I believe the ending of Hamlet mocks life itself. The fact that all of the main characters died while spectating a game can be interpreted in a variety of ways. On one hand, the characters all had stupid deaths, which one would expect from a video game, or something else which demeans the meaning of life. We see this in the comments exchanged by Hamlet and Laertes, and by Shakespeare's indications of how the scene should be portrayed: "Hamlet: I'll Play this bout first. Set it by awhile./ Come. {They play.} Another hit. What say you" (V. ii. 309-310)? These deaths, which occurred during a type of horseplay, were not nearly as dramatic as those of Othello, Romeo, or Juliet. Why would Shakespeare choose to kill his characters in such a way? I believe that the simplicity of the character's deaths demonstrates the lack of importance they attribute to life, and how they play with it.
Maybe Shakespeare got bored of writing so much, and decided to end his play as swiftly as possible. No. Is life's ephemeral quality being proven, or is poetic justice somehow being established?
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