Hamlet: Act V?

Question

1.How did Hamlet arrange for the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

2.Explain how each died in the final scene:  Laertes, Gertrude, Claudius and Hamlet.

Who said it, and what is he/she talking about?

3."Hamlet, thou art slain....Thy mother's poisoned.

I can no more.  The King, the King's to blame."

4."Sweets to the sweet!  Farewell...

I thought thy bride bed to have decked, sweet maid,

And not have strewed thy grave."

5."Now cracks a noble heart.  Good night, sweet Prince,

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

6."...Let four captains

Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage,...

Such a sight as this

Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss."

Answer 1

1- During his sea voyage to England with R&G, Hamlet discovers their commission written by Claudius to the English King to have him executed. He keeps the original and writes a seperate one containing R&G's names instead of his own. So upon their presenting it in England they are beheaded - Hamlet has already escaped back to Denmark by this time.

2- Laertes is wounded with his own poisoned sword by Hamlet after they accidently change rapiers during a particularly heated bout of fencing.

     Gertrude drinks from the goblet in which Claudius has placed a poison-coated pearl inteded for Hamlet.

     Claudius is stabbed with the poisoned sword and then forced to swallow the contents of the goblet, all actions committed by Hamlet.

      Hamlet is wounded by the poisoned sword wielded by Laertes after a break in the fencing match is called (and prior to Laertes himself being cut by it).

3- Spoken by Laertes as he is dying. He confesses to the plot hatched by Claudius to kill Hamlet, of which he was party to, involving the poison coated sword and pearl.

4- Spoken by Gertrude as she scatters petals over the dead Ophelia and declares that it had been her wish to see her married to Hamlet.

5- Spoken by Horatio at the death of Hamlet.

6- Spoken by Fortinbras. These closing lines of the play order that the dead Hamlet be carried ceremonially away as befitting a King and soldier, followed by the rest of the corpses as the scene now appears like the aftermath of a battlefield.