It is hard to imagine a world without Shakespeare. Since their composition four hundred years ago, Shakespeare’s plays and poems have traveled the globe, inviting those who see and read his works to make them their own.

Readers of the New Folger Editions are part of this ongoing process of “taking up Shakespeare,” finding our own thoughts and feelings in language that strikes us as old or unusual and, for that very reason, new. We still struggle to keep up with a writer who could think a mile a minute, whose words paint pictures that shift like clouds. These expertly edited texts are presented to the public as a resource for study, artistic adaptation, and enjoyment. By making the classic texts of the New Folger Editions available in electronic form as Folger Digital Texts, we place a trusted resource in the hands of anyone who wants them.

The New Folger Editions of Shakespeare’s plays, which are the basis for the texts realized here in digital form, are special because of their origin. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is the single greatest documentary source of Shakespeare’s works. An unparalleled collection of early modern books, manuscripts, and artwork connected to Shakespeare, the Folger’s holdings have been consulted extensively in the preparation of these texts. The Editions also reflect the expertise gained through the regular performance of Shakespeare’s works in the Folger’s Elizabethan Theater.

I want to express my deep thanks to editors Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine for creating these indispensable editions of Shakespeare’s works, which incorporate the best of textual scholarship with a richness of commentary that is both inspired and engaging. Readers who want to know more about Shakespeare and his plays can follow the paths these distinguished scholars have tread by visiting the Folger either in-person or online, where a range of physical and digital resources exists to supplement the material in these texts. I commend to you these words, and hope that they inspire.

From the Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library

Until now, with the release of the Folger Digital Texts, readers in search of a free online text of Shakespeare’s plays had to be content primarily with using the Moby™ Text, which reproduces a late- nineteenth century version of the plays. What is the difference? Many ordinary readers assume that there is a single text for the plays: what Shakespeare wrote. But Shakespeare’s plays were not published the way modern novels or plays are published today: as a single, authoritative text. In some cases, the plays have come down to us in multiple published versions, represented by various Quartos (Qq) and by the great collection put together by his colleagues in 1623, called the First Folio (F). There are, for example, three very different versions of Hamlet, two of King Lear, Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, and others. Editors choose which version to use as their base text, and then amend that text with words, lines or speech prefixes from the other versions that, in their judgment, make for a better or more accurate text.

Other editorial decisions involve choices about whether an unfamiliar word could be understood in light of other writings of the period or whether it should be changed; decisions about words that made it into Shakespeare’s text by accident through four hundred years of printings and misprinting; and even decisions based on cultural preference and taste. When the Moby™ Text was created, for example, it was deemed “improper” and “indecent” for Miranda to chastise Caliban for having attempted to rape her. (See The Tempest, 1.2: “Abhorred slave,/Which any print of goodness wilt not take,/Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee…”). All Shakespeare editors at the time took the speech away from her and gave it to her father, Prospero.

The editors of the Moby™ Shakespeare produced their text long before scholars fully understood the proper grounds on which to make the thousands of decisions that Shakespeare editors face. The Folger Library Shakespeare Editions, on which the Folger Digital Texts depend, make this editorial process as nearly transparent as is possible, in contrast to older texts, like the Moby™, which hide editorial interventions. The reader of the Folger Shakespeare knows where the text has been altered because editorial interventions are signaled by square brackets (for example, from Othello: “ If she in

Textual Introduction By Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine

chains of magic were not bound, ”), half-square brackets (for example, from Henry V: “With blood and sword and fire to win your right,”), or angle brackets (for example, from Hamlet: “O farewell, honest soldier. Who hath relieved/you?”). At any point in the text, you can hover your cursor over a bracket for more information.

Because the Folger Digital Texts are edited in accord with twenty-first century knowledge about Shakespeare’s texts, the Folger here provides them to readers, scholars, teachers, actors, directors, and students, free of charge, confident of their quality as texts of the plays and pleased to be able to make this contribution to the study and enjoyment of Shakespeare.

Events before the start of Hamlet set the stage for tragedy. When the king of Denmark, Prince Hamlet’s father, suddenly dies, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, marries his uncle Claudius, who becomes the new king.

A spirit who claims to be the ghost of Hamlet’s father describes his murder at the hands of Claudius and demands that Hamlet avenge the killing. When the councilor Polonius learns from his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet has visited her in an apparently distracted state, Polonius attributes the prince’s condition to lovesickness, and he sets a trap for Hamlet using Ophelia as bait.

To confirm Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet arranges for a play that mimics the murder; Claudius’s reaction is that of a guilty man. Hamlet, now free to act, mistakenly kills Polonius, thinking he is Claudius. Claudius sends Hamlet away as part of a deadly plot.

After Polonius’s death, Ophelia goes mad and later drowns. Hamlet, who has returned safely to confront the king, agrees to a fencing match with Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, who secretly poisons his own rapier. At the match, Claudius prepares poisoned wine for Hamlet, which Gertrude unknowingly drinks; as she dies, she accuses Claudius, whom Hamlet kills. Then first Laertes and then Hamlet die, both victims of Laertes’ rapier.

Synopsis

THE GHOST HAMLET, Prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet

and Queen Gertrude QUEEN GERTRUDE, widow of King Hamlet, now married to Claudius KING CLAUDIUS, brother to the late King Hamlet

OPHELIA LAERTES, her brother POLONIUS, father of Ophelia and Laertes, councillor to King Claudius REYNALDO, servant to Polonius

HORATIO, Hamlet’s friend and confidant

FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway A Captain in Fortinbras’s army

Ambassadors to Denmark from England

Players who take the roles of Prologue, Player King, Player Queen, and Lucianus in The Murder of Gonzago

Two Messengers Sailors Gravedigger Gravedigger’s companion Doctor of Divinity

Attendants, Lords, Guards, Musicians, Laertes’s Followers, Soldiers, Officers

Characters in the Play

courtiers at the Danish court

VOLTEMAND CORNELIUS ROSENCRANTZ GUILDENSTERN OSRIC Gentlemen A Lord

Danish soldiers FRANCISCO BARNARDO MARCELLUS

BARNARDO FRANCISCO

BARNARDO FRANCISCO BARNARDO FRANCISCO

BARNARDO

FRANCISCO

BARNARDO FRANCISCO BARNARDO

FRANCISCO

HORATIO

Enter Barnardo and Francisco, two sentinels.

Who’s there?

Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself. Long live the King! Barnardo. He.

You come most carefully upon your hour.

’Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francisco.

For this relief much thanks. ’Tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart.

Have you had quiet guard? Not a mouse stirring. Well, good night.

If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.

Enter Horatio and Marcellus.

I think I hear them.—Stand ho! Who is there?

Friends to this ground. 7

ACT 1

Scene 1

FTLN 0001

FTLN 0002

FTLN 0003

FTLN 0004

FTLN 0005 5

FTLN 0006

FTLN 0007

FTLN 0008

FTLN 0009

FTLN 0010 10 FTLN 0011

FTLN 0012

FTLN 0013

FTLN 0014

FTLN 0015 15 FTLN 0016

9 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 1

FRANCISCO MARCELLUS

FRANCISCO

Francisco exits. MARCELLUS BARNARDO HORATIO BARNARDO

HORATIO

BARNARDO MARCELLUS

HORATIO

BARNARDO

HORATIO

BARNARDO

MARCELLUS And liegemen to the Dane. Give you good night.

O farewell, honest soldier. Who hath relieved you?

Barnardo hath my place. Give you good night.

Holla, Barnardo. Say, what, is Horatio there?

A piece of him.

Welcome, Horatio.—Welcome, good Marcellus.

What, has this thing appeared again tonight? I have seen nothing.

Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy And will not let belief take hold of him Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us. Therefore I have entreated him along With us to watch the minutes of this night, That, if again this apparition come, He may approve our eyes and speak to it.

Tush, tush, ’twill not appear.

Sit down awhile, And let us once again assail your ears, That are so fortified against our story, What we have two nights seen.

Well, sit we down, And let us hear Barnardo speak of this.

Last night of all, When yond same star that’s westward from the pole Had made his course t’ illume that part of heaven Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself, The bell then beating one—

FTLN 0017

FTLN 0018

FTLN 0019

FTLN 0020 20

FTLN 0021

FTLN 0022

FTLN 0023

FTLN 0024

FTLN 0025 25

FTLN 0026

FTLN 0027

FTLN 0028

FTLN 0029

FTLN 0030 30 FTLN 0031

FTLN 0032

FTLN 0033

FTLN 0034

FTLN 0035 35 FTLN 0036

FTLN 0037

FTLN 0038

FTLN 0039

FTLN 0040 40 FTLN 0041

FTLN 0042

FTLN 0043

FTLN 0044

FTLN 0045 45 FTLN 0046

11 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 1

MARCELLUS

BARNARDO

MARCELLUS

BARNARDO

HORATIO

BARNARDO

MARCELLUS HORATIO

MARCELLUS

BARNARDO HORATIO

Ghost exits. MARCELLUS BARNARDO

HORATIO

Enter Ghost.

Peace, break thee off! Look where it comes again.

In the same figure like the King that’s dead.

, to Horatio Thou art a scholar. Speak to it, Horatio.

Looks he not like the King? Mark it, Horatio.

Most like. It harrows me with fear and wonder.

It would be spoke to.

Speak to it, Horatio.

What art thou that usurp’st this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march? By heaven, I charge thee,

speak.

It is offended. See, it stalks away.

Stay! speak! speak! I charge thee, speak!

’Tis gone and will not answer.

How now, Horatio, you tremble and look pale. Is not this something more than fantasy? What think you on ’t?

Before my God, I might not this believe Without the sensible and true avouch Of mine own eyes.

FTLN 0047

FTLN 0048

FTLN 0049

FTLN 0050 50

FTLN 0051

FTLN 0052

FTLN 0053

FTLN 0054

FTLN 0055 55 FTLN 0056

FTLN 0057

FTLN 0058

FTLN 0059

FTLN 0060 60

FTLN 0061

FTLN 0062

FTLN 0063

FTLN 0064

FTLN 0065 65

FTLN 0066

FTLN 0067

FTLN 0068

13 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 1

HORATIO

MARCELLUS

HORATIO

MARCELLUS

HORATIO

MARCELLUS Is it not like the King? As thou art to thyself.

Such was the very armor he had on When he the ambitious Norway combated. So frowned he once when, in an angry parle, He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice. ’Tis strange.

Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour, With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch.

In what particular thought to work I know not, But in the gross and scope of mine opinion This bodes some strange eruption to our state.

Good now, sit down, and tell me, he that knows, Why this same strict and most observant watch So nightly toils the subject of the land, And why such daily cast of brazen cannon And foreign mart for implements of war, Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task Does not divide the Sunday from the week. What might be toward that this sweaty haste Doth make the night joint laborer with the day? Who is ’t that can inform me?

That can I. At least the whisper goes so: our last king, Whose image even but now appeared to us, Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway, Thereto pricked on by a most emulate pride, Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet (For so this side of our known world esteemed him) Did slay this Fortinbras, who by a sealed compact, Well ratified by law and heraldry, Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands Which he stood seized of, to the conqueror.

FTLN 0069

FTLN 0070 70 FTLN 0071

FTLN 0072

FTLN 0073

FTLN 0074

FTLN 0075 75

FTLN 0076

FTLN 0077

FTLN 0078

FTLN 0079

FTLN 0080 80

FTLN 0081

FTLN 0082

FTLN 0083

FTLN 0084

FTLN 0085 85 FTLN 0086

FTLN 0087

FTLN 0088

FTLN 0089

FTLN 0090 90 FTLN 0091

FTLN 0092

FTLN 0093

FTLN 0094

FTLN 0095 95 FTLN 0096

FTLN 0097

FTLN 0098

FTLN 0099

FTLN 0100 100 FTLN 0101

15 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 1

BARNARDO

HORATIO

Against the which a moiety competent Was gagèd by our king, which had returned To the inheritance of Fortinbras Had he been vanquisher, as, by the same comart And carriage of the article designed, His fell to Hamlet. Now, sir, young Fortinbras, Of unimprovèd mettle hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there Sharked up a list of lawless resolutes For food and diet to some enterprise That hath a stomach in ’t; which is no other (As it doth well appear unto our state) But to recover of us, by strong hand And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands So by his father lost. And this, I take it, Is the main motive of our preparations, The source of this our watch, and the chief head Of this posthaste and rummage in the land.

I think it be no other but e’en so. Well may it sort that this portentous figure Comes armèd through our watch so like the king That was and is the question of these wars.

A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye. In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless, and the sheeted dead Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets; As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood, Disasters in the sun; and the moist star, Upon whose influence Neptune’s empire stands, Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse. And even the like precurse of feared events, As harbingers preceding still the fates And prologue to the omen coming on,

FTLN 0102

FTLN 0103

FTLN 0104

FTLN 0105 105 FTLN 0106

FTLN 0107

FTLN 0108

FTLN 0109

FTLN 0110 110 FTLN 0111

FTLN 0112

FTLN 0113

FTLN 0114

FTLN 0115 115 FTLN 0116

FTLN 0117

FTLN 0118

FTLN 0119

FTLN 0120 120 FTLN 0121

FTLN 0122

FTLN 0123

FTLN 0124

FTLN 0125 125 FTLN 0126

FTLN 0127

FTLN 0128

FTLN 0129

FTLN 0130 130 FTLN 0131

FTLN 0132

FTLN 0133

FTLN 0134

FTLN 0135 135

17 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 1

It spreads his arms.

The cock crows.

MARCELLUS

HORATIO BARNARDO HORATIO

Ghost exits. MARCELLUS

BARNARDO

HORATIO

Have heaven and Earth together demonstrated Unto our climatures and countrymen.

Enter Ghost.

But soft, behold! Lo, where it comes again! I’ll cross it though it blast me.—Stay, illusion!

If thou hast any sound or use of voice, Speak to me. If there be any good thing to be done That may to thee do ease and grace to me, Speak to me. If thou art privy to thy country’s fate, Which happily foreknowing may avoid, O, speak! Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life Extorted treasure in the womb of earth, For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death, Speak of it.

Stay and speak!—Stop it, Marcellus.

Shall I strike it with my partisan? Do, if it will not stand.

’Tis here. ’Tis here.

’Tis gone. We do it wrong, being so majestical, To offer it the show of violence, For it is as the air, invulnerable, And our vain blows malicious mockery.

It was about to speak when the cock crew.

And then it started like a guilty thing Upon a fearful summons. I have heard

FTLN 0136

FTLN 0137

FTLN 0138

FTLN 0139

FTLN 0140 140 FTLN 0141

FTLN 0142

FTLN 0143

FTLN 0144

FTLN 0145 145 FTLN 0146

FTLN 0147

FTLN 0148

FTLN 0149

FTLN 0150 150 FTLN 0151

FTLN 0152

FTLN 0153

FTLN 0154

FTLN 0155 155 FTLN 0156

FTLN 0157

FTLN 0158

FTLN 0159

FTLN 0160 160 FTLN 0161

FTLN 0162

FTLN 0163

FTLN 0164

19 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 1

MARCELLUS

HORATIO

MARCELLUS

They exit.

The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat Awake the god of day, and at his warning, Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, Th’ extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine, and of the truth herein This present object made probation.

It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some say that ever ’gainst that season comes Wherein our Savior’s birth is celebrated, This bird of dawning singeth all night long; And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad, The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, So hallowed and so gracious is that time.

So have I heard and do in part believe it. But look, the morn in russet mantle clad Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastward hill. Break we our watch up, and by my advice Let us impart what we have seen tonight Unto young Hamlet; for, upon my life, This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it As needful in our loves, fitting our duty?

Let’s do ’t, I pray, and I this morning know Where we shall find him most convenient.

