Category: Hatchet

edMe Reading Companion app for Hatchet(TM). It has high-quality formative questions to ensure that your student gets the most out of this great book.

Posted on by

Act 4, page 4

Table of Contents

ACT IV SCENE V� Setting: Elsinore. A room in the castle.

Enter QUEEN GERTRUDE, HORATIO, and a Gentleman.�

QUEEN GERTRUDE� I will not speak with her. � Gentleman� She is importunate, indeed distract: � � Her mood will needs be pitied. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� What would she have? Gentleman� She speaks much of her father; says she hears � � There's tricks i' the world; and hems, and beats her heart; � � Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, � � That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing, � � Yet the unshaped use of it doth move � The hearers to collection; they aim at it, � � And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts; �10 � Which, as her winks, and nods, and gestures � � yield them, � � Indeed would make one think there might be thought, � Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. � HORATIO� Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew � � Dangerous conjectures in ill–breeding minds. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� Let her come in. � � Exit HORATIO. � � Aside. To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is, � Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss: � � So full of artless jealousy is guilt, � � It spills itself in fearing to be spilt. �20 � Re–enter HORATIO, with OPHELIA. � OPHELIA� Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark? � QUEEN GERTRUDE� How now, Ophelia! OPHELIA� Sings. � � How should I your true love know � � From another one? � � By his cockle hat and staff, � � And his sandal shoon. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song? OPHELIA� Say you? nay, pray you, mark. � � Sings. � � He is dead and gone, lady, � � He is dead and gone; �30 � At his head a grass–green turf, � � At his heels a stone. QUEEN GERTRUDE� Nay, but, Ophelia,–– � OPHELIA� Pray you, mark. � � Sings. � � White his shroud as the mountain snow,–– � � Enter KING CLAUDIUS � QUEEN GERTRUDE� Alas, look here, my lord. � OPHELIA� Sings. � � Larded with sweet flowers � Which bewept to the grave did go � � With true–love showers. � KING CLAUDIUS� How do you, pretty lady? �40 OPHELIA� Well, God 'ild you! They say the owl was a baker's � � daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table! KING CLAUDIUS� Conceit upon her father. � OPHELIA� Pray you, let's have no words of this; but when they � � ask you what it means, say you this: � � Sings � � To–morrow is Saint Valentine's day, � All in the morning betime, � � And I a maid at your window, � � To be your Valentine. �50 � Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, � � And dupp'd the chamber–door; � Let in the maid, that out a maid � � Never departed more. � KING CLAUDIUS� Pretty Ophelia! � OPHELIA� Indeed, la, without an oath, I'll make an end on't: � � Sings. � � By Gis and by Saint Charity, � Alack, and fie for shame! � � Young men will do't, if they come to't; � � By cock, they are to blame. � � Quoth she, before you tumbled me, � � You promised me to wed. � So would I ha' done, by yonder sun, � � An thou hadst not come to my bed. � KING CLAUDIUS� How long hath she been thus? � OPHELIA� I hope all will be well. We must be patient: but I � � cannot choose but weep, to think they should lay him � i' the cold ground. My brother shall know of it: � � and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my � � coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; � � good night, good night. � � Exit � KING CLAUDIUS� Follow her close; give her good watch, � I pray you. � � Exit HORATIO. � � O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs � � All from her father's death. O Gertrude, Gertrude, �60 � When sorrows come, they come not single spies � � But in battalions. First, her father slain: � Next, your son gone; and he most violent author � � Of his own just remove: the people muddied, � � Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers, � � For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly, � � In hugger–mugger to inter him: poor Ophelia � Divided from herself and her fair judgment, � � Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts: � � Last, and as much containing as all these, �70 � Her brother is in secret come from France; � � Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds, � And wants not buzzers to infect his ear � � With pestilent speeches of his father's death; � � Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd, � � Will nothing stick our person to arraign � � In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude, this, � Like to a murdering–piece, in many places � � Gives me superfluous death. � � A noise within. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� Alack, what noise is this? � KING CLAUDIUS� Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door. � � Enter a Messenger. � � What is the matter? Gentleman� Save yourself, my lord: �81 � The ocean, overpeering of his list, � � Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste � � Than young Laertes, in a riotous head, � � O'erbears your officers. The rabble call him lord; � And, as the world were now but to begin, � � Antiquity forgot, custom not known, � � The ratifiers and props of every word, � � They cry 'Choose we: Laertes shall be king:' � � Caps, hands, and tongues, applaud it to the clouds: �90 � Laertes shall be king, Laertes king!' � QUEEN GERTRUDE� How cheerfully on the false trail they cry! � � O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs! � KING CLAUDIUS� The doors are broke. � � Noise within. � � Enter LAERTES, armed; Danes following. � LAERTES� Where is this king? Sirs, stand you all without. Danes� No, let's come in. � LAERTES� I pray you, give me leave. � Danes� We will, we will. � � They retire without the door. � LAERTES� I thank you: keep the door. O thou vile king, � � Give me my father! QUEEN GERTRUDE� Calmly, good Laertes. � LAERTES� That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard, �100 � Cries cuckold to my father, brands the harlot � � Even here, between the chaste unsmirched brow � � Of my true mother. KING CLAUDIUS� What is the cause, Laertes, � � That thy rebellion looks so giant–like? � � Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person: � � There's such divinity doth hedge a king, � � That treason can but peep to what it would, � Acts little of his will. Tell me, Laertes, � � Why thou art thus incensed. Let him go, Gertrude. � � Speak, man. � LAERTES� Where is my father? � KING CLAUDIUS� Dead. QUEEN GERTRUDE� But not by him. � KING CLAUDIUS� Let him demand his fill. �110 LAERTES� How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with: � � To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! � � Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! � I dare damnation. To this point I stand, � � That both the worlds I give to negligence, � � Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged � � Most thoroughly for my father. � KING CLAUDIUS� Who shall stay you? LAERTES� My will, not all the world: � � And for my means, I'll husband them so well, � � They shall go far with little. � KING CLAUDIUS� Good Laertes, � � If you desire to know the certainty �121 � Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge, � � That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe, � � Winner and loser? � LAERTES� None but his enemies. � KING CLAUDIUS� Will you know them then? LAERTES� To his good friends thus wide I'll ope my arms; � � And like the kind life–rendering pelican, � � Repast them with my blood. � KING CLAUDIUS� Why, now you speak � � Like a good child and a true gentleman. � That I am guiltless of your father's death, �130 � And am most sensible in grief for it, � � It shall as level to your judgment pierce � � As day does to your eye. � Danes� Within.�Let her come in. � LAERTES� How now! what noise is that? � Re–enter OPHELIA. � � O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt, � � Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye! � � By heaven, thy madness shall be paid by weight, � � Till our scale turn the beam. O rose of May! � � Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia! � O heavens! is't possible, a young maid's wits �140 � Should be as moral as an old man's life? � � Nature is fine in love, and where 'tis fine, � � It sends some precious instance of itself � � After the thing it loves. OPHELIA� Sings. � � They bore him barefaced on the bier; � � Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny; � � And in his grave rain'd many a tear:–– � � Fare you well, my dove! � LAERTES� Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge, � It could not move thus. �150 OPHELIA� Sings. � � You must sing a–down a–down, � � An you call him a–down–a. � � O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the false � � steward, that stole his master's daughter. LAERTES� This nothing's more than matter. � OPHELIA� There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray, � � love, remember: and there is pansies. that's for thoughts. � LAERTES� A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted. �159 OPHELIA� There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue � for you; and here's some for me: we may call it � � herb–grace o' Sundays: O you must wear your rue with � � a difference. There's a daisy: I would give you � � some violets, but they withered all when my father � � died: they say he made a good end,–– � Sings. � � For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy. � LAERTES� Thought and affliction, passion, hell itself, � � She turns to favour and to prettiness. � OPHELIA� Sings. � � And will he not come again? � � And will he not come again? �170 � No, no, he is dead: � � Go to thy death–bed: � � He never will come again. � � His beard was as white as snow, � � All flaxen was his poll: � He is gone, he is gone, � � And we cast away moan: � � God ha' mercy on his soul! � � And of all Christian souls, I pray God. God be wi' you. � � Exit � LAERTES� Do you see this, O God? KING CLAUDIUS� Laertes, I must commune with your grief, �180 � Or you deny me right. Go but apart, � � Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will. � � And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me: � � If by direct or by collateral hand � They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give, � � Our crown, our life, and all that we can ours, � � To you in satisfaction; but if not, � � Be you content to lend your patience to us, � � And we shall jointly labour with your soul � To give it due content. � LAERTES� Let this be so; �190 � His means of death, his obscure funeral–– � � No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones, � � No noble rite nor formal ostentation–– � Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth, � � That I must call't in question. � KING CLAUDIUS� So you shall; � � And where the offence is, let the great axe fall. � � I pray you, go with me. � Exeunt

Posted on by

Act 4, page 5

Table of Contents

ACT IV SCENE VI� Setting: Another room in the castle.

Enter HORATIO and a Servant.�

HORATIO� What are they that would speak with me? � Servant� Sailors, sir: they say they have letters for you. � HORATIO� Let them come in. � � Exit Servant. � � I do not know from what part of the world � I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet. � � Enter Sailors. � First Sailor� God bless you, sir. � HORATIO� Let him bless thee too. � First Sailor� He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for � � you, sir; it comes from the ambassador that was � bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am � � let to know it is. � 10 HORATIO� Reads � � Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, � give these fellows some means to the king: � � they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old � � at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us � chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on � � a compelled valour, and in the grapple I boarded � � them: on the instant they got clear of our ship; so � � I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with � � me like thieves of mercy, but they knew what they � 19 � did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the king � � have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me � � with as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I � � have words to speak in thine ear will make thee � � dumb; yet are they much too light for the bore of � the matter. These good fellows will bring thee � � where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their � � course for England: of them I have much to tell � � thee. Farewell. � � He that thou knowest thine, Hamlet.' � Come, I will make you way for these your letters; � 28 � And do't the speedier, that you may direct me � � To him from whom you brought them. � � Exeunt

Posted on by

Act 4, page 6

Table of Contents

ACT IV SCENE VII� Setting: Another room in the castle.

