Hamlet

Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.

Gertrude. O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.

Hamlet. O, throw away the worser part of it, 2560

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 evil, is angel yet in this, 2565

That to the use of actions fair and good

He likewise gives a frock or livery,

That aptly is put on. Refrain to-night,

And that shall lend a kind of easiness

To the next abstinence; the next more easy; 2570

For use almost can change the stamp of nature,

And either [master] 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, 2575

I do repent; but heaven hath pleas'd 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. 2580

I must be cruel, only to be kind;

Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.

One word more, good lady.

Gertrude. What shall I do?

Hamlet. Not this, by no means, that I bid you do: 2585

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 damn'd fingers,

Make you to ravel all this matter out, 2590

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? 2595

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. 2600

Gertrude. Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath,

And breath of life, I have no life to breathe

What thou hast said to me.

Hamlet. I must to England; you know that?

Gertrude. Alack, 2605

I had forgot! 'Tis so concluded on.

Hamlet. There's letters seal'd; and my two schoolfellows,

Whom I will trust as I will adders fang'd,

They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way

And marshal me to knavery. Let it work; 2610

For 'tis the sport to have the enginer

Hoist with his own petar; 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. 2615

This man shall set me packing.

I'll lug the guts into the neighbour room. —

Mother, good night. – Indeed, this counsellor

Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,

Who was in life a foolish peating knave. 2620

Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.

Good night, mother.

[Exit the Queen. Then] Exit Hamlet, tugging in

Polonius.

Act IV, Scene 1.

Elsinore. A room in the Castle.

Enter King and Queen, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Claudius. There's matter in these sighs. These profound heaves

You must translate; 'tis fit we understand them.

Where is your son?

Gertrude. Bestow this place on us a little while.

[Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.] 2630

Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen to-night!

Claudius. What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?

Gertrude. Mad as the sea and wind when both contend

Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit

Behind the arras hearing something stir, 2635

Whips out his rapier, cries 'A rat, a rat!'

And in this brainish apprehension kills

The unseen good old man.

Claudius. O heavy deed!

It had been so with us, had we been there. 2640

His liberty is full of threats to all-

To you yourself, to us, to every one.

Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answer'd?

It will be laid to us, whose providence

Should have kept short, restrain'd, and out of haunt 2645

This mad young man. But so much was our love

We would not understand what was most fit,

But, like the owner of a foul disease,

To keep it from divulging, let it feed

Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone? 2650

Gertrude. To draw apart the body he hath kill'd;

O'er whom his very madness, like some ore

Among a mineral of metals base,

Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done.

Claudius. O Gertrude, come away! 2655

The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch

But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed

We must with all our majesty and skill

Both countenance and excuse. Ho, Guildenstern!

[Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.] 2660

Friends both, go join you with some further aid.

Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain,

And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him.

Go seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body

Into the chapel. I pray you haste in this. 2665

[Exeunt [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern].]

Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends

And let them know both what we mean to do

And what's untimely done. [So haply slander-]

Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter, 2670

As level as the cannon to his blank,

Transports his poisoned shot- may miss our name

And hit the woundless air. – O, come away!

My soul is full of discord and dismay.

Exeunt.

Act IV, Scene 2.

Elsinore. A passage in the Castle.

Enter Hamlet.

Hamlet. Safely stow'd.

Gentlemen. [within] Hamlet! Lord Hamlet!

Hamlet. But soft! What noise? Who calls on Hamlet? O, here they

come.

Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Rosencrantz. What have you done, my lord, with the dead body?

Hamlet. Compounded it with dust, whereto 'tis kin.

Rosencrantz. Tell us where 'tis, that we may take it thence

And bear it to the chapel. 2685

Hamlet. Do not believe it.

Rosencrantz. Believe what?

Hamlet. That I can keep your counsel, and not mine own. Besides, to be

demanded of a sponge, what replication should be made by the son

of a king? 2690

Rosencrantz. Take you me for a sponge, my lord?

Hamlet. Ay, sir; that soaks up the King's countenance, his rewards,

his authorities. But such officers do the King best service in

the end. He keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw;

first mouth'd, to be last swallowed. When he needs what you have 2695

glean'd, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry

again.

Rosencrantz. I understand you not, my lord.

Hamlet. I am glad of it. A knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear.

Rosencrantz. My lord, you must tell us where the body is and go with us to 2700

the King.

Hamlet. The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body.

The King is a thing-

Guildenstern. A thing, my lord?

Hamlet. Of nothing. Bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after. 2705

Exeunt.

Act IV, Scene 3.

Elsinore. A room in the Castle.

Enter King.

Claudius. I have sent to seek him and to find the body.

How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!

Yet must not we put the strong law on him. 2710

He's lov'd of the distracted multitude,

Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;

And where 'tis so, th' offender's scourge is weigh'd,

But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,

This sudden sending him away must seem 2715

Deliberate pause. Diseases desperate grown

By desperate appliance are reliev'd,

Or not at all.

[Enter Rosencrantz.]

How now O What hath befall'n? 2720

Rosencrantz. Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,

We cannot get from him.

Claudius. But where is he?

Rosencrantz. Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure.

Claudius. Bring him before us. 2725

Rosencrantz. Ho, Guildenstern! Bring in my lord.

Enter Hamlet and Guildenstern [with Attendants].

Claudius. Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?

Hamlet. At supper.

Claudius. At supper? Where? 2730

Hamlet. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain

convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your

only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and

we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar

is but variable service- two dishes, but to one table. That's the 2735

end.

Claudius. Alas, alas!

