). To which Horatio answers yes and which causes Hamlet to begin reflecting on death much in the same way as in the scene with the maggots. This time he describes the cycle as “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to 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?” (5.1.198-202). This time it’s not an anonymous king but Alexander the great, and it’s not a beggar he ends up feeding but a beer barrel that he helps stop, whose contents will probably end in a commoner’s stomach. Why has hamlet repeated this similar idea twice? Perhaps it’s because it helps to put death and therefore life in perspective. The first time Hamlet comes upon this idea, he uses it to frighten the king, but the second time it almost seems to frighten him. Because although it may seem satisfying that at death all men are equal it’s also daunting to think that when you die, your greatness and the deeds you did are meaningless, even Alexander the Great is not exempt from the fate that awaits all men. This thought makes all the other deaths that follow seem all the more
meaningful.
This scene could be nothing but comic relief, a foolish exchange added to somewhat lighten the tone and entertain the audience. The two ideas of the king and beggar and Alexander and the beer barrel while very similar, occur in two completely different situations and elicit two very different reactions. While one is clearly meant as a threat the second one is more of a personal reflection aimed at no one in particular. These two ideas could be not related at all. The skull, as it appears on the cover of the book and is one of the main images related to Hamlet, could simply symbolize all the deaths that happen throughout the book and doesn’t necessarily mean that the particular scene the skull appears in is important.
This recurring idea about what happens after death isn’t a huge part of Hamlet, but it’s one that I particularly enjoyed reading. I personally am satisfied thinking that there is a semblance of equality after death, no matter how meaningless it might render everything else.
A great powerful man may have control of his life while he is living, but after death his control is gone and he is at the mercy of nature and destiny. And this makes Hamlet’s ending appear more rational and adds a sense of conclusion to the play.