Clowns of Death

Clowns of Death
In Act 5, scene 1, lines 1-58 of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, two ironically titled characters, clowns 1 and 2, who are in fact gravediggers, argue over Ophelia’s death as they dig her grave. The first clown is the primary spokesman, leading the conversation and the debate over whether or not Ophelia’s death was a suicide and how that should affect her salvation. The scene then turns into a debate over scripture and eventually becomes a quick back and forth between the clowns. This scene is crucial to Shakespeare’s play because while the clowns serve as comic relief in the penultimate scene of Hamlet before the blood bath that is Act 5, scene 2, they more importantly serve to remind us of some of the themes of the play specifically related to death and the difference between seeming and being, ideas that play significant roles throughout the entire play and particularly important roles in Hamlet’s final scene.
Lines 1-27 focus primarily around Ophelia’s death and her salvation. The First Clown poses a simple question to start the scene, “Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation?” (5.1.1-2). This question is crucial to the scene as it not only begins the Clowns debate over Ophelia’s death, but it also connects back to King Hamlet’s and Polonius’s deaths. For King Hamlet, it refers to the Christian idea of salvation and the fact that he never had the opportunity to repent for his sins before his sudden death. In the case of Polonius, it also may connect back to that same idea of salvation, however, the scene also hints at Polonius’s lack of a funeral or proper burial. The question asks if Ophelia is getting a Christian burial despite the fact she seems to have killed herself. The Second Clown responds in lines 3-5 and explains that the coroner has declared that it will be a Christian burial so they must make the grave quickly. This response does not discourage the First Clown who presses on and asks, “How...