Death in Hamlet

As shown in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the presence of death equalizes the social hierarchy. The gravedigger scene displays a peasant conversing with prince Hamlet. Hamlet is shocked at the man’s lack of respect for his status but also fairly interested in the things he has to say. Next to the grave lies the skulls of seven people, and the gravedigger tosses them around as if they were not of any importance. Contrary, one of the skulls belongs to the jester that Hamlet grew up with. Holding his skull, Hamlet’s eyes fill with tears as he remembers his memories with the lively jester.
Once full of energy and of great amusement to the royal family, the jester is now nothing but a pile of bones. Stripped of their heart, soul, and brain, the dead are no longer distinctive people. Their status no longer matters and everyone is thought of as equal. Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln, or a peasant who accomplished nothing will only be admired for what they did while they were living…
After death, some may say everything is over. They argue that people are nothing but a pile of rotten remains in the ground and have not gone to another place. However, others believe the afterlife is when a person can truly succeed. It is like a blank slate; everything they did in their past life is irrelevant and in the afterlife everyone has an equal opportunity for happiness. Going back to the scene of the graveyard in Hamlet, the gravedigger’s cavalier attitude towards the human remains shows that even a man like himself, at the bottom of the social ladder, does not treat the dead differently according to their living status.
So, if death is inevitable, what does it matter what you do in your lifetime? Well, the life you live defines who you are but death puts an end to your existence. Hamlet died a hero, while Claudius the King died a murderer. These people will be remembered for how they died and the choices they made while they were living. Hundreds of years later, people are still going to remember Hamlet, Claudius, and former presidents because their social status was higher and they were of more importance than the average person. With that being said, in the world of death status has no meaning attached to it. Their skulls are unrecognizable; there is no special treatment for anyone.
Because the gravedigger is immersed in the presence of dead bodies, he sees nothing wrong with jokingly insulting a prince. His perspective is much different than that of Hamlets since he digs up skulls, all of which look alike and have no soul attached, on a regular basis. The graveyard scene depicts death as a mere occurrence that even the most respected hierarchies are fated to.