In what ways is Act 5 Scene 2 a fitting climax to the play?.
Shakespeare wrote his most popular play Hamlet using Aristotle's principles and Greek tragedy, most notably Agamemnon as a foundation. Hamlet was probably written around 1602, during the Elizabethan Era a period of intellectual and artistic upheaval, tentative and feisty environment and political disarray.
The story introduces us to three young men whose fathers had been brutally killed (Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras). The men had high positions 'in the social order and a fall/death of any one would influence the entire society. But each needed to avenge their fathers' deaths': Hamlet and Laertes choose to take the law into their own hands while Fortinbras bides his time and hence finds that his father's death is involuntarily avenged without him having to take action. Fortinbras is brought in to take over the kingdom and he is rewarded with the kingdom of Denmark.
"Hamlet", tells the tragic story of Hamlet Prince of Denmark who seeks revenge for the murder of his father. His father's ghost tells him of his gruesome, evil and violent death, which he must avenge. Hamlet's uncle Claudius, the murderer, has since married his widow in "most wicked speed". Thus begins Hamlets battle of wits with Claudius, in order to confirm the plot and get even. He ponders his thoughts expecting to do the deed immediately but instead drags it until the end of the play, using madness as a ploy to get closer to Claudius and the truth.
Hamlet's 'feigned" madness leads to Claudius calls to Rosencrantz and Guildenstem Hamlet's childhood friends. They try their best to find the reason of Hamlet's madness but are unsuccessful. In the interim, Hamlet goes to England. On the way he discovers the letter written by Claudius, sentencing him to death. He then replaces the letter, which now orders the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, totally reversing the situation while they "make love" to the assignment of killing him.