Hamlet Group

Question:

pbmx
pbmx
Student
Community / Jr. College

In Act 5, of "Hamlet", Laertes tells Hamlet of Claudius' ___?

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Posted by pbmx on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 11:14 AM and tagged with act 5, claudius, fill in the blanks, hamlet, plan.

Answers:


  1. robertwilliam

    eNotes Editor

    ...treacherous plan.

    And here he is doing it, shortly before he dies of having been cut with the poisoned sword:

    In thee there is not half an hour of 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.

     

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet-text/act-v-scene-ii?start=3

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    Posted by robertwilliam on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 11:47 AM


  2. mrs-campbell Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    I think that this refers to how Laertes tells Hamlet that it was the king (Claudius) that poisoned the drink.  After Gertrude falls ill, she claims, "The drink!  the drink!  I am poison'd."  Hamlet isn't sure who put the poison there, and is about to launch a man-hunt for the villian when Laertes steps in and admits, "The King, the King's to blame".  So, to fill in your blank, it could be "treachery", "betrayal", "poisoning of the cup".  Once Laertes confesses who the true villian is, it isn't long before Hamlet FINALLY dispatches of the king and enacts the revenge he's been pining about the entire play.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet
    http://www.enotes.com/hamlet-text/act-v-scene-ii

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    Posted by mrs-campbell on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 11:57 AM