Hamlet Act 5 Scene 1 (Lines 227-266)
Act 5 scene 1 depicts burial ritual of Ophelia, the main women character of the play, who committed suicide. The scene under analysis portrays psychological burden and pressure caused by her death. Shakespeare describes that death of Ophelia is heavy for her relatives and Hamlet. The passage has an important meaning for the whole play unveiling traditions and values of the society, and confrontations between Hamlet and Laertes.
The passage opens with a conversation between Laertes, Ophelia’s brother and a priest who doubts about Christian ritual he has to perform. “As we have warranty: her death was doubtful; and, but that great command o'ersways the order” (lines 227-228). According to Christian traditions, a person who commits suicide cannot have a burial service. For this reason, the priest argues with Laertes and refuses to perform a mass. This important motif shows that religion plays a crucial role in society, but some religious......

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Title: Hamlet Act 5
Approximate Word Count: 612
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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