The mason, the shipwright, and the carpenter

This is the gravediggers riddle where one asks, What is he that builds stronger
than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter? The two answers they come to
are the gallows-maker, and a grave-maker. Their reasoning for the former is, that
frame outlives a thousand tenants, indicating how common death is. The reasoning for
the later is, the houses that he makes last till doomsday, which shows how everyone
becomes common in death as ones final home is always the grave. These answers are
symbolic not only of the body count in this play, but also of Hamlets own feelings
toward death.


The fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
When Hamlet recounts the events of his sea voyage, he makes this statement,
Why, man, they did make love to this employment; They are not near my conscience;
their defeat does by their own insinuation grow: 'Tis dangerous when the baser nature
comes between the pass and fell incensed points of mighty opposites. He essentially tells
that R&G are lead to their doom by their own choices; namely, their choice to betray
Hamlets trust by keeping watch on him for King Claudius. The way he describes it,
though, is greatly symbolic and foreshadowing of another characters death, Laertes. He
too is felled by his own incensed point when dueling, or opposing, Hamlet in working
with the King.

Inconstancy of Osric
This confrontation begins when the Osric complains about how hot it is, and
Hamlet counters him by stating that it is in fact cold. When the Osric immediately agrees,
Hamlet then claims that it, in fact, is a hot day. The Osric agrees once more without
question. This is symbolic of the perceived subservience of the common folk and even
the upper-class to those in a position of authority over them. This act of bootlicking is
also seen in Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, and Norway to name a few. Even
Claudius, the king, has to find indirect ways of offing Hamlet so as to not lose the
publics favor.