Discussion Topic
The outcome and significance of the fight scene in Hamlet's final act
Summary:
The fight scene in the final act of Hamlet results in the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, Queen Gertrude, and King Claudius. This culmination of the play's conflicts signifies the tragic downfall of the Danish royal family and Hamlet's long-sought revenge against Claudius. It underscores themes of mortality, revenge, and the destructive consequences of political and personal corruption.
What is the outcome of Act 5's fight scene in Hamlet?
As William Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragedy, the fight scene at the end of Act Five ends in the tragic deaths of almost all major characters.
Osric, a courtier, comes to Hamlet to tell him of a wager between Laertes and Claudius; Claudius believes that Hamlet could beat Laertes in a fencing match. Hamlet decides to engage in the match, not knowing that Claudius has plans to poison the victor's cup and that Laertes is fighting with a poison-tipped sword. After Hamlet strikes Laertes in the duel, he declines to drink from the cup. Hamlet's mother, Gertrude , sips from the cup and dies from the poison. Hamlet manages to take Laertes' sword from him and wounds the man, resulting in Laertes' death. In his great act of revenge, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the rest of the poison...
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from the cup. Hamlet himself also dies, having been previously struck by Laertes' poisoned sword.
The scene concludes with Fortinbras and his army arriving at the castle, with Hamlet's dying wish being that Fortinbras be made the King of Denmark. Horatio promises to carry on the story of this tragic end, and Hamlet's body is removed from the hall.
The outcome of the fight that pretty much ends the play is that everyone dies. Or at least Hamlet, Laertes, Gertrude, and Claudius all end up dead.
Gertrude is the first to die. She drinks from the cup of wine that Claudius has poisoned. It was meant for Hamlet, but Gertrude drinks from it first.
Then Claudius dies next. Laertes tells Hamlet that Laertes' sword was poisoned and that Claudius was responsible. Hamlet stabs Claudius with the sword and makes him drink the rest of the poisoned wine.
Laertes and Hamlet then die from the poison that was on Laertes' sword.
What is the outcome of Act 5's fight scene in Hamlet, and does Hamlet anticipate his possible death?
I think that when Hamlet decides to fight Laertes, he does realize that he might not come out of the fight alive. Osric tells him that Laertes is very good with his weapon, and Hamlet replies that he, too, is good with a weapon and has been practicing, so people should not assume he will lose the fight. Later in the coversation, however, he says:
HAMLET:
Not a chance. We defy omens. There's a special divine
intervention in the fall of a sparrow. If it’s now, it’s not to
come. If it’s not to come, it will be now. If it’s not now, it
will still come. Being ready is everything. Since no man
has anything of what he leaves, what is it to leave soon?
This indicates that he is still rather depressed and doesn't really care if he dies. He means that everyone has to die, so what difference does it make whether it is sooner or later?
Claudius has bet on Hamlet to win the fight, but he has secretly poisoned the wine with a poisoned pearl. He has also poisoned Laertes' sword. Gertrude mistakenly drinks from the poisoned cup and dies. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword, but then they accidently switch swords and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the same poisoned sword.
Laertes reveals the conspiracy. Hamlet stabs the King and forces him to drink poison. Laertes and Hamlet reconcile. Laertes dies. Hamlet stops Horatio from drinking the poison so that he can live to tell the truth. Hamlet names Fortinbras his successor. At the end, Fortinbras arrives and orders Hamlet to be buried with full honors.
Read more here on enotes, where you can also read the full text with the modern English translation - very cool.