Act 5 Scene 1

Act 5 begins with two gravediggers in the churchyard preparing a plot for Ophelia’s funeral. These two characters, also known as clowns in some variations of the play, are like peasants. They represent a common archetype from Shakespeare’s plays and provide the commoners in the Elizabethan audience someone to relate to and laugh with. These commoners would also appreciate the peasants’ ability to outsmart the nobility in the play. In this scene, the two gravediggers are discussing the legitimacy of this fully Christian funeral, considering the possibility that Ophelia actually committed suicide and did not die accidentally. In the Christian doctrine, this would mean she should not be honoured with such a funeral, but the gravediggers observe that she is getting this special treatment because she lived in a rich family. Throughout the chat, the two gravediggers make a lot of jokes and engage in a lot of word play, which adds some light to the quite macabre atmosphere and circumstances of her death.