Scene 1
There was great argument over why poor Ophelia's death was going to be a Christian burial between the two gravediggers. Why would it be a Christian burial if she drowned herself but the coroner examined her case and said that it was going to be a Christian burial? One of the gravediggers was wondering if it is even possible to be a Christian burial unless it was self-defense and how that is possible, it "sounds more like, 'self-offense.'" As it said in the play, there are three sides to an act "to do, to act, and to perform." However, the gravediggers have to go by what the coroner said even if it is a Christian burial just because she is wealthy. The gravedigger is joking around and in an unusually merry mood when Hamlet and Horatio come up to the graveyard. Hamlet sees the careless actions of the gravedigger with the old skulls and bones and is utterly disgusted because all he can think about is how the bones at one point where people and that one day that will happen to him. Hamlet is extremely bothered by the gravedigger that he starts a witty conversation with him. Slowly Hamlet forces out the gravedigger that the grave is for a woman but hamlet has no idea that is for Ophelia. Hamlet goes on the conversation on how long he has been working as a gravedigger and in reply, the gravedigger says, "of all the days in the year, I started the day that the late King Hamlet defeated Fortinbras." The digger continues about how this stranger, Hamlet is a fool for not knowing what is going on and tells hamlet about how the young hamlet is a nutcase and was sent to England to be forgotten. The two men still chat about the oddest topics for example how long before a person rots in the ground and about the grand life the skull of a late king's jester Yorik had before he died. While the men are talking, the procession of Ophelia comes towards them and right away hamlet says of how it looks like the women took her own life and how she must be from a wealthy family.
At the burial Laertes is very emotional about his sister's death and does not understand why she should have more rites to her burial but the priest is persistent and explains that it is not possible because "her death was suspicious." This drives Laertes madder than he was before her death. The queen says her emotional goodbye about how she wished she would be throwing flowers at her wedding and not at her death. Laertes is so upset before they bury her that he jumps into the grave to show his love for her. By this time, Hamlet realizes the women is the beautiful Ophelia and is outraged at Laertes. He comes out of hiding and mocks Laertes words of pain, and starts to fight with each other over how they feel about Ophelia.
Hamlet exaggerates his love for Ophelia more than Laertes did for her; Hamlet constantly outdid Laertes even by using the same metaphors as him. Hamlet tries to explain to Laertes that he cannot out do him in actions or words of love for Ophelia, stating that both men are a little bit insane. Before Hamlet leaves, he asks Laertes why he is acting so harsh against him because he has been good to him and does not understand, and in ways does not care. In the last lines of the act, Claudius reminds Laertes of the plan and to be patient for everything will come down very soon.

Scene 2
Hamlet and Horatio are talking about Hamlet's unforgettable journey to England. Hamlet starts out describing how he found the letter that King Claudius wrote to the king of England saying to kill Hamlet as soon as he arrived without any warning. Hamlet stole the letter and wrote his own acting as the king out in "bureaucrat's neat handwriting," and with the royal seal to fool the king into killing the messengers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. After reading the letter, Hamlet feels that he has no choice but to kill Claudius for everything he has done to him. Having no guilt for Claudius he feels bad for Laertes and how he acted towards him. In the middle of the conversation, Osric comes in with a message for Hamlet from the king about a fencing bet between Hamlet and Laertes. Osric goes on for a while in very outlandish and bubbly language about Laertes and finally gets to the point of the bet. "the king…bet in a dozen rounds between…[Hamlet] and Laertes, he won't beat …[hamlet] by more than three hits…" Whether they started immediately or later to Hamlets whishes, the bet was a fencing match to win six Barbary horses with several weapons to use against each other. Before the match, Hamlet is not sure of his emotions but with disregard to Horatio's advice to act upon any unsure thoughts, he goes into the match. When Hamlet and Laertes are shaking hands to begin, Hamlet with the mentioning of his mental illness tries to lighten the room and Laertes, by saying everything is the mental illness' fault even admitting to killing his father to the mental illness. Laertes in return does not move on his feelings of revenge on Hamlet and only accepts hamlets gestures as love nothing more. Claudius weakly tries to look like he his on hamlets side to win but hamlet announces that the king bet in the weaker fencer. To counter those words Claudius proposes a drink to hamlet "if… [He] makes the first or second hit… [The king] will drink to hamlet's health, and into [Hamlet's] drink [he'll] drop a pearl…let's begin…" but to Hamlet's unknowing Laertes sword and drink were poisoned to kill him.
In the beginning of the match, Hamlet does quite well but does not drink when he got hits, disregarding Claudius' request to drink the win with the pearl. Gertrude is overjoyed that her son is winning and helps hamlet on a break and drinks to hamlet not knowing about the poison. Claudius feels more guilt than ever now because he just poisoned his wife. Laertes almost feels as guilty for the trick he his playing but still goes on. In the next round Laertes wounds Hamlet and in a "scuffle" they end up switching swords and hamlet is wounds Laertes badly. Both Gertrude and Laertes collapse and Gertrude dies speaking being poisoned by the drink. Hamlet in rage wants to find the evildoer and listens to Laertes last words. Laertes says how death to them both is soon because of the poisoned sword and how the king is at fault, he mixed the poison. In Rage Hamlet kills Claudius with the sword and poisoned pearl drink. Laertes finally speaks forgiveness as he forgives Hamlet, and about Laertes and Hamlet not having responsibility for the deaths of Polonius or themselves. In Hamlet's last moments, he talks to Horatio, "to tell everyone what happened; set the story straight," and for Horatio not to kill himself. Horatio carries much sadness for his beloved friend Hamlet. Fortinbras enters with the English ambassador bearing news of the success, of war and of the fake letter, instead welcomed by a tragedy of a kingdom. Horatio and Fortinbras talk of the rites of the people and That Hamlet be honored and have military rites for he would have been a great king.