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Because Ophelia was thought to have committed suicide and suicides were not entitled to Christian burial. This is a little unfair on Ophelia since, from Gertrude's account of her death, she had no intention of drowning herself and died by accident.

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What are the gravediggers debating as the scene opens?

They are debating whether Ophelia deserves a Christian burial because there are rumors that she took her own life. "Is she to be buried in Christian burial, when she willfully seeks her own salvation?"(5.1.1-2)


What plan do the king and polonius devise to test whether or not this cause of hamlets conduct is love for ophelia?

To spy on him. First of all he wants to spy on him when interacting with Ophelia, and when this fails to support his theory, he wants to spy on him while interacting with Gertrude.


What was Ophelia's full name?

In the play she is only referred to as Ophelia. One might look at the naming customs in Scandinavia, but the characters in the play do not as a rule have Scandinavian names, except Hamlet himself and his mother (based on the names Amleth and Geruth in the original by Saxo). Claudius, Laertes, Polonius--these are classical names, not Germanic. Shakespeare changed the names from his sources to suit himself, and probably did not give any thought as to whether the characters would conform to English or any other naming convention.


Who returns hamlet to denmark after his exile?

Ophelia returns Hamlets gifts because she no longer feels that have any value to her since the sentimental value that they once carried has been lost due to his rude and insane behaviour towards her.


Laertes thinks that ophelia should have a better funeral service?

Indeed! Ophelia is being given a shortened funeral service out of suspicion that she killed herself. Someone who kills herself died in a state of sin, since suicide is a sin and there was no opportunity to be forgiven, and so she really shouldn't even be buried on holy ground. Someone's pulled some strings behind the scenes, so the priest is compromising by giving her a lackluster funeral. Laertes is upset at this disrespect toward his sister, just as he was upset that his father wasn't mourned with more pomp.

Related Questions

What are the gravediggers debating as the scene opens?

They are debating whether Ophelia deserves a Christian burial because there are rumors that she took her own life. "Is she to be buried in Christian burial, when she willfully seeks her own salvation?"(5.1.1-2)


What are the gravediggers debating over in scene 1?

In Scene 1 of "Hamlet," the gravediggers are debating over whether Ophelia’s death was a suicide or an accident. They discuss the religious implications of her death and the practices surrounding her burial.


Why did ophelia die?

It is unsure whether she died purposely by her own hand or by accident, Ophelia was sitting in a tree looking at a flower, when a branch struck her on the head and she fell out of the tree. She fell into the river, where she did not scream, but sing until she died.


What is Ophelia's reaction to her brother's warning?

Ophelia appears to be torn between loyalty to her family and her love for Hamlet, causing her to be conflicted and confused about what to believe. Ultimately, she seems to be caught in the middle, unsure of whether to trust her brother's warnings about Hamlet's intentions.


Is Brian May a Christian?

Now, whether or not Brian Johnson is in fact a Christian I do not know. Whether or not your recently deceased gay friend is in heaven I do not know. Whether or not your alcoholic friend is a Christian I do not know. Luckily, for them-and you-and me, is that I don't get to decide who is a Christian or not. God does. And he judges perfectly every time.


What recurring advice does Hamlet give to Ophelia?

Hamlet tells Ophelia to get to a nunnery. However, "nunnery" not only meant convent but was also slang for whorehouse. It's a matter of interpretation every time he says it which one he means, or whether he might mean both.


What is an institution's evaluation of whether a person is suitable to receive credit called?

An institution's evaluation of whether a person is suitable to receive credit is called:credit rating


Does hamlet think that his love for ophelia was greater than laertes?

He says as much. "I loved Ophelia! Forty thousand brothers with all their quantity of love could not make up my sum." Of course, whether he really believes it or is trying to make fun of Laertes' pomposity is another matter.


Is Nathaniel Motte a Christian?

Nat hasn't publicly disclosed his beliefs. Whether or not he is a Christian is unknown.


Is christian coma an atheist?

No, he does have a spiritual belief, although whether this is definable as Christian or is more general I am unsure.


What the bible say about alcohol and the christian with biblical reference?

The Bible does not specifically say whether the Christian can or can not drink alcohol, but it does say that the Christian should not get drunk.


Where does Hamlet tell ophelia to go?

Hamlet tells Ophelia to get to a nunnery. However, "nunnery" not only meant convent but was also slang for whorehouse. It's a matter of interpretation every time he says it which one he means, or whether he might mean both.