how many people died in hamlet

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, a total of nine significant characters die by the end of the play. The deaths include King Hamlet (prior to the play’s events, killed by Claudius), Polonius (accidentally killed by Hamlet), Ophelia (drowned, likely suicide), Gertrude (drinks poisoned wine meant for Hamlet), Laertes (wounded with poison and dies), Claudius (killed by Hamlet with poison), Hamlet himself (dies from a poisoned wound), and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (killed due to Hamlet's forged orders). The only major survivor is Horatio, who lives to tell the story. These deaths happen through a combination of stabbing, poisoning, drowning, and court conspiracies, reflecting the tragic and deadly nature of the play.