Opheliawaslaidintothegrave.Thepriestbeganthefuneralserviceforher.Whilethepriestwaspraying,thequeenthrewsomebeautifulflowersintothegrave,saying,「Nowthatyouaredead,Ihopeyoumayhavepeaceinheaven,mydearsweetlady.IhadhopedthatyouwouldbecomemyHamlet』swife.」
ThensuddenlyLaertesjumpedintothegraveandheldherinhisarms.
「Youweretheloveliestsisterintheworld.Whydidyoukillyourself?Burymealivebesideyou,」criedLaertes.
UponhearingLaertes』words,Hamletrushedoutofthebushesandjumpedintothegrave.HeintendedtotakeOpheliaintohisarms.「IlovedOpheliamuchmorethanyou,Laertes.GivemebackmyOphelia,」criedHamlettohim.
AsLaertesthoughtHamletwasresponsibleforhissister』sdeathaswellasforhisfather』s,hewantedtokillhim.HesaidtoHamlet,「Itisyou,Hamlet,whokilledmyfatherandsister.Thoughyouaretheprinceofourcountry,Icannotforgiveyou.Iwillkillyouhere,today,formypoorfamily.」
Theystartedfightinginthegrave.Butsoontheywereseparatedbytheothermenwhowerethere.
AfterHamletandHoratiohadleftthegraveofOphelia,thekingcalledLaertestohimandtoldhimthathehadanidea.HeadvisedLaertestohaveafriendlyswordfightwithHamletatthehallofthecastlethenextday.Uponhearingtheking』splan,Laertesagreedwithhim.Thiswickedking,Claudius,wasgoingtocapitalizeonthegriefandangerofLaertesforthedeathofhisfatherandsistertodestroyHamlet.
ThekingsuggestedthatLaertesshoulduseasharpswordwithpoisononthetipofit.Suchaswordwasverydangerous,so,ofcourse,itwasnotallowedinafriendlyfight.IfLaertesstruckHamlethardwiththesword,hewouldbekilledwithinafewminutes.LaerteswassogoodatfencingthatthekingwassurethathewouldkillHamletduringthematch.ThekingintendedtohaveHamletuseabluntsword.However,incaseHamletshouldwinthecontest,hepreparedaglassofpoisonedwine.HewasgoingtoofferittoHamlet,pretendingtoadmirehisvictory.HehopedHamletwoulddrinkitanddie.
Oneoftheking』smencametoHamlettotellhimaboutthecontestbetweenHamletandLaertesthenextday.Heacceptedtheproposalatonce,ashethoughtitwasjustafriendlycontest.
Thenextdayanumberofpeoplecametothehallwherethecontestwastobeheld.Theyhadbeenlookingforwardtoseeingthecontestbetweenthetwoyoungmen.Thekingandqueensatatthetableonwhichtheglassofpoisonedwinehadbeenplaced.
Beforethecontest,HamletaskedLaertestoforgivehimforkillinghisfatherbyaccident.Theyshookhandswitheachother.AtfirstHamletseemedtobewinning.HefoughtmoreskillfullythanLaertes,butbothofthemseemedtobecomeverytired.Thekingsaid,「Stopthefight.Havearestforawhile.」Theystoppedfighting.Allthepeoplewatchinggavethemabighand.Hamlet』smotherwasverygladtoseehowstronghersonwas.ClaudiusofferedtheglassofpoisonedwinetoHamlet,saying,「Haveadrink,Hamlet.」
「No,thankyou.Iwilldrinkitafterthecontest,」saidHamlet.Afterashortwhile,theybegantofightagain.
ThistimeLaertesseemedtofightbetterandatlasthestruckHamletslightlyontheshoulderwithhissharpsword.Seeingthis,thequeenbecameveryexcited.Shefeltsothirstythatshepickedupthepoisonedglassofwinefromthetableanddrankhalfofit.Thekingwastooabsorbedinwatchingthefighttonoticeherdrinkingthepoisonedwine.Tohisdeepregret,hehadnotsaidanythingtoheraboutthepoisonedwine.
Duringthesecondhalfofthefight,thetwomendroppedtheirswordsandeachmanhappenedtopickuptheotherman』ssword.SoonHamletgaveLaertesadeadlyblowwiththepoisonedsword.NosoonerhadLaertesfallentothefloorthanthequeenfellfromherchair,crying,「Ihavebeenpoisoned!Thewinewaspoisoned!Oh,mydearHamlet!」Gertrudesoonlaydead.Laerteswasstillalive,thoughhewasmortallywounded.
Hecried,「Thekingplannedeverything.Heisresponsibleforthisunfairswordcontestandthepoisonedwine.Heistoblame.Iamverysorry,Hamlet.」Soonaftersayingthis,hedied.
HamletnowknewaboutClaudius』sevilplan.Healsorealizedthathisownlifewasslippingawaybecauseofthepoisonedsword.Withthelastounceofhisstrength,Hamletrushedtothekingandstruckhimwiththepoisonedsword,saying「Youwickedman!Youaresuretogotohell.」Healsoforcedthekingtodrinktherestofthepoisonedwine.Atlasthecarriedouthispromisetohisfather』sghost.
Hamletwasbarelyabletobreathe.ThenhebecameawarethatHoratiowastryingtokillhimselfwithhisownsword.Horatiowantedtojointheprinceindeath.
「Stopit,Horatio!Listen!Youmustlivetotellthissadstorytotheworld,」criedHamletgaspingly.
HoratiothrewawaytheswordwhenheheardthelastwordsofHamletandsaid,「Yes,Hamlet.Iwill,mydearPrinceofDenmark.」HefirmlypromisedthathewouldtellthetruestoryofHamlettotheworld.AssoonasHamletheardthesewordsfromHoratio,hefelthappyandhisnobleheartstoppedbeating.EveryonepresentatthisterriblesceneprayedtoGodthatHamletmightrestinpeace.
這是講述年輕丹麥王子哈姆雷特的悲傷故事，他的父親在故事開始前兩個月去世。哈姆雷特的父親是丹麥國王，而哈姆雷特則是他的獨生子。國王在城堡的花園中睡覺時突然離奇地死去，大家都認為他是被一條毒蛇給咬死的。他是一位睿智仁慈的國王，因此全國人民都很愛戴他。當然，國王的兒子哈姆雷特要比世上的任何人更愛他。