Hamlet: Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2)

Act 1, Scene 1
Hamlet opens with the sentry, Francisco, keeping watch over the castle at
Elsinore. He is relieved by Barnardo, who is joined shortly by Horatio and
Marcellus. Barnardo and Marcellus reveal that they have witnessed an
apparition:
Marcellus. Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy,
and will not let belief take hold of him,
Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us (1.1.23-25).
The Ghost of the late king of Denmark appears and promptly withdraws into
the night. Horatio recognizes the armour covering the Ghost and remarks that
it is the very armour that the King wore "when he the ambitious Norway
combated" (1.1.61). Barnardo, Marcellus, and Horatio suspect that
the appearance of the ghostly King is an ominous message to all of Denmark,
as they prepare for war with Norway. Horatio pleads with the apparition to
reveal its intentions:
...stay, illusion;
If thou hast any sound or use of voice,
Speak to me,
If there be any good thing to be done
That may to thee do ease, and grace to me,
Speak to me,
If thou art privy to thy country's fate,
(Which happily forknowing may avoid)
O, speak! (1.1.127-35).
The Ghost, however, refuses to speak, and disappears as the cock crows.
Horatio decides to tell Prince Hamlet all that has transpired, for he knows that
the Ghost will only reveal his purpose to his son.

Act 1, Scene 2
The scene opens with King Claudius of Denmark giving a magnificently
ostentatious speech on the death of his brother and his marriage to Queen
Gertrude, his sister-in-law and Hamlet's mother. Claudius dispatches two of
his courtiers, Cornelius and Voltimand, to Norway as peacekeepers, and he
grants Laertes, who has come to Denmark specifically for the coronation of
Claudius, permission to return to his studies in France. With such matters
attended to, Claudius focuses on his troublesome nephew. He commends
Hamlet on the length and severity of his mourning, but insists that his
"unmanly" grief must come to an end. He reassures Hamlet that his father lost
a father, and his father before him, and so on. He implores Hamlet not to
return to his studies in Wittenberg, but to remain in Denmark to fulfill his role
of courtier, cousin, and son. Gertrude also pleads with Hamlet to stay, and
calmly, he agrees: "I shall in all my best obey you, madam" (1.2.120).
Satisfied with Hamlet's answer, the royal couple leave the room. Hamlet is left
alone to expound his consuming rage and disgust at his mother for her
incestuous marriage to Claudius, within a month of his father's death:
O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourn'd longer, --married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules: within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married; O most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (1.2.150-57)
Hamlet is interrupted gratefully by Horatio, along with Barnardo and Marcellus.
They tell him that the Ghost of his father has appeared on the castle wall, and
Hamlet is at first shocked and disturbed: "Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this
troubles me" (1.2.223). The three further describe the Ghost to Hamlet -- his
silvered beard, his pale and sorrowful countenance, his full body armour --
and, with excitement Hamlet agrees to meet them on the platform, "twixt
eleven and twelve."




Act 1, Scene 3
Laertes, who is about to leave for France, warns his sister, Ophelia, that
Hamlet's love for her will undoubtedly not last. He will be the next king, and as
such his wants must yield to the demands and interests of the citizens of
Denmark. When it is no longer convenient or appropriate for Hamlet to love
her, Laertes cautions, he will cast her aside. Ophelia defends Hamlet and
Laertes lovingly responds "O, fear me not" (1.2.57). Their father, Polonius,
enters the room and agrees that Ophelia has been seeing far too much of
Hamlet. He begins a rant on the state of young men's morality, insisting that
passion causes them to make false vows. He forbids Ophelia from seeing
Hamlet again, and she respectfully obeys.

Act 1, Scene 4
Shortly before midnight, Hamlet meets Horatio on the battlements of the
castle. They wait together in the darkness. From below they hear the sound of
the men in the castle laughing and dancing riotously; the King draining his
"draughts of Rhenish down." Hamlet explains to Horatio his dislike of such
drunken behaviour. To Hamlet, drinking to excess has ruined the whole
nation, which is known as a land full of drunken swines abroad. It takes away
the country's accomplishments and renders men weak and corrupt. Then
Horatio spots the Ghost approaching. Hamlet calls out to the Ghost and it
beckons Hamlet to leave with it "as if it some impartment did desire" (1.4.67)
to Hamlet alone. Despite the pleading of Horatio and Marcellus, who are
afraid that the apparition might be an evil entity in disguise, Hamlet agrees to
follow the Ghost and the two figures disappear into the dark.

