Shakespeare's Famous Quotes
"-The Rest is Silence."
Meaning?
At the end of the play, Hamlet is wounded by the poisoned sword and is on the ground of the hallway with Horatio in the castle, after Laertes had died. Hamlet, on the verge of death, tells Horatio, who wants to commit suicide, to not kill himself and live to tell the Hamlet's story. He also tells Horatio that he believes Fortinbras should be the next king of Denmark. At the end of his speech to Horatio, Hamlet then says "...the rest is silence". (Act 5, scene 2, line 336) This statement advances the plot by showing the end of Hamlet, forever "silencing him". It could also be Hamlet's way of showing that he has said all that is needed and what is left for his to be said should remain unspoken. The quote itself carries a very mysterious and solemn tone. This quote has a deep underlying meaning that could be interpreted as comparing Hamlet to Jesus, due to the fact that through his suffering and death, his people are now saved. Although he has no intentions of doing so, his Christ-like characteristics are exemplified because "the rest is silence" and there is nothing left to worry about.