FTLN 0165 165 FTLN 0166

FTLN 0167

FTLN 0168

FTLN 0169

FTLN 0170 170 FTLN 0171

FTLN 0172

FTLN 0173

FTLN 0174

FTLN 0175 175 FTLN 0176

FTLN 0177

FTLN 0178

FTLN 0179

FTLN 0180 180 FTLN 0181

FTLN 0182

FTLN 0183

FTLN 0184

FTLN 0185 185 FTLN 0186

FTLN 0187

FTLN 0188

FTLN 0189

FTLN 0190 190

21 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

KING

Flourish. Enter Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude the Queen, the Council, as Polonius, and his son Laertes,

Hamlet, with others, among them Voltemand and Cornelius.

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him Together with remembrance of ourselves. Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state, Have we (as ’twere with a defeated joy, With an auspicious and a dropping eye, With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole) Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone With this affair along. For all, our thanks. Now follows that you know. Young Fortinbras, Holding a weak supposal of our worth Or thinking by our late dear brother’s death Our state to be disjoint and out of frame, Colleaguèd with this dream of his advantage, He hath not failed to pester us with message Importing the surrender of those lands Lost by his father, with all bonds of law, To our most valiant brother—so much for him. Now for ourself and for this time of meeting. Thus much the business is: we have here writ To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras, Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears

Scene 2

FTLN 0191

FTLN 0192

FTLN 0193

FTLN 0194

FTLN 0195 5 FTLN 0196

FTLN 0197

FTLN 0198

FTLN 0199

FTLN 0200 10 FTLN 0201

FTLN 0202

FTLN 0203

FTLN 0204

FTLN 0205 15 FTLN 0206

FTLN 0207

FTLN 0208

FTLN 0209

FTLN 0210 20 FTLN 0211

FTLN 0212

FTLN 0213

FTLN 0214

FTLN 0215 25 FTLN 0216

FTLN 0217

FTLN 0218

FTLN 0219

23 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

Giving them a paper.

CORNELIUS/VOLTEMAND

KING

Voltemand and Cornelius exit.

LAERTES

KING

Of this his nephew’s purpose, to suppress His further gait herein, in that the levies, The lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subject; and we here dispatch You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand, For bearers of this greeting to old Norway, Giving to you no further personal power To business with the King more than the scope Of these dilated articles allow.

Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty.

In that and all things will we show our duty.

We doubt it nothing. Heartily farewell.

And now, Laertes, what’s the news with you? You told us of some suit. What is ’t, Laertes? You cannot speak of reason to the Dane And lose your voice. What wouldst thou beg,

Laertes, That shall not be my offer, not thy asking? The head is not more native to the heart, The hand more instrumental to the mouth, Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. What wouldst thou have, Laertes?

My dread lord, Your leave and favor to return to France, From whence though willingly I came to Denmark To show my duty in your coronation, Yet now I must confess, that duty done, My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon.

Have you your father’s leave? What says Polonius?

FTLN 0220 30 FTLN 0221

FTLN 0222

FTLN 0223

FTLN 0224

FTLN 0225 35 FTLN 0226

FTLN 0227

FTLN 0228

FTLN 0229

FTLN 0230 40

FTLN 0231

FTLN 0232

FTLN 0233

FTLN 0234

FTLN 0235 45 FTLN 0236

FTLN 0237

FTLN 0238

FTLN 0239

FTLN 0240 50 FTLN 0241

FTLN 0242

FTLN 0243

FTLN 0244

FTLN 0245 55 FTLN 0246

FTLN 0247

FTLN 0248

FTLN 0249

25 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

KING

HAMLET

KING

HAMLET

QUEEN

HAMLET

QUEEN

HAMLET

POLONIUS Hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave By laborsome petition, and at last Upon his will I sealed my hard consent. I do beseech you give him leave to go.

Take thy fair hour, Laertes. Time be thine, And thy best graces spend it at thy will.— But now, my cousin Hamlet and my son—

, aside A little more than kin and less than kind.

How is it that the clouds still hang on you?

Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun.

Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not forever with thy vailèd lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ’tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity.

Ay, madam, it is common.

If it be, Why seems it so particular with thee?

“Seems,” madam? Nay, it is. I know not “seems.” ’Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed “seem,” For they are actions that a man might play;

FTLN 0250 60 FTLN 0251

FTLN 0252

FTLN 0253

FTLN 0254

FTLN 0255 65 FTLN 0256

FTLN 0257

FTLN 0258

FTLN 0259

FTLN 0260 70 FTLN 0261

FTLN 0262

FTLN 0263

FTLN 0264

FTLN 0265 75

FTLN 0266

FTLN 0267

FTLN 0268

FTLN 0269

FTLN 0270 80 FTLN 0271

FTLN 0272

FTLN 0273

FTLN 0274

FTLN 0275 85 FTLN 0276

FTLN 0277

27 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

KING

But I have that within which passes show, These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

’Tis sweet and commendable in your nature,

Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father. But you must know your father lost a father, That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To do obsequious sorrow. But to persever In obstinate condolement is a course Of impious stubbornness. ’Tis unmanly grief. It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, A heart unfortified, a mind impatient, An understanding simple and unschooled. For what we know must be and is as common As any the most vulgar thing to sense, Why should we in our peevish opposition Take it to heart? Fie, ’tis a fault to heaven, A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, To reason most absurd, whose common theme Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried, From the first corse till he that died today, “This must be so.” We pray you, throw to earth This unprevailing woe and think of us As of a father; for let the world take note, You are the most immediate to our throne, And with no less nobility of love Than that which dearest father bears his son Do I impart toward you. For your intent In going back to school in Wittenberg, It is most retrograde to our desire, And we beseech you, bend you to remain Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye, Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son.

FTLN 0278

FTLN 0279

FTLN 0280 90 FTLN 0281

FTLN 0282

FTLN 0283

FTLN 0284

FTLN 0285 95 FTLN 0286

FTLN 0287

FTLN 0288

FTLN 0289

FTLN 0290 100 FTLN 0291

FTLN 0292

FTLN 0293

FTLN 0294

FTLN 0295 105 FTLN 0296

FTLN 0297

FTLN 0298

FTLN 0299

FTLN 0300 110 FTLN 0301

FTLN 0302

FTLN 0303

FTLN 0304

FTLN 0305 115 FTLN 0306

FTLN 0307

FTLN 0308

FTLN 0309

FTLN 0310 120 FTLN 0311

29 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

HAMLET

KING

Flourish. All but Hamlet exit. HAMLET

QUEEN Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee, stay with us. Go not to Wittenberg.

I shall in all my best obey you, madam.

Why, ’tis a loving and a fair reply. Be as ourself in Denmark.—Madam, come. This gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet Sits smiling to my heart, in grace whereof No jocund health that Denmark drinks today But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell, And the King’s rouse the heaven shall bruit again, Respeaking earthly thunder. Come away.

O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ’gainst self-slaughter! O God, God, How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on ’t, ah fie! ’Tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this: But two months dead—nay, not so much, not two. So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and Earth, Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on. And yet, within a month (Let me not think on ’t; frailty, thy name is woman!), A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father’s body,

FTLN 0312

FTLN 0313

FTLN 0314

FTLN 0315 125 FTLN 0316

FTLN 0317

FTLN 0318

FTLN 0319

FTLN 0320 130 FTLN 0321

FTLN 0322

FTLN 0323

FTLN 0324

FTLN 0325 135 FTLN 0326

FTLN 0327

FTLN 0328

FTLN 0329

FTLN 0330 140 FTLN 0331

FTLN 0332

FTLN 0333

FTLN 0334

FTLN 0335 145 FTLN 0336

FTLN 0337

FTLN 0338

FTLN 0339

FTLN 0340 150 FTLN 0341

FTLN 0342

31 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

HORATIO HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

MARCELLUS HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

Like Niobe, all tears—why she, even she (O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer!), married with my

uncle, My father’s brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules. Within a month, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes, She married. O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.

Enter Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo.

Hail to your Lordship. I am glad to see you well.

Horatio—or I do forget myself!

The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.

Sir, my good friend. I’ll change that name with you. And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?— Marcellus?

My good lord.

I am very glad to see you. To Barnardo. Good even, sir.—

But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?

A truant disposition, good my lord.

I would not hear your enemy say so, Nor shall you do my ear that violence To make it truster of your own report Against yourself. I know you are no truant. But what is your affair in Elsinore? We’ll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.

FTLN 0343

FTLN 0344

FTLN 0345 155 FTLN 0346

FTLN 0347

FTLN 0348

FTLN 0349

FTLN 0350 160 FTLN 0351

FTLN 0352

FTLN 0353

FTLN 0354

FTLN 0355 165 FTLN 0356

FTLN 0357

FTLN 0358

FTLN 0359

FTLN 0360 170 FTLN 0361

FTLN 0362

FTLN 0363

FTLN 0364

FTLN 0365 175

FTLN 0366

FTLN 0367

FTLN 0368

FTLN 0369

FTLN 0370 180 FTLN 0371

FTLN 0372

33 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO

HORATIO My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.

I prithee, do not mock me, fellow student. I think it was to see my mother’s wedding.

Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.

Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio! My father—methinks I see my father.

Where, my lord?

In my mind’s eye, Horatio.

I saw him once. He was a goodly king.

He was a man. Take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.

My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

Saw who?

My lord, the King your father. The King my father?

Season your admiration for a while With an attent ear, till I may deliver Upon the witness of these gentlemen This marvel to you.

For God’s love, let me hear!

Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch,

FTLN 0373

FTLN 0374

FTLN 0375 185

FTLN 0376

FTLN 0377

FTLN 0378

FTLN 0379

FTLN 0380 190 FTLN 0381

FTLN 0382

FTLN 0383

FTLN 0384

FTLN 0385 195 FTLN 0386

FTLN 0387

FTLN 0388

FTLN 0389

FTLN 0390 200

FTLN 0391

FTLN 0392

FTLN 0393

FTLN 0394

FTLN 0395 205

FTLN 0396

FTLN 0397

35 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

HAMLET MARCELLUS

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET

ALL HAMLET

In the dead waste and middle of the night, Been thus encountered: a figure like your father, Armed at point exactly, cap-à-pie, Appears before them and with solemn march Goes slow and stately by them. Thrice he walked By their oppressed and fear-surprisèd eyes Within his truncheon’s length, whilst they, distilled Almost to jelly with the act of fear, Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me In dreadful secrecy impart they did, And I with them the third night kept the watch, Where, as they had delivered, both in time, Form of the thing (each word made true and good), The apparition comes. I knew your father; These hands are not more like.

But where was this?

My lord, upon the platform where we watch.

Did you not speak to it? My lord, I did,

But answer made it none. Yet once methought It lifted up its head and did address Itself to motion, like as it would speak; But even then the morning cock crew loud, And at the sound it shrunk in haste away And vanished from our sight.

’Tis very strange.

As I do live, my honored lord, ’tis true. And we did think it writ down in our duty To let you know of it.

Indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch tonight?

We do, my lord.

Armed, say you?

FTLN 0398

FTLN 0399

FTLN 0400 210 FTLN 0401

FTLN 0402

FTLN 0403

FTLN 0404

FTLN 0405 215 FTLN 0406

FTLN 0407

FTLN 0408

FTLN 0409

FTLN 0410 220 FTLN 0411

FTLN 0412

FTLN 0413

FTLN 0414

FTLN 0415 225 FTLN 0416

FTLN 0417

FTLN 0418

FTLN 0419

FTLN 0420 230 FTLN 0421

FTLN 0422

FTLN 0423

FTLN 0424

FTLN 0425 235 FTLN 0426

FTLN 0427

FTLN 0428

FTLN 0429

FTLN 0430 240

37 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 2

HAMLET ALL HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO HAMLET HORATIO

BARNARDO/MARCELLUS HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET

HORATIO HAMLET

ALL Armed, my lord. From top to toe?

My lord, from head to foot. Then saw you not his face?

O, yes, my lord, he wore his beaver up. What, looked he frowningly?

A countenance more in sorrow than in anger. Pale or red?

Nay, very pale. And fixed his eyes upon you?

Most constantly. I would I had been there. It would have much amazed you. Very like. Stayed it long?

While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.

Longer, longer.

Not when I saw ’t. His beard was grizzled, no?

It was as I have seen it in his life, A sable silvered.

I will watch tonight. Perchance ’twill walk again.

I warrant it will.

If it assume my noble father’s person, I’ll speak to it, though hell itself should gape And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all, If you have hitherto concealed this sight,

FTLN 0431

FTLN 0432

FTLN 0433

FTLN 0434

FTLN 0435 245 FTLN 0436

FTLN 0437

FTLN 0438

FTLN 0439

FTLN 0440 250

FTLN 0441

FTLN 0442

FTLN 0443

FTLN 0444

FTLN 0445 255 FTLN 0446

FTLN 0447

FTLN 0448

FTLN 0449

FTLN 0450 260 FTLN 0451

FTLN 0452

FTLN 0453

FTLN 0454

FTLN 0455 265 FTLN 0456

FTLN 0457

FTLN 0458

39 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 3

ALL HAMLET

All but Hamlet exit.

He exits.

LAERTES

OPHELIA LAERTES

Let it be tenable in your silence still; And whatsomever else shall hap tonight, Give it an understanding but no tongue. I will requite your loves. So fare you well. Upon the platform, ’twixt eleven and twelve, I’ll visit you.

Our duty to your Honor.

Your loves, as mine to you. Farewell.

My father’s spirit—in arms! All is not well. I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come! Till then, sit still, my soul. Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s

eyes.

Enter Laertes and Ophelia, his sister.

My necessaries are embarked. Farewell. And, sister, as the winds give benefit And convey is assistant, do not sleep, But let me hear from you.

Do you doubt that?

For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor, Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, A violet in the youth of primy nature, Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, The perfume and suppliance of a minute, No more.

No more but so? Think it no more.

FTLN 0459

FTLN 0460 270 FTLN 0461

FTLN 0462

FTLN 0463

FTLN 0464

FTLN 0465 275

FTLN 0466

FTLN 0467

FTLN 0468

FTLN 0469

FTLN 0470 280 FTLN 0471

Scene 3

FTLN 0472

FTLN 0473

FTLN 0474

FTLN 0475

FTLN 0476 5

FTLN 0477

FTLN 0478

FTLN 0479

FTLN 0480

FTLN 0481 10 FTLN 0482

FTLN 0483

FTLN 0484

41 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 3

OPHELIA

For nature, crescent, does not grow alone In thews and bulk, but, as this temple waxes, The inward service of the mind and soul Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now, And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch The virtue of his will; but you must fear, His greatness weighed, his will is not his own, For he himself is subject to his birth. He may not, as unvalued persons do, Carve for himself, for on his choice depends The safety and the health of this whole state. And therefore must his choice be circumscribed Unto the voice and yielding of that body Whereof he is the head. Then, if he says he loves

you, It fits your wisdom so far to believe it As he in his particular act and place May give his saying deed, which is no further Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal. Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain If with too credent ear you list his songs Or lose your heart or your chaste treasure open To his unmastered importunity. Fear it, Ophelia; fear it, my dear sister, And keep you in the rear of your affection, Out of the shot and danger of desire. The chariest maid is prodigal enough If she unmask her beauty to the moon. Virtue itself ’scapes not calumnious strokes. The canker galls the infants of the spring Too oft before their buttons be disclosed, And, in the morn and liquid dew of youth, Contagious blastments are most imminent. Be wary, then; best safety lies in fear. Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.