Act 1, Scene 5
Hamlet will go no further with the Ghost and demands it speak at once. The
Ghost tells Hamlet that the hour is approaching when it must return to the
tormenting flames of purgatory and it reveals the hideous and demented truth
to an anguished Hamlet, on the verge of hysteria throughout the conversation.
The Ghost is indeed the spirit of Hamlet's father, and he has not died, but has
been murdered, poisoned by his own brother, Claudius. The Ghost
disappears, leaving Hamlet horrified and enraged. "O villain, villain, smiling,
damned villain!" (1.5.106). Hamlet is not yet sure how he will carry out his
revenge, but he vows to think about nothing else until Claudius has suffered
for his betrayal. Amidst the echoing cries of the Ghost rising from beneath the
earth, Hamlet insists Horatio and Marcellus swear that they will not reveal to
anyone the events of that night. Upon Hamlet's sword the two take their oath,
assuring him that they will remain silent. Hamlet then calls to his father's spirit
"rest, rest" (1.5.179), and the scene and entire act closes with the lines that
encapsulate Hamlet's whole tragedy:
So, gentlemen,
With all my love I do commend me to you,
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is
May do to express his love and friending to you,
God willing, shall not lack: Let us go together,
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint; O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right! (1.5.181-88)
Act 2, Scene 1
Act 2 opens in a room in Polonius' house, a month or two after Hamlet has
seen his father's ghost. Polonius is making arrangements to send his servant,
Reynaldo, to Paris to spy on Laertes. Polonius justifies his actions by arguing
that he is only concerned for the well-being of his son, so far away from home.
The frightened Ophelia rushes into the room to tell her father that Hamlet
came to see her while she was sewing, and that it had been a terrifying
experience:
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd,
No hat upon his head, his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd and down-gyved to his ancle,
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors... (2.1.77-83).
Polonius at once assumes that the loss of Ophelia's affections has driven
Hamlet insane. He expresses regret that he ever asked his daughter to
behave so heartlessly toward the love-sick prince, and he decides the King
must know that Hamlet has gone mad.

Act 2, Scene 2
King Claudius has noticed Hamlet's strange behaviour even before old
Polonius can tell his tale. Claudius has summoned two of
Hamlet's classmates at Wittenberg -- Guildenstern and Rosencrantz -- hoping
that they will be able to uncover what has sparked such a transformation in
Hamlet. The two leave to seek out the Prince and Polonius is granted license
to speak before the King and Queen. He begins a tiresome explanation of his
theories about the nature of Hamlet's madness, and produces a love letter
that Hamlet has sent to Ophelia. The Queen believes Polonius is probably
right, and she knows that her hasty marriage and the death of Hamlet's father
have also been responsible for his dramatic change in behaviour. In the midst
of the discussion, the King receives good news from his messengers,
Voltimand and Cornelius, back from Norway. They inform him that the King of
Norway has decided to redirect his attack toward Poland, if the Norwegian
army is granted safe passage through Denmark. Happy with the news, the
King turns again to Polonius, and, after more tedious pontificating by the old
man, the King agrees to eavesdrop on Hamlet when he next visits Ophelia.

Polonius sees Hamlet approaching and he advises the King and Queen to
leave him alone with the Prince. Hamlet does speak with Polonius, but his
answers are nonsensical and rude; due not only to his desire to perpetuate his
facade as a madman, but also to his utter lack of regard for Polonius, whom
he sees as a "great baby". After a few moments, Polonius gives up, convinced
that Hamlet's babbling is a result of his insanity. Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern enter the room and Hamlet greets them with excitement. Hamlet
makes the two admit that they are spies of the King and then gives them an
answer to the burning question: the trouble is, simply put, melancholia.
Rosencrantz tells Hamlet that the players will be there soon, and when they
do arrive, Hamlet greets them enthusiastically and asks the First Player to
recite a scene from a story about the Trojan War. Hamlet is so moved that he
asks the First Player to stop speaking and also to perform a play in front of the
court that evening. The play will be The Murder of Gonzago, and Hamlet will
intermittently add dialogue that he himself will write. Polonius leads
Rozencrantz and Guildenstern away, and Hamlet is left alone, safe to reveal
his secret anguish:
...Am I a coward,
Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across,
Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face,
Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs? who does me this?
Ha!
'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-liver'd, and lack gall
To make oppression bitter...(2.2.571-579).
Hamlet still cannot decide what is true or untrue; right or wrong. Is the Ghost
an evil spirit? Is it tempting the Prince to orchestrate his own demise? Hamlet
must be sure of his uncle's guilt before seeking revenge. His plan is to reenact
the murder of his father during the production of The Murder of Gonzago. If
Claudius turns pale, Hamlet will have his proof:
The play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king (2.2.606-07).
Hamlet: Plot Summary (Acts 3, 4 and 5)
Act 3, Scene 1
Rozencrantz and Guildenstern report to the King that, while Hamlet seems
distracted and sad, they do not have a concrete reason for his strange
behaviour. The King is now forced to rely upon Ophelia for information about
his nephew. Polonius arranges for Ophelia to be in a place where she will
surely meet Hamlet, and then he and the King hide in wait for the Prince to
arrive. Hamlet enters talking to himself, in a state of desperation,
contemplating suicide:
To be, or not to be, that is the question;
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them. To die; to sleep,
No more...(3.1.56-61)
Ophelia greets him, intent to return the letters Hamlet had written to her, as
Polonius demands. Hamlet, enraged at all women because of his mother's
betrayal, can show Ophelia not a drop of affection. He lashes out at the poor
girl, rudely suggesting that she quickly get to a nunnery. "Why wouldst thou be
a breeder of sinners?" (3.1.121). Hamlet charges from the room and Ophelia
is left to believe that Hamlet has gone utterly mad. But the hiding King knows
better than to blame Hamlet's behaviour on unrequited love. Fearing for his
own safety, Claudius decides to send Hamlet away to England, accompanied
by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Polonius, who continues to meddle in the
whole affair, suggests that the Queen will surely be able to discover what
troubles her son, and that she should meet in private with Hamlet after the
play, with himself eavesdropping behind the chamber-curtains. The King
agrees:
It shall be so:
Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go (3.1.189-90).
Act 3, Scene 2
Hamlet coaches three of the Players and stresses the importance of the
upcoming performance. They must not overact or improvise, for that will ruin
the purpose of the play. Hamlet then confesses his plan to Horatio and asks
him to watch the King's face during the poisoning scene. The King, Queen,
Polonius, Ophelia, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern enter and take their seats.
Hamlet, nervous and excited, lies down at Ophelia's feet. She tries to make
conversation, but again, his answers are confusing and hostile. The Murder of
Gonzago begins, and the King is visibly shaken. The King rises and Hamlet
responds "What, frighted with false fire?" (3.2.263), chiding the King for being
frightened by a mere play. The King calls for lights and the performance
comes to an abrupt end. Hamlet and Horatio are left alone to discuss what
has happened. They agree that the King has indeed behaved as a guilty man
would, and Hamlet is overjoyed. When Rosencrantz comes in to tell Hamlet
that the Queen wishes to see him, Hamlet revels in the idea of finally
confronting her. "I will speak daggers to her, but use none" (3.2.389).

Act 3, Scene 3
Polonius tells the King that Hamlet plans to visit his mother. The King is now
aware that Hamlet knows his secret, and that he is no longer safe in his own
castle. He soliloquizes on the crimes that he has committed, and falls to his
knees to pray for forgiveness. But, he knows the prayer will remain
unanswered, for he still enjoys the fruits of his treachery:
But O, what form of prayer
Can serve my turn? "Forgive me my foul murder"?
That cannot be, since I am still possess'd
Of those effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, mine own ambition and my queen.
May one be pardon'd and retain the offence?
Hamlet, on his way to his mother's chamber, sees the King kneeling in prayer,
and his first thought is how simple a task it would be to plunge a sword into his
uncle's back. But that will not do, for the King would be murdered in a state of
repentance and would surely go to heaven. This would be a benefit and not
revenge. He wants to kill Claudius in the same state of sin as his father was in
when Claudius poisoned him -- that is, not "full of bread" -- not penitent and
fasting. Hamlet wants the King to die when he is drunk or enraged or in his
incestuous bed with the Queen. So the Prince goes, and the King is left to
finish his empty prayer.




