Original Text(~250 words)
SCENE I. A churchyard. Enter two Clowns with spades, &c. FIRST CLOWN. Is she to be buried in Christian burial, when she wilfully seeks her own salvation? SECOND CLOWN. I tell thee she is, and therefore make her grave straight. The crowner hath sat on her, and finds it Christian burial. FIRST CLOWN. How can that be, unless she drowned herself in her own defence? SECOND CLOWN. Why, ’tis found so. FIRST CLOWN. It must be _se offendendo_, it cannot be else. For here lies the point: if I drown myself wittingly, it argues an act: and an act hath three branches. It is to act, to do, and to perform: argal, she drowned herself wittingly. SECOND CLOWN. Nay, but hear you, goodman delver,— FIRST CLOWN. Give me leave. Here lies the water; good. Here stands the man; good. If the man go to this water and drown himself, it is, will he nill he, he goes,—mark you that. But if the water come to him and drown him, he drowns not himself. Argal, he that is not guilty of his own death shortens not his own life. SECOND CLOWN. But is this law? FIRST CLOWN. Ay, marry, is’t, crowner’s quest law. SECOND CLOWN. Will you ha’ the truth on’t? If this had not been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o’ Christian burial. FIRST CLOWN. Why, there thou say’st. And the more pity that great folk should have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves...
Continue reading the full chapter
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Summary
Hamlet stumbles upon gravediggers preparing Ophelia's burial, sparking dark comedy about class, death, and hypocrisy. The working-class gravediggers joke that if Ophelia weren't nobility, she'd be denied a Christian burial for suicide - revealing how wealth buys different treatment even in death. When the gravedigger tosses up skulls, including that of Yorick (the court jester who entertained Hamlet as a child), Hamlet confronts mortality head-on. He realizes that death is the great equalizer - lawyers, politicians, even Alexander the Great all end up as dust. This moment strips away his philosophical overthinking and grounds him in reality. At Ophelia's funeral, Laertes dramatically leaps into her grave, declaring his grief. Hamlet, triggered by what he sees as performative mourning, jumps in too, leading to a physical fight. Both men compete over who loved Ophelia more, turning her funeral into a spectacle. The scene reveals how grief can become about the grievers rather than the deceased. Hamlet's confrontation with death - both literal skulls and Ophelia's burial - forces him to stop intellectualizing and face raw emotion. The working-class gravediggers provide wisdom through humor, while the nobility creates drama even at a funeral. This chapter shows how proximity to death can either humble us or make us more theatrical.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Christian burial
In Shakespeare's time, people who committed suicide were denied proper church burial and buried in unhallowed ground. This was considered a spiritual punishment that affected the soul's afterlife. The church controlled who deserved dignity in death.
Modern Usage:
We still see how institutions decide who deserves respect - like how some families are denied military honors or how different communities treat addiction deaths differently.
Crowner's quest
An early form of coroner's inquest where officials determined cause of death. The 'crowner' (coroner) would investigate suspicious deaths and decide if they were accidents, murders, or suicides. Their verdict determined burial rights.
Modern Usage:
Today's coroner investigations serve the same purpose - determining cause of death for legal and insurance purposes, though we don't deny burial based on findings.
Se offendendo
The gravedigger's mispronunciation of 'se defendendo' (self-defense). He's trying to sound legal and educated but gets it wrong. This shows how working-class people were excluded from formal education but still tried to engage with legal concepts.
Modern Usage:
Like when people use big words incorrectly to sound smart in meetings, or when we try to use legal terms we heard on TV but don't fully understand.
Memento mori
A reminder of death's inevitability, often through skulls or other symbols. Hamlet holding Yorick's skull is a classic example. It's meant to humble people and remind them that earthly concerns are temporary.
Modern Usage:
We see this in how people post about mortality after losing someone, or how near-death experiences change people's priorities about what really matters.
Class privilege in death
The gravediggers point out that Ophelia gets a proper burial only because she's nobility, not because the circumstances warrant it. Wealth and status buy different treatment even in death and spiritual matters.
Modern Usage:
Like how celebrities get different treatment in legal cases, or how wealthy families can afford better medical care and funeral arrangements than working families.
Performative grief
Making a public show of mourning that's more about the griever's image than genuine sorrow. Laertes leaps dramatically into Ophelia's grave, turning her funeral into a performance about his own pain.
Modern Usage:
Social media mourning posts that seem more about getting attention than honoring the deceased, or when people make someone else's tragedy about themselves.
Characters in This Chapter
First Clown (Gravedigger)
Comic truth-teller
A working-class gravedigger who sees through social hypocrisy with dark humor. He points out that Ophelia only gets a Christian burial because she's nobility, and he's comfortable handling death daily. His wisdom comes from lived experience, not books.
Modern Equivalent:
The hospital janitor who's seen everything and tells it like it is
Hamlet
Protagonist confronting mortality
Finally faces death directly instead of just thinking about it. Holding Yorick's skull forces him to confront the reality that everyone dies - rich, poor, smart, powerful. He stops philosophizing and starts feeling raw emotion when he sees Ophelia's funeral.
Modern Equivalent:
The overthinker who finally has to deal with real loss instead of just worrying about it
Laertes
Dramatic mourner
Jumps into his sister's grave declaring his grief louder than anyone else's. His mourning becomes a performance, which triggers Hamlet's anger. He turns Ophelia's funeral into a competition over who loved her more.
Modern Equivalent:
The person who makes every funeral about their own grief and needs to be the center of attention
Yorick
Symbol of mortality
The court jester's skull that Hamlet knew in life. Represents how death comes for everyone regardless of their role in life. His skull triggers Hamlet's meditation on the meaninglessness of earthly achievements when we all end up as bones.