I shall the effect of this good lesson keep

FTLN 0485

FTLN 0486 15 FTLN 0487

FTLN 0488

FTLN 0489

FTLN 0490

FTLN 0491 20 FTLN 0492

FTLN 0493

FTLN 0494

FTLN 0495

FTLN 0496 25 FTLN 0497

FTLN 0498

FTLN 0499

FTLN 0500

FTLN 0501 30 FTLN 0502

FTLN 0503

FTLN 0504

FTLN 0505

FTLN 0506 35 FTLN 0507

FTLN 0508

FTLN 0509

FTLN 0510

FTLN 0511 40 FTLN 0512

FTLN 0513

FTLN 0514

FTLN 0515

FTLN 0516 45 FTLN 0517

FTLN 0518

FTLN 0519

FTLN 0520

43 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 3

LAERTES

POLONIUS

As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads And recks not his own rede.

O, fear me not.

Enter Polonius.

I stay too long. But here my father comes. A double blessing is a double grace. Occasion smiles upon a second leave.

Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame! The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are stayed for. There, my blessing with

thee. And these few precepts in thy memory Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel, But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatched, unfledged courage. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in, Bear ’t that th’ opposèd may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice. Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy (rich, not gaudy), For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are of a most select and generous chief in that. Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend,

FTLN 0521 50 FTLN 0522

FTLN 0523

FTLN 0524

FTLN 0525

FTLN 0526 55 FTLN 0527

FTLN 0528

FTLN 0529

FTLN 0530

FTLN 0531 60 FTLN 0532

FTLN 0533

FTLN 0534

FTLN 0535

FTLN 0536 65 FTLN 0537

FTLN 0538

FTLN 0539

FTLN 0540

FTLN 0541 70 FTLN 0542

FTLN 0543

FTLN 0544

FTLN 0545

FTLN 0546 75 FTLN 0547

FTLN 0548

FTLN 0549

FTLN 0550

FTLN 0551 80 FTLN 0552

FTLN 0553

45 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 3

LAERTES

POLONIUS

LAERTES

OPHELIA

LAERTES Laertes exits. POLONIUS

OPHELIA

POLONIUS

OPHELIA

POLONIUS

And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee.

Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.

The time invests you. Go, your servants tend.

Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well What I have said to you.

’Tis in my memory locked, And you yourself shall keep the key of it.

Farewell.

What is ’t, Ophelia, he hath said to you?

So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet.

Marry, well bethought. ’Tis told me he hath very oft of late Given private time to you, and you yourself Have of your audience been most free and

bounteous. If it be so (as so ’tis put on me, And that in way of caution), I must tell you You do not understand yourself so clearly As it behooves my daughter and your honor. What is between you? Give me up the truth.

He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders Of his affection to me.

Affection, puh! You speak like a green girl Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his “tenders,” as you call them?

FTLN 0554

FTLN 0555

FTLN 0556 85 FTLN 0557

FTLN 0558

FTLN 0559

FTLN 0560

FTLN 0561 90 FTLN 0562

FTLN 0563

FTLN 0564

FTLN 0565

FTLN 0566 95

FTLN 0567

FTLN 0568

FTLN 0569

FTLN 0570

FTLN 0571 100 FTLN 0572

FTLN 0573

FTLN 0574

FTLN 0575

FTLN 0576 105 FTLN 0577

FTLN 0578

FTLN 0579

FTLN 0580

FTLN 0581 110 FTLN 0582

FTLN 0583

47 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 3

POLONIUS

OPHELIA

POLONIUS

OPHELIA

POLONIUS

OPHELIA I do not know, my lord, what I should think.

Marry, I will teach you. Think yourself a baby That you have ta’en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly, Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, Running it thus) you’ll tender me a fool.

My lord, he hath importuned me with love In honorable fashion—

Ay, “fashion” you may call it. Go to, go to!

And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven.

Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know, When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter, Giving more light than heat, extinct in both Even in their promise as it is a-making, You must not take for fire. From this time Be something scanter of your maiden presence. Set your entreatments at a higher rate Than a command to parle. For Lord Hamlet, Believe so much in him that he is young, And with a larger tether may he walk Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia, Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers, Not of that dye which their investments show, But mere implorators of unholy suits, Breathing like sanctified and pious bawds The better to beguile. This is for all: I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth Have you so slander any moment leisure

FTLN 0584

FTLN 0585

FTLN 0586 115 FTLN 0587

FTLN 0588

FTLN 0589

FTLN 0590

FTLN 0591 120

FTLN 0592

FTLN 0593

FTLN 0594

FTLN 0595

FTLN 0596 125 FTLN 0597

FTLN 0598

FTLN 0599

FTLN 0600

FTLN 0601 130 FTLN 0602

FTLN 0603

FTLN 0604

FTLN 0605

FTLN 0606 135 FTLN 0607

FTLN 0608

FTLN 0609

FTLN 0610

FTLN 0611 140 FTLN 0612

FTLN 0613

49 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 4

OPHELIA They exit.

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO MARCELLUS HORATIO

A flourish of trumpets and two pieces goes off.

HAMLET

HORATIO HAMLET

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to ’t, I charge you. Come your ways.

I shall obey, my lord.

Enter Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus.

The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold.

It is a nipping and an eager air.

What hour now? I think it lacks of twelve.

No, it is struck.

Indeed, I heard it not. It then draws near the season Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk.

What does this mean, my lord?

The King doth wake tonight and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swagg’ring upspring reels; And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, The kettledrum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge.

Is it a custom? Ay, marry, is ’t,

But, to my mind, though I am native here And to the manner born, it is a custom More honored in the breach than the observance. This heavy-headed revel east and west Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations. They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase Soil our addition. And, indeed, it takes

FTLN 0614

FTLN 0615

FTLN 0616 145

Scene 4

FTLN 0617

FTLN 0618

FTLN 0619

FTLN 0620

FTLN 0621 5

FTLN 0622

FTLN 0623

FTLN 0624

FTLN 0625

FTLN 0626 10 FTLN 0627

FTLN 0628

FTLN 0629

FTLN 0630

FTLN 0631 15 FTLN 0632

FTLN 0633

FTLN 0634

FTLN 0635

FTLN 0636 20 FTLN 0637

FTLN 0638

51 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 4

HORATIO HAMLET

From our achievements, though performed at height,

The pith and marrow of our attribute. So oft it chances in particular men That for some vicious mole of nature in them, As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty, Since nature cannot choose his origin), By the o’ergrowth of some complexion (Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason), Or by some habit that too much o’erleavens The form of plausive manners—that these men, Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect, Being nature’s livery or fortune’s star, His virtues else, be they as pure as grace, As infinite as man may undergo, Shall in the general censure take corruption From that particular fault. The dram of evil Doth all the noble substance of a doubt To his own scandal.

Enter Ghost.

Look, my lord, it comes.

Angels and ministers of grace, defend us! Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from

hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou com’st in such a questionable shape That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee “Hamlet,” “King,” “Father,” “Royal Dane.” O, answer me! Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell Why thy canonized bones, hearsèd in death, Have burst their cerements; why the sepulcher, Wherein we saw thee quietly interred, Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws

FTLN 0639

FTLN 0640

FTLN 0641 25 FTLN 0642

FTLN 0643

FTLN 0644

FTLN 0645

FTLN 0646 30 FTLN 0647

FTLN 0648

FTLN 0649

FTLN 0650

FTLN 0651 35 FTLN 0652

FTLN 0653

FTLN 0654

FTLN 0655

FTLN 0656 40 FTLN 0657

FTLN 0658

FTLN 0659

FTLN 0660

FTLN 0661 45 FTLN 0662

FTLN 0663

FTLN 0664

FTLN 0665

FTLN 0666 50 FTLN 0667

FTLN 0668

FTLN 0669

FTLN 0670

FTLN 0671 55

53 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 4

Ghost beckons. HORATIO

MARCELLUS

HORATIO HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

HORATIO

To cast thee up again. What may this mean That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel, Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon, Making night hideous, and we fools of nature So horridly to shake our disposition With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? Say, why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?

It beckons you to go away with it As if it some impartment did desire To you alone.

Look with what courteous action It waves you to a more removèd ground. But do not go with it.

No, by no means.

It will not speak. Then I will follow it.

Do not, my lord. Why, what should be the fear?

I do not set my life at a pin’s fee. And for my soul, what can it do to that, Being a thing immortal as itself? It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord? Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o’er his base into the sea, And there assume some other horrible form Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason And draw you into madness? Think of it. The very place puts toys of desperation, Without more motive, into every brain That looks so many fathoms to the sea And hears it roar beneath.

FTLN 0672

FTLN 0673

FTLN 0674

FTLN 0675

FTLN 0676 60 FTLN 0677

FTLN 0678

FTLN 0679

FTLN 0680

FTLN 0681 65 FTLN 0682

FTLN 0683

FTLN 0684

FTLN 0685

FTLN 0686 70

FTLN 0687

FTLN 0688

FTLN 0689

FTLN 0690

FTLN 0691 75 FTLN 0692

FTLN 0693

FTLN 0694

FTLN 0695

FTLN 0696 80 FTLN 0697

FTLN 0698

FTLN 0699

FTLN 0700

FTLN 0701 85 FTLN 0702

55 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

MARCELLUS

They hold back Hamlet. HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET

Ghost and Hamlet exit. HORATIO

MARCELLUS

HORATIO

MARCELLUS

HORATIO

MARCELLUS They exit.

HAMLET

GHOST

It waves me still.—Go on, I’ll follow thee.

You shall not go, my lord.

Hold off your hands.

Be ruled. You shall not go. My fate cries out

And makes each petty arture in this body As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve. Still am I called. Unhand me, gentlemen. By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me! I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

He waxes desperate with imagination.

Let’s follow. ’Tis not fit thus to obey him.

Have after. To what issue will this come?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Heaven will direct it.

Nay, let’s follow him.

Enter Ghost and Hamlet.

Whither wilt thou lead me? Speak. I’ll go no

further.

Mark me.

FTLN 0703

FTLN 0704

FTLN 0705

FTLN 0706 90 FTLN 0707

FTLN 0708

FTLN 0709

FTLN 0710

FTLN 0711 95 FTLN 0712

FTLN 0713

FTLN 0714

FTLN 0715

FTLN 0716 100

FTLN 0717

FTLN 0718

Scene 5

FTLN 0719

FTLN 0720

FTLN 0721

57 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

GHOST

HAMLET GHOST

HAMLET

HAMLET I will. My hour is almost come

When I to sulf’rous and tormenting flames Must render up myself.

Alas, poor ghost!

Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing To what I shall unfold.

Speak. I am bound to hear.

So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear. What?

I am thy father’s spirit, Doomed for a certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their

spheres, Thy knotted and combinèd locks to part, And each particular hair to stand an end, Like quills upon the fearful porpentine. But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love—

O God!

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Murder?

Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural.

Haste me to know ’t, that I, with wings as swift

FTLN 0722

FTLN 0723 5 FTLN 0724

FTLN 0725

FTLN 0726

FTLN 0727

FTLN 0728 10 FTLN 0729

FTLN 0730

FTLN 0731

FTLN 0732

FTLN 0733 15 FTLN 0734

FTLN 0735

FTLN 0736

FTLN 0737

FTLN 0738 20 FTLN 0739

FTLN 0740

FTLN 0741

FTLN 0742

FTLN 0743 25 FTLN 0744

FTLN 0745

FTLN 0746

FTLN 0747

FTLN 0748 30

FTLN 0749

FTLN 0750

FTLN 0751

FTLN 0752

FTLN 0753 35

59 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

GHOST

HAMLET GHOST

As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge.

I find thee apt; And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. ’Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forgèd process of my death Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown.

O, my prophetic soul! My uncle!

Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wits, with traitorous gifts— O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen. O Hamlet, what a falling off was there! From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage, and to decline Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor To those of mine. But virtue, as it never will be moved, Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven, So, lust, though to a radiant angel linked, Will sate itself in a celestial bed And prey on garbage. But soft, methinks I scent the morning air. Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard, My custom always of the afternoon, Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, With juice of cursèd hebona in a vial And in the porches of my ears did pour

FTLN 0754

FTLN 0755

FTLN 0756

FTLN 0757

FTLN 0758 40 FTLN 0759

FTLN 0760

FTLN 0761

FTLN 0762

FTLN 0763 45 FTLN 0764

FTLN 0765

FTLN 0766

FTLN 0767

FTLN 0768 50 FTLN 0769

FTLN 0770

FTLN 0771

FTLN 0772

FTLN 0773 55 FTLN 0774

FTLN 0775

FTLN 0776

FTLN 0777

FTLN 0778 60 FTLN 0779

FTLN 0780

FTLN 0781

FTLN 0782

FTLN 0783 65 FTLN 0784

FTLN 0785

FTLN 0786

FTLN 0787

FTLN 0788 70

61 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

He exits. HAMLET

The leprous distilment, whose effect Holds such an enmity with blood of man That swift as quicksilver it courses through The natural gates and alleys of the body, And with a sudden vigor it doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine, And a most instant tetter barked about, Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust All my smooth body. Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched, Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin, Unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled, No reck’ning made, but sent to my account With all my imperfections on my head. O horrible, O horrible, most horrible! If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not. Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damnèd incest. But, howsomever thou pursues this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once. The glowworm shows the matin to be near And ’gins to pale his uneffectual fire. Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me.

O all you host of heaven! O Earth! What else? And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart, And you, my sinews, grow not instant old, But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee? Ay, thou poor ghost, whiles memory holds a seat In this distracted globe. Remember thee? Yea, from the table of my memory

FTLN 0789

FTLN 0790

FTLN 0791

FTLN 0792

FTLN 0793 75 FTLN 0794

FTLN 0795

FTLN 0796

FTLN 0797

FTLN 0798 80 FTLN 0799

FTLN 0800

FTLN 0801

FTLN 0802

FTLN 0803 85 FTLN 0804

FTLN 0805

FTLN 0806

FTLN 0807

FTLN 0808 90 FTLN 0809

FTLN 0810

FTLN 0811

FTLN 0812

FTLN 0813 95 FTLN 0814

FTLN 0815

FTLN 0816

FTLN 0817

FTLN 0818 100 FTLN 0819

FTLN 0820

FTLN 0821

FTLN 0822

FTLN 0823 105

63 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

He writes.

HORATIO MARCELLUS HORATIO HAMLET MARCELLUS HAMLET MARCELLUS

HORATIO HAMLET HORATIO

HAMLET HORATIO

MARCELLUS HAMLET

I’ll wipe away all trivial, fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain, Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven! O most pernicious woman! O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain! My tables—meet it is I set it down That one may smile and smile and be a villain. At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.

So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word. It is “adieu, adieu, remember me.” I have sworn ’t.

Enter Horatio and Marcellus.

My lord, my lord! Lord Hamlet.

Heavens secure him! So be it.

Illo, ho, ho, my lord! Hillo, ho, ho, boy! Come, bird, come!

How is ’t, my noble lord?

What news, my lord? O, wonderful!

Good my lord, tell it. No, you will reveal it.

Not I, my lord, by heaven. Nor I, my lord.

How say you, then? Would heart of man once think

it? But you’ll be secret?

FTLN 0824

FTLN 0825

FTLN 0826

FTLN 0827

FTLN 0828 110 FTLN 0829

FTLN 0830

FTLN 0831

FTLN 0832

FTLN 0833 115 FTLN 0834

FTLN 0835

FTLN 0836

FTLN 0837

FTLN 0838 120 FTLN 0839

FTLN 0840

FTLN 0841

FTLN 0842

FTLN 0843 125

FTLN 0844

FTLN 0845

FTLN 0846

FTLN 0847

FTLN 0848 130

FTLN 0849

FTLN 0850

FTLN 0851

FTLN 0852

FTLN 0853 135

65 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

HORATIO HAMLET

HORATIO/MARCELLUS HAMLET HORATIO MARCELLUS HAMLET

HORATIO/MARCELLUS Ay, by heaven, my lord.

There’s never a villain dwelling in all Denmark But he’s an arrant knave.

There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave To tell us this.

