LAERTES        [aside to King]            My lord, I’ll hit him now.

CLAUDIUS      [aside to Laertes]       I do not think’t.

LAERTES        [aside] And yet it is almost against my conscience.

HAMLET         Come for the third, Laertes, you do but dally.

I pray you pass with your best violence.

I am sure you make a wanton of me.

LAERTES        Say you so? Come on. [They play.]

OSRIC Nothing neither way.

LAERTES        Have at you now! [In scuffling they change rapiers.]

CLAUDIUS      Part them – they are incensed.

HAMLET         Nay, come again. [Queen falls.]

OSRIC Look to the Queen there, ho!            (5.2.278-288)

Gertrude, it seems, is wiping Hamlet’s face, close to him, a moment of maternal intimacy in which she might try to communicate that he’s in terrible danger—or not—and one of the things about this scene is that its spatial dynamics are extraordinarily stretchy, because of the length of the foils or rapiers, because of the rapid movement of Laertes and Hamlet (perhaps tracked by Osric and maybe Horatio) and then, in the midst, these little comings together, Hamlet and Gertrude here and, it seems, Laertes and Claudius too: my lord, I’ll hit him now, mutters Laertes, now being either right this moment, when Hamlet’s not even fighting or, more likely, at the next opportunity. I’ll do it, I really will, trust me. I do not think’t, replies Claudius, suggesting he’s lost faith in Laertes’s ability, is perhaps goading him—do it, then! what are you waiting for? Laertes is indeed losing his motivation: and yet it is almost against my conscience—is this said to himself or to Claudius? both are possible, but it raises the stakes again, another element of uncertainty, if Laertes doesn’t follow through, what will Claudius do? and what about the fact that Gertrude’s just drunk poison? Many things are now happening all at once, and the audience’s attention and focus have to keep shifting too.

Hamlet seems to be taking control, in a way: come for the third, Laertes, you do but dally! Let’s settle this, you’re just playing around, playing for time, too! I pray you pass with your best violence, don’t hold back, I am sure you make a wanton of me! You’ve just been messing around, going through the motions, letting me win! Come and have a proper go! Is this a taunt or an expression of real incredulity? It’s certainly an acknowledgement that something feels off. But it has the (desired?) effect on Laertes: say you so? Come on! Alright then, let’s do this—and the suggestion is that he attacks with much more alacrity, and perhaps less discipline, that this is shifting from fencing bout to duel, that the stakes have been raised. It looks like contact’s been made—perhaps Laertes thinks so, desperately? perhaps they both appeal? this suggests the speed, perhaps the confusion—but Osric judges that nothing neither way. No, no hit. And now Laertes is really furious, he has to end this, he’s got no way out: have at you now! the SD is editorial but it has to happen, and what matters is confusion, no rules, grappling, chasing, weapons being knocked or dropped. Claudius tries to come in, he’s perhaps noticed the switch of blades—part them, they are incensed! this has gone too far, this isn’t a sporting competition any longer, and it needs to stop now!—nay, come again! Hamlet’s not stopping, he’s seeing this through even if he can’t quite understand what’s going on, but he knows this is now a different kind of fight, one that he has to win—and everyone’s looking at Hamlet and Laertes, and at Claudius looking at Hamlet and Laertes—until Osric says, Look to the Queen there, ho! as she staggers and, presumably, falls…