That 'oh-so-funny' Comedy Scene

Funny? Really? I personally don't see it, I'm more of the 'Mock the Week' type.
I do appreciate the fact there is some comedy in a very serious play, I find bits of Hamlet funny. But, I do feel like it was a bit of a waste of paper. The reason for this unnecessary scene? Well, my strongest opinion is that it acts as a 'breather' from the text. The scene following [1.4] is a pretty dense one, so I think that the scene is to cheer people up before something really bad and (at the time) blasphemous happens.

Other interpretations are that it provides contrast between the darkness of the text. Some believe it was written by another play write, and added in at a later stage to bulk out the text? And some think that it is there to show the world isn't all doom and gloom like the play suggests. The clown represents happiness, light-heartedness and hope- hope that there are people in the world who can have a laugh with =out having to involve the Prince of Darkness.

I prefere the nitty-gritty stuff of the play myself. Bring on the sex, drugs and rock and roll of Dr F.