The grand contest for excellence in sword-play comes off in the main hall of the palace, while the King, Queen, lords and courtiers await the entrance of Hamlet. The rapier point handed by the King to Laertes, was dipped in deadly poison, so that it but touch the flesh of Hamlet certain death prevailed, and even of the wine cups set on the table to quench the thirst of the artistic fencers, one was poisoned and intended for Hamlet's dissolution. Laertes was in the poison plot, and Hamlet felt in his soul that foul play was intended, but in the general scramble and conclusion he hoped to wipe off the score of his vengeance from the slate of royal iniquity and slaughter. Trumpet and cannon sound for beginning the sword contest. First passes favored Hamlet, and the King, grasping the poison wine cup, says: _"Hamlet, this pearl is thine; Here's to thy health!"_ (Offering him the cup.) Hamlet replies: _"Give Laertes the cup, I'll play this bout first; set it by a while."_ Hamlet makes another pass and touches Laertes, and the Queen grasps the poison cup in her excitement and drinks to her son. The King impulsively says: _"Gertrude, do not drink!"_ (Aside) _"It is the poisoned cup!"_ The Queen, as God and Fate would have it, says stubbornly: _"I will, my lord, I pray you pardon me!"_ In the third round Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned-pointed rapier, and in the struggle Hamlet grasps Laertes' rapier and in turn wounds his antagonist. At this moment the Queen falls off her throne, and dying, says to Hamlet: _"O, my dear Hamlet; the drink, the drink; I am poisoned!"_ Laertes then falls, and Hamlet, seeing through the plot, exclaims: _"O, villainy! Ho! let the door be locked; Treachery! seek it out!"_ Laertes makes the dying confession of his treachery: _"It is here, Hamlet; Hamlet, thou art slain; No medicine in the world can do thee good, In thee there is not half an hour of life; The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, Unbated and envenomed; the foul practice Hath turned itself on me, lo, here I lie, Never to rise again; thy mother's poisoned; I can no more; the King, the King is to blame!"_ Then Hamlet, as a lion rushing on his prey, exclaims: _"The point envenomed too, Then, venom, to thy work."_ (Stabs the King.) The King falls and says: "I am but hurt"; while Hamlet grasps the poisoned cup of wine and dashes it down the throat of the guilty monster, exclaiming: _"Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, Drink off this potion: is thy union here?-- Follow my mother!"_ (King dies.) Laertes' last words: _"The King is justly served; Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet."_ Hamlet replies: