Final answer:
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, King Claudius and Laertes plan to kill Hamlet using two methods: a sharpened rapier and poisoning the tip of the weapon, ensuring that even a scratch would be fatal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the plot in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, specifically the actions King Claudius and Laertes conspire to do with the rapier that Laertes will use in the fencing match against Hamlet. In the play, they plan two lethal enhancements to ensure Hamlet's death.
First, they devise a scheme where Laertes will use a sharpened rapier instead of the traditional blunt fencing weapon. This sharp rapier has the potential to cause real injury or death if it breaks Hamlet's skin.
Secondly, to be absolutely certain of Hamlet's demise, they plan to poison the tip of Laertes' weapon, so even a scratch would be fatal to Hamlet. These plans reflect the themes of treachery, revenge, and the tragic progression toward the doom that envelops most of the play's characters.
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, both the King and Laertes plan to kill Hamlet using the rapier that Laertes will use in the fencing match against him. The rapier is poisoned, and both the King and Laertes intend to strike Hamlet with it during the match, ensuring his death. This plot ultimately leads to the deaths of all three characters.