Enter KING CLAUDIUS and LAERTES.�

KING CLAUDIUS� Now must your conscience my acquaintance seal, � � And you must put me in your heart for friend, � � Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear, � � That he which hath your noble father slain � Pursued my life. � LAERTES� It well appears: but tell me � � Why you proceeded not against these feats, � � So crimeful and so capital in nature, � � As by your safety, wisdom, all things else, � You mainly were stirr'd up. � KING CLAUDIUS� O, for two special reasons; � � Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsinew'd, �10 � But yet to me they are strong. The queen his mother � � Lives almost by his looks; and for myself–– � My virtue or my plague, be it either which–– � � She's so conjunctive to my life and soul, � � That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, � � I could not but by her. The other motive, � � Why to a public count I might not go, � Is the great love the general gender bear him; � � Who, dipping all his faults in their affection, � � Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone, �20 � Convert his gyves to graces; so that my arrows, � � Too slightly timber'd for so loud a wind, � Would have reverted to my bow again, � � And not where I had aim'd them. � LAERTES� And so have I a noble father lost; � � A sister driven into desperate terms, � � Whose worth, if praises may go back again, � Stood challenger on mount of all the age � � For her perfections: but my revenge will come. � KING CLAUDIUS� Break not your sleeps for that: you must not think �30 � That we are made of stuff so flat and dull � � That we can let our beard be shook with danger � And think it pastime. You shortly shall hear more: � � I loved your father, and we love ourself; � � And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine–– � � Enter a Messenger. � � How now! what news? � Messenger� Letters, my lord, from Hamlet: � This to your majesty; this to the queen. � KING CLAUDIUS� From Hamlet! who brought them? � Messenger� Sailors, my lord, they say; I saw them not: � � They were given me by Claudio; he received them �40 � Of him that brought them. KING CLAUDIUS� Laertes, you shall hear them. Leave us. � � Exit Messenger. � � Reads. � � High and mighty, You shall know I am set naked on � � your kingdom. To–morrow shall I beg leave to see � � your kingly eyes: when I shall, first asking your � � pardon thereunto, recount the occasion of my sudden � and more strange return. 'HAMLET.' � � What should this mean? Are all the rest come back? � � Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? �50 LAERTES� Know you the hand? � KING CLAUDIUS� Tis Hamlets character. "Naked!" � And in a postscript here, he says "alone." � � Can you advise me? � LAERTES� I'm lost in it, my lord. But let him come; � � It warms the very sickness in my heart, � � That I shall live and tell him to his teeth, � Thus didest thou.' � KING CLAUDIUS� If it be so, Laertes–– � � As how should it be so? how otherwise?–– � � Will you be ruled by me? � LAERTES� Ay, my lord; � So you will not o'errule me to a peace. �60 KING CLAUDIUS� To thine own peace. If he be now return'd, � � As checking at his voyage, and that he means � � No more to undertake it, I will work him � � To an exploit, now ripe in my device, � Under the which he shall not choose but fall: � � And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe, � � But even his mother shall uncharge the practise � � And call it accident. � LAERTES� My lord, I will be ruled; � The rather, if you could devise it so � � That I might be the organ. � KING CLAUDIUS� It falls right. � � You have been talk'd of since your travel much, � � And that in Hamlet's hearing, for a quality �70 � Wherein, they say, you shine: your sum of parts � � Did not together pluck such envy from him � � As did that one, and that, in my regard, � � Of the unworthiest siege. � LAERTES� What part is that, my lord? KING CLAUDIUS� A very riband in the cap of youth, � � Yet needful too; for youth no less becomes � � The light and careless livery that it wears � � Than settled age his sables and his weeds, �80 � Importing health and graveness. Two months since, � Here was a gentleman of Normandy:–– � � I've seen myself, and served against, the French, � � And they can well on horseback: but this gallant � � Had witchcraft in't; he grew unto his seat; � � And to such wondrous doing brought his horse, � As he had been incorpsed and demi–natured � � With the brave beast: so far he topp'd my thought, � � That I, in forgery of shapes and tricks, � � Come short of what he did. � LAERTES� A Norman was't? �90 KING CLAUDIUS� A Norman. � LAERTES� Upon my life, Lamond. � KING CLAUDIUS� The very same. � LAERTES� I know him well: he is the brooch indeed � � And gem of all the nation. KING CLAUDIUS� He made confession of you, � � And gave you such a masterly report � � For art and exercise in your defence � � And for your rapier most especially, � � That he cried out, 'twould be a sight indeed, � If one could match you: the scrimers of their nation, �100 � He swore, had had neither motion, guard, nor eye, � � If you opposed them. Sir, this report of his � � Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy � � That he could nothing do but wish and beg � Your sudden coming o'er, to play with him. � � Now, out of this,–– � LAERTES� What out of this, my lord? � KING CLAUDIUS� Laertes, was your father dear to you? � � Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, � A face without a heart? � LAERTES� Why ask you this? � KING CLAUDIUS� Not that I think you did not love your father; �110 � But that I know love is begun by time; � � And that I see, in passages of proof, � Time qualifies the spark and fire of it. � � There lives within the very flame of love � � A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it; � � And nothing is at a like goodness still; � � For goodness, growing to a plurisy, � Dies in his own too much: that we would do � � We should do when we would; for this 'would' changes � � And hath abatements and delays as many �120 � As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents; � � And then this 'should' is like a spendthrift sigh, � That hurts by easing. But, to the quick o' the ulcer:–– � � Hamlet comes back: what would you undertake, � � To show yourself your father's son in deed � � More than in words? � LAERTES� To cut his throat i' the church. KING CLAUDIUS� No place, indeed, should murder sanctuarize; � � Revenge should have no bounds. But, good Laertes, � � Will you do this, keep close within your chamber. � � Hamlet return'd shall know you are come home: � � We'll put on those shall praise your excellence � And set a double varnish on the fame � � The Frenchman gave you, bring you in fine together � � And wager on your heads: he, being remiss, � � Most generous and free from all contriving, � � Will not peruse the foils; so that, with ease, � Or with a little shuffling, you may choose � � A sword unbated, and in a pass of practise � � Requite him for your father. � LAERTES� I will do't: � � And, for that purpose, I'll anoint my sword. �140 � I bought an unction of a mountebank, � � So mortal that, but dip a knife in it, � � Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare, � � Collected from all simples that have virtue � � Under the moon, can save the thing from death � That is but scratch'd withal: I'll touch my point � � With this contagion, that, if I gall him slightly, � � It may be death. � KING CLAUDIUS� Let's further think of this; � � Weigh what convenience both of time and means �149 � May fit us to our shape: if this should fail, � � And that our drift look through our bad performance, � � Twere better not assay'd: therefore this project � � Should have a back or second, that might hold, � � If this should blast in proof. Soft! let me see: � We'll make a solemn wager on your cunnings: I ha't. � � When in your motion you are hot and dry–– � � As make your bouts more violent to that end–– � � And that he calls for drink, I'll have prepared him � � A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, �160 � If he by chance escape your venom'd stuck, � � Our purpose may hold there. � � Enter QUEEN GERTRUDE. � � How now, sweet queen! � QUEEN GERTRUDE� One woe doth tread upon another's heel, � � So fast they follow; your sister's drown'd, Laertes. LAERTES� Drown'd! O, where? � QUEEN GERTRUDE� There is a willow grows aslant a brook, � � That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream; � � There with fantastic garlands did she come � � Of crow–flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples � That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, � � But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them: � � There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds �170 � Clambering to hang, an envious sliver broke; � � When down her weedy trophies and herself � Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide; � � And, mermaid–like, awhile they bore her up: � � Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes; � � As one incapable of her own distress, � � Or like a creature native and indued � Unto that element: but long it could not be � � Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, � � Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay �180 � To muddy death. � LAERTES� Alas, then, she is drown'd? QUEEN GERTRUDE� Drown'd, drown'd. � LAERTES� Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia, � � And therefore I forbid my tears: but yet � � It is our trick; nature her custom holds, � � Let shame say what it will: when these are gone, � The woman will be out. Adieu, my lord: � � I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze, � � But that this folly douts it. � � Exit. � KING CLAUDIUS� Let's follow, Gertrude: � � How much I had to do to calm his rage! � Now fear I this will give it start again; � � Therefore let's follow. � � Exeunt

"

Posted on by

Act 5, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT V SCENE I� Setting:A churchyard. Setting:� Setting:�Enter two Clowns, with spades, &c.�

