Gravediggers in Hamlet

Hamlet is Shakespeare’s best-known tragedy, his longest play, and viewed by many as his greatest work.  To me, one of the most interesting scenes is act 5, scene 1 – commonly referred to as “the gravedigger scene”.  In the scene, two gravediggers shovel out a grave for Ophelia while arguing whether or not she should have a “proper Christian” burial in accordance with the church doctrine because her death appeared to be a suicide.  The scene stands out in the play due to the colloquial manner in which the gravediggers joke with each other and Hamlet.  Especially in the Elizabethan era, when religion was so dominant and strict, this was a very bold (same may say callous) move on Shakespeare’s part.  The character of the gravedigger is prevalent throughout the majority of Shakespeare’s works, always as the peasant or commoner who gets the best of the nobility.  During the time of the play, these characters were especially appealing to the groundlings as they had someone they could relate to.  Finally, the scene reinforces one of the most prevalent themes throughout the play: Hamlet’s confrontation with death.  First seen in the death of his father, the theme continues with his ponderings over Yorik’s skull and the death of Ophelia, and comes to a fitting close in the graveyard over Ophelia’s death.  The entire scene is a step out of the norm of the time, however it is fairly standard when looking through Shakespeare’s other works.  The lack of respect shown for the church, humor and wit of the peasants, and the impact of death after the actual event are all reoccurring themes in Shakespeare’s plays, and combined into one scene, they make the gravedigger scene a very interesting one to read.