Act 3, Scene 4
Polonius is already in the Queen's chamber, unable to resist telling her exactly
what she should say to the Prince. As he is speaking, they hear Hamlet down
the hall, screaming "mother, mother, mother!" (3.4.5). Polonius hides behind
the wall hanging, intending to report every word that is said to the King. The
Queen, terrified that Hamlet has come to murder her, cries out for help, and
foolish Polonius echoes her cry from behind the curtain. Hamlet, thinking the
King has followed him into the room, thrusts his sword into the drapery and
pierces Polonius. When Hamlet realizes he has killed the wrong man, he
stops to briefly address the situation, but shows no deep regret for taking
Polonius' life. Hamlet holds Polonius himself directly accountable:
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell;
I took thee for thy better; take thy fortune;
Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger. (3.4.32-34)
After this brief acknowledgement of Polonius's death, Hamlet attacks his
mother with a barrage of insults and accuses her of being a hypocrite and a
harlot. She is bewildered, and begs Hamlet to have mercy, but he is
relentless. The Ghost, who has before expressed his concern for Gertrude,
appears before Hamlet and reminds him to take pity on the Queen and to
"step between her and her fighting soul." Hamlet, with now a calm and civil
tone, urges Gertrude to confess her sins and refrain from further intimacy with
the King. He bids her goodnight and looks again upon the body of Polonius.
Hamlet is aware of the severity of his deed: "[I] will answer well/The death I
gave him" (3.4.76-77). Hamlet leaves, dragging Polonius' body behind him.

Act 4, Scene 1
The Queen informs the King that Hamlet has killed Polonius in a fit of
madness, and he orders Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to find the body.
Claudius, happy he now has a reason to send Hamlet away, tells Gertrude
that they will report Hamlet's crime to his council.

Act 4, Scene 2
In another room in the castle, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find Hamlet
alone. They confront him, asking "[w]hat have you done my lord, with the dead
body?" (4.2.5). Hamlet, scornfully contemptuous of the two courtiers, calls
Rosencrantz a "sponge", and is outraged that they dare demand an answer
from him: "what replication should be made by the son of a king?" (4.2.12-13).
They persist and order him to accompany them back to the King. Hamlet
replies: "The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body" (4.2.27-
28).

Although this makes perfect sense -- Polonius is with the King, Hamlet's
father, but Claudius remains alive -- the courtiers believe him to be incoherent.
Hamlet agrees to see the King and runs off stage. He yells out to begin a
game of hide-and-seek: "hide fox, and all after" (4.2.30-31). The fox is
Polonius, for whom everyone is searching.

Act 4, Scene 3
In a meeting room in the castle, Claudius sits with his lords, and reports to
them that Hamlet has killed his lord chamberlain. He tells them that the Prince
must be exiled to England, but the public, who love Hamlet, must not know the
true reason why he is leaving. Rosencrantz brings the guarded Hamlet before
the King:
King: Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?
Hamlet: At supper.
King: At supper, where?
Hamlet: Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a certain
convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your
worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all creatures
else fat to us, and we fat ourselves for maggots:
your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable
service, two dishes, but to one table: that's the end. (4.3.17-25)
Hamlet finally tells Claudius that the body is on the stairs that lead into the
lobby. The King informs Hamlet that he must leave for England, for his own
safety. Hamlet slyly replies that he knows the King's real purpose for sending
him away, but he nonetheless gladly obliges and bids farewell to his mother.
When Hamlet exits the room, the King demands that Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern follow the Prince closely, and they rush off. Claudius is now
alone to reveal his sinister plan: he will send letters to England, a country "raw
and red/After the Danish sword" (4.3.60-61), threatening war unless they
assassinate Hamlet when he lands on British soil.

Act 4, Scene 4
On his way to England, Hamlet meets a Captain in the army led by Fortinbras,
the Prince of Norway. Hamlet asks the Captain where they are going and who
commands the troops, and the Captain tells him that Fortinbras is leading his
men to capture a "little patch of ground/That hath in it no profit but the name"
(4.4.18-19). Hamlet is impressed by the idea of so many soldiers preparing to
die for an inconsequential piece of land, and he admires their resolve. He
longs to be more like Fortinbras and his men -- they do not lament and waste
time pondering when honour is at stake: they act. Hamlet vows that, if he must
still think at all, he will think only bloody thoughts. (For more on Hamlet's
meeting with the Captain and why these lines are considered corrupt,
please click here).

