Analysis of The Scene
Many major and important themes of the play are discussed and brought up by the Gravediggers in the short time they are on stage. The manner in which these themes are presented, however, is notably different from the rest of the play.
While the rest of the play is set solely in the fictional world of Hamlet's Denmark, this scene helps makes sense of the themes by simultaneously bringing the focus to the audience's world. "By using recognizable references from contemporary times, the clown can, through the use of the oral tradition, make the audience understand the theme being played out by the court-dominated characters in the play."
For example, although the First Gravedigger is definitely in the fictional world of the play (he is digging Ophelia's grave), he also asks his fellow to "go, get thee to Yaughan, fetch me a stoup of liquor". This does not appear in all versions and means little to us now, but it is "generally supposed that was a nearby inn-keeper ". Likewise, the First Gravedigger is in the same world as the English audience of the time when he jokes "... will not be seen in there ; there the men are as mad as he". This gives enough of a "distance from Elsinore to view what the clowns say as discreet parallels, not direct commentaries".
The literal graveness of the situation (the funeral) subsides to the humor. This makes it possible for the characters to look at the subject of death objectively, giving rise to such speeches as Hamlet's musings over the skull of Yorick.
The tone is set from the opening of the scene, during the Gravediggers' dialog regarding Ophelia. Simply, they use her death to debate whether suicide is legitimate and forgivable according to religious law. This is not the first time, however, that this question has been raised in the play. Hamlet has the very same discussion with himself during his "To be, or not to be" soliloquy in Act 3 scene 1. The characters in Act 5 scene 1 approach the topic this time with dark comedy, and in doing so bring up an entirely different theme.
The parody of legal jargon used by the pair of clowns continues the theme of the corruption of politics, as seen in the usurpation of the throne by Claudius (which should have belonged to prince Hamlet) upon King Hamlet's death.
The disintegration of values, morals, and order is a theme discussed at length in "Hamlet". The everyday tone of the Gravediggers brings this philosophy into the focus of the audience's world. The synthesis of all perspectives used ends in a greater comprehension of the play as a whole.
Finally, it should be remembered that "Hamlet" was written to be performed at a time when religion was a very hot topic. But it was possible to critique the Reformation in England and discuss the legality of suicide as long as the characters have their own intention (i.e. to dig a grave) separate from the author's intention.
Read more about this topic: The Gravediggers
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