Why, right, you are in the right. And so, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit that we shake hands and part, You, as your business and desire shall point you (For every man hath business and desire, Such as it is), and for my own poor part, I will go pray.

These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.

I am sorry they offend you, heartily; Yes, faith, heartily.

There’s no offense, my lord.

Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, And much offense, too. Touching this vision here, It is an honest ghost—that let me tell you. For your desire to know what is between us, O’ermaster ’t as you may. And now, good friends, As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers, Give me one poor request.

What is ’t, my lord? We will.

Never make known what you have seen tonight. My lord, we will not.

Nay, but swear ’t. In faith, my lord, not I.

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Upon my sword.

FTLN 0854

FTLN 0855

FTLN 0856

FTLN 0857

FTLN 0858 140 FTLN 0859

FTLN 0860

FTLN 0861

FTLN 0862

FTLN 0863 145 FTLN 0864

FTLN 0865

FTLN 0866

FTLN 0867

FTLN 0868 150 FTLN 0869

FTLN 0870

FTLN 0871

FTLN 0872

FTLN 0873 155 FTLN 0874

FTLN 0875

FTLN 0876

FTLN 0877

FTLN 0878 160 FTLN 0879

FTLN 0880

FTLN 0881

FTLN 0882

FTLN 0883 165

67 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

HAMLET GHOST HAMLET

HORATIO HAMLET

GHOST HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

MARCELLUS We have sworn, my lord, already. Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

cries under the stage Swear.

Ha, ha, boy, sayst thou so? Art thou there, truepenny?

Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage. Consent to swear.

Propose the oath, my lord.

Never to speak of this that you have seen, Swear by my sword.

, beneath Swear.

Hic et ubique? Then we’ll shift our ground. Come hither, gentlemen, And lay your hands again upon my sword. Swear by my sword Never to speak of this that you have heard.

, beneath Swear by his sword.

Well said, old mole. Canst work i’ th’ earth so fast?— A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends.

O day and night, but this is wondrous strange.

And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come. Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, How strange or odd some’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on) That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, With arms encumbered thus, or this headshake, Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,

FTLN 0884

FTLN 0885

FTLN 0886

FTLN 0887

FTLN 0888 170 FTLN 0889

FTLN 0890

FTLN 0891

FTLN 0892

FTLN 0893 175 FTLN 0894

FTLN 0895

FTLN 0896

FTLN 0897

FTLN 0898 180 FTLN 0899

FTLN 0900

FTLN 0901

FTLN 0902

FTLN 0903 185

FTLN 0904

FTLN 0905

FTLN 0906

FTLN 0907

FTLN 0908 190 FTLN 0909

FTLN 0910

FTLN 0911

FTLN 0912

FTLN 0913 195

69 Hamlet ACT 1. SC. 5

GHOST HAMLET

They exit.

As “Well, well, we know,” or “We could an if we would,”

Or “If we list to speak,” or “There be an if they might,”

Or such ambiguous giving-out, to note That you know aught of me—this do swear, So grace and mercy at your most need help you.

, beneath Swear.

Rest, rest, perturbèd spirit.—So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you, And what so poor a man as Hamlet is May do t’ express his love and friending to you, God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together, And still your fingers on your lips, I pray. The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite That ever I was born to set it right! Nay, come, let’s go together.

FTLN 0914

FTLN 0915

FTLN 0916

FTLN 0917

FTLN 0918 200 FTLN 0919

FTLN 0920

FTLN 0921

FTLN 0922

FTLN 0923 205 FTLN 0924

FTLN 0925

FTLN 0926

FTLN 0927

FTLN 0928 210 FTLN 0929

FTLN 0930

POLONIUS

REYNALDO POLONIUS

Enter old Polonius with his man Reynaldo.

Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

I will, my lord.

You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo, Before you visit him, to make inquire Of his behavior.

My lord, I did intend it.

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 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?

Ay, very well, my lord.

“And, in part, him, but,” you may say, “not well. 73

ACT 2

Scene 1

FTLN 0931

FTLN 0932

FTLN 0933

FTLN 0934

FTLN 0935 5 FTLN 0936

FTLN 0937

FTLN 0938

FTLN 0939

FTLN 0940 10 FTLN 0941

FTLN 0942

FTLN 0943

FTLN 0944

FTLN 0945 15 FTLN 0946

FTLN 0947

FTLN 0948

FTLN 0949

75 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 1

REYNALDO POLONIUS

REYNALDO POLONIUS REYNALDO POLONIUS

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 As may dishonor him, take heed of that, But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips As are companions noted and most known To youth and liberty.

As gaming, my lord. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing,

Quarreling, drabbing—you may go so far. My lord, that would dishonor him.

Faith, no, as you may season it in the charge. You must not put another scandal on him That he is open to incontinency; 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 unreclaimèd blood, Of general assault.

But, my good lord— Wherefore should you do this? Ay, my lord, I would know that.

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 soiled i’ th’ working, Mark you, 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—

FTLN 0950 20 FTLN 0951

FTLN 0952

FTLN 0953

FTLN 0954

FTLN 0955 25 FTLN 0956

FTLN 0957

FTLN 0958

FTLN 0959

FTLN 0960 30

FTLN 0961

FTLN 0962

FTLN 0963

FTLN 0964

FTLN 0965 35 FTLN 0966

FTLN 0967

FTLN 0968

FTLN 0969

FTLN 0970 40 FTLN 0971

FTLN 0972

FTLN 0973

FTLN 0974

FTLN 0975 45 FTLN 0976

FTLN 0977

FTLN 0978

FTLN 0979

FTLN 0980 50 FTLN 0981

FTLN 0982

FTLN 0983

FTLN 0984

77 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 1

POLONIUS

REYNALDO

POLONIUS

REYNALDO

POLONIUS REYNALDO POLONIUS

REYNALDO POLONIUS REYNALDO POLONIUS

Reynaldo exits.

REYNALDO Very good, my lord. 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?

At “closes in the consequence,” at “friend, or so,” and “gentleman.”

At “closes in the consequence”—ay, marry— He closes thus: “I know the gentleman. I saw him yesterday,” or “th’ other day” (Or then, or then, with such or such), “and as you

say, There was he 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 Your bait of falsehood take 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?

My lord, I have.

God be wi’ you. Fare you well. Good my lord.

Observe his inclination in yourself.

I shall, my lord. And let him ply his music. Well, my lord.

Farewell.

Enter Ophelia.

How now, Ophelia, what’s the matter?

FTLN 0985 55 FTLN 0986

FTLN 0987

FTLN 0988

FTLN 0989

FTLN 0990 60

FTLN 0991

FTLN 0992

FTLN 0993

FTLN 0994

FTLN 0995 65 FTLN 0996

FTLN 0997

FTLN 0998

FTLN 0999

FTLN 1000 70 FTLN 1001

FTLN 1002

FTLN 1003

FTLN 1004

FTLN 1005 75

FTLN 1006

FTLN 1007

FTLN 1008

FTLN 1009

FTLN 1010 80 FTLN 1011

FTLN 1012

FTLN 1013

FTLN 1014

79 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 1

POLONIUS OPHELIA

POLONIUS

OPHELIA

POLONIUS OPHELIA

POLONIUS

OPHELIA O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!

With what, i’ th’ name of God?

My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced, No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle, Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, And with a look so piteous in purport As if he had been loosèd out of hell To speak of horrors—he comes before me.

Mad for thy love?

My lord, I do not know, But truly I do fear it.

What said he?

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 stayed he so. At last, a little shaking of mine arm, 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 turned, He seemed 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.

Come, go with me. I will go seek the King. This is the very ecstasy of love, Whose violent property fordoes itself

FTLN 1015 85 FTLN 1016

FTLN 1017

FTLN 1018

FTLN 1019

FTLN 1020 90 FTLN 1021

FTLN 1022

FTLN 1023

FTLN 1024

FTLN 1025 95 FTLN 1026

FTLN 1027

FTLN 1028

FTLN 1029

FTLN 1030 100 FTLN 1031

FTLN 1032

FTLN 1033

FTLN 1034

FTLN 1035 105 FTLN 1036

FTLN 1037

FTLN 1038

FTLN 1039

FTLN 1040 110 FTLN 1041

FTLN 1042

FTLN 1043

FTLN 1044

FTLN 1045 115

81 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

OPHELIA

POLONIUS

They exit.

KING

And leads the will to desperate undertakings As oft as any passions under heaven That does afflict our natures. I am sorry. What, have you given him any hard words of late?

No, my good lord, but as you did command I did repel his letters and denied His access to me.

That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment I had not coted him. I feared he did but trifle And meant to wrack 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. Come.

Flourish. Enter King and Queen, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Attendants.

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 th’ exterior nor the inward man Resembles that it was. What it should be, More than his father’s death, that thus hath put him

FTLN 1046

FTLN 1047

FTLN 1048

FTLN 1049

FTLN 1050 120 FTLN 1051

FTLN 1052

FTLN 1053

FTLN 1054

FTLN 1055 125 FTLN 1056

FTLN 1057

FTLN 1058

FTLN 1059

FTLN 1060 130 FTLN 1061

FTLN 1062

FTLN 1063

FTLN 1064

Scene 2

FTLN 1065

FTLN 1066

FTLN 1067

FTLN 1068

FTLN 1069 5 FTLN 1070

FTLN 1071

FTLN 1072

83 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

QUEEN

ROSENCRANTZ

GUILDENSTERN

KING

QUEEN

GUILDENSTERN

So much from th’ understanding of himself I cannot dream of. I entreat you both That, being of so young days brought up with him And sith so neighbored 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, opened, lies within our remedy.

Good gentlemen, he hath much talked of you, And sure I am two men there is not living To whom he more adheres. If it will please you To show us so much gentry and goodwill 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.

Both your Majesties Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, Put your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty.

But we both obey, And here give up ourselves in the full bent To lay our service freely at your feet, To be commanded.

Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern.

Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz. And I beseech you instantly to visit My too much changèd son.—Go, some of you, And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Heavens make our presence and our practices Pleasant and helpful to him!

FTLN 1073

FTLN 1074 10 FTLN 1075

FTLN 1076

FTLN 1077

FTLN 1078

FTLN 1079 15 FTLN 1080

FTLN 1081

FTLN 1082

FTLN 1083

FTLN 1084 20 FTLN 1085

FTLN 1086

FTLN 1087

FTLN 1088

FTLN 1089 25 FTLN 1090

FTLN 1091

FTLN 1092

FTLN 1093

FTLN 1094 30 FTLN 1095

FTLN 1096

FTLN 1097

FTLN 1098

FTLN 1099 35

FTLN 1100

FTLN 1101

FTLN 1102

FTLN 1103

FTLN 1104 40 FTLN 1105

85 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit with some Attendants.

POLONIUS

KING

POLONIUS

KING

POLONIUS

KING

Polonius exits.

QUEEN

KING

QUEEN Ay, amen!

Enter Polonius.

Th’ ambassadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully returned.

Thou still hast been the father of good news.

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.

O, speak of that! That do I long to hear.

Give first admittance to th’ ambassadors. My news shall be the fruit to that great feast.

Thyself do grace to them and bring them in.

He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found The head and source of all your son’s distemper.

I doubt it is no other but the main— His father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage.

Well, we shall sift him.

Enter Ambassadors Voltemand and Cornelius with Polonius.

FTLN 1106

FTLN 1107

FTLN 1108

FTLN 1109 45

FTLN 1110

FTLN 1111

FTLN 1112

FTLN 1113

FTLN 1114 50 FTLN 1115

FTLN 1116

FTLN 1117

FTLN 1118

FTLN 1119 55

FTLN 1120

FTLN 1121

FTLN 1122

FTLN 1123

FTLN 1124 60

FTLN 1125

87 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

VOLTEMAND

He gives a paper.

KING

Voltemand and Cornelius exit. POLONIUS

Welcome, my good friends. Say, Voltemand, what from our brother Norway?

Most fair return of greetings and desires. Upon our first, he sent out to suppress His nephew’s levies, which to him appeared To be a preparation ’gainst the Polack, But, better looked 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 To give th’ assay of arms against your Majesty. Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy, Gives him three-score 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,

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.

It likes us well, And, at our more considered time, we’ll read, Answer, and think upon this business. Meantime, we thank you for your well-took labor. Go to your rest. At night we’ll feast together. Most welcome home!

This business is well ended. My liege, and madam, to expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is,

FTLN 1126

FTLN 1127

FTLN 1128

FTLN 1129 65 FTLN 1130

FTLN 1131

FTLN 1132

FTLN 1133

FTLN 1134 70 FTLN 1135

FTLN 1136

FTLN 1137

FTLN 1138

FTLN 1139 75 FTLN 1140

FTLN 1141

FTLN 1142

FTLN 1143

FTLN 1144 80 FTLN 1145

FTLN 1146

FTLN 1147

FTLN 1148

FTLN 1149 85 FTLN 1150

FTLN 1151

FTLN 1152

FTLN 1153

FTLN 1154 90 FTLN 1155

FTLN 1156

FTLN 1157

FTLN 1158

89 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

QUEEN POLONIUS

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? But let that go.

More matter with less art.

Madam, I swear I use no art at all. That he’s 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 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.

He reads. To the celestial, and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia— That’s an ill phrase, a vile phrase; “beautified” is a vile phrase. But you shall hear. Thus: He reads. In her excellent white bosom, these, etc.—

Came this from Hamlet to her?

Good madam, stay awhile. I will be faithful. He reads the letter.

Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love.

FTLN 1159 95 FTLN 1160

FTLN 1161

FTLN 1162

FTLN 1163

FTLN 1164 100 FTLN 1165

FTLN 1166

FTLN 1167

FTLN 1168

FTLN 1169 105 FTLN 1170

FTLN 1171

FTLN 1172

FTLN 1173

FTLN 1174 110 FTLN 1175

FTLN 1176

FTLN 1177

FTLN 1178

FTLN 1179 115 FTLN 1180

FTLN 1181

FTLN 1182

FTLN 1183

FTLN 1184 120 FTLN 1185

FTLN 1186

FTLN 1187

FTLN 1188

FTLN 1189 125 FTLN 1190

FTLN 1191

91 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet.

KING POLONIUS KING

POLONIUS

KING

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.

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.

But how hath she received his love? What do you think of me?

As of a man faithful and honorable.

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 played the desk or table-book Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb, Or looked upon this love with idle sight? What might you think? No, I went round to work, And my young mistress thus I did bespeak: “Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star. This must not be.” And then I prescripts 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, repelled (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 And all we mourn for.

, to Queen Do you think ’tis this?

FTLN 1192

FTLN 1193

FTLN 1194 130 FTLN 1195

FTLN 1196

FTLN 1197

FTLN 1198

FTLN 1199 135 FTLN 1200

FTLN 1201

FTLN 1202

FTLN 1203

FTLN 1204 140 FTLN 1205

FTLN 1206

FTLN 1207

FTLN 1208

FTLN 1209 145 FTLN 1210

FTLN 1211

FTLN 1212

FTLN 1213

FTLN 1214 150 FTLN 1215

FTLN 1216

FTLN 1217

FTLN 1218

FTLN 1219 155 FTLN 1220

FTLN 1221

FTLN 1222

FTLN 1223

FTLN 1224 160 FTLN 1225

93 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

POLONIUS

KING POLONIUS

QUEEN POLONIUS

KING

QUEEN

POLONIUS

King and Queen exit with Attendants.

HAMLET

QUEEN It may be, very like.

Hath there been such a time (I would fain know that)

That I have positively said “’Tis so,” When it proved otherwise?

Not that I know.

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 center.

How may we try it further?

You know sometimes he walks four hours together Here in the lobby.

So he does indeed.

At such a time I’ll loose my daughter to him. To the King. 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.

We will try it.