Act 4, Scene 5
Scene 5 opens back at the castle in Elsinore, where Hamlet has been gone a
few days. The Queen, Horatio, and a gentleman are discussing poor,
tormented Ophelia, who has shattered under the strain of her father's death
and Hamlet's cruelty and has gone completely insane. Ophelia enters the
room and begins to sing a song about a dead lover and another about Saint
Valentine's Day. The King arrives and speaks gently to Ophelia. She leaves,
mumbling good night to the court, and the King asks Horatio to follow her.

A messenger enters and reports to Claudius that he prepare himself, for
Laertes has heard of Polonius's death and holds the King responsible. He has
raised a rebellion, and his men are crying "Choose we; Laertes shall be king!"
(4.5.104). Suddenly, the doors burst open and Laertes rushes into the castle.
He holds his Danish rebels at bay and speaks to Claudius alone: "O thou vile
king/Give me my father!" (4.5.112-13). But Claudius knows how to control the
young and impetuous Laertes, and soon directs Laertes's rage towards
Hamlet. From outside the meeting room Laertes hears footsteps. It is his
sister, Ophelia, and he greets her with a outpouring of grief, vowing that her
"madness shall be paid with weight." Ophelia replies with a nonsensical song
and gives her brother some violets. Laertes, overcome with sorrow, cries "Do
you see this, O God?" The King offers his condolences once more and then
suggests to Laertes that he focus on sweet revenge. They move to another
room to discuss a course of action, and the scene comes to a close.

Act 4, Scene 6
A sailor brings Horatio a letter from Hamlet. He writes of his capture by pirates
on his way to England. These "thieves of mercy" have released the Prince, on
the condition that he will repay them when he returns to Denmark. Hamlet
finishes the letter by asking Horatio to come to him at once, and to ensure that
the King receive letters intended only for him. Finally, Hamlet writes that
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have continued their course for England.
Horatio grants the sailor permission to take the letters to the King, imploring
him to return swiftly, so that they can meet with Hamlet at once.

Act 4, Scene 7
The King and Laertes meet to discuss Hamlet. The King tells Laertes that he
cannot harm the Prince directly, out of respect and concern for his beautiful
Queen, who loves Hamlet above all else. Moreover, Claudius cannot enrage
the people of Denmark, who adore the Prince and would surely rise up in
protest. So the King proposes that they arrange a fencing match between
Laertes and Hamlet, and that Hamlet, thinking it is for sport, will use a blunt
sword, while Laertes will use his own military sword. To ensure Hamlet's
death, Laertes will coat the tip with a poison "So mortal, that but dip a knife in
it/Where it draws blood, no cataplasm so rare/ ... can save the thing from
death/That is but scratch'd withal" (4.7.142-45).

The King then suggests that a goblet full of poisoned wine be set out for
Hamlet to drink if he becomes thirsty during the match. Suddenly, they hear
noise outside the door. The Queen enters with the news that Ophelia has
fallen off a willow tree branch and drowned. Laertes tries to fight his emotion,
but storms out of the room. The King, worried that Laertes will act in haste and
ruin the plan, rushes to follow him.

Act 5, Scene 1
Ophelia is to be buried in the churchyard and the two gravediggers preparing
her grave find it unusual that someone who has committed suicide be buried
on sacred ground. They agree that Ophelia is receiving a Christian burial
because she is a gentlewoman, belonging to "great folk." They banter back
and forth, trying to alleviate the boredom of digging. Horatio and Hamlet come
upon the scene just as the second gravedigger is leaving to fetch some liquor
from a nearby tavern. Hamlet is disturbed that the first gravedigger, who has
begun to sing a love song, can be so happy on such a solemn occasion.
Horatio replies that habit has made the gravedigger indifferent to the gravity of
his work. The gravedigger produces a skull that belonged to the King's jester,
Yorick and Hamlet takes the skull, sparking his thoughts on death and its
power to ravage even the most wealthy and powerful of people.

