Sunday, April 29, 2018

Rewrite the final scene of the play. How could the play have ended peacefully?

One problem with the question is to define what we mean by "peacefully." The only way the play could end entirely peacefully would be for Fortinbras to decide not to march on Denmark.
But before we get to that, if by a peaceful ending we mean avoiding the bloodbath that leaves the stage littered with dead bodies, there are other ways the final scene could go. Hamlet, for example, could act on his gut instinct that something is wrong, as well as Horatio's urging that he not fight, and refuse the rapier battle with Laertes. That would knock the poisoned rapier out of the action and also give Claudius no reason to put the poisoned "union," or pearl, in the wine goblet. Of course, one of the problems with this scenario is that Laertes would still be angry and out for vengeance. Also, Claudius would not be killed, so the ending would have to find a way to bring him to justice. One possibility would be to have Claudius poison the wine anyway and for Laertes to see it and realize what is going on. This could jolt him to sense that he is no better than Claudius in planning to kill Hamlet in an underhanded way. This could dissipate Laertes's anger.
If Laertes called out that Claudius poisoned the wine goblet, Hamlet could have Claudius ordered arrested, and Laertes could tell the court about the poisoned rapier. In this scenario, Claudius could be sent to justice with a long jail term but not bloodshed. Hamlet could be named king. Laertes and Gertrude would survive, and Hamlet would make amends to Laertes.
Finally, Fortinbras would have a change of heart and decide, just as Hamlet thinks, that sacrificing so many lives for a small piece of land isn't worth it. He would send Hamlet greetings and head back home. This ending lacks some dramatic gusto, but it could work.


I am sure that there are multiple ways of writing a different ending for this play that doesn't end in the bloodbath that Shakespeare wrote. The tough part is that the question specifies that the rewrite has to happen to the final scene of the play. That makes the peaceful ending much harder to obtain, because by this point the events are almost equivalent to a runaway train. I think the best opportunity for a peaceful ending occurs when Hamlet apologizes to Laertes. Hamlet offers his apology and a bit of an explanation for his previous actions.

Give me your pardon, sir. I’ve done you wrong.
But pardon ’t, as you are a gentleman.
This presence knows,
And you must needs have heard, how I am punished
With sore distraction.

Laertes accepts the apology; however, he is unwilling to back down from the challenge, because it might taint his honor.


I am satisfied in nature,
Whose motive in this case should stir me most
To my revenge. But in my terms of honor
I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement
Till by some elder masters, of known honor,
I have a voice and precedent of peace
To keep my name ungored.



If Laertes would have accepted the apology and not been so driven to uphold his honor, I think the entire final fight scene wouldn't have happened. The poisoned sword would not have been used on Laertes or Hamlet, and no poison would have been consumed by the Queen.

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