First Clown� Is she to be buried in Christian burial that � � wilfully seeks her own salvation? � Second Clown� I tell thee she is: and therefore make her grave � � straight: the crowner hath sat on her, and finds it � Christian burial. � First Clown� How can that be, unless she drowned herself in her � � own defence? � Second Clown� Why, 'tis found so. � First Clown� It must be 'se offendendo;' it cannot be else. For � here lies the point: if I drown myself wittingly, � � it argues an act: and an act hath three branches: it � � is, to act, to do, to perform: argal, she drowned � � herself wittingly. � Second Clown� Nay, but hear you, goodman delver,–– First Clown� Give me leave. Here lies the water; good: here � � stands the man; good; if the man go to this water, � � and drown himself, it is, will he, nill he, he � � goes,––mark you that; but if the water come to him � � and drown him, he drowns not himself: argal, he � that is not guilty of his own death shortens not his own life. � Second Clown� But is this law? �20 First Clown� Ay, marry, is't; crowner's quest law. � Second Clown� Will you ha' the truth on't? If this had not been � � a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o' � Christian burial. � First Clown� Why, there thou say'st: and the more pity that � � great folk should have countenance in this world to � � drown or hang themselves, more than their even � � Christian. Come, my spade. There is no ancient � gentleman but gardeners, ditchers, and grave–makers: � � they hold up Adam's profession. � Second Clown� Was he a gentleman? �30 First Clown� He was the first that ever bore arms. � Second Clown� Why, he had none. First Clown� What, art a heathen? How dost thou understand the � � Scripture? The Scripture says 'Adam digged:' � � could he dig without arms? I'll put another question to thee: if thou answerest me not to the � purpose, confess thyself–– Second Clown� Go to. � First Clown� What is he that builds stronger than either the � � mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter? � Second Clown� The gallows–maker; for that frame outlives a �40 � thousand tenants. First Clown� I like thy wit well, in good faith: the gallows � � does well; but how does it well? it does well to � � those that do in: now thou dost ill to say the � � gallows is built stronger than the church: argal, � � the gallows may do well to thee. To't again, come. Second Clown� Who builds stronger than a mason, a shipwright, or � � a carpenter?' � First Clown� Ay, tell me that, and unyoke. � Second Clown� Marry, now I can tell. �50 First Clown� To't. Second Clown� Mass, I cannot tell. � � Enter HAMLET and HORATIO, at a distance. � First Clown� Cudgel thy brains no more about it, for your dull � � ass will not mend his pace with beating; and, when � � you are asked this question next, say 'a � � grave–maker: 'the houses that he makes last till � doomsday. Go, get thee to Yaughan: fetch me a � � stoup of liquor. � � Exit Second Clown � � He�digs�and�sings � � In youth, when I did love, did love, � � Methought it was very sweet, � � To contract, O, the time, for, ah, my behove, � O, methought, there was nothing meet. �61 HAMLET� Has this fellow no feeling of his business, that he � � sings at grave–making? � HORATIO� Custom hath made it in him a property of easiness. � HAMLET� Tis e'en so: the hand of little employment hath � the daintier sense. � First Clown� Sings. � � But age, with his stealing steps, � � Hath claw'd me in his clutch, � � And hath shipped me intil the land, �69 � As if I had never been such. � Throws up a skull. � HAMLET� That skull had a tongue in it, and could sing once: � � how the knave jowls it to the ground, as if it were � � Cain's jaw–bone, that did the first murder! It � � might be the pate of a politician, which this ass � � now o'er–reaches; one that would circumvent God, � might it not? � HORATIO� It might, my lord. � HAMLET� Or of a courtier; which could say 'Good morrow, � � sweet lord! How dost thou, good lord?' This might � � be my lord such–a–one, that praised my lord � such–a–one's horse, when he meant to beg it; might it not? �80 HORATIO� Ay, my lord. � HAMLET� Why, e'en so: and now my Lady Worm's; chapless, and � � knocked about the mazzard with a sexton's spade: � � here's fine revolution, an we had the trick to � see't. Did these bones cost no more the breeding, � � but to play at loggats with 'em? mine ache to think on't. � First Clown: [Sings.]� A pick–axe, and a spade, a spade, � � For and a shrouding sheet: � � O, a pit of clay for to be made � For such a guest is meet. �90 � Throws up another skull. � HAMLET� There's another: why may not that be the skull of a � � lawyer? Where be his quiddities now, his quillets, � � his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? why does he � � suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the � sconce with a dirty shovel, and will not tell him of � � his action of battery? Hum! This fellow might be � � in's time a great buyer of land, with his statutes, � � his recognizances, his fines, his double vouchers, � � his recoveries: is this the fine of his fines, and � the recovery of his recoveries, to have his fine � � pate full of fine dirt? will his vouchers vouch him � � no more of his purchases, and double ones too, than � � the length and breadth of a pair of indentures? The � � very conveyances of his lands will hardly lie in � this box; and must the inheritor himself have no more, ha? � HORATIO� Not a jot more, my lord. � HAMLET� Is not parchment made of sheepskins? � HORATIO� Ay, my lord, and of calf–skins too. � HAMLET� They are sheep and calves which seek out assurance � in that. I will speak to this fellow. Whose � � grave's this, sirrah? � First Clown� Mine, sir. �115 � Sings. � � O, a pit of clay for to be made � � For such a guest is meet. HAMLET� I think it be thine, indeed; for thou liest in't. � First Clown� You lie out on't, sir, and therefore it is not � � yours: for my part, I do not lie in't, and yet it is mine. � HAMLET� Thou dost lie in't, to be in't and say it is thine: � � tis for the dead, not for the quick; therefore thou liest. First Clown� Tis a quick lie, sir; 'twill away gain, from me to � � you. � HAMLET� What man dost thou dig it for? �120 First Clown� For no man, sir. � HAMLET� What woman, then? First Clown� For none, neither. � HAMLET� Who is to be buried in't? � First Clown� One that was a woman, sir; but, rest her soul, she's dead. � HAMLET� How absolute the knave is! we must speak by the � � card, or equivocation will undo us. By the Lord, � Horatio, these three years I have taken a note of � � it; the age is grown so picked that the toe of the � � peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier, he � � gaffs his kibe. How long hast thou been a � � grave–maker? First Clown� Of all the days i' the year, I came to't that day � � that our last king Hamlet overcame Fortinbras. � HAMLET� How long is that since? � First Clown� Cannot you tell that? every fool can tell that: it � � was the very day that young Hamlet was born; he that � is mad, and sent into England. � HAMLET� Ay, marry, why was he sent into England? � First Clown� Why, because he was mad: he shall recover his wits � � there; or, if he do not, it's no great matter there. �141 HAMLET� Why? First Clown� Twill, a not be seen in him there; there the men � � are as mad as he. � HAMLET� How came he mad? � First Clown� Very strangely, they say. � HAMLET� How strangely? First Clown� Faith, e'en with losing his wits. � HAMLET� Upon what ground? � First Clown� Why, here in Denmark: I have been sexton here, man � � and boy, thirty years. �151 HAMLET� How long will a man lie i' the earth ere he rot? First Clown� I' faith, if he be not rotten before he die––as we � � have many pocky corses now–a–days, that will scarce � � hold the laying in––he will last you some eight year � � or nine year: a tanner will last you nine year. � HAMLET� Why he more than another? First Clown� Why, sir, his hide is so tanned with his trade, that � � he will keep out water a great while; and your water � � is a sore decayer of your whoreson dead body. � � Here's a skull now; this skull has lain in the earth � � three and twenty years. HAMLET� Whose was it? �162 First Clown� A whoreson mad fellow's it was: whose do you think it was? � HAMLET� Nay, I know not. � First Clown� A pestilence on him for a mad rogue! a' poured a � � flagon of Rhenish on my head once. This same skull, � sir, was Yorick's skull, the king's jester. � HAMLET� This? � First Clown� E'en that. �170 HAMLET� Let me see. � � Takes the skull. � � Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow � of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath � � borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how � � abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at � � it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know � � not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your � gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, � � that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one � � now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap–fallen. � � Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let � � her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must � come; make her laugh at that. Prithee, Horatio, tell � � me one thing. � HORATIO� What's that, my lord? � HAMLET� Dost thou think Alexander looked o' this fashion i' � � the earth? HORATIO� E'en so. � HAMLET� And smelt so? pah! � � Puts down the skull. � HORATIO� E'en so, my lord. � HAMLET� To what base uses we may return, Horatio! Why may � � not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander, � till he find it stopping a bung–hole? �191 HORATIO� Twere to consider too curiously, to consider so. � HAMLET� No, faith, not a jot; but to follow him thither with � � modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it: as � � thus: Alexander died, Alexander was buried, � Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of � � earth we make loam; and why of that loam, whereto he � � was converted, might they not stop a beer–barrel? � � Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay, � � Might stop a hole to keep the wind away. � O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe, � � Should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw! � � But soft! but soft! aside: here comes the king. � � Enter Priest, the Corpse of OPHELIA, LAERTES and Mourners following; KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, their trains, &c. � � The queen, the courtiers: who is this they follow? � � And with such maimed rites? This doth betoken � The corse they follow did with desperate hand � � Fordo its own life: 'twas of some estate. � � Couch we awhile, and mark. � � Retiring with HORATIO. � LAERTES� What ceremony else? � HAMLET� That is Laertes, � A very noble youth: mark. �210 LAERTES� What ceremony else? � First Priest� Her obsequies have been as far enlarged � � As we have warranty: her death was doubtful; � � And, but that great command o'ersways the order, � She should in ground unsanctified have lodg'd � � Till the last trumpet: for charitable prayers, � � Shards, flints and pebbles should be thrown on her; � � Yet here she is allow'd her virgin crants, � � Her maiden strewments and the bringing home � Of bell and burial. �220 LAERTES� Must there no more be done? � First Priest� No more be done! � � We should profane the service of the dead � � To sing a requiem and such rest to her � As to peace–parted souls. � LAERTES� Lay her i' the earth: � � And from her fair and unpolluted flesh � � May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest, � � A ministering angel shall my sister be, � When thou liest howling. � HAMLET� What, the fair Ophelia! � QUEEN GERTRUDE� Sweets to the sweet: farewell! � � Scattering flowers. � � I hoped thou shouldst have been my Hamlet's wife; �230 � I thought thy bride–bed to have deck'd, sweet maid, � And not have strew'd thy grave. � LAERTES� O, treble woe � � Fall ten times treble on that cursed head, � � Whose wicked deed thy most ingenious sense � � Deprived thee of! Hold off the earth awhile, � Till I have caught her once more in mine arms: � � Leaps into the grave. � � Now pile your dust upon the quick and dead, � � Till of this flat a mountain you have made, � � To o'ertop old Pelion, or the skyish head � � Of blue Olympus. HAMLET� Advancing.�What is he whose grief � � Bears such an emphasis? whose phrase of sorrow � � Conjures the wandering stars, and makes them stand � � Like wonder–wounded hearers? This is I, � � Hamlet the Dane. � � Leaps into the grave. � LAERTES� The devil take thy soul! � Grappling with him. � HAMLET� Thou pray'st not well. � � I prithee, take thy fingers from my throat; � � For, though I am not splenitive and rash, � � Yet have I something in me dangerous, � � Which let thy wiseness fear: hold off thy hand. KING CLAUDIUS� Pluck them asunder. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� Hamlet, Hamlet! �250 All� Gentlemen,–– � HORATIO� Good my lord, be quiet. � � The Attendants part them, and they come out of the grave. � HAMLET� Why I will fight with him upon this theme � Until my eyelids will no longer wag. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� O my son, what theme? � HAMLET� I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers � � Could not, with all their quantity of love, � � Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her? KING CLAUDIUS� O, he is mad, Laertes. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� For love of God, forbear him. � HAMLET� Swounds, show me what thou'lt do: �260 � Woo't weep? woo't fight? woo't fast? woo't tear thyself? � � Woo't drink up eisel? eat a crocodile? � I'll do't. Dost thou come here to whine? � � To outface me with leaping in her grave? � � Be buried quick with her, and so will I: � � And, if thou prate of mountains, let them throw � � Millions of acres on us, till our ground, � Singeing his pate against the burning zone, � � Make Ossa like a wart! Nay, an thou'lt mouth, � � I'll rant as well as thou. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� This is mere madness: �270 � And thus awhile the fit will work on him; � Anon, as patient as the female dove, � � When that her golden couplets are disclosed, � � His silence will sit drooping. � HAMLET� Hear you, sir; � � What is the reason that you use me thus? � I loved you ever: but it is no matter; � � Let Hercules himself do what he may, � � The cat will mew and dog will have his day. � � Exit � KING CLAUDIUS� I pray you, good Horatio, wait upon him. � � Exit HORATIO. � � To LAERTES. � � Strengthen your patience in our last night's speech; � We'll put the matter to the present push. � � Good Gertrude, set some watch over your son. � � This grave shall have a living monument: � � An hour of quiet shortly shall we see; � � Till then, in patience our proceeding be. � Exeunt �

Posted on by

Act 5, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT V SCENE II� Setting:A hall in the castle. Setting: Setting:Enter HAMLET and HORATIO.

