Act Five
Act
Five Scene Two
Sub
Scene Four
The
hour struck then.
Osric
was constant with his visits. He appeared at the next hour with a new message.
“My
lord, his Majesty commended for you attend him in the hall. He sends to know if
your
pleasure hold to play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time.” Osric
met Horatio at the doorway.
“He
is …” Horation was to say that lord was resting but was interrupted by Hamlet.
“I
am constant to my purposes. They follow the Emperor’s pleasure. If his fitness
speaks, mine is ready now or whensoever, provided I be so able as now.”
“The
Emperor and Madam will be coming down,” Osric added on. “The madame desires you
to use some gentle entertainment to Laertes before you fall to play.”
“She
well instructs me.” Hamlet smiled while Osric took to exit. After the earshot
of Osric, Horatio cautioned Hamlet.
“You
will lose, my lord.”
“May
not will. I do not think so. Since he went to France, I have been in continual
practice. I shall win at the odds, but thou wouldst not think how ill
all’s here about my heart. But it is no matter. He could have a pound of my
flesh but not my blood.”
“Shylock;
Merchant of Venice.” Hamlet reminded Horatio.
“I
know. Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.” Horatio looked at Hamlet. “Let
me be your champion.”
“Nay,
I am good.” Hamlet smiled.
“Nay,
good my lord— it’s your..” Horatio cut in.
“It
is but foolery, but it is such a kind of gaingiving as would perhaps trouble a
woman.” Hamlet sighed. “Mother will be as juts, but fear not, I am prepared.”
“If
your mind dislikes anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither and
say you are not fit.” Horatio looked to reason with the lord.
“Not
a whit. We defy augury. There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.
If it is now, ’tis not to come; if it is not to come, it will be now; if
it is not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all. Since no man of aught he
leaves knows, what is ’t to leave betimes? Let be.” Hamlet's assessment of the
situation of it’s to happen, it will.
“We
will leave now,” Hamlet said.
At
the castle, the hall was re-arranged with the seatings on the two sides, and
the middle section was vacated for the coming duel. A long banquet table was
placed before Claudius and Madame’s seats.
“As
a buffer there in case the duelists fought too hard and reached this end, the
table may stand as a barrier.” Osric had prepared the table.
“Good
thoughts, Osric. We have been clueless since the King died, and then the
Chamberlain, and ....his daughter... are we cursed here now?” The man-servant
who helped Osric lamented on the ill events there.
“Nay
those thoughts. It’s … only a transition. This duel might end it all.” Osric
assured the other. He was then distracted by the arrival of Hamlet and Horatio.
“Stack
the table with the food and drinks. The Emperor will bring his wine to serve
here today. Make haste now.” Osric instructed the servant.
Claudius
and Gertrude made their appearances with the guests, including the Frenchman,
Lampard. The Frenchman carried the foils in and laid them on the table for all
to see.
“These
are tournament standards>” Lampard announced to all.
“Come,
Hamlet, come and take this hand from me.” Claudius offered his hands to Hamlet.
He puts Laertes’ hand into Hamlet’s.
“Be
fair and gentlemen about it.” Claudius smiled. “We are still friends here.”
“Give
me your pardon, sir. I have done you wrong,” Hamlet conveyed his apologies to
Laertes. “But pardon ’t as you are a gentleman. This presence knows, and you
must needs have heard, how I am punished with a sore distraction.”
“What
I have done that might your nature, honor, and exception roughly awake, I
here proclaim was madness.” Hamlet admitted.
“Madness
riled me then. Was ’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never will 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.” Hamlet claims that he was not the one,
or himself then. “Who does it, then? His madness. If ’t be so, Hamlet is of the
faction that is wronged; His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.”
“Sir, in this audience let my
disclaiming from a purposed evil, free me so far in your most generous
thoughts that I have shot my arrow o’er the house and hurt my brother. As it
was, your father then. It was all a mistake I regretted. He was not seen for he
stood behind the curtain, hidden by sight.”
“I am satisfied in nature, whose
motive, in this case, should stir me most to my revenge; but in my terms
of honor I stand aloof and will no reconcilement.” Laertes held his vengeance.
“I may be if till by some elder
masters of known honor, I may hold a voice and precedent of peace to keep my
name ungored. But till that time I do receive your offered love like love,
and will not wrong it.” Laertes added his words. He offered solace then.
“I embrace it freely and will this
brothers’ wager frankly play.— Give us the foils. Come on.” Hamlet asked for
the foil. Horatio picked them up and saw the sharpened end. He was reluctant to
hand it over but Hamlet was insistent.
“Come, one for me,” Laertes called
out, and it was Claudius who handed him the foil.
“It suits you this one,” Claudius
said.
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