Taking up Laertes' for a challenge was another decision of Hamlet. He did have a plan to protect himself, but that only worked because of his strength. This is because Claudius says that Laertes must get twelve hits before Hamlet gets nine. Hamlet wins over two hits before Laertes gets any. After Hamlet's first hit, Claudius drinks to it without the poisoned union (pearl) in the cups. After he drinks, he puts it in. Following Hamlet's second hit, the Queen drinks to it, poisoned, she falls to her death. She warns Hamlet about the poisoned drink.
No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet!
The drink, the drink! I am poisin'd.
(page 311, act 5, scene 2, L 329,330)
David Garrick in Hamlet, I, 4
Book signing and Hamlet Au's interview with Julian...
HamletIn the end, Laertes is killed by Hamlet, Hamlet is slain by Laertes, and Claudius is repaid for his brother's death by Hamlet. If Hamlet were to stay out of his challenge, he could have stayed alive and killed Claudius in another clever way. His decision leads him to do otherwise.
Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.
I am dead, Horatio.
(Page 377, act 5, scene 2, L377-383)
O, I die, Horatio!
The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit.
I cannot live to hear the news from England,
But I do prophecy the election lights.
On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice.
So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less.
Which have solicited-the rest is silent.
Even after he knows he is extremely close to his death, Hamlet still wants the best for Denmark.
Decision-making is an enormous aspect in a person's life. It must be analyzed and thought - over before the decision or reasoning deaths, are caused by how one's life what it becomes and...