“
The readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is’t to leave betimes? Let be.
HamletAct V, Scene 2
5
Act 5, Scene 2
Catastrophe
Everything converges. Laertes has returned to avenge his father and sister. Claudius has arranged a poisoned sword and cup for the fencing match. Hamlet senses danger but no longer resists. He tells Horatio: there is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If death comes now, so be it. He is ready.
Why This Matters
Hamlet’s final philosophical statement — after five acts of delay, he surrenders to providence. The readiness is all.
acceptancefatereadinessdeath
Death of Hamlet (Ah! je meurs, Horatie)
Eugène Delacroix, 1843 · Public Domain