Claudius's deception of Laertes and the tragic final duel in Hamlet

Hamlet

Having been away, Laertes ignores the truth about what has happened at the royal court. This makes it easier for Claudius to convince Laertes that Hamlet carries the entire blame for the death of Polonius and Ophelia. Claudius nourishes Laertes's hunger for revenge by suggesting that killing Hamlet represents a demonstration of love towards his dead father. Nevertheless, as the king calculates his moves thoroughly, it comes as no surprise that the confrontation between the two should not be an equitable one. Claudius sets a trap, he poisons both the tip of Laertes's sword and the wine form the cup of victory. No matter what, Hamlet cannot escape. Although Laertes allows himself to accomplish Claudius's game, his sense of honor pushes him in the end to confess the king's treachery. He has done evil in order to correct what he thought to be evil, and he realized his mistake when it was already too late. Death falls upon the royal court. Queen Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup, Claudius is stabbed by Hamlet, which in his turn dies wounded by Laertes's poisoned sword. During the fight, the protagonists exchange swords and Laertes will finally succumb hit by the same malefic sword.

The gravediggers are named clowns but they jest upon the macabre issue of Ophelia's Christian burial.

They highlight once more the existential issue of death, only that they question man's freedom to choose life or death. Comic relief is needed, because the play is coming towards its end and in order for readers to experience catharsis they should not be burdened excessively with emotional tension. The scene in the cemetery shows Hamlet's mental evolution in what concerns death.