James Michael McCoy-Flowers June 12, 1995

Advanced Placement English 8 Hamlet Test V, Essay # 3

Claudius and Laertes devised a plot to kill Hamlet.

This insidious scheme had several segments. Their plan was
to have a courtier deliver a message to Hamlet, stating,
Laertes was challenging him to a friendly duel, and the king
would be most pleased if he accepted, since he wagered upon
Hamlet to win.
In reality, Laertes was to use a poisoned sword, which
he had anointed with a poison Laertes purchased from a
mountebank. Their plot also had a fallback(Plan B), in case
Hamlet proved to be the better swordsman of the two. When
Hamlet called for a drink during the short intermission
between rounds, Claudius was to raise a chalice in Hamlet's
' Honor ' and drop a pearl in it, while he also dropped an
uncurable poison in the cup.
Claudius and Laertes's plan was a ' two-edged sword, it
accomplished it's fiendish purpose, and yet it backfired upon
them with equal accuracy.
It successfully maneuvered Hamlet into accepting a bogus
duel(however this could have been Hamlet realizing his time
was now or never). It backfired when Hamlet quickly scored
two hits against Laertes, The beginning of the end started
when Gertrude, drank from the poisoned chalice, and
accomplished it's goal when Laertes in his hastiness, scored
an illegal hit against Hamlet, poisoning him.
Their plot turned in to a Pyrrus victory, when Hamlet
realized it was a bum duel, Hamlet forcefully switches swords
and strikes Laertes with his own poisoned sword, effectively
dealing him a mortal wound.
What trapped Claudius was when Hamlet' s mother,
Gertrude swoons from the poison, and with her dying breath
says, "The drink, the drink! I am poisoned." Hamlet of
course cries, "Treachery! Seek it out." Laertes reveals the
plot of the king and reveals the truth of the pointed sword.
Claudius attempts to flee, but Hamlet runs him through with
the poisoned sword and then forces him to drink from the
poisoned chalice, where Claudius dies.
In conclusion, their victory was more costly, since it
cost them their lives.