HAMLET� So much for this, sir: now shall you see the other; You do remember all the circumstance? HORATIO� Remember it, my lord? HAMLET� Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, That would not let me sleep: methought I lay Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashly, And praised be rashness for it, let us know, Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, When our deep plots do pall: and that should teach us There's a divinity that shapes our ends, �10 Rough–hew them how we will,–– HORATIO� That is most certain. HAMLET� Up from my cabin, My sea–gown scarf'd about me, in the dark Groped I to find out them; had my desire. Finger'd their packet, and in fine withdrew To mine own room again; making so bold, My fears forgetting manners, to unseal Their grand commission; where I found, Horatio,–– O royal knavery!––an exact command, Larded with many several sorts of reasons �20 Importing Denmark's health and England's too, With, ho! such bugs and goblins in my life, That, on the supervise, no leisure bated, No, not to stay the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off. HORATIO� Is't possible? HAMLET� Here's the commission: read it at more leisure. But wilt thou hear me how I did proceed? HORATIO� I beseech you. HAMLET� Being thus be–netted round with villanies,–– Ere I could make a prologue to my brains, �30 They had begun the play––I sat me down, Devised a new commission, wrote it fair: I once did hold it, as our statists do, A baseness to write fair and labour'd much How to forget that learning, but, sir, now � It did me yeoman's service: wilt thou know � � The effect of what I wrote? HORATIO� Ay, good my lord. � HAMLET� An earnest conjuration from the king, � � As England was his faithful tributary, � � As love between them like the palm might flourish, �40 � As peace should stiff her wheaten garland wear � And stand a comma 'tween their amities, � � And many such–like 'As'es of great charge, � � That, on the view and knowing of these contents, � � Without debatement further, more or less, � � He should the bearers put to sudden death, � Not shriving–time allow'd. � HORATIO� How was this seal'd? � HAMLET� Why, even in that was heaven ordinant. � � I had my father's signet in my purse, � � Which was the model of that Danish seal; �50 � Folded the writ up in form of the other, � � Subscribed it, gave't the impression, placed it safely, � � The changeling never known. Now, the next day � � Was our sea–fight; and what to this was sequent � � Thou know'st already. HORATIO� So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to't. � HAMLET� Why, man, they did make love to this employment; � � They are not near my conscience; their defeat � � Does by their own insinuation grow: � � Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes �60 � Between the pass and fell incensed points � � Of mighty opposites. � HORATIO� Why, what a king is this! � HAMLET� Does it not, think'st thee, stand me now upon–– � � He that hath kill'd my king and whored my mother, � Popp'd in between the election and my hopes, � � Thrown out his angle for my proper life, � � And with such cozenage––is't not perfect conscience, � � To quit him with this arm? and is't not to be damn'd, � � To let this canker of our nature come � In further evil? �70 HORATIO� It must be shortly known to him from England � � What is the issue of the business there. � HAMLET� It will be short: the interim is mine; � � And a man's life's no more than to say 'One.' � But I am very sorry, good Horatio, � � That to Laertes I forgot myself; � � For, by the image of my cause, I see � � The portraiture of his: I'll court his favours. � � But, sure, the bravery of his grief did put me � Into a towering passion. � HORATIO� Peace! who comes here? �80 � Enter OSRIC � OSRIC� Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. � HAMLET� I humbly thank you, sir. Dost know this water–fly? � HORATIO� No, my good lord. HAMLET� Thy state is the more gracious; for 'tis a vice to � � know him. He hath much land, and fertile: let a � � beast be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at � � the king's mess: 'tis a chough; but, as I say, � � spacious in the possession of dirt. OSRIC� Sweet lord, if your lordship were at leisure, I � � should impart a thing to you from his majesty. � HAMLET� I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of � � spirit. Put your bonnet to his right use; 'tis for the head. �91 OSRIC� I thank your lordship, it is very hot. HAMLET� No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is � � northerly. � OSRIC� It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed. � HAMLET� But yet methinks it is very sultry and hot for my � � complexion. OSRIC� Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry,––as � � twere,––I cannot tell how. But, my lord, his � � majesty bade me signify to you that he has laid a � � great wager on your head: sir, this is the matter,–– �100 HAMLET� I beseech you, remember–– � HAMLET moves him to put on his hat. � OSRIC� Nay, good my lord; for mine ease, in good faith. � � Sir, here is newly come to court Laertes; believe � � me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent � � differences, of very soft society and great showing: � � indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or � calendar of gentry, for you shall find in him the � � continent of what part a gentleman would see. � HAMLET� Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you; � � though, I know, to divide him inventorially would � � dizzy the arithmetic of memory, and yet but yaw � neither, in respect of his quick sail. But, in the � � verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of � � great article; and his infusion of such dearth and � � rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his � � semblable is his mirror; and who else would trace � him, his umbrage, nothing more. � OSRIC� Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him. � HAMLET� The concernancy, sir? why do we wrap the gentleman � � in our more rawer breath? � OSRIC� Sir? �119 HORATIO� Is't not possible to understand in another tongue? � � You will do't, sir, really. � HAMLET� What imports the nomination of this gentleman? � OSRIC� Of Laertes? � HORATIO� His purse is empty already; all's golden words are spent. HAMLET� Of him, sir. � OSRIC� I know you are not ignorant–– � HAMLET� I would you did, sir; yet, in faith, if you did, � � it would not much approve me. Well, sir? �129 OSRIC� You are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is–– HAMLET� I dare not confess that, lest I should compare with � � him in excellence; but, to know a man well, were to � � know himself. � OSRIC� I mean, sir, for his weapon; but in the imputation � � laid on him by them, in his meed he's unfellowed. HAMLET� What's his weapon? � OSRIC� Rapier and dagger. � HAMLET� That's two of his weapons: but, well. � OSRIC� The king, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary � � horses: against the which he has imponed, as I take � it, six French rapiers and poniards, with their � � assigns, as girdle, hangers, and so: three of the � � carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very � � responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, � � and of very liberal conceit. HAMLET� What call you the carriages? � HORATIO� I knew you must be edified by the margent ere you had done. � OSRIC� The carriages, sir, are the hangers. �148 HAMLET� The phrase would be more german to the matter, if we � � could carry cannon by our sides: I would it might � be hangers till then. But, on: six Barbary horses � � against six French swords, their assigns, and three � � liberal–conceited carriages; that's the French bet � � against the Danish. Why is this 'imponed,' as you call it? � OSRIC� The king, sir, hath laid, that in a dozen passes � between yourself and him, he shall not exceed you � � three hits: he hath laid on twelve for nine; and it � � would come to immediate trial, if your lordship � � would vouchsafe the answer. � HAMLET� How if I answer 'no'? �159 OSRIC� I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial. � HAMLET� Sir, I will walk here in the hall: if it please his � � majesty, 'tis the breathing time of day with me; let � � the foils be brought, the gentleman willing, and the � � king hold his purpose, I will win for him an I can; � if not, I will gain nothing but my shame and the odd hits. � OSRIC� Shall I re–deliver you e'en so? � HAMLET� To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature will. � OSRIC� I commend my duty to your lordship. �170 HAMLET� Yours, yours. � Exit OSRIC � � He does well to commend it himself; there are no � � tongues else for's turn. � HORATIO� This lapwing runs away with the shell on his head. � HAMLET� He did comply with his dug, before he sucked it. � � Thus has he––and many more of the same bevy that I � know the dressy age dotes on––only got the tune of � � the time and outward habit of encounter; a kind of � � yesty collection, which carries them through and � � through the most fond and winnowed opinions; and do � � but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out. � Enter a Lord. � Lord� My lord, his majesty commended him to you by young � � Osric, who brings back to him that you attend him in � � the hall: he sends to know if your pleasure hold to � � play with Laertes, or that you will take longer time. � HAMLET� I am constant to my purpose; they follow the king's � pleasure: if his fitness speaks, mine is ready; now � � or whensoever, provided I be so able as now. � Lord� The king and queen and all are coming down. �190 HAMLET� In happy time. � Lord� The queen desires you to use some gentle � entertainment to Laertes before you fall to play. � HAMLET� She well instructs me. � � Exit Lord. � HORATIO� You will lose this wager, my lord. � HAMLET� I do not think so: since he went into France, I � � have been in continual practise: I shall win at the � odds. But thou wouldst not think how ill all's here � � about my heart: but it is no matter. � HORATIO� Nay, good my lord,–– �200 HAMLET� It is but foolery; but it is such a kind of � � gain–giving, as would perhaps trouble a woman. HORATIO� If your mind dislike any thing, obey it: I will � � forestall their repair hither, and say you are not � � fit. � HAMLET� Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special � � providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, � tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be � � now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the � � readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he � � leaves, what is't to leave betimes? � � A table prepared; trumpets, drums and Officers. Enter KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, LAERTES, Lords, OSRIC, and Attendants with foils, &c. � KING CLAUDIUS� Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me. � KING CLAUDIUS puts LAERTES' hand into HAMLET's. � HAMLET� Give me your pardon, sir: I've done you wrong; � � But pardon't, as you are a gentleman. �212 � This presence knows, � � And you must needs have heard, how I am punish'd � � With sore distraction. What I have done, � That might your nature, honour and exception � � Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness. � � Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? Never Hamlet: � � If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away, � � And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes, �220 � Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. � � Who does it, then? His madness: if't be so, � � Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong'd; � � His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy. � � Sir, in this audience, � Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil � � Free me so far in your most generous thoughts, � � That I have shot mine arrow o'er the house, � � And hurt my brother. � LAERTES� I am satisfied in nature, �229 � Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most � � To my revenge: but in my terms of honour � � I stand aloof; and will no reconcilement, � � Till by some elder masters, of known honour, � � I have a voice and precedent of peace, � To keep my name ungored. But till that time, � � I do receive your offer'd love like love, � � And will not wrong it. � HAMLET� I embrace it freely; � � And will this brother's wager frankly play. � Give us the foils. Come on. � LAERTES� Come, one for me. � HAMLET� I'll be your foil, Laertes: in mine ignorance �240 � Your skill shall, like a star i' the darkest night, � � Stick fiery off indeed. LAERTES� You mock me, sir. � HAMLET� No, by this hand. � KING CLAUDIUS� Give them the foils, young Osric. Cousin Hamlet, � � You know the wager? � HAMLET� Very well, my lord � Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side. � KING CLAUDIUS� I do not fear it; I have seen you both: � � But since he is better'd, we have therefore odds. � LAERTES� This is too heavy, let me see another. � HAMLET� This likes me well. These foils have all a length? � They prepare to play. � OSRIC� Ay, my good lord. �251 KING CLAUDIUS� Set me the stoops of wine upon that table. � � If Hamlet give the first or second hit, � � Or quit in answer of the third exchange, � � Let all the battlements their ordnance fire: � The king shall drink to Hamlet's better breath; � � And in the cup an union shall he throw, � � Richer than that which four successive kings � � In Denmark's crown have worn. Give me the cups; � � And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, �260 � The trumpet to the cannoneer without, � � The cannons to the heavens, the heavens to earth, � � Now the king dunks to Hamlet.' Come, begin: � � And you, the judges, bear a wary eye. � HAMLET� Come on, sir. LAERTES� Come, my lord. � � They play. � HAMLET� One. � LAERTES� No. � HAMLET� Judgment. � OSRIC� A hit, a very palpable hit. LAERTES� Well; again. � KING CLAUDIUS� Stay; give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thine; � � Here's to thy health. � � Trumpets sound, and cannon shot off within. � � Give him the cup. � HAMLET� I'll play this bout first; set it by awhile. Come. � They play. � � Another hit; what say you? �270 LAERTES� A touch, a touch, I do confess. � KING CLAUDIUS� Our son shall win. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� He's fat, and scant of breath. � � Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows; � The queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet. � HAMLET� Good madam! � KING CLAUDIUS� Gertrude, do not drink. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me. � KING CLAUDIUS� Aside.�It is the poison'd cup; it is too late. � HAMLET� I dare not drink yet, madam; by and by. QUEEN GERTRUDE� Come, let me wipe thy face. � LAERTES� My lord, I'll hit him now. � KING CLAUDIUS� I do not think't. �280 LAERTES� Aside.�And yet 'tis almost 'gainst my conscience. � HAMLET� Come, for the third, Laertes: you but dally; � � I pray you, pass with your best violence; � I am afeard you make a wanton of me. � LAERTES� Say you so? come on. � � They play. � OSRIC� Nothing, neither way. � LAERTES� Have at you now! � � LAERTES wounds HAMLET; then in scuffling, they change rapiers, and HAMLET wounds LAERTES. � KING CLAUDIUS� Part them; they are incensed. HAMLET� Nay, come, again. � � QUEEN GERTRUDE falls. � OSRIC� Look to the queen there, ho! � HORATIO� They bleed on both sides. How is it, my lord? � OSRIC� How is't, Laertes? �290 LAERTES� Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric; � I am justly kill'd with mine own treachery. � HAMLET� How does the queen? � KING CLAUDIUS� She swounds to see them bleed. � QUEEN GERTRUDE� No, no, the drink, the drink,––O my dear Hamlet,–– � � The drink, the drink! I am poison'd. � Dies � HAMLET� O villany! Ho! let the door be lock'd: � � Treachery! Seek it out. � LAERTES� It is here, Hamlet: Hamlet, thou art slain; � � No medicine in the world can do thee good; � � In thee there is not half an hour of life; �300 � The treacherous instrument is in thy hand, � � Unbated and envenom'd: the foul practise � � Hath turn'd itself on me lo, here I lie, � � Never to rise again: thy mother's poison'd: � � I can no more: the king, the king's to blame. HAMLET� The point!––envenom'd too! � � Then, venom, to thy work. � � Stabs KING CLAUDIUS. � All� Treason! treason! � KING CLAUDIUS� O, yet defend me, friends; I am but hurt. � HAMLET� Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, � Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? �311 � Follow my mother. � � KING CLAUDIUS dies. � LAERTES� He is justly served; � � It is a poison temper'd by himself. � � Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet: � Mine and my father's death come not upon thee, � � Nor thine on me. � � Dies. � HAMLET� Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee. � � I am dead, Horatio. Wretched queen, adieu! � � You that look pale and tremble at this chance, �320 � That are but mutes or audience to this act, � � Had I but time––as this fell sergeant, death, � � Is strict in his arrest––O, I could tell you–– � � But let it be. Horatio, I am dead; � � Thou livest; report me and my cause aright � To the unsatisfied. � HORATIO� Never believe it: � � I am more an antique Roman than a Dane: � � Here's yet some liquor left. � HAMLET� As thou'rt a man, � Give me the cup: let go; by heaven, I'll have't. � � O good Horatio, what a wounded name, � � Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me! �330 � If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart � � Absent thee from felicity awhile, � And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, � � To tell my story. � � March afar off, and shot within � � What warlike noise is this? � OSRIC� Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from Poland, � � To the ambassadors of England gives � This warlike volley. � HAMLET� O, I die, Horatio; � � The potent poison quite o'er–crows my spirit: � � I cannot live to hear the news from England; � � But I do prophesy the election lights �340 � On Fortinbras: he has my dying voice; � � So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less, � � Which have solicited. The rest is silence. � � Dies. � HORATIO� Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince: � � And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! � Why does the drum come hither? � � March within. � � Enter FORTINBRAS, the English Ambassadors, and others. � PRINCE FORTINBRAS� Where is this sight? � HORATIO� What is it ye would see? � � If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search. � PRINCE FORTINBRAS� This quarry cries on havoc. O proud death, � What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, �350 � That thou so many princes at a shot � � So bloodily hast struck? � First Ambassador� The sight is dismal; � � And our affairs from England come too late: � The ears are senseless that should give us hearing, � � To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd, � � That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead: � � Where should we have our thanks? � HORATIO� Not from his mouth, � Had it the ability of life to thank you: � � He never gave commandment for their death. � � But since, so jump upon this bloody question, �360 � You from the Polack wars, and you from England, � � Are here arrived give order that these bodies � High on a stage be placed to the view; � � And let me speak to the yet unknowing world � � How these things came about: so shall you hear � � Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, � � Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters, � Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause, � � And, in this upshot, purposes mistook � � Fall'n on the inventors' reads: all this can I �370 � Truly deliver. � PRINCE FORTINBRAS� Let us haste to hear it, � And call the noblest to the audience. � � For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune: � � I have some rights of memory in this kingdom, � � Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me. � HORATIO� Of that I shall have also cause to speak, � And from his mouth whose voice will draw on more; � � But let this same be presently perform'd, � � Even while men's minds are wild; lest more mischance � � On plots and errors, happen. � PRINCE FORTINBRAS� Let four captains �380 � Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage; � � For he was likely, had he been put on, � � To have proved most royally: and, for his passage, � � The soldiers' music and the rites of war � � Speak loudly for him. � Take up the bodies: such a sight as this � � Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss. � � Go, bid the soldiers shoot. � � A dead march. Exeunt, bearing off the dead bodies; after which a peal of ordnance is shot off. �

Posted on by

Act 2, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT II SCENE I� Setting: A room in POLONIUS' house.

