When Hamlet first enters the cemetery he is merely hiding
out with Horatio waiting for the most opportune moment to return to the castle to
confront Claudius. In the cemetery they see a gravedigger preparing a grave. Hamlet
has no idea that this will be Ophelia's grave in a few mere
moments.
As he comes forward to talk to the grave digger he
first comments about the nature of the business of grave digging, but he pretty quickly
starts into a conversation about Hamlet, acting as a common man who just has a few
questions about the Prince and what has happened to him lately. Hamlet asks, "Why was
he [Hamlet] sent into England." The grave diggers reveals the story that has been put
out about Hamlet -- that he has been sent to England to "recover his wits there." But
the joke comes in the next sentence when he adds that if Hamlet doesn't recover his wits
there "'tis no great matter there." When Hamlet asks why it wouldn't matter there in
England, the grave digger says, "'Twill not be seen in him there. There the men are as
mad as he." Shakespeare is making the joke that England is filled with crazy people --
so crazy that craziness isn't even all that remarkable. His audience would have
certainly laughed at the self-deprecating joke.
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