Enter Hamlet reading on a book.

But look where sadly the poor wretch comes

reading.

Away, I do beseech you both, away. I’ll board him presently. O, give me leave.

How does my good Lord Hamlet? Well, God-a-mercy.

FTLN 1226

FTLN 1227

FTLN 1228

FTLN 1229 165 FTLN 1230

FTLN 1231

FTLN 1232

FTLN 1233

FTLN 1234 170 FTLN 1235

FTLN 1236

FTLN 1237

FTLN 1238

FTLN 1239 175

FTLN 1240

FTLN 1241

FTLN 1242

FTLN 1243

FTLN 1244 180 FTLN 1245

FTLN 1246

FTLN 1247

FTLN 1248

FTLN 1249 185 FTLN 1250

FTLN 1251

FTLN 1252

95 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET

POLONIUS

HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET

POLONIUS

POLONIUS Do you know me, my lord? Excellent well. You are a fishmonger.

Not I, my lord. Then I would you were so honest a man.

Honest, my lord? Ay, sir. To be honest, as this world goes, is to

be one man picked out of ten thousand. That’s very true, my lord.

For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion—Have you a daughter?

I have, my lord. Let her not walk i’ th’ sun. Conception is a

blessing, but, as your daughter may conceive, friend, look to ’t.

, 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. 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?

Words, words, words. What is the matter, my lord?

Between who? I mean the matter that you read, my lord.

Slanders, sir; for the satirical rogue says here that old men have gray 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, shall grow old as I am, if, like a crab, you could go backward.

, aside Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.—Will you walk out of the air, my lord?

FTLN 1253

FTLN 1254 190 FTLN 1255

FTLN 1256

FTLN 1257

FTLN 1258

FTLN 1259 195 FTLN 1260

FTLN 1261

FTLN 1262

FTLN 1263

FTLN 1264 200 FTLN 1265

FTLN 1266

FTLN 1267

FTLN 1268

FTLN 1269 205 FTLN 1270

FTLN 1271

FTLN 1272

FTLN 1273

FTLN 1274 210 FTLN 1275

FTLN 1276

FTLN 1277

FTLN 1278

FTLN 1279 215 FTLN 1280

FTLN 1281

FTLN 1282

FTLN 1283

FTLN 1284 220 FTLN 1285

FTLN 1286

FTLN 1287

FTLN 1288

97 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

POLONIUS

HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET

POLONIUS ROSENCRANTZ

Polonius exits. GUILDENSTERN ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET Into my grave? Indeed, that’s out of 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 lord, I will take my leave of you.

You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal—except my life, except my life, except my life.

Fare you well, my lord. , aside These tedious old fools.

Enter Guildenstern and Rosencrantz.

You go to seek the Lord Hamlet. There he is. , to Polonius God save you, sir.

My honored lord. My most dear lord.

My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do you both?

As the indifferent children of the earth.

Happy in that we are not overhappy. On Fortune’s cap, we are not the very button.

Nor the soles of her shoe? Neither, my lord.

Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favors?

Faith, her privates we. In the secret parts of Fortune? O, most true!

She is a strumpet. What news? None, my lord, but that the world’s

grown honest.

FTLN 1289 225 FTLN 1290

FTLN 1291

FTLN 1292

FTLN 1293

FTLN 1294 230 FTLN 1295

FTLN 1296

FTLN 1297

FTLN 1298

FTLN 1299 235 FTLN 1300

FTLN 1301

FTLN 1302

FTLN 1303

FTLN 1304 240 FTLN 1305

FTLN 1306

FTLN 1307

FTLN 1308

FTLN 1309 245

FTLN 1310

FTLN 1311

FTLN 1312

FTLN 1313

FTLN 1314 250 FTLN 1315

FTLN 1316

FTLN 1317

FTLN 1318

FTLN 1319 255 FTLN 1320

99 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

GUILDENSTERN HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ/GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

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?

Prison, my lord? Denmark’s a prison.

Then is the world one. A goodly one, in which there are many confines,

wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o’ th’ worst.

We think not so, my lord. 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.

Why, then, your ambition makes it one. ’Tis too narrow for your mind.

O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.

Which dreams, indeed, are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.

A dream itself is but a shadow. Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy

and light a quality that it is but a shadow’s shadow. Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs

and outstretched heroes the beggars’ shadows. Shall we to th’ court? For, by my fay, I cannot reason.

We’ll wait upon you. 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?

To visit you, my lord, no other occasion.

FTLN 1321

FTLN 1322

FTLN 1323

FTLN 1324 260 FTLN 1325

FTLN 1326

FTLN 1327

FTLN 1328

FTLN 1329 265 FTLN 1330

FTLN 1331

FTLN 1332

FTLN 1333

FTLN 1334 270 FTLN 1335

FTLN 1336

FTLN 1337

FTLN 1338

FTLN 1339 275 FTLN 1340

FTLN 1341

FTLN 1342

FTLN 1343

FTLN 1344 280 FTLN 1345

FTLN 1346

FTLN 1347

FTLN 1348

FTLN 1349 285 FTLN 1350

FTLN 1351

FTLN 1352

FTLN 1353

FTLN 1354 290 FTLN 1355

FTLN 1356

101 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

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, come, deal justly with me. Come, come; nay, speak.

What should we say, my lord? Anything but to th’ purpose. You were sent

for, and there is a kind of confession in your looks which your modesties have not craft enough to color. I know the good king and queen have sent for you.

To what end, my lord? 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 can charge you withal: be even and direct with me whether you were sent for or no.

, to Guildenstern What say you? , aside Nay, then, I have an eye of you.—If

you love me, hold not off. My lord, we were sent for.

I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the King and Queen molt 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 appeareth nothing to me but a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving

FTLN 1357

FTLN 1358

FTLN 1359 295 FTLN 1360

FTLN 1361

FTLN 1362

FTLN 1363

FTLN 1364 300 FTLN 1365

FTLN 1366

FTLN 1367

FTLN 1368

FTLN 1369 305 FTLN 1370

FTLN 1371

FTLN 1372

FTLN 1373

FTLN 1374 310 FTLN 1375

FTLN 1376

FTLN 1377

FTLN 1378

FTLN 1379 315 FTLN 1380

FTLN 1381

FTLN 1382

FTLN 1383

FTLN 1384 320 FTLN 1385

FTLN 1386

FTLN 1387

FTLN 1388

FTLN 1389 325 FTLN 1390

FTLN 1391

FTLN 1392

103 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ

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 women neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.

Why did you laugh, then, when I said “man delights not me”?

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.

He that plays the king shall be welcome—his Majesty shall have tribute on me. The adventurous knight shall use his foil and target, the lover shall not sigh gratis, the humorous man shall end his part in peace, the clown shall make those laugh whose lungs are tickle o’ th’ sear, and the lady shall say her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt for ’t. What players are they?

Even those you were wont to take such delight in, the tragedians of the city.

How chances it they travel? Their residence, both in reputation and profit, was better both ways.

I think their inhibition comes by the means of the late innovation.

Do they hold the same estimation they did when I was in the city? Are they so followed?

No, indeed are they not. How comes it? Do they grow rusty?

Nay, their endeavor keeps in the wonted pace. But there is, sir, an aerie of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top of question and are most tyrannically clapped for ’t. These are now the

FTLN 1393

FTLN 1394 330 FTLN 1395

FTLN 1396

FTLN 1397

FTLN 1398

FTLN 1399 335 FTLN 1400

FTLN 1401

FTLN 1402

FTLN 1403

FTLN 1404 340 FTLN 1405

FTLN 1406

FTLN 1407

FTLN 1408

FTLN 1409 345 FTLN 1410

FTLN 1411

FTLN 1412

FTLN 1413

FTLN 1414 350 FTLN 1415

FTLN 1416

FTLN 1417

FTLN 1418

FTLN 1419 355 FTLN 1420

FTLN 1421

FTLN 1422

FTLN 1423

FTLN 1424 360 FTLN 1425

FTLN 1426

FTLN 1427

FTLN 1428

105 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

A flourish for the Players. GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

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.

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?

Faith, there has been much to-do on both sides, and the nation holds it no sin to tar 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.

Is ’t possible? O, there has been much throwing

about of brains. Do the boys carry it away?

Ay, that they do, my lord—Hercules and his load too.

It is not very strange; for my uncle is King of Denmark, and those that would make mouths at him while my father lived give twenty, forty, fifty, a hundred ducats apiece for his picture in little. ’Sblood, there is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out.

There are the players. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore.

Your hands, come then. Th’ 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 outwards, should more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome. But my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived.

FTLN 1429 365 FTLN 1430

FTLN 1431

FTLN 1432

FTLN 1433

FTLN 1434 370 FTLN 1435

FTLN 1436

FTLN 1437

FTLN 1438

FTLN 1439 375 FTLN 1440

FTLN 1441

FTLN 1442

FTLN 1443

FTLN 1444 380 FTLN 1445

FTLN 1446

FTLN 1447

FTLN 1448

FTLN 1449 385 FTLN 1450

FTLN 1451

FTLN 1452

FTLN 1453

FTLN 1454 390 FTLN 1455

FTLN 1456

FTLN 1457

FTLN 1458

FTLN 1459 395 FTLN 1460

FTLN 1461

FTLN 1462

FTLN 1463

FTLN 1464 400

107 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET POLONIUS

HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN In what, my dear lord? I am but mad north-north-west. When the

wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.

Enter Polonius.

Well be with you, gentlemen. 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.

Haply he is the second time come to them, for they say an old man is twice a child.

I will prophesy he comes to tell me of the players; mark it.—You say right, sir, a Monday morning, ’twas then indeed.

My lord, I have news to tell you. My lord, I have news to tell you: when Roscius

was an actor in Rome— The actors are come hither, my lord.

Buzz, buzz. Upon my honor—

Then came each actor on his ass. 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.

O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!

What a treasure had he, my lord? Why,

One fair daughter, and no more, The which he lovèd passing well.

, aside Still on my daughter. Am I not i’ th’ right, old Jephthah?

FTLN 1465

FTLN 1466

FTLN 1467

FTLN 1468

FTLN 1469 405 FTLN 1470

FTLN 1471

FTLN 1472

FTLN 1473

FTLN 1474 410 FTLN 1475

FTLN 1476

FTLN 1477

FTLN 1478

FTLN 1479 415 FTLN 1480

FTLN 1481

FTLN 1482

FTLN 1483

FTLN 1484 420 FTLN 1485

FTLN 1486

FTLN 1487

FTLN 1488

FTLN 1489 425 FTLN 1490

FTLN 1491

FTLN 1492

FTLN 1493

FTLN 1494 430 FTLN 1495

FTLN 1496

FTLN 1497

FTLN 1498

109 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET

FIRST PLAYER HAMLET

POLONIUS If you call me “Jephthah,” my lord: I have a daughter that I love passing well.

Nay, that follows not. What follows then, my lord?

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 abridgment comes.

Enter the Players.

You are welcome, masters; welcome all.—I am glad to see thee well.—Welcome, good friends.—O my old friend! Why, thy face is valanced since I saw thee last. Com’st 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 a piece 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 anything we see. We’ll have a speech straight. Come, give us a taste of your quality. Come, a passionate speech.

What speech, my good lord? 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 caviary 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 savory, nor no matter in the phrase that might indict the author of affection, but called it an honest

FTLN 1499 435 FTLN 1500

FTLN 1501

FTLN 1502

FTLN 1503

FTLN 1504 440 FTLN 1505

FTLN 1506

FTLN 1507

FTLN 1508

FTLN 1509 445 FTLN 1510

FTLN 1511

FTLN 1512

FTLN 1513

FTLN 1514 450 FTLN 1515

FTLN 1516

FTLN 1517

FTLN 1518

FTLN 1519 455 FTLN 1520

FTLN 1521

FTLN 1522

FTLN 1523

FTLN 1524 460 FTLN 1525

FTLN 1526

FTLN 1527

FTLN 1528

FTLN 1529 465 FTLN 1530

FTLN 1531

FTLN 1532

111 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

POLONIUS

FIRST PLAYER

method, as wholesome as sweet and, by very much, more handsome than fine. One speech in ’t I chiefly loved. ’Twas Aeneas’ tale to Dido, and thereabout of it especially when 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 th’ Hyrcanian beast— ’tis not so; it begins with Pyrrhus:

The rugged Pyrrhus, he whose sable arms, Black as his purpose, did the night resemble When he lay couchèd in th’ ominous horse, Hath now this dread and black complexion smeared With heraldry more dismal. Head to foot, Now is he total gules, horridly tricked With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, Baked and impasted with the parching streets, That lend a tyrannous and a damnèd light To their lord’s murder. Roasted in wrath and fire, And thus o’ersizèd with coagulate gore, With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus Old grandsire Priam seeks.

So, proceed you. ’Fore God, my lord, well spoken, with good

accent and good discretion. Anon he finds him

Striking too short at Greeks. His antique sword, Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls, Repugnant to command. Unequal matched, Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide; But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword Th’ unnervèd father falls. Then senseless Ilium, 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, seemed i’ th’ air to stick.

FTLN 1533

FTLN 1534 470 FTLN 1535

FTLN 1536

FTLN 1537

FTLN 1538

FTLN 1539 475 FTLN 1540

FTLN 1541

FTLN 1542

FTLN 1543

FTLN 1544 480 FTLN 1545

FTLN 1546

FTLN 1547

FTLN 1548

FTLN 1549 485 FTLN 1550

FTLN 1551

FTLN 1552

FTLN 1553

FTLN 1554 490 FTLN 1555

FTLN 1556

FTLN 1557

FTLN 1558

FTLN 1559 495 FTLN 1560

FTLN 1561

FTLN 1562

FTLN 1563

FTLN 1564 500 FTLN 1565

FTLN 1566

FTLN 1567

FTLN 1568

113 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

POLONIUS HAMLET

FIRST PLAYER

HAMLET POLONIUS

FIRST PLAYER

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, The bold winds speechless, and the orb below As hush as death, anon the dreadful thunder Doth rend the region; so, after Pyrrhus’ pause, Arousèd vengeance sets him new a-work, And never did the Cyclops’ hammers fall On Mars’s armor, 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, 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!

This is too long. 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.

But who, ah woe, had seen the moblèd queen—

“The moblèd queen”? That’s good. “ Moblèd queen” is good.

Run barefoot up and down, threat’ning 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’erteemèd loins A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up— Who this had seen, with tongue in venom steeped, ’Gainst Fortune’s state would treason have

pronounced. But if the gods themselves did see her then

FTLN 1569 505 FTLN 1570

FTLN 1571

FTLN 1572

FTLN 1573

FTLN 1574 510 FTLN 1575

FTLN 1576

FTLN 1577

FTLN 1578

FTLN 1579 515 FTLN 1580

FTLN 1581

FTLN 1582

FTLN 1583

FTLN 1584 520 FTLN 1585

FTLN 1586

FTLN 1587

FTLN 1588

FTLN 1589 525 FTLN 1590

FTLN 1591

FTLN 1592

FTLN 1593

FTLN 1594 530 FTLN 1595

FTLN 1596

FTLN 1597

FTLN 1598

FTLN 1599 535 FTLN 1600

FTLN 1601

FTLN 1602

115 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

POLONIUS

HAMLET

POLONIUS

HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET

FIRST PLAYER HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport In mincing with his sword her husband’s limbs, The instant burst of clamor 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.

Look whe’er he has not turned his color and has tears in ’s eyes. Prithee, no more.

’Tis well. I’ll have thee speak out the rest of this 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.

My lord, I will use them according to their desert.

God’s bodykins, man, much better! Use every man after his desert and who shall ’scape whipping? Use them after your own honor and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in.

