Question

Hamlet in 5.2.10-11 speaks of “divinity that shapes our ends.” To what extent does “divinity” (or Fate or mysterious Chance) play a role in the happenings? Please give at least 1 example of how divinity plays its role.

Answer 1

"Divinity" or chance plays a crucial role in the events that take place in "Hamlet". Hamlet tells Horatio about the "divinity that shapes our ends" in the second scene of Act 5 when he narrates to Horatio how he manged to escape execution and turned the tables on the King's servile messengers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This episode itself epitomizes the role played by fate or mysterious Chance in Hamlet.

Fisrtly, Hamlet could never have replaced the letter requesting his own execution with a counterfeit letter asking for the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had fate not favored him. The presence of the dead king's signet in Hamlet's purse turned out to be a fortunate event as he was able to seal the counterfeit letter without drawing the suspicion of his companions. The fight in the sea, which can also be attributed to "divinity", provided Hamlet with the ideal opportunity to escape.

Previously, the death of Polonius was an unfortunate event that triggered a chain of events culminating in the death of all major characters apart from Horatio. Hamlet's revenge would have been accomplished much earlier had the king positioned himself behind the curtains instead of Polonius. Instead, Ophelia went mad after Polonius' death while Laertes was so enraged that he swore to avenge his father's murder. Thus, sheer bad luck (or ill fate) contributed to several deaths in the play.