A funeral procession approaches, and Hamlet sees the King and Queen and
Laertes and asks who has died. Laertes, hysterical with grief, leaps into the
grave, crying "Hold off the earth a while/Till I have caught her once more in
mine arms" (5.1.250-51). When Hamlet realizes who is being buried, grief
overcomes him too, and he leaps into the grave with Laertes, and they begin
to grapple. The King's attendants pull them out of the grave, and Hamlet
exclaims: "I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers/Could not, with all their
quantity of love/Make up my sum" (5.1.270-72). Hamlet is restrained and
leaves the funeral, sorrowful and bewildered at Laertes' behaviour and
hostility towards him: "What is the reason that you use me thus?/I lov'd you
ever" (5.1.290). Hamlet did not intend to murder Polonius; it was an accident
brought on by the old man himself. And Hamlet was en-route to England when
Ophelia fell ill, so he really does not understand Laertes's rage. The King asks
Horatio to go with Hamlet, and reminds Laertes of their plan for revenge.

Act 5, Scene 2
Back at the castle, Hamlet expresses regret for his outlandish behaviour at the
grave site. He converses with Horatio, telling him that he intercepted the letter
Claudius sent to England, and replaced his own name on the death warrant
with the names of the courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet
presumes that they met their end in England, but their deaths are not on his
conscience, for they were destroyed by their own persistent meddling. Horatio
is shocked by Hamlet's cynical apathy: "Why, what a king is this!" (5.2.62).

Hamlet reminds Horatio of the horrible events that have transpired, and asks
him if it is not his right to feel anger and thirst for vengeance. The
courtier Osric enters and welcomes Hamlet back to Denmark. Orsic tells
Hamlet that the King requests him to fight Laertes in a fencing match. The
King has placed his bets on Hamlet, and has wagered a fine collection of
goods: Barbary horses, French rapiers and poniards, and gun carriages.
Hamlet accepts the challenge, believing that it is indeed only a friendly match.
He does expresses a hint of apprehension "thou wouldst not think how ill all's
here about my heart" (5.2.202), but he dismisses it, telling Horatio that he is
prepared to die if fate commands it so. The court assembles to watch the
match, and the Queen takes her place at the elaborately decorated head
table. The King puts Laertes' hand into Hamlet's to start the duel. Hamlet begs
Laertes's pardon, denying that he ever meant to hurt anyone. Laertes
pretends to accept Hamlet's apology, saying "I do receive your offer'd love like
love/And will not wrong it" (5.2.241-2).

They fight, and Hamlet easily wins the first round of combat. The King pours
wine to toast Hamlet's success and tries to persuade Hamlet to stop and take
a drink of the poisoned brew. The Prince does not want to interrupt his
winning streak and refuses the wine, placing the goblet on the table beside
the Queen. Gertrude is thirsty and, despite the King's plea, drinks from the
cup. The fight intensifies and Laertes wounds Hamlet. But in the ensuing
scuffle, they exchange rapiers, and Hamlet pierces Laertes with the poisoned
sword. In a whirlwind of confusion, the Queen falls and dies after telling
Hamlet that she has been poisoned. Laertes, knowing he will be dead in
moments, exclaims "I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery" (5.2.297). He
confesses to Hamlet that he has poisoned his sword and that Hamlet will too
be dead in less than a half hour. Laertes admits to plotting against Hamlet and
casts blame upon the King.

Hamlet stabs Claudius with Laertes's sword and forces him to drink the wine
that has killed Gertrude: "Here thou incestuous, murderous, damned
Dane/Drink off this potion: is thy union here?/Follow my mother" (5.2.315-7).
Laertes, with his dying breath, asks Hamlet to exchange forgiveness with him,
and absolves him of Polonius's murder. Horatio tries to drink the poisoned
wine, but Hamlet pleads with him to stay alive and tell the world his story.
Although he lay dying, Hamlet remembers his people will be left without a king
and so he chooses Fortinbras, the valiant Prince of Norway, to rule Denmark.
Hamlet is finished: "The rest is silence" (5.2.348). Horatio bids a final adieu to
his noble friend:
Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet
prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
Fortinbras orders four captains to carry Hamlet away and give him a soldier's
burial, and he salutes Hamlet's kingly virtues as the play comes to a close.