Hamlet seems preoccupied with death for much of the play; what new insight does the graveyard scene reveal regarding his attitude toward mortality? toward life, fame, and accomplishment? how does this attitude connect to his central conflict in the play?

The graveyard scene is a crucial moment for Hamlet - his ideas and opinions when it comes to death become more prominent and he soon decides what he is going to do about his revenge against his uncle.

During the graveyard scene, we see Hamlet holding his former court jester's, Yorick's, skull. Hamlet is thinking about life and death, contemplating how it is strange that he used to know this man while he was still alive, and that now he is gone, turned to dust.

He is also thinking about many celebrated people, such as Caesar or Alexander the Great, arriving at the conclusion that regardless of how famous and accomplished you are, you are still surely going to die and turn to dust, like his former friend, Yorick did. He used to be very torn about whether he should commit suicide or kill his uncle, and this is the exact moment where he makes his decision after realizing that life is futile and that he has to make a move.