CLAUDIUS      Who shall stay you?

LAERTES                    My will, not all the world’s.

And for my means I’ll husband them so well

They shall go far with little.

CLAUDIUS                  Good Laertes,

If you desire to know the certainty

Of your dear father, is’t writ in your revenge

That swoopstake you will draw both friend and foe,

Winner and loser?

LAERTES                    None but his enemies.

CLAUDIUS      Will you know them, then?   (4.5.135-143)

Who shall stay you? asks Claudius. Who can or could prevent you, or, possibly, what’s stopping you, then? He’s cool, he’s got a plan, it seems, and it involves keeping Laertes talking, slowing him down, above all asking questions, but not answering them. My will, not all the world’s, is Laertes’s furious response; nothing’s going to stop me! And for my means—as to how I’m going to manage this—I’ll husband them so well they shall go far with little. It doesn’t take much to kill a king—this of course has much more force if Laertes is still pointing a blade, or a gun, at Claudius. I’ll get the job done.

So he’s hesitating, can’t quite do it, has some doubts already, even—and Claudius sees his opportunity. Good Laertes—smooth, courteous, kindly, even—if you desire to know the certainty of your dear father—if you really want to know The Truth (and obviously your father was my friend too, my right hand!) is’t writ in your revenge that swoopstake you will draw both friend and foe, winner and loser? Are you really going to go scorched earth on this, take down everyone, whether they’re involved or not? Or do you want to be more surgical and strategic, and only take your revenge on those—the one—actually directly involved? Hmmm?

I’m after none but his enemies, admits Laertes. And that’s the opening that Claudius needs: will you know them, then? I may be able to help you there; look, we’re on the same side! I can tell you who’s responsible for your father’s death, if you’ll let me.