[Enter�POLONIUS and REYNALDO]

LORD POLONIUS Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo. REYNALDO I will, my lord. LORD POLONIUS You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquire Of his behavior. REYNALDO My lord, I did intend it. LORD POLONIUS Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir, Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris; And how, and who, what means, and where they keep, What company, at what expense; and finding By this encompassment and drift of question 10 That they do know my son, come you more nearer Than your particular demands will touch it: Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him; As thus, 'I know his father and his friends, And in part him: ' do you mark this, Reynaldo? REYNALDO Ay, very well, my lord. LORD POLONIUS And in part him; but' you may say 'not well: But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild; Addicted so and so:' and there put on him What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank 20 As may dishonour him; take heed of that; But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips As are companions noted and most known To youth and liberty. REYNALDO As gaming, my lord. LORD POLONIUS Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, Drabbing: you may go so far. REYNALDO My lord, that would dishonour him. LORD POLONIUS Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge You must not put another scandal on him, That he is open to incontinency; 30 That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintly That they may seem the taints of liberty, The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind, A savageness in unreclaimed blood, Of general assault. REYNALDO But, my good lord,–– LORD POLONIUS Wherefore should you do this? REYNALDO Ay, my lord, I would know that. LORD POLONIUS Marry, sir, here's my drift; And I believe, it is a fetch of wit: You laying these slight sullies on my son, As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working, Mark you, 40 Your party in converse, him you would sound, Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured He closes with you in this consequence; Good sir,' or so, or 'friend,' or 'gentleman,' According to the phrase or the addition Of man and country. REYNALDO Very good, my lord. LORD POLONIUS And then, sir, does he this––he does––what was I about to say? By the mass, I was about to say something: where did I leave? 51 REYNALDO At 'closes in the consequence,' at 'friend or so,' and 'gentleman.' LORD POLONIUS At 'closes in the consequence,' ay, marry; He closes thus: 'I know the gentleman; I saw him yesterday, or t' other day, Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, There was a' gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse; There falling out at tennis:' or perchance, I saw him enter such a house of sale,' Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth. See you now; 60 Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth: And thus do we of wisdom and of reach, With windlasses and with assays of bias, By indirections find directions out: So by my former lecture and advice, Shall you my son. You have me, have you not? REYNALDO My lord, I have. LORD POLONIUS God be wi' you; fare you well. REYNALDO Good my lord! LORD POLONIUS Observe his inclination in yourself. REYNALDO I shall, my lord. 70 LORD POLONIUS And let him ply his music. REYNALDO Well, my lord. LORD POLONIUS Farewell! [Exit�REYNALDO] [Enter�OPHELIA] How now, Ophelia! what's the matter? OPHELIA O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted! LORD POLONIUS With what, i' the name of God? OPHELIA My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced; No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd, Ungarter'd, and down–gyved to his ancle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; And with a look so piteous in purport 80 As if he had been loosed out of hell To speak of horrors,––he comes before me. LORD POLONIUS Mad for thy love? OPHELIA My lord, I do not know; But truly, I do fear it. LORD POLONIUS What said he? OPHELIA He took me by the wrist and held me hard; Then goes he to the length of all his arm; And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, He falls to such perusal of my face As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so; At last, a little shaking of mine arm 90 And thrice his head thus waving up and down, He raised a sigh so piteous and profound As it did seem to shatter all his bulk And end his being: that done, he lets me go: And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd, He seem'd to find his way without his eyes; For out o' doors he went without their helps, And, to the last, bended their light on me. LORD POLONIUS Come, go with me: I will go seek the king. This is the very ecstasy of love, 100 Whose violent property fordoes itself And leads the will to desperate undertakings As oft as any passion under heaven That does afflict our natures. I am sorry. What, have you given him any hard words of late? OPHELIA No, my good lord, but, as you did command, I did repel his fetters and denied His access to me. LORD POLONIUS That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment I had not quoted him: I fear'd he did but trifle, 110 And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy! By heaven, it is as proper to our age To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions As it is common for the younger sort To lack discretion. Come, go we to the king: This must be known; which, being kept close, might move More grief to hide than hate to utter love. [Exeunt]

Posted on by

Act 2, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT II SCENE II� Setting: A room in the castle.

[Enter�KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and Attendants ]

KING CLAUDIUS Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern! Moreover that we much did long to see you, The need we have to use you did provoke Our hasty sending. Something have you heard Of Hamlet's transformation; so call it, Sith nor the exterior nor the inward man Resembles that it was. What it should be, More than his father's death, that thus hath put him So much from the understanding of himself, I cannot dream of: I entreat you both, 10 That, being of so young days brought up with him, And sith so neighbour'd to his youth and havior, That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court Some little time: so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather, So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus, That, open'd, lies within our remedy. QUEEN GERTRUDE Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you; And sure I am two men there are not living 20 To whom he more adheres. If it will please you To show us so much gentry and good will As to expend your time with us awhile, For the supply and profit of our hope, Your visitation shall receive such thanks As fits a king's remembrance. ROSENCRANTZ Both your majesties Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, Put your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty. GUILDENSTERN But we both obey, And here give up ourselves, in the full bent 30 To lay our service freely at your feet, To be commanded. KING CLAUDIUS Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern. QUEEN GERTRUDE Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz: And I beseech you instantly to visit My too much changed son. Go, some of you, And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is. GUILDENSTERN Heavens make our presence and our practises Pleasant and helpful to him! QUEEN GERTRUDE Ay, amen!

[ Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and some Attendants]

[Enter POLONIUS]
LORD POLONIUS The ambassadors from Norway, my good lord, 40
Are joyfully return'd.
KING CLAUDIUS Thou still hast been the father of good news.
LORD POLONIUS Have I, my lord? I assure my good liege,
I hold my duty, as I hold my soul,
Both to my God and to my gracious king:
And I do think, or else this brain of mine
Hunts not the trail of policy so sure
As it hath used to do, that I have found
The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy.
KING CLAUDIUS O, speak of that; that do I long to hear. 50
LORD POLONIUS Give first admittance to the ambassadors;
My news shall be the fruit to that great feast.
KING CLAUDIUS Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in.
[Exit POLONIUS]
He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found
The head and source of all your son's distemper.
QUEEN GERTRUDE I doubt it is no other but the main;
His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage.
KING CLAUDIUS Well, we shall sift him.

[Re–enter POLONIUS, with VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS]

Welcome, my good friends!
Say, Voltimand, what from our brother Norway?
VOLTIMAND Most fair return of greetings and desires. 60
Upon our first, he sent out to suppress
His nephew's levies; which to him appear'd
To be a preparation 'gainst the Polack;
But, better look'd into, he truly found
It was against your highness: whereat grieved,
That so his sickness, age and impotence
Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests
On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys;
Receives rebuke from Norway, and in fine
Makes vow before his uncle never more 70
To give the assay of arms against your majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee,
And his commission to employ those soldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack:
With an entreaty, herein further shown,
[Giving a paper]
That it might please you to give quiet pass
Through your dominions for this enterprise,
On such regards of safety and allowance
As therein are set down.
KING CLAUDIUS It likes us well; 80
And at our more consider'd time well read,
Answer, and think upon this business.
Meantime we thank you for your well–took labour:
Go to your rest; at night we'll feast together:
Most welcome home!

[Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS]

LORD POLONIUS This business is well ended.
My liege, and madam, to expostulate
What majesty should be, what duty is,
Why day is day, night night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day and time.
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief: your noble son is mad:
Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,
What is't but to be nothing else but mad? 90
But let that go.
QUEEN GERTRUDE More matter, with less art.
LORD POLONIUS Madam, I swear I use no art at all.
That he is mad, 'tis true: 'tis true 'tis pity;
And pity 'tis 'tis true: a foolish figure;
But farewell it, for I will use no art.
Mad let us grant him, then: and now remains 100
That we find out the cause of this effect,
Or rather say, the cause of this defect,
For this effect defective comes by cause:
Thus it remains, and the remainder thus. Perpend.
I have a daughter––have while she is mine––
Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,
Hath given me this: now gather, and surmise.
[Reads]
To the celestial and my soul's idol, the most 110
beautified Ophelia,'––
That's an ill phrase, a vile phrase; 'beautified' is
a vile phrase: but you shall hear. Thus:
[Reads]
'In her excellent white bosom, these, &c.'
QUEEN GERTRUDE Came this from Hamlet to her?
LORD POLONIUS Good madam, stay awhile; I will be faithful.
[Reads]
'Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love. 119
'O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers;
I have not art to reckon my groans: but that
I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu.
'Thine evermore most dear lady, whilst
this machine is to him, HAMLET.'
This, in obedience, hath my daughter shown me,
And more above, hath his solicitings,
As they fell out by time, by means and place,
All given to mine ear.
KING CLAUDIUS But how hath she
Received his love?
What do you think of me?
LORD POLONIUS
KING CLAUDIUS As of a man faithful and honourable. 130
LORD POLONIUS I would fain prove so. But what might you think,
When I had seen this hot love on the wing––
As I perceived it, I must tell you that,
Before my daughter told me––what might you,
Or my dear majesty your queen here, think,
If I had play'd the desk or table–book,
Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb,
Or look'd upon this love with idle sight;
What might you think? No, I went round to work,
And my young mistress thus I did bespeak: 140
Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star;
This must not be:' and then I precepts gave her,
That she should lock herself from his resort,
Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.
Which done, she took the fruits of my advice;
And he, repulsed––a short tale to make––
Fell into a sadness, then into a fast,
Thence to a watch, thence into a weakness,
Thence to a lightness, and, by this declension,
Into the madness wherein now he raves, 150
And all we mourn for.
KING CLAUDIUS Do you think 'tis this?
QUEEN GERTRUDE It may be, very likely.
LORD POLONIUS Hath there been such a time––I'd fain know that––
That I have positively said 'Tis so,'
When it proved otherwise?
KING CLAUDIUS Not that I know.
LORD POLONIUS [Pointing to his head and shoulder]
Take this from this, if this be otherwise:
If circumstances lead me, I will find
Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed
Within the centre.
KING CLAUDIUS How may we try it further? 159
LORD POLONIUS You know, sometimes he walks four hours together
Here in the lobby.
QUEEN GERTRUDE So he does indeed.
LORD POLONIUS At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him:
Be you and I behind an arras then;
Mark the encounter: if he love her not
And be not from his reason fall'n thereon,
Let me be no assistant for a state,
But keep a farm and carters.
KING CLAUDIUS We will try it.
QUEEN GERTRUDE But, look, where sadly the poor wretch comes reading.
LORD POLONIUS Away, I do beseech you, both away:
I'll board him presently.

[ Exeunt KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, and Attendants ]

[Enter HAMLET, reading]
O, give me leave:
How does my good Lord Hamlet? 170
HAMLET Well, God–a–mercy.
LORD POLONIUS Do you know me, my lord?
HAMLET Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.
LORD POLONIUS Not I, my lord.
HAMLET Then I would you were so honest a man.
LORD POLONIUS Honest, my lord!
HAMLET Ay, sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be
one man picked out of ten thousand.
LORD POLONIUS That's very true, my lord. 180
HAMLET For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a
god kissing carrion,––Have you a daughter?
LORD POLONIUS I have, my lord.
HAMLET Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is a
blessing: but not as your daughter may conceive.
Friend, look to 't.
LORD POLONIUS [Aside]�How say you by that? Still harping on my
daughter: yet he knew me not at first; he said I
was a fishmonger: he is far gone, far gone: and
truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for
love; very near this. I'll speak to him again.
What do you read, my lord? 190
HAMLET Words, words, words.
LORD POLONIUS What is the matter, my lord?
HAMLET Between who?
LORD POLONIUS I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
HAMLET Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here
that old men have grey beards, that their faces are
wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and
plum–tree gum and that they have a plentiful lack of
wit, together with most weak hams: all which, sir,
though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet
I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down, for
yourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crab
you could go backward. 202
LORD POLONIUS [Aside]�Though this be madness, yet there is method
in 't. Will you walk out of the air, my lord?
HAMLET Into my grave.
LORD POLONIUS Indeed, that is out o' the air.
[Aside]
How pregnant sometimes his replies are! a happiness
that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity
could not so prosperously be delivered of. I will
leave him, and suddenly contrive the means of
meeting between him and my daughter.––My honourable
lord, I will most humbly take my leave of you.
HAMLET You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I will
more willingly part withal: except my life, except
my life, except my life. 214
LORD POLONIUS Fare you well, my lord.
HAMLET These tedious old fools!

[Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN]

LORD POLONIUS You go to seek the Lord Hamlet; there he is.
ROSENCRANTZ [To POLONIUS]�God save you, sir!
[Exit POLONIUS]
GUILDENSTERN My honoured lord!
ROSENCRANTZ My most dear lord!
HAMLET My excellent good friends! How dost thou,
Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both?
ROSENCRANTZ As the indifferent children of the earth.
GUILDENSTERN Happy, in that we are not over–happy;
On fortune's cap we are not the very button.
HAMLET Nor the soles of her shoe?
ROSENCRANTZ Neither, my lord.
HAMLET Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of
her favours?
GUILDENSTERN Faith, her privates we.
HAMLET In the secret parts of fortune? O, most true; she
is a strumpet. What's the news? 229
ROSENCRANTZ None, my lord, but that the world's grown honest.
HAMLET Then is doomsday near: but your news is not true.
Let me question more in particular: what have you,
my good friends, deserved at the hands of fortune,
that she sends you to prison hither?
GUILDENSTERN Prison, my lord!
HAMLET Denmark's a prison.
ROSENCRANTZ Then is the world one.
HAMLET A goodly one; in which there are many confines,
wards and dungeons, Denmark being one o' the worst.
ROSENCRANTZ We think not so, my lord. 240
HAMLET Why, then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing
either good or bad, but thinking makes it so: to me
it is a prison.
ROSENCRANTZ Why then, your ambition makes it one; 'tis too
narrow for your mind.
HAMLET O God, I could be bounded in a nut shell and count
myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I
have bad dreams.
GUILDENSTERN Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the very
substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
HAMLET A dream itself is but a shadow. 251
ROSENCRANTZ Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a
quality that it is but a shadow's shadow.
HAMLET Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and
outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows. Shall we
to the court? for, by my fay, I cannot reason.
GUILDENSTERN We'll wait upon you.
HAMLET No such matter: I will not sort you with the rest
of my servants, for, to speak to you like an honest
man, I am most dreadfully attended. But, in the
beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore? 261
ROSENCRANTZ To visit you, my lord; no other occasion.
HAMLET Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I
thank you: and sure, dear friends, my thanks are
too dear a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it
your own inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come,
deal justly with me: come, come; nay, speak.
GUILDENSTERN What should we say, my lord?
HAMLET Why, any thing, but to the purpose. You were sent
for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks
which your modesties have not craft enough to colour:
I know the good king and queen have sent for you. 272
ROSENCRANTZ To what end, my lord?
HAMLET That you must teach me. But let me conjure you, by
the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of
our youth, by the obligation of our ever–preserved
love, and by what more dear a better proposer could
charge you withal, be even and direct with me,
whether you were sent for, or no?
ROSENCRANTZ [Aside to GUILDENSTERN]�What say you?
HAMLET [Aside]�Nay, then, I have an eye of you.––If you
love me, hold not off. 281
GUILDENSTERN My lord, we were sent for.
HAMLET I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation
prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the king
and queen moult no feather. I have of late––but
wherefore I know not––lost all my mirth, forgone all
custom of exercises; and indeed it goes so heavily
with my disposition that this goodly frame, the
earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most
excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave
o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted
with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to
me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.
What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me,
what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not
me: no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling 301
you seem to say so.
ROSENCRANTZ My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.
HAMLET Why did you laugh then, when I said 'man delights not me'?
ROSENCRANTZ To think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what
lenten entertainment the players shall receive from
you: we coted them on the way; and hither are they
coming, to offer you service.
HAMLET He that plays the king shall be welcome; his majesty
shall have tribute of me; the adventurous knight
shall use his foil and target; the lover shall not
sigh gratis; the humourous man shall end his part
in peace; the clown shall make those laugh whose
lungs are tickled o' the sere; and the lady shall
say her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt
for't. What players are they? 312
ROSENCRANTZ Even those you were wont to take delight in, the
tragedians of the city.
HAMLET How chances it they travel? their residence, both
in reputation and profit, was better both ways.
ROSENCRANTZ I think their inhibition comes by the means of the
late innovation.
HAMLET Do they hold the same estimation they did when I was
in the city? are they so followed? 320
ROSENCRANTZ No, indeed, are they not.
HAMLET How comes it? do they grow rusty?
ROSENCRANTZ Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace: but
there is, sir, an aery of children, little eyases,
that cry out on the top of question, and are most
tyrannically clapped for't: these are now the
fashion, and so berattle the common stages––so they
call them––that many wearing rapiers are afraid of
goose–quills and dare scarce come thither. 328
HAMLET What, are they children? who maintains 'em? how are
they escoted? Will they pursue the quality no
longer than they can sing? will they not say
afterwards, if they should grow themselves to common
players––as it is most like, if their means are no
better––their writers do them wrong, to make them
exclaim against their own succession?
ROSENCRANTZ Faith, there has been much to do on both sides; and
the nation holds it no sin to tarre them to
controversy: there was, for a while, no money bid
for argument, unless the poet and the player went to
cuffs in the question.
HAMLET Is't possible?
GUILDENSTERN O, there has been much throwing about of brains.
HAMLET Do the boys carry it away? 341
ROSENCRANTZ Ay, that they do, my lord; Hercules and his load too.
HAMLET It is not very strange; for mine uncle is king of
Denmark, and those that would make mows at him while
my father lived, give twenty, forty, fifty, an
hundred ducats a–piece for his picture in little.
Sblood, there is something in this more than
natural, if philosophy could find it out.

[Flourish of trumpets within]

GUILDENSTERN There are the players.
HAMLET Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands,
come then: the appurtenance of welcome is fashion
and ceremony: let me comply with you in this garb,
lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you,
must show fairly outward, should more appear like
entertainment than yours. You are welcome: but my
uncle–father and aunt–mother are deceived.
GUILDENSTERN In what, my dear lord?
HAMLET I am but mad north–north–west: when the wind is
southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.
[Enter POLONIUS]
LORD POLONIUS Well be with you, gentlemen! 359
HAMLET Hark you, Guildenstern; and you too: at each ear a
hearer: that great baby you see there is not yet
out of his swaddling–clouts.
ROSENCRANTZ Happily he's the second time come to them; for they
say an old man is twice a child.
HAMLET I will prophesy he comes to tell me of the players;
mark it. You say right, sir: o' Monday morning;
twas so indeed.
LORD POLONIUS My lord, I have news to tell you.
HAMLET My lord, I have news to tell you.
When Roscius was an actor in Rome,–– 370
LORD POLONIUS The actors are come hither, my lord.
HAMLET Buz, buz!
LORD POLONIUS Upon mine honour,––
HAMLET Then came each actor on his ass,––
LORD POLONIUS The best actors in the world, either for tragedy,
comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral–comical,
historical–pastoral, tragical–historical, tragical–
comical–historical–pastoral, scene individable, or
poem unlimited: Seneca cannot be too heavy, nor
Plautus too light. For the law of writ and the
liberty, these are the only men. 380
HAMLET O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!
LORD POLONIUS What a treasure had he, my lord?
HAMLET Why,
One fair daughter and no more,
The which he loved passing well.'
LORD POLONIUS [Aside]�Still on my daughter.
HAMLET Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah?
LORD POLONIUS If you call me Jephthah, my lord, I have a daughter
that I love passing well. 390
HAMLET Nay, that follows not.
LORD POLONIUS What follows, then, my lord?
HAMLET Why,
As by lot, God wot,'
and then, you know,
It came to pass, as most like it was,'––
the first row of the pious chanson will show you
more; for look, where my abridgement comes. 398

[Enter four or five Players]

You are welcome, masters; welcome, all. I am glad
to see thee well. Welcome, good friends. O, my old
friend! thy face is valenced since I saw thee last:
comest thou to beard me in Denmark? What, my young
lady and mistress! By'r lady, your ladyship is
nearer to heaven than when I saw you last, by the
altitude of a chopine. Pray God, your voice, like
apiece of uncurrent gold, be not cracked within the
ring. Masters, you are all welcome. We'll e'en
to't like French falconers, fly at any thing we see:
we'll have a speech straight: come, give us a taste
of your quality; come, a passionate speech.
First Player What speech, my lord? 410
HAMLET I heard thee speak me a speech once, but it was
never acted; or, if it was, not above once; for the
play, I remember, pleased not the million; 'twas
caviare to the general: but it was––as I received
it, and others, whose judgments in such matters
cried in the top of mine––an excellent play, well
digested in the scenes, set down with as much
modesty as cunning. I remember, one said there
were no sallets in the lines to make the matter
savoury, nor no matter in the phrase that might
indict the author of affectation; but called it an
honest method, as wholesome as sweet, and by very
much more handsome than fine. One speech in it I
chiefly loved: 'twas Aeneas' tale to Dido; and
thereabout of it especially, where he speaks of
Priam's slaughter: if it live in your memory, begin
at this line: let me see, let me see––
The rugged Pyrrhus, like the Hyrcanian beast,'––
it is not so:––it begins with Pyrrhus:––
The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose sable arms,
Black as his purpose, did the night resemble
When he lay couched in the ominous horse, 430
Hath now this dread and black complexion smear'd
With heraldry more dismal; head to foot
Now is he total gules; horridly trick'd
With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons,
Baked and impasted with the parching streets,
That lend a tyrannous and damned light
To their lord's murder: roasted in wrath and fire,
And thus o'er–sized with coagulate gore,
With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus
Old grandsire Priam seeks.' 440
So, proceed you.
LORD POLONIUS Fore God, my lord, well spoken, with good accent and
good discretion.
First Player Anon he finds him
Striking too short at Greeks; his antique sword,
Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls,
Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls,
Repugnant to command: unequal match'd,
Pyrrhus at Priam drives; in rage strikes wide;
But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword
The unnerved father falls. Then senseless Ilium, 450
Seeming to feel this blow, with flaming top
Stoops to his base, and with a hideous crash
Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear: for, lo! his sword,
Which was declining on the milky head
Of reverend Priam, seem'd i' the air to stick:
So, as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood,
And like a neutral to his will and matter,
Did nothing.
But, as we often see, against some storm,
A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still, 460
The bold winds speechless and the orb below
As hush as death, anon the dreadful thunder
Doth rend the region, so, after Pyrrhus' pause,
Aroused vengeance sets him new a–work;
And never did the Cyclops' hammers fall
On Mars's armour forged for proof eterne
With less remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword
Now falls on Priam.
Out, out, thou strumpet, Fortune! All you gods,
In general synod 'take away her power; 470
Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel,
And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven,
As low as to the fiends!'
LORD POLONIUS This is too long.
HAMLET It shall to the barber's, with your beard. Prithee,
say on: he's for a jig or a tale of bawdry, or he
sleeps: say on: come to Hecuba.
First Player But who, O, who had seen the mobled queen––'
HAMLET The mobled queen?'
LORD POLONIUS That's good; 'mobled queen' is good. 480
First Player Run barefoot up and down, threatening the flames
With bisson rheum; a clout upon that head
Where late the diadem stood, and for a robe,
About her lank and all o'er–teemed loins,
A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up;
Who this had seen, with tongue in venom steep'd,
Gainst Fortune's state would treason have
pronounced:
But if the gods themselves did see her then
When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport
In mincing with his sword her husband's limbs, 490
The instant burst of clamour that she made,
Unless things mortal move them not at all,
Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven,
And passion in the gods.'
LORD POLONIUS Look, whether he has not turned his colour and has
tears in's eyes. Pray you, no more.
HAMLET Tis well: I'll have thee speak out the rest soon.
Good my lord, will you see the players well
bestowed? Do you hear, let them be well used; for
they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the
time: after your death you were better have a bad
epitaph than their ill report while you live.
LORD POLONIUS My lord, I will use them according to their desert.
HAMLET God's bodykins, man, much better: use every man
after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping?
Use them after your own honour and dignity: the less
they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty.
Take them in.
LORD POLONIUS Come, sirs.
HAMLET Follow him, friends: we'll hear a play to–morrow.