Come, sirs. Follow him, friends. We’ll hear a play

tomorrow. As Polonius and Players exit, Hamlet speaks to the First Player. Dost thou hear me, old friend? Can you play “The Murder of Gonzago”?

Ay, my lord. We’ll ha ’t tomorrow 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?

Ay, my lord. Very well. Follow that lord—and look you

mock him not. First Player exits. My good friends, I’ll leave you till night. You are welcome to Elsinore.

Good my lord.

FTLN 1603

FTLN 1604 540 FTLN 1605

FTLN 1606

FTLN 1607

FTLN 1608

FTLN 1609 545 FTLN 1610

FTLN 1611

FTLN 1612

FTLN 1613

FTLN 1614 550 FTLN 1615

FTLN 1616

FTLN 1617

FTLN 1618

FTLN 1619 555 FTLN 1620

FTLN 1621

FTLN 1622

FTLN 1623

FTLN 1624 560 FTLN 1625

FTLN 1626

FTLN 1627

FTLN 1628

FTLN 1629 565 FTLN 1630

FTLN 1631

FTLN 1632

FTLN 1633

FTLN 1634 570 FTLN 1635

FTLN 1636

FTLN 1637

FTLN 1638

117 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit.

HAMLET Ay, so, good-bye to you.

Now I am alone. 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 wanned, Tears in his eyes, distraction in his 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, 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 appall 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, And can say nothing—no, not for a king Upon whose property and most dear life A damned 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’ th’ 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-livered and lack gall To make oppression bitter, or ere this I should have fatted all the region kites With this slave’s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless

villain!

FTLN 1639 575

FTLN 1640

FTLN 1641

FTLN 1642

FTLN 1643

FTLN 1644 580 FTLN 1645

FTLN 1646

FTLN 1647

FTLN 1648

FTLN 1649 585 FTLN 1650

FTLN 1651

FTLN 1652

FTLN 1653

FTLN 1654 590 FTLN 1655

FTLN 1656

FTLN 1657

FTLN 1658

FTLN 1659 595 FTLN 1660

FTLN 1661

FTLN 1662

FTLN 1663

FTLN 1664 600 FTLN 1665

FTLN 1666

FTLN 1667

FTLN 1668

FTLN 1669 605 FTLN 1670

FTLN 1671

FTLN 1672

FTLN 1673

119 Hamlet ACT 2. SC. 2

He exits.

O vengeance! Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murdered, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words And fall a-cursing like a very drab, A stallion! Fie upon ’t! Foh! About, my brains!—Hum, I have heard That guilty creatures sitting at a play Have, by the very cunning of the scene, Been struck so to the soul that presently They have proclaimed their malefactions; For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players Play something like the murder of my father Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks; I’ll tent him to the quick. If he do blench, I know my course. The spirit that I have seen May be a devil, and the devil hath power T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds More relative than this. The play’s the thing Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.

FTLN 1674 610 FTLN 1675

FTLN 1676

FTLN 1677

FTLN 1678

FTLN 1679 615 FTLN 1680

FTLN 1681

FTLN 1682

FTLN 1683

FTLN 1684 620 FTLN 1685

FTLN 1686

FTLN 1687

FTLN 1688

FTLN 1689 625 FTLN 1690

FTLN 1691

FTLN 1692

FTLN 1693

FTLN 1694 630 FTLN 1695

FTLN 1696

FTLN 1697

FTLN 1698

KING

ROSENCRANTZ

GUILDENSTERN

QUEEN ROSENCRANTZ GUILDENSTERN

ROSENCRANTZ

QUEEN ROSENCRANTZ

Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Lords.

And can you by no drift of conference Get from him why he puts on this confusion, Grating so harshly all his days of quiet With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?

He does confess he feels himself distracted, But from what cause he will by no means speak.

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.

Did he receive you well? Most like a gentleman.

But with much forcing of his disposition.

Niggard of question, but of our demands Most free in his reply.

Did you assay him to any pastime?

Madam, it so fell out that certain players 123

ACT 3

Scene 1

FTLN 1699

FTLN 1700

FTLN 1701

FTLN 1702

FTLN 1703 5 FTLN 1704

FTLN 1705

FTLN 1706

FTLN 1707

FTLN 1708 10 FTLN 1709

FTLN 1710

FTLN 1711

FTLN 1712

FTLN 1713 15 FTLN 1714

FTLN 1715

125 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 1

POLONIUS

KING

ROSENCRANTZ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

and Lords exit. KING

QUEEN

OPHELIA

Queen exits. POLONIUS

We o’erraught on the way. Of these we told him, And there did seem in him a kind of joy To hear of it. They are here about the court, And, as I think, they have already order This night to play before him.

’Tis most true, And he beseeched me to entreat your Majesties To hear and see the matter.

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 into these delights.

We shall, my lord.

Sweet Gertrude, leave us too, For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither, That he, as ’twere by accident, may here 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 th’ affliction of his love or no That thus he suffers for.

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 Will bring him to his wonted way again, To both your honors.

Madam, I wish it may.

Ophelia, walk you here.—Gracious, so please you,

FTLN 1716

FTLN 1717

FTLN 1718 20 FTLN 1719

FTLN 1720

FTLN 1721

FTLN 1722

FTLN 1723 25

FTLN 1724

FTLN 1725

FTLN 1726

FTLN 1727

FTLN 1728 30

FTLN 1729

FTLN 1730

FTLN 1731

FTLN 1732

FTLN 1733 35 FTLN 1734

FTLN 1735

FTLN 1736

FTLN 1737

FTLN 1738 40 FTLN 1739

FTLN 1740

FTLN 1741

FTLN 1742

FTLN 1743 45 FTLN 1744

FTLN 1745

FTLN 1746

127 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 1

KING

POLONIUS

They withdraw.

HAMLET

We will bestow ourselves. To Ophelia. Read on this book,

That show of such an exercise may color 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.

, aside O, ’tis too true! How smart a lash that speech doth give my

conscience. The harlot’s cheek beautied with plast’ring art Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it Than is my deed to my most painted word. O heavy burden!

I hear him coming. Let’s withdraw, my lord.

Enter 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— No more—and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. 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, Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,

FTLN 1747

FTLN 1748 50 FTLN 1749

FTLN 1750

FTLN 1751

FTLN 1752

FTLN 1753 55 FTLN 1754

FTLN 1755

FTLN 1756

FTLN 1757

FTLN 1758 60 FTLN 1759

FTLN 1760

FTLN 1761

FTLN 1762

FTLN 1763 65 FTLN 1764

FTLN 1765

FTLN 1766

FTLN 1767

FTLN 1768 70 FTLN 1769

FTLN 1770

FTLN 1771

FTLN 1772

FTLN 1773 75 FTLN 1774

FTLN 1775

FTLN 1776

FTLN 1777

129 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 1

OPHELIA

HAMLET OPHELIA

HAMLET

OPHELIA

The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th’ 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 undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will 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 pitch 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 remembered.

Good my lord, How does your Honor for this many a day?

I humbly thank you, well.

My lord, I have remembrances of yours That I have longèd long to redeliver. I pray you now receive them.

No, not I. I never gave you aught.

My honored 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 Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. There, my lord.

FTLN 1778 80 FTLN 1779

FTLN 1780

FTLN 1781

FTLN 1782

FTLN 1783 85 FTLN 1784

FTLN 1785

FTLN 1786

FTLN 1787

FTLN 1788 90 FTLN 1789

FTLN 1790

FTLN 1791

FTLN 1792

FTLN 1793 95 FTLN 1794

FTLN 1795

FTLN 1796

FTLN 1797

FTLN 1798 100 FTLN 1799

FTLN 1800

FTLN 1801

FTLN 1802

FTLN 1803 105

FTLN 1804

FTLN 1805

FTLN 1806

FTLN 1807

FTLN 1808 110 FTLN 1809

FTLN 1810

131 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 1

OPHELIA HAMLET OPHELIA HAMLET

OPHELIA

HAMLET

OPHELIA HAMLET

HAMLET Ha, ha, are you honest? My lord? Are you fair? What means your Lordship? That if you be honest and fair, your honesty

should admit no discourse to your beauty. Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce

than with honesty? 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.

Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so. You should not have believed me, for virtue

cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not.

I was the more deceived. 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 offenses 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?

At home, my lord. Let the doors be shut upon him that he may

play the fool nowhere but in ’s own house. Farewell. O, help him, you sweet heavens! 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

FTLN 1811

FTLN 1812

FTLN 1813 115 FTLN 1814

FTLN 1815

FTLN 1816

FTLN 1817

FTLN 1818 120 FTLN 1819

FTLN 1820

FTLN 1821

FTLN 1822

FTLN 1823 125 FTLN 1824

FTLN 1825

FTLN 1826

FTLN 1827

FTLN 1828 130 FTLN 1829

FTLN 1830

FTLN 1831

FTLN 1832

FTLN 1833 135 FTLN 1834

FTLN 1835

FTLN 1836

FTLN 1837

FTLN 1838 140 FTLN 1839

FTLN 1840

FTLN 1841

FTLN 1842

FTLN 1843 145 FTLN 1844

FTLN 1845

FTLN 1846

133 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 1

OPHELIA HAMLET

He exits. OPHELIA

KING

nunnery, 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.

Heavenly powers, restore him! I have heard of your paintings too, well

enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and you lisp; you nickname 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 marriage. Those that are married already, all but one, shall live. The rest shall keep as they are. To a nunnery, go.

O, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown! The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue,

sword, Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mold of form, Th’ observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his musicked vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of time and harsh; That unmatched form and stature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me T’ have seen what I have seen, see what I see!

, advancing with Polonius Love? His affections do not that way tend; Nor what he spake, though it lacked 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

FTLN 1847

FTLN 1848 150 FTLN 1849

FTLN 1850

FTLN 1851

FTLN 1852

FTLN 1853 155 FTLN 1854

FTLN 1855

FTLN 1856

FTLN 1857

FTLN 1858 160 FTLN 1859

FTLN 1860

FTLN 1861

FTLN 1862

FTLN 1863 165 FTLN 1864

FTLN 1865

FTLN 1866

FTLN 1867

FTLN 1868 170 FTLN 1869

FTLN 1870

FTLN 1871

FTLN 1872

FTLN 1873 175

FTLN 1874

FTLN 1875

FTLN 1876

FTLN 1877

FTLN 1878 180 FTLN 1879

FTLN 1880

135 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

POLONIUS

KING

They exit.

HAMLET

Thus set it down: he shall with speed to England For the demand of our neglected tribute. 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?

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, 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.

It shall be so. Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.

Enter Hamlet and three of the Players.

Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our 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; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. O,

FTLN 1881

FTLN 1882

FTLN 1883 185 FTLN 1884

FTLN 1885

FTLN 1886

FTLN 1887

FTLN 1888 190 FTLN 1889

FTLN 1890

FTLN 1891

FTLN 1892

FTLN 1893 195 FTLN 1894

FTLN 1895

FTLN 1896

FTLN 1897

FTLN 1898 200 FTLN 1899

FTLN 1900

FTLN 1901

Scene 2

FTLN 1902

FTLN 1903

FTLN 1904

FTLN 1905

FTLN 1906 5 FTLN 1907

FTLN 1908

FTLN 1909

137 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

PLAYER HAMLET

PLAYER

HAMLET

it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious, periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Termagant. It out-Herods Herod. Pray you, avoid it.

I warrant your Honor. 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, that you o’erstep not the modesty of nature. For anything so o’erdone is 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 or come tardy off, though it makes the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve, the censure of the which one must in your allowance o’erweigh a whole theater of others. O, there be players that I have seen play and heard others praise (and that highly), not to speak it profanely, that, neither having th’ 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 well, they imitated humanity so abominably.

I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us, sir.

O, reform it altogether. And let those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them, for there be of them that will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators to laugh too, though in the meantime some necessary

FTLN 1910

FTLN 1911 10 FTLN 1912

FTLN 1913

FTLN 1914

FTLN 1915

FTLN 1916 15 FTLN 1917

FTLN 1918

FTLN 1919

FTLN 1920

FTLN 1921 20 FTLN 1922

FTLN 1923

FTLN 1924

FTLN 1925

FTLN 1926 25 FTLN 1927

FTLN 1928

FTLN 1929

FTLN 1930

FTLN 1931 30 FTLN 1932

FTLN 1933

FTLN 1934

FTLN 1935

FTLN 1936 35 FTLN 1937

FTLN 1938

FTLN 1939

FTLN 1940

FTLN 1941 40 FTLN 1942

FTLN 1943

FTLN 1944

FTLN 1945

139 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

Players exit.

POLONIUS HAMLET Polonius exits.

ROSENCRANTZ They exit. HAMLET

HORATIO HAMLET

HORATIO

HAMLET

question of the play be then to be considered. That’s villainous and shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it. Go make you ready.

Enter Polonius, Guildenstern, and Rosencrantz.

How now, my lord, will the King hear this piece of work?

And the Queen too, and that presently. Bid the players make haste.

Will you two help to hasten them? Ay, my lord.

What ho, Horatio!

Enter Horatio.

Here, sweet lord, at your service.

Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man As e’er my conversation coped withal.

O, my dear lord—

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

flattered? 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 Hath sealed 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 blessed are those Whose blood and judgment are so well

commeddled

FTLN 1946 45 FTLN 1947

FTLN 1948

FTLN 1949

FTLN 1950

FTLN 1951 50 FTLN 1952

FTLN 1953

FTLN 1954

FTLN 1955

FTLN 1956 55

FTLN 1957

FTLN 1958

FTLN 1959

FTLN 1960

FTLN 1961 60 FTLN 1962

FTLN 1963

FTLN 1964

FTLN 1965

FTLN 1966 65 FTLN 1967

FTLN 1968

FTLN 1969

FTLN 1970

FTLN 1971 70 FTLN 1972

FTLN 1973

FTLN 1974

FTLN 1975

141 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

HORATIO

Sound a flourish. HAMLET

KING HAMLET

KING

HAMLET

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.— There is a play tonight 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 Observe my uncle. If his occulted guilt Do not itself unkennel in one speech, It is a damnèd ghost that we have seen, And my imaginations are as foul As Vulcan’s stithy. Give him heedful note, For I mine eyes will rivet to his face, And, after, we will both our judgments join In censure of his seeming.

Well, my lord. If he steal aught the whilst this play is playing And ’scape detecting , I will pay the theft.

They are coming to the play. I must be idle. Get you a place.

Enter Trumpets and Kettle Drums. Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and other

Lords attendant with the King’s guard carrying torches.

How fares our cousin Hamlet? Excellent, i’ faith, of the chameleon’s dish. I

eat the air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so.

I have nothing with this answer, Hamlet. These words are not mine.

No, nor mine now. To Polonius. My lord, you played once i’ th’ university, you say?

FTLN 1976 75 FTLN 1977

FTLN 1978

FTLN 1979

FTLN 1980

FTLN 1981 80 FTLN 1982

FTLN 1983

FTLN 1984

FTLN 1985

FTLN 1986 85 FTLN 1987

FTLN 1988

FTLN 1989

FTLN 1990

FTLN 1991 90 FTLN 1992

FTLN 1993

FTLN 1994

FTLN 1995

FTLN 1996 95

FTLN 1997

FTLN 1998

FTLN 1999

FTLN 2000

FTLN 2001 100 FTLN 2002

FTLN 2003

FTLN 2004

FTLN 2005

FTLN 2006 105

143 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

HAMLET POLONIUS

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

QUEEN HAMLET

Hamlet takes a place near Ophelia. POLONIUS HAMLET OPHELIA

HAMLET OPHELIA HAMLET OPHELIA HAMLET

OPHELIA HAMLET OPHELIA HAMLET OPHELIA HAMLET

OPHELIA HAMLET

POLONIUS That did I, my lord, and was accounted a good actor.

