Hamlet tells Horatio of his treacherous sea voyage to England. Waking in the night, Hamlet wandered into the captain's quarters and found a letter written by King Claudius. Hamlet unsealed the letter and discovered it was a commission against his own life. King Claudius had instructed the King of England to have Hamlet beheaded immediately upon reading the order. Acting quickly, Hamlet forged a new letter from Claudius, which instead instructed England to execute the bearers of the letter, namely Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Sealing the forgery with his father's signet, Hamlet placed his handiwork back in the captain's quarters and escaped.
Hamlet regrets his mistreatment of Laertes and recognizes that Laertes' vengeance against him is similar to his own vengeance against Claudius. The pesky courtier Osric announces that Claudius has arranged a fencing competition between the Prince and the skilled Laertes. Envious of Laertes' skill with a rapier and eager to prove himself, Hamlet agrees to play. Horatio feels uneasy, but the headstrong Prince ignores his doubts.
The competition begins as trumpets, drums, swords, wine, cushions and crowds are gathered onstage. Hamlet apologizes for wronging Laertes in his madness, and Laertes superficially accepts his repentance. As the duel commences, King Claudius toasts Hamlet with wine and secretly prepares the poisoned chalice. Hamlet strikes Laertes with "'A hit, a very palpable hit.'" Act 5, Scene 2, line 223 and Claudius, worried by Hamlet's success, offers him the tainted cup. Hamlet refuses to drink. Instead, Queen Gertrude seizes the chalice and drinks to her son's good fortune. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword. In the scuffle, they exchange rapiers and Hamlet slices Laertes with the venomous weapon. Queen Gertrude falls dead from the poisoned chalice. In the tumult, Laertes confesses to Hamlet that the sword, which wounded them both, was laced with a fatal poison. Seizing the poisoned rapier, Hamlet slashes and kills King Claudius. Laertes and Hamlet exchange forgiveness as Laertes dies. With failing breath, Hamlet pleads with Horatio to tell his story. A far-off march is heard and Hamlet learns that young Fortinbras is marching through Denmark on his return trip from Poland. Because the entire royal line has been massacred, Hamlet uses his dying voice to support Fortinbras as Denmark's next elected monarch. Finally, Hamlet dies. Ambassadors from England arrive at the scene, eager to tell King Claudius that his order of execution has been carried out: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Disappointing the duped ambassadors, Horatio reveals that the order was forged. The royal corpses are collected and Fortinbras gives Hamlet an honorable soldier's procession. A witness to the entire tragedy, Horatio pledges to tell Hamlet's story to the kingdom and the world.
"'And let me speak to th' yet unknowing world How these things came about. So shall you hear Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause; And, in this upshot, purposes mistook Fall'n on the inventors' heads. All this can I Truly deliver.'" Act 5, Scene 2, lines 323-329
