Hamlet
Act 4, Scene 5
Ophelia is not well. A gentleman reveals to Gertrude and Horatio that she has been wandering around, talking nonsense and singing songs. Just then, Ophelia enters, acting utterly insane. She sings songs about death, love, and flowers. Gertrude can make neither heads nor tails of what she’s saying, but Ophelia’s songs hint at Hamlet’s betrayal and her father’s death. After she leaves, Laertes returns, demanding to know where his father is. Claudius informs Laertes that Polonius is dead but swears it wasn’t his fault. Ophelia reenters, talking and singing nonsense again.
Act 3, Scene 1
Tybalt, still looking to punish Romeo for his appearance at the Capulets’ party, runs into Mercutio and Benvolio. He provokes Mercutio into a duel, while Benvolio tries to stop the fighting. Romeo enters, and Tybalt calls him a villain. Romeo, having just married Juliet (who is Tybalt’s cousin), swears he’s not, but Tybalt challenges him to draw. Mercutio draws first, then Tybalt, and they fall to fighting finally. Romeo tries to break it up, but Tybalt reaches under Romeo’s arm and fatally stabs Mercutio, who curses the Montagues and the Capulets for their continuing feud.