Modern Equivalent:
The funny coworker everyone loved who died too young, reminding you that life is fragile
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when people use others' tragedies as their own stage versus genuine mourning.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone shares bad news—watch who offers practical help versus who makes dramatic gestures for attention.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"If this had not been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o' Christian burial."
Context: The gravediggers discuss why Ophelia gets a proper burial despite apparent suicide
This exposes how wealth and status buy different treatment even in death. The working-class gravediggers see clearly what the nobility pretends doesn't exist - that rules apply differently based on social class.
In Today's Words:
If she wasn't rich, they would've buried her like a criminal.
"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."
Context: Hamlet holds the skull of the court jester who entertained him as a child
This moment forces Hamlet to confront mortality personally rather than abstractly. Yorick was full of life and humor, but now he's just bones. It strips away Hamlet's philosophical distance from death.
In Today's Words:
Poor Yorick! He was so funny and creative when I was a kid.
"The hand of little employment hath the daintier sense."
Context: Hamlet observes how the gravedigger casually handles skulls while singing
Hamlet realizes that people who work with death daily become desensitized to it, while those who think about it rarely are more affected. Experience changes how we process difficult realities.
In Today's Words:
People who don't do hard work are more sensitive to tough stuff.
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Death's Honesty - When Mortality Cuts Through Performance
Proximity to death either strips away pretense to reveal authentic response or amplifies performance to avoid facing powerlessness.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Working-class gravediggers speak truth about how wealth buys different treatment even in death, while nobility creates drama at the funeral
Development
Evolved from earlier power dynamics to show how class distinctions persist even in death
In Your Life:
You might notice how different social classes handle grief and crisis differently in your workplace or community
Performance vs Reality
In This Chapter
Hamlet and Laertes compete over who loved Ophelia more, turning her funeral into a spectacle about themselves
Development
Builds on Hamlet's earlier theatrical tendencies, now showing how grief can become performance
In Your Life:
You might recognize when people make others' tragedies about their own emotional display rather than offering genuine support
Mortality
In This Chapter
Hamlet confronts death directly through skulls and burial, realizing all human achievement ends in dust
Development
Introduced here as Hamlet finally faces death's reality rather than philosophizing about it
In Your Life:
You might find that facing mortality—your own or others'—cuts through everyday pretenses and reveals what truly matters
Wisdom from Below
In This Chapter
Gravediggers provide honest insights about death and class while nobles create drama
Development
Continues pattern of working-class characters offering clearer perspective than nobility
In Your Life:
You might notice that people closest to life's harsh realities often have the most practical wisdom to offer
Grief Competition
In This Chapter
Two men fight over who mourns Ophelia more authentically, making her death about their rivalry
Development
New manifestation of how personal conflicts corrupt even sacred moments
In Your Life:
You might see family members or friends compete over who 'cares most' during someone's illness or death
Modern Adaptation
When Death Comes to the Break Room
Following Hamlet's story...
Hamlet arrives early for his shift to find maintenance workers cleaning out lockers of workers who died from COVID. They joke darkly about how management gave the office workers paid time off while warehouse staff kept coming in. 'Funny how the suits got to work from home while we got called essential,' one says, tossing personal items into boxes. Later, Hamlet attends the funeral of Tommy, an older supervisor who trained him. At the service, his uncle Derek and another manager compete over who 'mentored Tommy best,' turning the eulogy into a performance about their own leadership. Meanwhile, Tommy's actual friends—the night crew—sit quietly in the back, sharing real stories. Hamlet realizes how death strips away pretense for some people while making others more theatrical. The maintenance workers spoke truth about workplace inequality, while management turned grief into self-promotion.
The Road
The road Hamlet walked in 1601, Hamlet walks today. The pattern is identical: proximity to death either reveals truth or amplifies performance, dividing people into those who speak honestly and those who make it about themselves.
The Map
This chapter provides a navigation tool for reading grief responses. Hamlet can distinguish between genuine mourning and performative grief by watching who focuses on the deceased versus who makes it about themselves.
Amplification
Before reading this, Hamlet might have felt confused by his uncle's dramatic eulogy, wondering if he wasn't grieving 'enough.' Now he can NAME performative grief, PREDICT who will make tragedy about themselves, and NAVIGATE by focusing on honoring the deceased rather than competing for attention.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What different attitudes toward death do we see from the gravediggers versus Hamlet and Laertes at the funeral?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do the gravediggers joke that Ophelia only gets a Christian burial because she's nobility, and what does this reveal about how class affects treatment even in death?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about funerals or crises you've witnessed - when have you seen people make someone else's tragedy about themselves, like Hamlet and Laertes competing over who loved Ophelia more?
application • medium - 4
When facing loss or crisis, how can you tell the difference between genuine grief and performative mourning, and how would you choose to respond authentically?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about how proximity to death either strips away pretense or amplifies it, and what does this teach us about human nature under pressure?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Crisis Response Pattern
Think of a recent crisis, loss, or difficult situation in your family or workplace. Write down who responded with genuine help versus who made it about themselves. Then reflect on your own response - were you more like the practical gravediggers or the dramatic mourners? What pattern do you notice in how you and others handle high-stakes emotional situations?
Consider:
- •Look for who offered practical help versus who created more drama
- •Notice if anyone used the crisis as a stage for their own performance
- •Consider how your own response might have appeared to others
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to choose between being helpful or being seen as caring. What did you learn about the difference between genuine support and performative grief?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 21: The Final Duel and Reckoning
As the story unfolds, you'll explore to recognize when you're being manipulated into dangerous situations, while uncovering trusting your instincts about people and situations can save your life. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.