[Exit POLONIUS with all the Players but the First]

Dost thou hear me, old friend; can you play the
Murder of Gonzago?
First Player Ay, my lord. 511
HAMLET We'll ha't to–morrow night. You could, for a need,
study a speech of some dozen or sixteen lines, which
I would set down and insert in't, could you not?
First Player Ay, my lord.
HAMLET Very well. Follow that lord; and look you mock him
not.
[Exit First Player]
My good friends, I'll leave you till night: you are
welcome to Elsinore.
ROSENCRANTZ Good my lord!
HAMLET Ay, so, God be wi' ye;

[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN]

Now I am alone. 520
O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage wann'd,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in's aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? and all for nothing!
For Hecuba!
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, 530
That he should weep for her? What would he do,
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I,
A dull and muddy–mettled rascal, peak,
Like John–a–dreams, unpregnant of my cause, 540
And can say nothing; no, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life
A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs? who does me this?
Ha!
Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be
But I am pigeon–liver'd and lack gall 550
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites
With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
KING CLAUDIUS And can you, by no drift of circumstance,
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?
ROSENCRANTZ He does confess he feels himself distracted;
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
GUILDENSTERN Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
QUEEN GERTRUDE Did he receive you well? 10
ROSENCRANTZ Most like a gentleman.
GUILDENSTERN But with much forcing of his disposition.
ROSENCRANTZ Niggard of question; but, of our demands,
Most free in his reply.
QUEEN GERTRUDE Did you assay him?
To any pastime?
ROSENCRANTZ Madam, it so fell out, that certain players
We o'er–raught on the way: of these we told him;
And there did seem in him a kind of joy
To hear of it: they are about the court,
And, as I think, they have already order 20
This night to play before him.
LORD POLONIUS Tis most true:
And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties
To hear and see the matter.
KING CLAUDIUS With all my heart; and it doth much content me
To hear him so inclined.
Good gentlemen, give him a further edge,
And drive his purpose on to these delights.
ROSENCRANTZ We shall, my lord.

[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN]

KING CLAUDIUS Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;
For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,
That he, as 'twere by accident, may here 30
Affront Ophelia:
Her father and myself, lawful espials,
Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,
We may of their encounter frankly judge,
And gather by him, as he is behaved,
If 't be the affliction of his love or no
That thus he suffers for.
QUEEN GERTRUDE I shall obey you.
And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues 40
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.
OPHELIA Madam, I wish it may.
[Exit QUEEN GERTRUDE]
LORD POLONIUS Ophelia, walk you here. Gracious, so please you,
We will bestow ourselves.
[To OPHELIA]
Read on this book;
That show of such an exercise may colour
Your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this,––
Tis too much proved––that with devotion's visage
And pious action we do sugar o'er
The devil himself.
KING CLAUDIUS [Aside]�O, 'tis too true!
How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience! 50
The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art,
Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it
Than is my deed to my most painted word:
O heavy burthen!
LORD POLONIUS I hear him coming: let's withdraw, my lord.

[Exeunt KING CLAUDIUS and POLONIUS][Enter HAMLET]

HAMLET To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; 60
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart–ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, 70
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will 80
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.––Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.
OPHELIA Good my lord, 90
How does your honour for this many a day?
HAMLET I humbly thank you; well, well, well.
OPHELIA My lord, I have remembrances of yours,
That I have longed long to re–deliver;
I pray you, now receive them.
HAMLET No, not I;
I never gave you aught.
OPHELIA My honour'd lord, you know right well you did;
And, with them, words of so sweet breath composed
As made the things more rich: their perfume lost,
Take these again; for to the noble mind 100
Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.
There, my lord.
HAMLET Ha, ha! are you honest?
OPHELIA My lord?
HAMLET Are you fair?
OPHELIA What means your lordship?
HAMLET That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should
admit no discourse to your beauty.
OPHELIA Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than
with honesty? 110
HAMLET Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner
transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the
force of honesty can translate beauty into his
likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the
time gives it proof. I did love you once.
OPHELIA Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.
HAMLET You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot
so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of
it: I loved you not.
OPHELIA I was the more deceived. 120
HAMLET Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a
breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest;
but yet I could accuse me of such things that it
were better my mother had not borne me: I am very
proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at
my beck than I have thoughts to put them in,
imagination to give them shape, or time to act them
in. What should such fellows as I do crawling
between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves,
all; believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.
Where's your father? 130
OPHELIA At home, my lord.
HAMLET Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the
fool no where but in's own house. Farewell.
OPHELIA O, help him, you sweet heavens!
HAMLET If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for
thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as
snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a
nunnery, go: farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs
marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough
what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go,
and quickly too. Farewell. 140
OPHELIA O heavenly powers, restore him!
HAMLET I have heard of your paintings too, well enough; God
has given you one face, and you make yourselves
another: you jig, you amble, and you lisp, and
nick–name God's creatures, and make your wantonness
your ignorance. Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath
made me mad. I say, we will have no more marriages:
those that are married already, all but one, shall
live; the rest shall keep as they are. To a
nunnery, go.
[Exit]
OPHELIA O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! 150
The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword;
The expectancy and rose of the fair state,
The glass of fashion and the mould of form,
The observed of all observers, quite, quite down!
And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
That suck'd the honey of his music vows,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,
Like sweet bells jangled out of tune, and harsh;
That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy: O, woe is me, 160
To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!

[Re–enter KING CLAUDIUS and POLONIUS]

KING CLAUDIUS Love! his affections do not that way tend;
Nor what he spake, though it lack'd form a little,
Was not like madness. There's something in his soul,
O'er which his melancholy sits on brood;
And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose
Will be some danger: which for to prevent,
I have in quick determination
Thus set it down: he shall with speed to England,
For the demand of our neglected tribute 170
Haply the seas and countries different
With variable objects shall expel
This something–settled matter in his heart,
Whereon his brains still beating puts him thus
From fashion of himself. What think you on't?
LORD POLONIUS It shall do well: but yet do I believe
The origin and commencement of his grief
Sprung from neglected love. How now, Ophelia!
You need not tell us what Lord Hamlet said;
We heard it all. My lord, do as you please; 180
But, if you hold it fit, after the play
Let his queen mother all alone entreat him
To show his grief: let her be round with him;
And I'll be placed, so please you, in the ear
Of all their conference. If she find him not,
To England send him, or confine him where
Your wisdom best shall think.
KING CLAUDIUS It shall be so:
Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go.
[Exeunt]

Posted on by

Act 3, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT III SCENE II� Setting: A hall in the castle.

[Enter HAMLET and Players]

HAMLET Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue: but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town–crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; 5 for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, the whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig–pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to 10 very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise: I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant; it out–herods Herod: pray you, avoid it. 15 First Player I warrant your honour. HAMLET Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor: suit the action to the word, the word to the action; with this special observance o'erstep not the modesty of nature: for any thing so overdone is 20 from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone, 25 or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the censure of the which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theatre of others. O, there be players that I have seen play, and heard others 30 praise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely, that, neither having the accent of Christians nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man, have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made men and not made them 35 well, they imitated humanity so abominably. First Player I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, sir. HAMLET O, reform it altogether. And let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them; 40 for there be of them that will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too; though, in the mean time, some necessary question of the play be then to be considered: that's villanous, and shows a most pitiful ambition 45 in the fool that uses it. Go, make you ready.

[Exeunt Players][Enter POLONIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN]

How now, my lord! I will the king hear this piece of work?
LORD POLONIUS And the queen too, and that presently.
HAMLET Bid the players make haste.
[Exit POLONIUS]
Will you two help to hasten them? 50
GUILDENSTERN We will, my lord.

[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN]

HAMLET What ho! Horatio!
[Enter HORATIO]
HORATIO Here, sweet lord, at your service.
HAMLET Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man
As e'er my conversation coped withal. 55
HORATIO O, my dear lord,––
HAMLET Nay, do not think I flatter;
For what advancement may I hope from thee
That no revenue hast but thy good spirits,
To feed and clothe thee? Why should the poor be flatter'd? 60
No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp,
And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee
Where thrift may follow fawning. Dost thou hear?
Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice
And could of men distinguish, her election 65
Hath seal'd thee for herself; for thou hast been
As one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing,
A man that fortune's buffets and rewards
Hast ta'en with equal thanks: and blest are those
Whose blood and judgment are so well commingled, 70
That they are not a pipe for fortune's finger
To sound what stop she please. Give me that man
That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him
In my heart's core, ay, in my heart of heart,
As I do thee.––Something too much of this.–– 75
There is a play to–night before the king;
One scene of it comes near the circumstance
Which I have told thee of my father's death:
I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot,
Even with the very comment of thy soul 80
Observe mine uncle: if his occulted guilt
Do not itself unkennel in one speech,
It is a damned ghost that we have seen,
And my imaginations are as foul
As Vulcan's stithy. Give him heedful note; 85
For I mine eyes will rivet to his face,
And after we will both our judgments join
In censure of his seeming.
HORATIO Well, my lord:
If he steal aught the whilst this play is playing, 90
And 'scape detecting, I will pay the theft.
HAMLET They are coming to the play; I must be idle:
Get you a place.

[ Danish march. A flourish. Enter KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, POLONIUS, OPHELIA, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and others ]

KING CLAUDIUS How fares our cousin Hamlet?
HAMLET Excellent, i' faith; of the chameleon's dish: I eat 95
the air, promise–crammed: you cannot feed capons so.
KING CLAUDIUS I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet; these words
are not mine.
HAMLET No, nor mine now.
[To POLONIUS]
My lord, you played once i' the university, you say? 100
LORD POLONIUS That did I, my lord; and was accounted a good actor.
HAMLET What did you enact?
LORD POLONIUS I did enact Julius Caesar: I was killed i' the
Capitol; Brutus killed me.
HAMLET It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a calf 105
there. Be the players ready?
ROSENCRANTZ Ay, my lord; they stay upon your patience.
QUEEN GERTRUDE Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me.
HAMLET No, good mother, here's metal more attractive.
LORD POLONIUS [To KING CLAUDIUS]�O, ho! do you mark that? 110
HAMLET Lady, shall I lie in your lap?

[Lying down at OPHELIA's feet]

OPHELIA No, my lord.
HAMLET I mean, my head upon your lap?
OPHELIA Ay, my lord.
HAMLET Do you think I meant country matters? 115
OPHELIA I think nothing, my lord.
HAMLET That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs.
OPHELIA What is, my lord?
HAMLET Nothing.
OPHELIA You are merry, my lord. 120
HAMLET Who, I?
OPHELIA Ay, my lord.
HAMLET O God, your only jig–maker. What should a man do
but be merry? for, look you, how cheerfully my
mother looks, and my father died within these two hours. 125
OPHELIA Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord.
HAMLET So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black, for
I'll have a suit of sables. O heavens! die two
months ago, and not forgotten yet? Then there's
hope a great man's memory may outlive his life half 130
a year: but, by'r lady, he must build churches,
then; or else shall he suffer not thinking on, with
the hobby–horse, whose epitaph is 'For, O, for, O,
the hobby–horse is forgot.'

