How Is Hamlet Illustrating Death

Hamlet: Illustrating Death
In the theatrical play of Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the young prince of Demark is haunted by his father’s mysterious demise and his mother’s quick marriage to his uncle. This brings him to a point where he contemplates suicide and death. Throughout the play death is perceived as salvation. Hamlet, the young prince sees it as an escape from corruption within the castle; Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest interprets it as a last resort, and the skull of Yorik, a forgotten friend of Hamlet illustrates death entirely.
Hamlet is driven by revenge. He seeks justice for his father’s death, King Hamlet. Claudius, Hamlets Uncle murdered his father, took the throne, and married his mother within months.
Yorick was a part of the court, he was the King’s jester. Hamlet’s childhood friend and he always knew how to make people laugh. Hamlet grew up with this man, learned, laughed, and cried with him. Hamlet had forgotten all that he had done for him. Before the gravediggers dug up his skull. Hamlet holds the skull stating, “I knew him Horatio- a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy” (V. I.190-191). It is ironic how Hamlet uses the word “infinite” because nothing last forever, eventually all will be buried and all will pass on. Death is a strange thing, one’s soul is to never return. Moreover, Yorick was a person, and now he is just a skull. When Hamlet talks to the grave diggers he realizes something. When one decomposed in the ground and all that is left is a skull. At that point it does not matter where someone come from or their social status. Everyone ends up in the same place. There is no superiority in death. Hamlet gives an example, “ No, faith, not a jot. But to follow him thither with modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it, as thus: Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust, the dust is earth, of earth we make loam—and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might they not stop a beer barrel? Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away. Oh, that that earth, which kept the world in awe, Should patch a wall t' expel the winter’s flaw! (V.I. 214-223) Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar are men that shaped society. Hamlet discussed that death no matter if one is the greatest mind in the world or the richest, everyone is buried in the same place and look the same when decomposed to the bone no matter what. Accomplishments do not matter after