The last scene of the film depicts the segment of the play in which four members of the royal family are killed. Laertes and Hamlet select their swords, and the king, Claudius, says he will drink to Hamlet's health, then he throws into the cup a pearl, which is actually poison. Gertrude drinks from the cup, dies, and Laertes strikes Hamlet with a poisoned sword. They manage to exchange swords, and Hamlet cuts Laertes with his own tainted weapon. Before Laertes’ death, he says that king is to blame both for the poison on the sword and for the poison in the cup. Hamlet, in a fury, runs Claudius through with

The incompetence of Gibson rubs off onto the other actors as well. Glenn Close, who plays the part of Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, is usually known as a very talented actress. However, in this final scene of Hamlet she just doesn’t hit the mark. She makes Gertrude seem to be a simple, even half-witted woman. The way she sits on her throne, oblivious to what is going on, is bothering. With the recent death of Laertes’ father, Gertrude should have at least have had some sense that Claudius and Laertes would not let Hamlet off that easily. Marshall adds, "The characterization is undermined by a cuteness on the part of Gibson- as when Hamlet winks at his mother in a comic sword scene in which, in turn, makes it all the more difficult the other adjoining roles, especially that of Gertrude and Ophelia" (Marshall 832). Close’s performance is made bad because of Gibson’s early inexperience. Close allowed Gibson’s lack of passion for his part persuade her to be careless with hers as well.

During this last scene, Hamlet is devastated by his sadness, and controlled by his feelings. Gibson doesn’t appear to be feeling much of anything in this scene, especially not any deep sadness. Denby says, "This Hamlet is fidgety (Gibson wags his head back and forth as he talks), balled up much of the time though capable of sudden bursts of loose –limbed energy" (Denby 766). Gibson simply doesn’t act the part of a prince in despair. He looks as if he is having to good of a time. Alexandra Marshall adds, "As Hamlet, Mel Gibson offers too little evidence of the internal struggle that is at the heart of the play, which has the awful effect of disembodying the great soliloquies" (Marshall 832). Gibson acts as if he’s to concerned in making himself look good to actually concentrate on play

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