What did you enact? I did enact Julius Caesar. I was killed i’ th’

Capitol. Brutus killed me. It was a brute part of him to kill so capital a

calf there.—Be the players ready? Ay, my lord. They stay upon your

patience. Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me.

No, good mother. Here’s metal more attractive.

, to the King Oh, ho! Do you mark that? Lady, shall I lie in your lap? No, my lord. I mean, my head upon your lap?

Ay, my lord. Do you think I meant country matters? I think nothing, my lord. That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’

legs. What is, my lord? Nothing. You are merry, my lord. Who, I? Ay, my lord. 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 ’s two hours.

Nay, ’tis twice two months, my lord. 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 a year. But, by ’r Lady, he must build churches, then,

FTLN 2007

FTLN 2008

FTLN 2009

FTLN 2010

FTLN 2011 110 FTLN 2012

FTLN 2013

FTLN 2014

FTLN 2015

FTLN 2016 115 FTLN 2017

FTLN 2018

FTLN 2019

FTLN 2020

FTLN 2021 120 FTLN 2022

FTLN 2023

FTLN 2024

FTLN 2025

FTLN 2026 125 FTLN 2027

FTLN 2028

FTLN 2029

FTLN 2030

FTLN 2031 130 FTLN 2032

FTLN 2033

FTLN 2034

FTLN 2035

FTLN 2036 135 FTLN 2037

FTLN 2038

FTLN 2039

FTLN 2040

FTLN 2041 140 FTLN 2042

145 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

The trumpets sounds. Dumb show follows.

Players exit. OPHELIA HAMLET

OPHELIA

HAMLET

OPHELIA HAMLET

OPHELIA

PROLOGUE

He exits.

or else shall he suffer not thinking on, with the hobby-horse, whose epitaph is “For oh, for oh, the hobby-horse is forgot.”

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. He lies him down upon a bank of flowers. She, seeing him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in another man, takes off his crown, kisses it, pours

poison in the sleeper’s ears, and leaves him. The Queen returns, finds the King dead, makes passionate action. The poisoner with some three or four come in again, seem to condole with her. The dead body is carried away. The poisoner woos the Queen with gifts. She seems harsh awhile but in the end accepts his love.

What means this, my lord? Marry, this is miching mallecho. It means

mischief. Belike this show imports the argument of the

play.

Enter Prologue.

We shall know by this fellow. The players cannot keep counsel; they’ll tell all.

Will he tell us what this show meant? Ay, or any show that you will show him. Be

not you ashamed to show, he’ll not shame to tell you what it means.

You are naught, you are naught. I’ll mark the play.

For us and for our tragedy, Here stooping to your clemency, We beg your hearing patiently.

FTLN 2043

FTLN 2044

FTLN 2045

FTLN 2046 145 FTLN 2047

FTLN 2048

FTLN 2049

FTLN 2050

FTLN 2051 150 FTLN 2052

FTLN 2053

FTLN 2054

FTLN 2055

FTLN 2056 155 FTLN 2057

FTLN 2058

FTLN 2059

FTLN 2060

FTLN 2061 160 FTLN 2062

FTLN 2063

FTLN 2064

FTLN 2065

FTLN 2066 165 FTLN 2067

FTLN 2068

FTLN 2069

FTLN 2070

FTLN 2071 170 FTLN 2072

FTLN 2073

147 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

OPHELIA HAMLET

PLAYER KING

PLAYER QUEEN

PLAYER KING

PLAYER QUEEN

HAMLET Is this a prologue or the posy of a ring? ’Tis brief, my lord. As woman’s love.

Enter the Player King and Queen.

Full thirty times hath Phoebus’ cart gone round Neptune’s salt wash and Tellus’ orbèd ground, And thirty dozen moons with borrowed sheen About the world have times twelve thirties been Since love our hearts and Hymen did our hands Unite commutual in most sacred bands.

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, Discomfort you, my lord, it nothing must. For women fear too much, even as they love, And women’s fear and love hold 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: Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear; Where little fears grow great, great love grows there.

Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too. My operant powers their functions leave to do. And thou shall live in this fair world behind, Honored, beloved; and haply one as kind For husband shalt thou—

O, confound the rest! Such love must needs be treason in my breast. In second husband let me be accurst. None wed the second but who killed the first.

FTLN 2074

FTLN 2075

FTLN 2076 175

FTLN 2077

FTLN 2078

FTLN 2079

FTLN 2080

FTLN 2081 180 FTLN 2082

FTLN 2083

FTLN 2084

FTLN 2085

FTLN 2086 185 FTLN 2087

FTLN 2088

FTLN 2089

FTLN 2090

FTLN 2091 190 FTLN 2092

FTLN 2093

FTLN 2094

FTLN 2095

FTLN 2096 195 FTLN 2097

FTLN 2098

FTLN 2099

FTLN 2100

FTLN 2101 200 FTLN 2102

FTLN 2103

FTLN 2104

149 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

PLAYER QUEEN

PLAYER KING

HAMLET That’s wormwood!

The instances that second marriage move Are base respects of thrift, but none of love. A second time I kill my husband dead When second husband kisses me in bed.

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, Which now, the 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, 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. 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 favorite flies; 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. 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, But die thy thoughts when thy first lord is dead.

FTLN 2105

FTLN 2106 205 FTLN 2107

FTLN 2108

FTLN 2109

FTLN 2110

FTLN 2111 210 FTLN 2112

FTLN 2113

FTLN 2114

FTLN 2115

FTLN 2116 215 FTLN 2117

FTLN 2118

FTLN 2119

FTLN 2120

FTLN 2121 220 FTLN 2122

FTLN 2123

FTLN 2124

FTLN 2125

FTLN 2126 225 FTLN 2127

FTLN 2128

FTLN 2129

FTLN 2130

FTLN 2131 230 FTLN 2132

FTLN 2133

FTLN 2134

FTLN 2135

FTLN 2136 235 FTLN 2137

FTLN 2138

FTLN 2139

151 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

HAMLET PLAYER KING

Sleeps. PLAYER QUEEN

Player Queen exits. HAMLET QUEEN HAMLET KING

HAMLET

KING HAMLET

OPHELIA

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. 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.

If she should break it now!

’Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile. My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile The tedious day with sleep.

Sleep rock thy brain, And never come mischance between us twain.

Madam, how like you this play? The lady doth protest too much, methinks.

O, but she’ll keep her word. Have you heard the argument? Is there no

offense in ’t? No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest. No

offense i’ th’ world. What do you call the play?

“The Mousetrap.” 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 anon. ’Tis a knavish piece of work, but what of 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. You are as good as a chorus, my lord.

FTLN 2140

FTLN 2141 240 FTLN 2142

FTLN 2143

FTLN 2144

FTLN 2145

FTLN 2146 245 FTLN 2147

FTLN 2148

FTLN 2149

FTLN 2150

FTLN 2151 250 FTLN 2152

FTLN 2153

FTLN 2154

FTLN 2155

FTLN 2156 255 FTLN 2157

FTLN 2158

FTLN 2159

FTLN 2160

FTLN 2161 260 FTLN 2162

FTLN 2163

FTLN 2164

FTLN 2165

FTLN 2166 265 FTLN 2167

FTLN 2168

FTLN 2169

FTLN 2170

153 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

OPHELIA HAMLET

LUCIANUS

Pours the poison in his ears. HAMLET

Claudius rises. OPHELIA

HAMLET QUEEN POLONIUS KING POLONIUS

All but Hamlet and Horatio exit. HAMLET

HAMLET I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see the puppets dallying.

You are keen, my lord, you are keen. It would cost you a groaning to take off mine

edge. Still better and worse. So you mis-take your husbands.—Begin,

murderer. Pox, leave thy damnable faces and begin. Come, the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.

Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time

agreeing, 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.

He poisons him i’ th’ garden for his estate. His name’s Gonzago. The story is extant and written in very choice Italian. You shall see anon how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago’s wife.

The King rises. What, frighted with false fire?

How fares my lord? Give o’er the play.

Give me some light. Away! Lights, lights, lights!

Why, let the strucken deer go weep, The hart ungallèd play. For some must watch, while some must sleep: Thus runs the world away.

FTLN 2171 270 FTLN 2172

FTLN 2173

FTLN 2174

FTLN 2175

FTLN 2176 275 FTLN 2177

FTLN 2178

FTLN 2179

FTLN 2180

FTLN 2181 280 FTLN 2182

FTLN 2183

FTLN 2184

FTLN 2185

FTLN 2186 285 FTLN 2187

FTLN 2188

FTLN 2189

FTLN 2190

FTLN 2191 290

FTLN 2192

FTLN 2193

FTLN 2194

FTLN 2195

FTLN 2196 295 FTLN 2197

FTLN 2198

FTLN 2199

FTLN 2200

FTLN 2201 300

155 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

HORATIO HAMLET

HORATIO HAMLET HORATIO HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET GUILDENSTERN HAMLET GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers (if 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?

Half a share. A whole one, I. For thou dost know, O Damon dear, This realm dismantled was Of Jove himself, and now reigns here A very very—pajock. You might have rhymed. O good Horatio, I’ll take the ghost’s word for

a thousand pound. Didst perceive? Very well, my lord. Upon the talk of the poisoning? I did very well note him. 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!

Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you.

Sir, a whole history. The King, sir—

Ay, sir, what of him? Is in his retirement marvelous

distempered. With drink, sir?

No, my lord, with choler. Your wisdom should show itself more richer

to signify this to the doctor, for for me to put him to his purgation would perhaps plunge him into more choler.

FTLN 2202

FTLN 2203

FTLN 2204

FTLN 2205

FTLN 2206 305 FTLN 2207

FTLN 2208

FTLN 2209

FTLN 2210

FTLN 2211 310 FTLN 2212

FTLN 2213

FTLN 2214

FTLN 2215

FTLN 2216 315 FTLN 2217

FTLN 2218

FTLN 2219

FTLN 2220

FTLN 2221 320 FTLN 2222

FTLN 2223

FTLN 2224

FTLN 2225

FTLN 2226 325 FTLN 2227

FTLN 2228

FTLN 2229

FTLN 2230

FTLN 2231 330 FTLN 2232

FTLN 2233

FTLN 2234

FTLN 2235

157 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

HAMLET GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET

ROSENCRANTZ HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ

HAMLET ROSENCRANTZ

GUILDENSTERN Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame and start not so wildly from my affair.

I am tame, sir. Pronounce. The Queen your mother, in most great

affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you. You are welcome.

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 shall be the end of my business.

Sir, I cannot. What, my lord?

Make you a wholesome answer. My wit’s diseased. But, sir, such answer as I can make, you shall command—or, rather, as you say, my mother. Therefore no more but to the matter. My mother, you say—

Then thus she says: your behavior hath struck her into amazement and admiration.

O wonderful son that can so ’stonish a mother! But is there no sequel at the heels of this mother’s admiration? Impart.

She desires to speak with you in her closet ere you go to bed.

We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any further trade with us?

My lord, you once did love me. And do still, by these pickers and stealers.

Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? You do surely bar the door upon your own liberty if you deny your griefs to your friend.

Sir, I lack advancement. How can that be, when you have the

voice of the King himself for your succession in Denmark?

FTLN 2236 335 FTLN 2237

FTLN 2238

FTLN 2239

FTLN 2240

FTLN 2241 340 FTLN 2242

FTLN 2243

FTLN 2244

FTLN 2245

FTLN 2246 345 FTLN 2247

FTLN 2248

FTLN 2249

FTLN 2250

FTLN 2251 350 FTLN 2252

FTLN 2253

FTLN 2254

FTLN 2255

FTLN 2256 355 FTLN 2257

FTLN 2258

FTLN 2259

FTLN 2260

FTLN 2261 360 FTLN 2262

FTLN 2263

FTLN 2264

FTLN 2265

FTLN 2266 365 FTLN 2267

FTLN 2268

FTLN 2269

FTLN 2270

FTLN 2271 370 FTLN 2272

159 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN HAMLET GUILDENSTERN HAMLET GUILDENSTERN HAMLET

GUILDENSTERN

HAMLET

HAMLET Ay, sir, but “While the grass grows”—the proverb is something musty.

Enter the Players with recorders.

O, the recorders! Let me see one. He takes a recorder and turns to Guildenstern. To withdraw with you: why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive me into a toil?

O, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.

I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe?

My lord, I cannot. I pray you.

Believe me, I cannot. I do beseech you.

I know no touch of it, my lord. It is as easy as lying. Govern these ventages

with your fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent music. Look you, these are the stops.

But these cannot I command to any utt’rance of harmony. I have not the skill.

Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of 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 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, you cannot play upon me.

Enter Polonius.

God bless you, sir.

FTLN 2273

FTLN 2274

FTLN 2275

FTLN 2276 375 FTLN 2277

FTLN 2278

FTLN 2279

FTLN 2280

FTLN 2281 380 FTLN 2282

FTLN 2283

FTLN 2284

FTLN 2285

FTLN 2286 385 FTLN 2287

FTLN 2288

FTLN 2289

FTLN 2290

FTLN 2291 390 FTLN 2292

FTLN 2293

FTLN 2294

FTLN 2295

FTLN 2296 395 FTLN 2297

FTLN 2298

FTLN 2299

FTLN 2300

FTLN 2301 400 FTLN 2302

FTLN 2303

FTLN 2304

161 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 2

HAMLET

POLONIUS HAMLET POLONIUS HAMLET POLONIUS

HAMLET

POLONIUS

HAMLET

All but Hamlet exit.

He exits.

POLONIUS My lord, the Queen would speak with you, and presently.

Do you see yonder cloud that’s almost in shape of a camel?

By th’ Mass, and ’tis like a camel indeed. Methinks it is like a weasel.

It is backed like a weasel. Or like a whale.

Very like a whale. Then I will come to my mother by and by.

Aside. They fool me to the top of my bent.—I will come by and by.

I will say so. “By and by” is easily said. Leave me,

friends.

’Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes

out 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. 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 somever she be shent, To give them seals never, my soul, consent.

FTLN 2305

FTLN 2306 405 FTLN 2307

FTLN 2308

FTLN 2309

FTLN 2310

FTLN 2311 410 FTLN 2312

FTLN 2313

FTLN 2314

FTLN 2315

FTLN 2316 415 FTLN 2317

FTLN 2318

FTLN 2319

FTLN 2320

FTLN 2321 420 FTLN 2322

FTLN 2323

FTLN 2324

FTLN 2325

FTLN 2326 425 FTLN 2327

FTLN 2328

FTLN 2329

FTLN 2330

FTLN 2331 430 FTLN 2332

FTLN 2333

163 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 3

KING

GUILDENSTERN

ROSENCRANTZ

KING

ROSENCRANTZ

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit.

Enter King, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern.

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 near ’s as doth hourly grow Out of his brows.

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.

The single and peculiar life is bound With all the strength and armor of the mind To keep itself from noyance, but much more That spirit upon whose weal depends and rests The lives of many. The cess of majesty Dies not alone, but like a gulf doth draw What’s near it with it; or it is a massy wheel Fixed on the summit of the highest mount, To whose huge spokes ten thousand lesser things Are mortised and adjoined, which, when it falls, Each small annexment, petty consequence, Attends the boist’rous ruin. Never alone Did the king sigh, but with a general groan.

Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage, For we will fetters put about this fear, Which now goes too free-footed.

We will haste us.

Enter Polonius.

Scene 3

FTLN 2334

FTLN 2335

FTLN 2336

FTLN 2337

FTLN 2338 5 FTLN 2339

FTLN 2340

FTLN 2341

FTLN 2342

FTLN 2343 10 FTLN 2344

FTLN 2345

FTLN 2346

FTLN 2347

FTLN 2348 15 FTLN 2349

FTLN 2350

FTLN 2351

FTLN 2352

FTLN 2353 20 FTLN 2354

FTLN 2355

FTLN 2356

FTLN 2357

FTLN 2358 25 FTLN 2359

FTLN 2360

FTLN 2361

165 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 3

KING

Polonius exits.

