The clowns are just grave diggers (everyday civilian) who are digging Ophelia's grave at the time.
In Act 3 scene 1 of Hamlet (the "nunnery" scene), Claudius and Polonius eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia. Well, it's sort of eavesdropping since Ophelia knows they are there and if Hamlet does not know at the beginning of the conversation, he figures it out pretty quickly.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do more than one job for the king. The first is to try to draw Hamlet out in conversation, so they can know what is on his mind. Later they accompany Hamlet to England.
Hamlet then substituted a forged letter ordering the English authorities to put Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to death, "no shriving time allowed".
After learning about his father's ghost, Hamlet decides to confront the apparition in hopes of uncovering the truth behind his father's death. He meets with the ghost, who reveals that he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, prompting Hamlet to seek revenge. This revelation sets Hamlet on a path of contemplation and moral struggle, as he grapples with the implications of avenging his father's murder.
The first characters you meet in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" are the sentinels Francisco and Barnardo, along with Horatio, who is a friend of Prince Hamlet. They are on guard at Elsinore Castle and discuss the appearance of a ghost resembling the deceased King Hamlet. Their conversation sets the tone for the play, introducing themes of uncertainty and foreboding. Hamlet himself is not introduced until later in the first act.
The clowns, rather the gravediggers, talk like that because when they are talking Hamlet is not present. It is after one of the gravediggers has exited that Hamlet and Horatio enter.
In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the clowns, or gravediggers, are digging up old bones as part of their job in the graveyard. This scene serves as a commentary on mortality and the inevitability of death, highlighting the transient nature of life. The gravediggers' banter adds a dark humor to the play, contrasting with the themes of loss and existential contemplation that permeate Hamlet's journey. Their conversation also reveals social hierarchies and attitudes towards death in Elizabethan society.
The ghost of Hamlet's father, the former king.
To eavesdrop on the conversation between Gertrude and Hamlet
Polonius is interested in seeing whether spying on Hamlet's conversation with Gertrude will justify his theory that Hamlet is mad for love. (see the end of Act 3 Scene 1)
In Act 3 scene 1 of Hamlet (the "nunnery" scene), Claudius and Polonius eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia. Well, it's sort of eavesdropping since Ophelia knows they are there and if Hamlet does not know at the beginning of the conversation, he figures it out pretty quickly.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do more than one job for the king. The first is to try to draw Hamlet out in conversation, so they can know what is on his mind. Later they accompany Hamlet to England.
Hamlet then substituted a forged letter ordering the English authorities to put Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to death, "no shriving time allowed".
Have someone who is close to Hamlet engage him in conversation where there are spies listening in. He does this first with Ophelia and later with Gertrude.
After learning about his father's ghost, Hamlet decides to confront the apparition in hopes of uncovering the truth behind his father's death. He meets with the ghost, who reveals that he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, prompting Hamlet to seek revenge. This revelation sets Hamlet on a path of contemplation and moral struggle, as he grapples with the implications of avenging his father's murder.
In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," Hamlet confronts his mother, Gertrude, about her hasty marriage to Claudius following King Hamlet's death. He demands that she refrain from being intimate with Claudius, urging her to repent for her actions and to remember the late king. Hamlet promises to help her find redemption, emphasizing the need for her to reject Claudius and seek a more virtuous path. This confrontation reflects Hamlet's deep disappointment and desire for his mother to recognize the moral implications of her choices.
The opening line "To be or not to be, that is the question" from Hamlet's soliloquy is contemplating the choice between living and dying. Hamlet is reflecting on whether it is better to endure the hardships of life or to end it all.