Skip to content

Draft #4

King. Stay, give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thine;
Here’s to thy health: give him the cup. (A draught
anointed with a poison most severe!)
Laer. Another bout, your majesty; good Prince,
what sayest thou?
Ham. I’ll justly serve thee nonce.
[They play.]
Gert. Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, dab thy brow.
King. (But is that kerchief one I poison’d hence?
I’d best be sure.) Nay, take instead the wine.
Gert. I’ll have it. Gack!
Laer. Look here, a hit!
King. Poison! The Queen!
Ham. A venomed foil? This treachery will out!
Here, see how I have poison’d this grenade–