Yorick's Death In Hamlet

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dddddd? If every person will die eventually, then why does it matter how, where, and when one dies? What is the difference between dying in a car crash instantly at a young age, getting cancer and passing away after many surgeries and treatments, or simply living a healthy life until time runs out? Most people have these thoughts at one time or another, and very few ever find out the answers they seek before dying. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist, the Prince of Denmark, is a character who struggles immensely with his questions regarding mortality. He is continually concerning himself with whether he should “be or not be”(3.1.56), whether he should take control of his life, and take action in the situations he encounters. Shakespeare’s…show more content…
Hamlet’s discovery of Yorick’s skull in the graveyard scene has a great impact on Hamlet’s thoughts on mortality. Yorick was "a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy," a man who "hath borne [Hamlet] on his back a thousand times" (5.1.169-171). When Hamlet comes across the skull of a man who once worked for his father and who he knew as a child, he remembers his childhood as a happy time in which the old king was alive his life was free of worries. Seeing this symbol of happy, conflict-free times brings feeling of nostalgia to the prince and he concludes that everyone that has lived, is living, and will live will “return to dust” (5.1.193-194). With the message conveyed through these words we can infer that Shakespeare is saying that a mere peasant has the same fate as the most influential king. Learning that life has an end is a fact that every person has to live with. When one understands this fact, it can radically change a person’s perspective and create the feeling that all people are on a more similar playing field than originally thought. Since all people are on the same trajectory, one may develop a sort of carelessness with their life, as the knowledge of every person’s fate is sometimes

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