Question

elizabethan drama: <i>the tragedy of hamlet</i>
the tragedy of hamlet, prince of denmark
act v. scene i.
a churchyard.
enter two clowns, with spades and mattock.
first clown: is she to be buried in christian burial that wilfully seeks her
own salvation?
second clown: i tell thee she is; and therefore make her grave straight:
the crowner hath sat on her, and finds it christian burial.
first clown: how can that be, unless she drowned herself in her own
defence?
second clown: why, ’tis found so.
first clown: it must be se offendendo; it cannot be else. for here lies the
point: if i drown myself wittingly it argues an act; and an act hath three
branches: it is, to act, to do, and to perform: argal, she drowned herself
wittingly.
second clown: nay, but hear you, goodman delver,—
first clown: give me leave. here lies the water; good: here stands the
man; good: if the man go to this water, and drown himself, it is, will he,
nill he, he goes; mark you that? but if the water come to him, and drown
him, he drowns not himself: argal, he that is not guilty of his own death
shortens not his own life.
was buried, alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we
make loam; and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might
they not stop a beer-barrel?
imperious caesar, dead and turn’d to clay,
might stop a hole to keep the wind away
shakespeare makes allusions to the great rulers alexander and caesar to
emphasize that everyone eventually dies.
contrast the deaths of alexander and caesar.
show how kings should behave around death.
compare hamlet to two rulers who died.

Explanation:

Shakespeare's allusions to Alexander and Caesar (great rulers) focus on their post - death state (turning to dust/clay, used for mundane purposes like stopping a hole). This shows that regardless of one's status in life, death is inevitable and equalizing, so the allusion is to emphasize everyone dies eventually. The other options are incorrect: there's no contrast of their deaths, no focus on kings' behavior around death, and no comparison to Hamlet.

Answer:

emphasize that everyone eventually dies.