Act V, Scene 2
[Line 312]
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!
[She lifts the cup that holds the poisoned pearl.]
HAMLET Good madam.
KING CLAUDIUS [To no avail]
Gertrude, do not drink.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
I will, my lord; I pray you pardon me.
[QUEEN GERTRUDE drinks from the poisoned cup.]
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 they face.
LAERTES [To KING]
My lord, I’ll hit him now.
KING CLAUDIUS I do not think it.
LAERTES [aside]
And yet it is almost against my conscience.
HAMLET
Come, for the third, Laertes. You do 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!
OSRIC Nothing neither way.
LAERTES Have at you now!
[LAERTES wounds HAMLET with the envenomed rapier. Then, they scuffle and exchange rapiers. HAMLET wounds LAERTES back with the same envenomed rapier.]
KING CLAUDIUS Part them, they are incensed!
HAMLET Nay, come again!
[QUEEN GERTRUDE falls.]
OSRIC
Look to the Queen there, ho!
[QUEEN GERTRUDE falls.]
OSRIC
Look to the Queen there, ho!
HORATIO
They bleed on both sides.—How is it, my lord?
OSRIC How is’t, Laertes?
LAERTES
Why, as a woodcock to my own springe, Osric!
[LAERTES falls.]
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.
[QUEEN GERTRUDE dies.]
[Line 341]