Hamlet: Contrast Plays A Major Role :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet Contrast Plays A Major Role       In William Shakespeares Hamlet, contrast plays a major role. Characters control foils, scenes and ideas contrast each other, sometimes within the samesoliloquy. One such contrast occurs in Act Five, Scene One, in the impenetrableyard.Here, the relatively unwarranted mood in the first half is offset by the grave andsomber mood in the second half.     The scene opens with two clowns, who proceed as a sort of comic relief.This is necessary, after the tension of Ophelias disruption (and subsequent conclusion), and after the ever-increasing complexities of the plot. Previously,Polonious provided some humour, but since he is dead, a sensitive source must be found- the gravediggers. Their banter becomes the calm ahead the storm of the duel,and the plays resolution. There is also a juxtaposition of the clowns and thegraveyard here, which bring forward intensifies the effect. The clowns chatter aboutthei r work in a carefree manner, point going so far as to play with a closed book ( What is he that builds stronger ... carpenter V,1,41-42). Shakespeare evenwent so far as to involve his puns in this grave scene (V,1,120).     Hamlet himself experiences a temporary lighten of mood from listening tothe gravediggers conversation. Their carefree treatment of death  singing durationdigging graves, not to mention tossing skulls in the air)  is a parallel toHamlets newfound attitude. After having committed himself to his cause in ActIV, he is no longer bothered by the paradox of good and evil, and (seemingly) isuntroubled by his previous misgivings.     Hamlets musings on the equality of all men in death serve as a transitioninto the darker second half of the scene. His contemplations on death reflectAct IV, Scene 3, when Hamlet gives voice to a humorous notion concerning howa king may progress through the guts of a beggar (IV,3,27-28). Hamlet expandson this idea with his thoughts on how even Alexander the Great or ImperiousCaesar may patronize to such base uses as filet a beer barrel, or stopping a hole to keep the wind away (V,1,207)     The entrance of Ophelias funeral progression marks the beginning of thesecond half, which balances the humor of the previous portion. The graveyard this instanttakes on its more traditional role, as a place of grief, instead than a place ofdrollery. Laertess words, understandably, contain references to Hell, and alsohold no incident benevolence for Hamlet.     The tension of the scene is further heightened by the confrontation which