And in the cup an union shall he throw

Richer than that which four successive kings

In Denmark’s crown have worn. Give me the cups,

And let the kettle to the trumpet speak,

The trumpet to the cannoneer without,

The cannons to the heavens, the heaven to earth,

‘Now the King drinks to Hamlet’.

Trumpets the while he drinks

Come, begin.

And you, the judges, bear a wary eye.

HAMLET (to Laertes) Come on, sir.

LAERTES Come, my lord.

They play

HAMLET One.

LAERTES No.

HAMLET (to Osric) Judgement.

OSRIC A hit, a very palpable hit.

LAERTES Well, again.

KING CLAUDIUS

Stay. Give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thine.

Here’s to thy health.—

⌈Drum and⌉ trumpets sound, and shot goes off Give him the cup.

HAMLET

I’ll play this bout first. Set it by a while.—

Come.

They play again

Another hit. What say you?

LAERTES

A touch, a touch, I do confess.

KING CLAUDIUS

Our son shall win.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

He’s fat and scant of breath.—

Here, Hamlet, take my napkin. Rub thy brows.

The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.

HAMLET

Good madam.

KING CLAUDIUS Gertrude, do not drink.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

I will, my lord, I pray you pardon me.

She drinks, then offers the cup to Hamlet

KING CLAUDIUS (aside)

It is the poisoned cup; it is too late.

HAMLET

I dare not drink yet, madam; by and by.

QUEEN GERTRUDE (to Hamlet) Come, let me wipe thy face.

LAERTES (aside to Claudius) My lord, I’ll hit him now.

KING CLAUDIUS (aside to Laertes) I do not think’t.

LAERTES (aside)

And yet ‘tis almost ’gainst my conscience.

HAMLET

Come for the third, Laertes, you but dally.

I pray you pass with your best violence.

I am afeard you make a wanton of me.

LAERTES

Say you so? Come on.

They play

OSRIC

Nothing neither way.

LAERTES (to Hamlet)

Have at you now!

⌈Laertes wounds Hamlet.⌉ In scuffling, they change

rapiers, ⌈and Hamlet wounds Laertes⌉

KING CLAUDIUS (to attendants)

Part them, they are incensed.

HAMLET (to Laertes)

Nay, come again.

⌈The Queen falls down⌉

OSRIC

Look to the Queen there, ho!

HORATIO

They bleed on both sides. (To Hamlet) How is’t, my lord?

OSRIC How is’t, Laertes?

LAERTES

Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric.

I am justly killed with mine own treachery.

HAMLET

How does the Queen?

KING CLAUDIUS

She swoons to see them bleed.

QUEEN GERTRUDE

No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet,

The drink, the drink—I am poisoned. ⌈She dies⌉

HAMLET

O villainy! Ho! Let the door be locked! ⌈Exit Osric⌉

Treachery, seek it out.

LAERTES

It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain.

No med’cine in the world can do thee good.

In thee there is not half an hour of life.

The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,

Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice

Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie,

Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poisoned.

I can no more. The King, the King’s to blame.

HAMLET

The point envenomed too? Then, venom, to thy work.

He hurts King Claudius

ALL THE COURTIERS Treason, treason!

KING CLAUDIUS

O yet defend me, friends! I am but hurt.

HAMLET

Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damned Dane,

Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?

Follow my mother. King Claudius dies

LAERTES He is justly served.

It is a poison tempered by himself.

Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet.

Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee,

Nor thine on me. He dies

HAMLET

Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.

I am dead, Horatio. Wretched Queen, adieu!

You that look pale and tremble at this chance,

That are but mutes or audience to this act,

Had I but time—as this fell sergeant Death

Is strict in his arrest—O, I could tell you—

But let it be. Horatio, I am dead,

Thou liv’st. Report me and my cause aright

To the unsatisfied.

HORATIO

Never believe it.

I am more an antique Roman than a Dane.

Here’s yet some liquor left.

HAMLET As thou’rt a man,

Give me the cup. Let go. By heaven, I’ll ha’t.

O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,

Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!

If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

Absent thee from felicity a while,

And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain

To tell my story.

March afar off, and shout within

What warlike noise is this?

Enter Osric

OSRIC

Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from Poland,

To th’ambassadors of England gives

This warlike volley.

HAMLET

O, I die, Horatio!

The potent poison quite o‘ercrows my spirit.

I cannot live to hear the news from England,

But I do prophesy th’election lights

On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice.

So tell him, with th’occurrents, more and less,

Which have solicited. The rest is silence.

O, O, O, O!

He dies

HORATIO

Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.—

Why does the drum come hither?

Enter Fortinbras with the English ⌈Ambassadors⌉, with a drummer, colours, and attendants

FORTINBRAS Where is this sight?

HORATIO What is it ye would see?

If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.

FORTINBRAS

This quarry cries on havoc. O proud death,

What feast is toward in thine eternal cell