All true. This particular scene in Hamlet
is one of the most introspective scenes in the play outside of the
soliloquies, it seems to me. Because these "clowns" don't know who he is, he is able to
speak without pretense, which he does through much of the rest of the play--so much so
that we're not alwayssure when he's serious and when he's putting on his "antic
disposition." When he talks to them, Hamlet is funny and witty, enjoying wordplay as we
know he does throughout. When he and Horatio are watching one of the gravediggers
uncover the skull of what turns out to be Yorrick, Hamlet it pensive. He reflects, as
he does many times in the play, on the concept of death; however, he does so here in a
much more somber and final way--a clear foreshadowing of his impending
death.
His observation is that everyone is equal at
death--Alexander the Great and Caesar are just as dead as his former friend, the jester
Yorrick. All of them--and all of us--end up in the same place, mingling with the dust:
"To what base uses we may return." It's true Hamlet has reflected on his own death
before; this time, we see he is reflecting on the universality and reality of
death.
Finally, we see a grief-stricken Hamlet who does not
appear to be acting. He is struck, as has been mentioned, by his culpability for
Ophelia's death; and his reaction to seeing her corpse speaks of genuine loss and love.
It's here we have our suspicions confirmed, it seems to me: Hamlet did, indeed, love
Ophelia.
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