In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act Five,
scene two, is the conclusion to the play, when Claudius' machinations culminate with
tragic consequences for all of the major players still
alive.
Claudius has arranged with Laertes to cut Hamlet
with a poisoned foil (sword) in the sword play that has been arranged. The foils are
switched in a scuffle, and Laertes is also poisoned. Claudius, making sure to have a
backup plan to kill Hamlet, drops a poisoned pearl in a glass of wine, promising it to
Hamlet if he wins. Gertrude drinks the wine in honor of her son and she is poisoned.
When Laertes reveals Claudius' part in the deceit and death unfolding around him, Hamlet
stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and pours poisoned wine down his throat. Within a
short period of time, Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, and Hamlet are all dead. Hamlet's
last words are for Horatio, asking him to share the truth of their story with those who
follow.
If I needed to summarize the importance of this
scene, I would probably write:
Murder and deceit reign over
the lives of the members of Hamlet's family and those who serve the King; there is no
way that the characters are able walk a line between honor and deceit—once committed to
their course, they all pay the price for their actions, which is
death.
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