POLONIUS My lord, he’s going to his mother’s closet. Behind the arras I’ll convey myself To hear the process. I’ll warrant she’ll tax him

home; And, as you said (and wisely was it said), ’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.

Thanks, dear my lord.

O, my offense 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, And, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin And both neglect. What if this cursèd 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 offense? And what’s in prayer but this twofold force, To be forestallèd ere we come to fall, Or pardoned being down? Then I’ll look up. 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 possessed Of those effects for which I did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardoned and retain th’ offense? In the corrupted currents of this world, Offense’s gilded hand may shove by justice,

FTLN 2362

FTLN 2363 30 FTLN 2364

FTLN 2365

FTLN 2366

FTLN 2367

FTLN 2368 35 FTLN 2369

FTLN 2370

FTLN 2371

FTLN 2372

FTLN 2373 40 FTLN 2374

FTLN 2375

FTLN 2376

FTLN 2377

FTLN 2378 45 FTLN 2379

FTLN 2380

FTLN 2381

FTLN 2382

FTLN 2383 50 FTLN 2384

FTLN 2385

FTLN 2386

FTLN 2387

FTLN 2388 55 FTLN 2389

FTLN 2390

FTLN 2391

FTLN 2392

FTLN 2393 60 FTLN 2394

FTLN 2395

167 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 3

He kneels.

HAMLET

He draws his sword.

He sheathes his sword.

And oft ’tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law. But ’tis not so above: There is no shuffling; there the action lies In his true nature, and we ourselves compelled, 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 cannot repent? O wretched state! O bosom black as death! O limèd soul, that, struggling to be free, Art more engaged! Help, angels! Make assay. Bow, stubborn knees, and heart with strings of steel Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe. All may be well.

Enter Hamlet.

Now might I do it pat, now he is a-praying, And now I’ll do ’t.

And so he goes to heaven, And so am I revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge. He took my father grossly, full of bread, 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 seasoned for his passage? No. Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

FTLN 2396

FTLN 2397

FTLN 2398 65 FTLN 2399

FTLN 2400

FTLN 2401

FTLN 2402

FTLN 2403 70 FTLN 2404

FTLN 2405

FTLN 2406

FTLN 2407

FTLN 2408 75 FTLN 2409

FTLN 2410

FTLN 2411

FTLN 2412

FTLN 2413 80 FTLN 2414

FTLN 2415

FTLN 2416

FTLN 2417

FTLN 2418 85 FTLN 2419

FTLN 2420

FTLN 2421

FTLN 2422

FTLN 2423 90 FTLN 2424

FTLN 2425

FTLN 2426

FTLN 2427

169 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

Hamlet exits. KING

He exits.

POLONIUS

HAMLET QUEEN

Polonius hides behind the arras.

HAMLET QUEEN

HAMLET

Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game, a-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 damned and black As hell, whereto it goes. My mother stays. This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

, rising My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

Enter Queen and Polonius.

He will come straight. Look you lay home to him. Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear

with And that your Grace hath screened and stood

between Much heat and him. I’ll silence me even here. Pray you, be round with him.

, within Mother, mother, mother! I’ll warrant you. Fear me not. Withdraw,

I hear him coming.

Enter Hamlet.

Now, mother, what’s the matter?

Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.

Mother, you have my father much offended.

FTLN 2428 95 FTLN 2429

FTLN 2430

FTLN 2431

FTLN 2432

FTLN 2433 100 FTLN 2434

FTLN 2435

FTLN 2436

Scene 4

FTLN 2437

FTLN 2438

FTLN 2439

FTLN 2440

FTLN 2441 5 FTLN 2442

FTLN 2443

FTLN 2444

FTLN 2445

FTLN 2446 10

FTLN 2447

FTLN 2448

FTLN 2449

171 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

HAMLET

QUEEN

HAMLET QUEEN

HAMLET

QUEEN

HAMLET

QUEEN

POLONIUS HAMLET

He kills Polonius by thrusting a rapier through the arras.

POLONIUS

QUEEN HAMLET QUEEN

HAMLET

QUEEN

QUEEN Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.

Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.

Why, how now, Hamlet?

What’s the matter now?

Have you forgot me? No, by the rood, not so.

You are the Queen, your husband’s brother’s wife, And (would it were not so) you are my mother.

Nay, then I’ll set those to you that can speak.

Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge. You go not till I set you up a glass Where you may see the inmost part of you.

What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, ho!

, behind the arras What ho! Help!

How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead.

, behind the arras O, I am slain!

O me, what hast thou done? Nay, I know not. Is it the King?

O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!

A bloody deed—almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king and marry with his brother.

As kill a king?

FTLN 2450

FTLN 2451 15

FTLN 2452

FTLN 2453

FTLN 2454

FTLN 2455

FTLN 2456 20 FTLN 2457

FTLN 2458

FTLN 2459

FTLN 2460

FTLN 2461 25

FTLN 2462

FTLN 2463

FTLN 2464

FTLN 2465

FTLN 2466 30 FTLN 2467

FTLN 2468

FTLN 2469

FTLN 2470

FTLN 2471 35

FTLN 2472

173 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

He pulls Polonius’ body from behind the arras.

QUEEN

HAMLET

QUEEN

HAMLET

HAMLET Ay, lady, it was my word.

Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune. Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger. To Queen. Leave wringing of your hands. Peace, sit

you down, And let me wring your heart; for so I shall If it be made of penetrable stuff, If damnèd custom have not brazed it so That it be proof and bulwark against sense.

What have I done, that thou dar’st wag thy tongue In noise so rude against me?

Such an act That blurs the grace and blush of modesty, Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose From the fair forehead of an innocent love And sets a blister there, makes marriage vows As false as dicers’ oaths—O, such a deed As from the body of contraction plucks The very soul, and sweet religion makes A rhapsody of words! Heaven’s face does glow O’er this solidity and compound mass With heated visage, as against the doom, Is thought-sick at the act.

Ay me, what act That roars so loud and thunders in the index?

Look here upon this picture and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated on this brow, Hyperion’s curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars’ to threaten and command, A station like the herald Mercury New-lighted on a heaven -kissing hill,

FTLN 2473

FTLN 2474

FTLN 2475

FTLN 2476 40 FTLN 2477

FTLN 2478

FTLN 2479

FTLN 2480

FTLN 2481 45 FTLN 2482

FTLN 2483

FTLN 2484

FTLN 2485

FTLN 2486 50 FTLN 2487

FTLN 2488

FTLN 2489

FTLN 2490

FTLN 2491 55 FTLN 2492

FTLN 2493

FTLN 2494

FTLN 2495

FTLN 2496 60 FTLN 2497

FTLN 2498

FTLN 2499

FTLN 2500

FTLN 2501 65 FTLN 2502

FTLN 2503

FTLN 2504

FTLN 2505

175 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

QUEEN

HAMLET

A combination and a form indeed Where every god did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a man. This was your husband. Look you now what follows. Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed And batten on this moor? Ha! Have you eyes? You cannot call it love, for at your age The heyday in the blood is tame, it’s humble And waits upon the judgment; and what judgment Would step from this to this? Sense sure you have, Else could you not have motion; but sure that sense Is apoplexed; for madness would not err, Nor sense to ecstasy was ne’er so thralled, But it reserved some quantity of choice To serve in such a difference. What devil was ’t That thus hath cozened you at hoodman-blind? Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight, Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all, Or but a sickly part of one true sense Could not so mope. O shame, where is thy blush? Rebellious hell, If thou canst mutine in a matron’s bones, To flaming youth let virtue be as wax And melt in her own fire. Proclaim no shame When the compulsive ardor gives the charge, Since frost itself as actively doth burn, And reason panders will.

O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn’st my eyes into my very soul, And there I see such black and grainèd spots As will not leave their tinct.

Nay, but to live In the rank sweat of an enseamèd bed, Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love Over the nasty sty!

FTLN 2506 70 FTLN 2507

FTLN 2508

FTLN 2509

FTLN 2510

FTLN 2511 75 FTLN 2512

FTLN 2513

FTLN 2514

FTLN 2515

FTLN 2516 80 FTLN 2517

FTLN 2518

FTLN 2519

FTLN 2520

FTLN 2521 85 FTLN 2522

FTLN 2523

FTLN 2524

FTLN 2525

FTLN 2526 90 FTLN 2527

FTLN 2528

FTLN 2529

FTLN 2530

FTLN 2531 95 FTLN 2532

FTLN 2533

FTLN 2534

FTLN 2535

FTLN 2536 100 FTLN 2537

FTLN 2538

FTLN 2539

FTLN 2540

FTLN 2541 105 FTLN 2542

177 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

HAMLET

QUEEN HAMLET

GHOST

HAMLET QUEEN

QUEEN O, speak to me no more! These words like daggers enter in my ears. No more, sweet Hamlet!

A murderer and a villain, A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe Of your precedent lord; a vice of kings, A cutpurse of the empire and the rule, That from a shelf the precious diadem stole And put it in his pocket—

No more! A king of shreds and patches—

Enter Ghost.

Save me and hover o’er me with your wings, You heavenly guards!—What would your gracious

figure? Alas, he’s mad.

Do you not come your tardy son to chide, That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go by Th’ important acting of your dread command? O, say!

Do not forget. This visitation Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. But look, amazement on thy mother sits. O, step between her and her fighting soul. Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works. Speak to her, Hamlet.

How is it with you, lady? Alas, how is ’t with you,

That you do bend your eye on vacancy And with th’ incorporal air do hold discourse? Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep, And, as the sleeping soldiers in th’ alarm, Your bedded hair, like life in excrements, Start up and stand an end. O gentle son,

FTLN 2543

FTLN 2544

FTLN 2545

FTLN 2546 110 FTLN 2547

FTLN 2548

FTLN 2549

FTLN 2550

FTLN 2551 115 FTLN 2552

FTLN 2553

FTLN 2554

FTLN 2555

FTLN 2556 120 FTLN 2557

FTLN 2558

FTLN 2559

FTLN 2560

FTLN 2561 125 FTLN 2562

FTLN 2563

FTLN 2564

FTLN 2565

FTLN 2566 130 FTLN 2567

FTLN 2568

FTLN 2569

FTLN 2570

FTLN 2571 135 FTLN 2572

FTLN 2573

FTLN 2574

FTLN 2575

179 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

HAMLET

QUEEN HAMLET QUEEN

HAMLET QUEEN HAMLET

Ghost exits. QUEEN

HAMLET

Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper Sprinkle cool patience! Whereon do you look?

On him, on him! Look you how pale he glares. His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, Would make them capable. To the Ghost. Do not

look upon me, Lest with this piteous action you convert My stern effects. Then what I have to do Will want true color—tears perchance for blood.

To whom do you speak this? Do you see nothing there?

Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.

Nor did you nothing hear? No, nothing but ourselves.

Why, look you there, look how it steals away! My father, in his habit as he lived! Look where he goes even now out at the portal!

This is the very coinage of your brain. This bodiless creation ecstasy Is very cunning in.

Ecstasy? My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time And makes as healthful music. It is not madness That I have uttered. Bring me to the test, And I the matter will reword, which madness Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace, Lay not that flattering unction to your soul That not your trespass but my madness speaks. It will but skin and film the ulcerous place, Whiles rank corruption, mining all within, Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven,

FTLN 2576 140 FTLN 2577

FTLN 2578

FTLN 2579

FTLN 2580

FTLN 2581 145 FTLN 2582

FTLN 2583

FTLN 2584

FTLN 2585

FTLN 2586 150

FTLN 2587

FTLN 2588

FTLN 2589

FTLN 2590

FTLN 2591 155 FTLN 2592

FTLN 2593

FTLN 2594

FTLN 2595

FTLN 2596 160 FTLN 2597

FTLN 2598

FTLN 2599

FTLN 2600

FTLN 2601 165 FTLN 2602

FTLN 2603

FTLN 2604

FTLN 2605

FTLN 2606 170

181 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

QUEEN

HAMLET

Pointing to Polonius.

QUEEN

Repent what’s past, avoid what is to come, And do not spread the compost on the weeds To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue, For, in the fatness of these pursy times, Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.

O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain!

O, throw away the worser part of it, And live the purer with the other half! Good night. But go not to my uncle’s bed. Assume a virtue if you have it not. That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat, Of habits devil, is angel yet in this, That to the use of actions fair and good He likewise gives a frock or livery That aptly is put on. Refrain tonight, And that shall lend a kind of easiness To the next abstinence, the next more easy; For use almost can change the stamp of nature And either … the devil or throw him out With wondrous potency. Once more, good night, And, when you are desirous to be blest, I’ll blessing beg of you. For this same lord

I do repent; but heaven hath pleased it so To punish me with this and this with me, That I must be their scourge and minister. I will bestow him and will answer well The death I gave him. So, again, good night. I must be cruel only to be kind. This bad begins, and worse remains behind. One word more, good lady.

What shall I do?

FTLN 2607

FTLN 2608

FTLN 2609

FTLN 2610

FTLN 2611 175 FTLN 2612

FTLN 2613

FTLN 2614

FTLN 2615

FTLN 2616 180 FTLN 2617

FTLN 2618

FTLN 2619

FTLN 2620

FTLN 2621 185 FTLN 2622

FTLN 2623

FTLN 2624

FTLN 2625

FTLN 2626 190 FTLN 2627

FTLN 2628

FTLN 2629

FTLN 2630

FTLN 2631 195 FTLN 2632

FTLN 2633

FTLN 2634

FTLN 2635

FTLN 2636 200 FTLN 2637

FTLN 2638

183 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

QUEEN

HAMLET

QUEEN

HAMLET

HAMLET Not this by no means that I bid you do: Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed, Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse, And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses Or paddling in your neck with his damned fingers, Make you to ravel all this matter out That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in craft. ’Twere good you let him know, For who that’s but a queen, fair, sober, wise, Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib, Such dear concernings hide? Who would do so? No, in despite of sense and secrecy, Unpeg the basket on the house’s top, Let the birds fly, and like the famous ape, To try conclusions, in the basket creep And break your own neck down.

Be thou assured, if words be made of breath And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou hast said to me.

I must to England, you know that.

Alack, I had forgot! ’Tis so concluded on.

There’s letters sealed; and my two schoolfellows, Whom I will trust as I will adders fanged, They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way And marshal me to knavery. Let it work, For ’tis the sport to have the enginer Hoist with his own petard; and ’t shall go hard But I will delve one yard below their mines And blow them at the moon. O, ’tis most sweet When in one line two crafts directly meet. This man shall set me packing.

FTLN 2639

FTLN 2640

FTLN 2641 205 FTLN 2642

FTLN 2643

FTLN 2644

FTLN 2645

FTLN 2646 210 FTLN 2647

FTLN 2648

FTLN 2649

FTLN 2650

FTLN 2651 215 FTLN 2652

FTLN 2653

FTLN 2654

FTLN 2655

FTLN 2656 220 FTLN 2657

FTLN 2658

FTLN 2659

FTLN 2660

FTLN 2661 225 FTLN 2662

FTLN 2663

FTLN 2664

FTLN 2665

FTLN 2666 230 FTLN 2667

FTLN 2668

FTLN 2669

FTLN 2670

185 Hamlet ACT 3. SC. 4

They exit, Hamlet tugging in Polonius.

I’ll lug the guts into the neighbor room. Mother, good night indeed. This counselor Is now most still, most secret, and most grave, Who was in life a foolish prating knave.— Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.— Good night, mother.

FTLN 2671 235 FTLN 2672

FTLN 2673

FTLN 2674

FTLN 2675

FTLN 2676 240