What I have done,

That might your nature, honour, and exception,
Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness.
Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? Never, Hamlet:
If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,

And, when he's not himself, does wrong Laertes,
Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it.
Who does it then? His madness: If 't be so,
Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong'd;
His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy.
Sir, in this audience,

Let my disclaiming from a purpos'd evil
Free me so far in your most generous thoughts,
That I have shot my arrow o'er the house,

And hurt my brother.

Laer.
I am satisfied in nature,
Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most
To my revenge: but in my terms of honour,
I stand aloof; and will no reconcilement,
Till by some elder masters, of known honour,
I have a voice and precedent of peace,

To keep my name ungor'd:7 But till that time,
I do receive your offer'd love like love,

And will not wrong it.
Ham.

I embrace it freely;

And will this brother's wager frankly play.

Give us the foils; come on.

Laer.

Come, one for me.

Ham. I'll be your foil, Laertes; in mine ignorance

Your skill shall, like a star i'the darkest night,
Stick fiery off indeed.

Laer.

You mock me, sir.

Ham. No, by this hand.

King. Give them the foils, young Osric. -Cousin

Hamlet,

You know the wager?
Ham.

Very well, my lord;

Your grace hath laid the odds o'the weaker side.
King. I do not fear it: I have seen you both:-
But since he's better'd, we have therefore odds.
Laer. This is too heavy, let me see another.
Ham. This likes me well: These foils have all a

length ?

Osr. Ay, my good lord.

[They prepare to play.

King. Set me the stoups of wine upon that

table :

If Hamlet give the first or second hit,
Or quit in answer of the third exchange,
Let all the battlements their ordnance fire;
The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath;
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. -Come, begin;-

And you, the judges, bear a wary eye.

Ham. Come on, sir.

Ham.

Osr. A hit, a very palpable hit.
Laer.

Judgment.

Well,-again.

King. Stay, give me drink: Hamlet, this pearl is

thine;

Here's to thy health.-Give him the cup.

[Trumpets sound; and Cannon shot off within.

Ham. I'll play this bout first, set it by awhile.

Come. Another hit; What say you?

Laer. A touch, a touch, I do confess.

King. Our son shall win.

Queen.

[They play.

He's fat, and scant of breath.

Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows:

The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.

Ham. Good madam,-

King.

Gertrude, do not drink.

Queen. I will, my lord; -I pray you, pardon

me.

King. It is the poison'd cup; it is too late.

[Aside.

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

Queen. Come, let me wipe thy face.

Laer. My lord, I'll hit him now.

King.

I do not think it.

Laer. And yet it is almost against my conscience. [Aside.

Ham. Come, for the third, Laertes: You do but

dally;

I pray you, pass with your best violence;
I am afeard, you make a wanton3 of me.

Laer. Say you so? come on.

[They play. Osr. Nothing neither way.

Laer. Have at you now.

[LAERTES wounds HAMLET; then, in scuf.

fling, they change Rapiers, and HAMLET

Hor. They bleed on both sides:-How is it, my

lord?

Osr. How is't, Laertes?

Laer. Why, as a woodcock to my own springe,

Osric;

I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery.

Ham. How does the queen?

King.

She swoons to see them bleed.

Queen. No, no, the drink, the drink,-O my dear

Hamlet!

The drink, the drink; -I am poison'd!

[Dies.

Ham. O villainy!-Ho! let the door be lock'd:

Treachery! seek it out.

[LAERTES falls.

Laer. It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain;

No medicine in the world can do thee good,
In thee there is not half an hour's life;
The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,
Unbated, and envenom'd: the foul practice
Hath turn'd itself on me; lo, here I lie,
Never to rise again: Thy mother's poison'd;
I can no more; the king, the king's to blame.
Ham. The point

4 The foil without a button, and poisoned point.

(

Envenom'd too !-Then, venom, to thy work.

Osr. & Lords. Treason! treason!

[Stabs the King.

King. O, yet defend me, friends, I am but hurt.
Ham. Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned

Dane,

Drink off this potion :-Is the union here?

Follow my mother.

Laer.

[King dies.

He is justly serv'd;
It is a poison temper'ds by himself.-
Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet:

Mine and my father's death come not upon thee;
Nor thine on me!

[Dies.

Ham. 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.

Hor.

Never believe it;

I am more an antique Roman than a Dane,

Here's yet some liquor left.

Ham.

As thou'rt a man,Give me the cup; let go; by heaven I'll have it.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 awhile,