The ghost tells Hamlet that King Hamlet was killed by Claudius, but he fails to act on it. When he is first told this, he decides that he will take on a strange character and even if he does, he does nothing with the idea. In fact, he loses track of it and just waits to be properly motivated. As he watches the musician perform, he realizes how the musician has “tears in his eyes, absent-mindedness in appearance / A broken voice, and all his function fitting / With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing” (II.ii.507-509). Hamlet is confused as to why the player is able to cry for a character who is not real, but Hamlet cannot take revenge for his father's death. Hamlet is arguing about his choices and how he hasn't planned anything successful. Unlike Hamlet, Laertes was able to plan what he would do. Laertes decides that “he will not / And for this I will anoint my sword [...] And let him ask for a drink, I will have preferred him / A cup for the nonce” (IV.vii. 138-139,158-159). This shows how Laertes prepared not only a plan, but also a backup plan on how to kill Hamlet. Laertes has decided that he will stab Hamlet with a poisoned sword during a duel organized by Claudius, and if he fails, a poisoned drink will be prepared..