[Hautboys play. The dumb–show enters][ Enter a King and a Queen very lovingly; the Queen embracing him, and he her. She kneels, and makes show of protestation unto him. He takes her up, and declines his head upon her neck: lays him down upon a bank of flowers: she, seeing him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in a fellow, takes off his crown, kisses it, and pours poison in the King's ears, and exit. The Queen returns; finds the King dead, and makes passionate action. The Poisoner, with some two or three Mutes, comes in again, seeming to lament with her. The dead body is carried away. The Poisoner wooes the Queen with gifts: she seems loath and unwilling awhile, but in the end accepts his love. ]

[Exeunt]
OPHELIA What means this, my lord? 135
HAMLET Marry, this is miching mallecho; it means mischief.
OPHELIA Belike this show imports the argument of the play.
[Enter Prologue]
HAMLET We shall know by this fellow: the players cannot
keep counsel; they'll tell all.
OPHELIA Will he tell us what this show meant? 140
HAMLET Ay, or any show that you'll show him: be not you
ashamed to show, he'll not shame to tell you what it means.
OPHELIA You are naught, you are naught: I'll mark the play.
Prologue For us, and for our tragedy,
Here stooping to your clemency, 145
We beg your hearing patiently.
[Exit]
HAMLET Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring?
OPHELIA Tis brief, my lord.
HAMLET As woman's love.
[Enter two Players, King and Queen]
Player King Full thirty times hath Phoebus' cart gone round 150
Neptune's salt wash and Tellus' orbed ground,
And thirty dozen moons with borrow'd sheen
About the world have times twelve thirties been,
Since love our hearts and Hymen did our hands
Unite commutual in most sacred bands. 155
Player Queen So many journeys may the sun and moon
Make us again count o'er ere love be done!
But, woe is me, you are so sick of late,
So far from cheer and from your former state,
That I distrust you. Yet, though I distrust, 160
Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must:
For women's fear and love holds quantity;
In neither aught, or in extremity.
Now, what my love is, proof hath made you know;
And as my love is sized, my fear is so: 165
Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear;
Where little fears grow great, great love grows there.
Player King Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too;
My operant powers their functions leave to do:
And thou shalt live in this fair world behind, 170
Honour'd, beloved; and haply one as kind
For husband shalt thou––
Player Queen O, confound the rest!
Such love must needs be treason in my breast:
In second husband let me be accurst! 175
None wed the second but who kill'd the first.
HAMLET [Aside]�Wormwood, wormwood.
Player Queen The instances that second marriage move
Are base respects of thrift, but none of love:
A second time I kill my husband dead, 180
When second husband kisses me in bed.
Player King I do believe you think what now you speak;
But what we do determine oft we break.
Purpose is but the slave to memory,
Of violent birth, but poor validity; 185
Which now, like fruit unripe, sticks on the tree;
But fall, unshaken, when they mellow be.
Most necessary 'tis that we forget
To pay ourselves what to ourselves is debt:
What to ourselves in passion we propose, 190
The passion ending, doth the purpose lose.
The violence of either grief or joy
Their own enactures with themselves destroy:
Where joy most revels, grief doth most lament;
Grief joys, joy grieves, on slender accident. 195
This world is not for aye, nor 'tis not strange
That even our loves should with our fortunes change;
For 'tis a question left us yet to prove,
Whether love lead fortune, or else fortune love.
The great man down, you mark his favourite flies; 200
The poor advanced makes friends of enemies.
And hitherto doth love on fortune tend;
For who not needs shall never lack a friend,
And who in want a hollow friend doth try,
Directly seasons him his enemy. 205
But, orderly to end where I begun,
Our wills and fates do so contrary run
That our devices still are overthrown;
Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own:
So think thou wilt no second husband wed; 210
But die thy thoughts when thy first lord is dead.
Player Queen Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light!
Sport and repose lock from me day and night!
To desperation turn my trust and hope!
An anchor's cheer in prison be my scope! 215
Each opposite that blanks the face of joy
Meet what I would have well and it destroy!
Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife,
If, once a widow, ever I be wife!
HAMLET If she should break it now! 220
Player King Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile;
My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile
The tedious day with sleep.
[Sleeps]
Player Queen Sleep rock thy brain,
And never come mischance between us twain! 225
[Exit]
HAMLET Madam, how like you this play?
QUEEN GERTRUDE The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
HAMLET O, but she'll keep her word.
KING CLAUDIUS Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in 't?
HAMLET No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest; no offence 230
i' the world.
KING CLAUDIUS What do you call the play?
HAMLET The Mouse–trap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play
is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonzago is
the duke's name; his wife, Baptista: you shall see 235
anon; 'tis a knavish piece of work: but what o'
that? your majesty and we that have free souls, it
touches us not: let the galled jade wince, our
withers are unwrung.
[Enter LUCIANUS]
This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king. 240
OPHELIA You are as good as a chorus, my lord.
HAMLET I could interpret between you and your love, if I
could see the puppets dallying.
OPHELIA You are keen, my lord, you are keen.
HAMLET It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge. 245
OPHELIA Still better, and worse.
HAMLET So you must take your husbands. Begin, murderer;
pox, leave thy damnable faces, and begin. Come:
the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.'
LUCIANUS Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing; 250
Confederate season, else no creature seeing;
Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds collected,
With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected,
Thy natural magic and dire property,
On wholesome life usurp immediately. 255

[Pours the poison into the sleeper's ears]

HAMLET He poisons him i' the garden for's estate. His
name's Gonzago: the story is extant, and writ in
choice Italian: you shall see anon how the murderer
gets the love of Gonzago's wife.
OPHELIA The king rises. 260
HAMLET What, frighted with false fire!
QUEEN GERTRUDE How fares my lord?
LORD POLONIUS Give o'er the play.
KING CLAUDIUS Give me some light: away!
All Lights, lights, lights! 265
[Exeunt all but HAMLET and HORATIO]
HAMLET Why, let the stricken deer go weep,
The hart ungalled play;
For some must watch, while some must sleep:
So runs the world away.
Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers–– if 270
the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me––with two
Provincial roses on my razed shoes, get me a
fellowship in a cry of players, sir?
HORATIO Half a share.
HAMLET A whole one, I. 275
For thou dost know, O Damon dear,
This realm dismantled was
Of Jove himself; and now reigns here
A very, very––pajock.
HORATIO You might have rhymed. 280
HAMLET O good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word for a
thousand pound. Didst perceive?
HORATIO Very well, my lord.
HAMLET Upon the talk of the poisoning?
HORATIO I did very well note him. 285
HAMLET Ah, ha! Come, some music! come, the recorders!
For if the king like not the comedy,
Why then, belike, he likes it not, perdy.
Come, some music!

[Re–enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN]

GUILDENSTERN Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you. 290
HAMLET Sir, a whole history.
GUILDENSTERN The king, sir,––
HAMLET Ay, sir, what of him?
GUILDENSTERN Is in his retirement marvellous distempered.
HAMLET With drink, sir? 295
GUILDENSTERN No, my lord, rather with choler.
HAMLET Your wisdom should show itself more richer to
signify this to his doctor; for, for me to put him
to his purgation would perhaps plunge him into far
more choler. 300
GUILDENSTERN Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame and
start not so wildly from my affair.
HAMLET I am tame, sir: pronounce.
GUILDENSTERN The queen, your mother, in most great affliction of
spirit, hath sent me to you. 305
HAMLET You are welcome.
GUILDENSTERN Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right
breed. If it shall please you to make me a
wholesome answer, I will do your mother's
commandment: if not, your pardon and my return 310
shall be the end of my business.
HAMLET Sir, I cannot.
GUILDENSTERN What, my lord?
HAMLET Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased: but,
sir, such answer as I can make, you shall command; 315
or, rather, as you say, my mother: therefore no
more, but to the matter: my mother, you say,––
ROSENCRANTZ Then thus she says; your behavior hath struck her
into amazement and admiration.
HAMLET O wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother! But 320
is there no sequel at the heels of this mother's
admiration? Impart.
ROSENCRANTZ She desires to speak with you in her closet, ere you
go to bed.
HAMLET We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have 325
you any further trade with us?
ROSENCRANTZ My lord, you once did love me.
HAMLET So I do still, by these pickers and stealers.
ROSENCRANTZ Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you
do, surely, bar the door upon your own liberty, if 330
you deny your griefs to your friend.
HAMLET Sir, I lack advancement.
ROSENCRANTZ How can that be, when you have the voice of the king
himself for your succession in Denmark?
HAMLET Ay, but sir, 'While the grass grows,'––the proverb 335
is something musty.

[Re–enter Players with recorders]

O, the recorders! let me see one. To withdraw with
you:––why do you go about to recover the wind of me,
as if you would drive me into a toil?
GUILDENSTERN O, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too 340
unmannerly.
HAMLET I do not well understand that. Will you play upon
this pipe?
GUILDENSTERN My lord, I cannot.
HAMLET I pray you. 345
GUILDENSTERN Believe me, I cannot.
HAMLET I do beseech you.
GUILDENSTERN I know no touch of it, my lord.
HAMLET Tis as easy as lying: govern these ventages with
your lingers and thumb, give it breath with your 350
mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent music.
Look you, these are the stops.
GUILDENSTERN But these cannot I command to any utterance of
harmony; I have not the skill.
HAMLET Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of 355
me! You would play upon me; you would seem to know
my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my
mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to
the top of my compass: and there is much music,
excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot 360
you make it speak. 'Sblood, do you think I am
easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what
instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you
cannot play upon me.
[Enter POLONIUS]
God bless you, sir! 365
LORD POLONIUS My lord, the queen would speak with you, and
presently.
HAMLET Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?
LORD POLONIUS By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed.
HAMLET Methinks it is like a weasel. 370
LORD POLONIUS It is backed like a weasel.
HAMLET Or like a whale?
LORD POLONIUS Very like a whale.
HAMLET Then I will come to my mother by and by. They fool
me to the top of my bent. I will come by and by. 375
LORD POLONIUS I will say so.
HAMLET By and by is easily said.
[Exit POLONIUS]
Leave me, friends.
[Exeunt all but HAMLET]
Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out 380
Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood,
And do such bitter business as the day
Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my mother.
O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom: 385
Let me be cruel, not unnatural:
I will speak daggers to her, but use none;
My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites;
How in my words soever she be shent,
To give them seals never, my soul, consent! 390
[Exit]

Posted on by

Act 3, page 2

Table of Contents

ACT III SCENE III� Setting: A room in the castle.

[Enter KING CLAUDIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN]

KING CLAUDIUS I like him not, nor stands it safe with us To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you; I your commission will forthwith dispatch, And he to England shall along with you: The terms of our estate may not endure Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow Out of his lunacies. GUILDENSTERN We will ourselves provide: Most holy and religious fear it is To keep those many many bodies safe That live and feed upon your majesty. 10 ROSENCRANTZ The single and peculiar life is bound, With all the strength and armour of the mind, To keep itself from noyance; but much more That spirit upon whose weal depend and rest The lives of many. The cease of majesty Dies not alone; but, like a gulf, doth draw What's near it with it: it is a massy wheel, Fix'd on the summit of the highest mount, To whose huge spokes ten thousand lesser things Are mortised and adjoin'd; which, when it falls, 20 Each small annexment, petty consequence, Attends the boisterous ruin. Never alone Did the king sigh, but with a general groan. KING CLAUDIUS Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage; For we will fetters put upon this fear, Which now goes too free–footed. GUILDENSTERN We will haste us.

[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN][Enter POLONIUS]

LORD POLONIUS My lord, he's going to his mother's closet:
Behind the arras I'll convey myself,
To hear the process; and warrant she'll tax him home:
And, as you said, and wisely was it said, 30
Tis meet that some more audience than a mother,
Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear
The speech, of vantage. Fare you well, my liege:
I'll call upon you ere you go to bed,
And tell you what I know.
KING CLAUDIUS Thanks, dear my lord.
[Exit POLONIUS]
O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven;
It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,
A brother's murder. Pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will:
My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent; 40
And, like a man to double business bound,
I stand in pause where I shall first begin,
And both neglect. What if this cursed hand
Were thicker than itself with brother's blood,
Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens
To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy
But to confront the visage of offence?
And what's in prayer but this two–fold force,
To be forestalled ere we come to fall,
Or pardon'd being down? Then I'll look up; 50
My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer
Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'?
That cannot be; since I am still possess'd
Of those effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, mine own ambition and my queen.
May one be pardon'd and retain the offence?
In the corrupted currents of this world
Offence's gilded hand may shove by justice,
And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself
Buys out the law: but 'tis not so above; 60
There is no shuffling, there the action lies
In his true nature; and we ourselves compell'd,
Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults,
To give in evidence. What then? what rests?
Try what repentance can: what can it not?
Yet what can it when one can not repent?
O wretched state! O bosom black as death!
O limed soul, that, struggling to be free,
Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay!
Bow, stubborn knees; and, heart with strings of steel, 70
Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe!
All may be well.
[Retires and kneels]
[Enter HAMLET]
HAMLET Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
O, this is hire and salary, not revenge.
He took my father grossly, full of bread; 80
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May;
And how his audit stands who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought,
Tis heavy with him: and am I then revenged,
To take him in the purging of his soul,
When he is fit and season'd for his passage?
No!
Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed; 90
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in't;
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays:
This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.
[Exit]
KING CLAUDIUS [Rising]�My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: 100
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.
[Exit]