Quote Analysis

Horatio responds to Hamlet's question by explaining that the gravedigger's routine exposure to death has made him comfortable with it; habit has removed any emotional difficulty.

The phrase 'property of easiness' is almost clinical, as if custom has converted squeamishness into a trait the gravedigger now owns. 'Property' here means both a personal characteristic and, more literally, something possessed—the gravedigger has acquired ease with death the way one acquires land. Horatio's explanation is neither judgmental nor particularly sympathetic; his flat tone suggests he finds this adaptation perfectly natural, in contrast to Hamlet's surprise.

Use this to argue that Horatio's calm observation highlights his role as the play's most emotionally stable character—where Hamlet sees the gravedigger's singing as remarkable, Horatio sees simple habituation, suggesting his own acceptance of human limits that Hamlet cannot reach.