Analyze and explain Shakespeare's theme of death in Hamlet.

Death drives the play Hamlet. First,
King Hamlet dies at the hands of his own brother, Claudius. Next, Hamlet sees his
father's ghost who insists that young Hamlet take revenge. Hamlet is then consumed with
a desire to avenge his fathr's death.

Polonius dies at the
hands of Hamlet who thinks he is killing Claudius. Ophelia drowns herself. Claudius then
orders that Hamlet be killed. Hamlet reverses the death sentence for his friends
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern:

readability="7">

Hamlet tells Horatio that he rewrote the papers
carried by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and that the letters now call for their own
deaths.

In the end, Laertes
stabs Hamlet with the poisoned blade, and Hamlet is dying, but not before his beloved
mother drinks the poison meant for him. Hamlet forces Claudius to drink the remainder of
poison that Claudius had intended for Hamlet. At this point, Hamlet has stabbed Laertes
and Claudius with the poisoned blade of the
sword.

Gertrude, Hamlet's mother is dead. Claudius is
dying. Laertes has been stabbed with the poisoned sword and is dying, and Hamlet has
been stabbed as well. The entire play is focused on death.