Hamlet. A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat

of the fish that hath fed of that worm.

Claudius. What dost thou mean by this? 2740

Hamlet. Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through

the guts of a beggar.

Claudius. Where is Polonius?

Hamlet. In heaven. Send thither to see. If your messenger find him not

there, seek him i' th' other place yourself. But indeed, if you 2745

find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up

the stair, into the lobby.

Claudius. Go seek him there. [To Attendants.]

Hamlet. He will stay till you come.

[Exeunt Attendants.]

Claudius. Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety, —

Which we do tender as we dearly grieve

For that which thou hast done, – must send thee hence

With fiery quickness. Therefore prepare thyself.

The bark is ready and the wind at help, 2755

Th' associates tend, and everything is bent

For England.

Hamlet. For England?

Claudius. Ay, Hamlet.

Hamlet. Good. 2760

Claudius. So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes.

Hamlet. I see a cherub that sees them. But come, for England!

Farewell, dear mother.

Claudius. Thy loving father, Hamlet.

Hamlet. My mother! Father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is 2765

one flesh; and so, my mother. Come, for England!

Exit.

Claudius. Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard.

Delay it not; I'll have him hence to-night.

Away! for everything is seal'd and done 2770

That else leans on th' affair. Pray you make haste.

[Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern]

And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught, —

As my great power thereof may give thee sense,

Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red 2775

After the Danish sword, and thy free awe

Pays homage to us, – thou mayst not coldly set

Our sovereign process, which imports at full,

By letters congruing to that effect,

The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England; 2780

For like the hectic in my blood he rages,

And thou must cure me. Till I know 'tis done,

Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun. Exit.

Act IV, Scene 4.

Near Elsinore.

Enter Fortinbras with his Army over the stage.

Fortinbras. Go, Captain, from me greet the Danish king. 2785

Tell him that by his license Fortinbras

Craves the conveyance of a promis'd march

Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous.

If that his Majesty would aught with us,

We shall express our duty in his eye; 2790

And let him know so.

Norwegian Captain. I will do't, my lord.

Fortinbras. Go softly on.

Exeunt [all but the Captain].

Enter Hamlet, Rosencrantz, [Guildenstern,] and others.

Hamlet. Good sir, whose powers are these?

Norwegian Captain. They are of Norway, sir.

Hamlet. How purpos'd, sir, I pray you?

Norwegian Captain. Against some part of Poland.

Hamlet. Who commands them, sir? 2800

Norwegian Captain. The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras.

Hamlet. Goes it against the main of Poland, sir,

Or for some frontier?

Norwegian Captain. Truly to speak, and with no addition,

We go to gain a little patch of ground 2805

That hath in it no profit but the name.

To pay five ducats, five, I would not farm it;

Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole

A ranker rate, should it be sold in fee.

Hamlet. Why, then the Polack never will defend it. 2810

Norwegian Captain. Yes, it is already garrison'd.

Hamlet. Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats

Will not debate the question of this straw.

This is th' imposthume of much wealth and peace,

That inward breaks, and shows no cause without 2815

Why the man dies. – I humbly thank you, sir.

Norwegian Captain. God b' wi' you, sir. [Exit.]

Rosencrantz. Will't please you go, my lord?

Hamlet. I'll be with you straight. Go a little before.

[Exeunt all but Hamlet.] 2820

How all occasions do inform against me

And spur my dull revenge! What is a man,

If his chief good and market of his time

Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.

Sure he that made us with such large discourse, 2825

Looking before and after, gave us not

That capability and godlike reason

To fust in us unus'd. Now, whether it be

Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple

Of thinking too precisely on th' event, – 2830

A thought which, quarter'd, hath but one part wisdom

And ever three parts coward, – I do not know

Why yet I live to say 'This thing's to do,'

Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means

To do't. Examples gross as earth exhort me. 2835

Witness this army of such mass and charge,

Led by a delicate and tender prince,

Whose spirit, with divine ambition puff'd,

Makes mouths at the invisible event,

Exposing what is mortal and unsure 2840

To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,

Even for an eggshell. Rightly to be great

Is not to stir without great argument,

But greatly to find quarrel in a straw

When honour's at the stake. How stand I then, 2845

That have a father kill'd, a mother stain'd,

Excitements of my reason and my blood,

And let all sleep, while to my shame I see

The imminent death of twenty thousand men

That for a fantasy and trick of fame 2850

Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot

Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,

Which is not tomb enough and continent

To hide the slain? O, from this time forth,

My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! Exit. 2855

Act IV, Scene 5.

Elsinore. A room in the Castle.

Enter Horatio, Queen, and a Gentleman.

Gertrude. I will not speak with her.

Gentleman. She is importunate, indeed distract.

Her mood will needs be pitied.

Gertrude. What would she have? 2860

Gentleman. She speaks much of her father; says she hears

There's tricks i' th' world, and hems, and beats her heart;

Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt,

That carry but half sense. Her speech is nothing,

Yet the unshaped use of it doth move 2865

The hearers to collection; they aim at it,

And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts;

Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them,

Indeed would make one think there might be thought,

Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. 2870

Horatio. 'Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew

Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.

Gertrude. Let her come in.

[Exit Gentleman.]

[Aside] To my sick soul (as sin's true nature is) 2875

Each toy seems Prologue to some great amiss.

So full of artless jealousy is guilt

It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.

Enter Ophelia distracted.

Ophelia. Where is the beauteous Majesty of Denmark? 2880

Gertrude. How now, Ophelia?

Ophelia. [sings]

How should I your true-love know

From another one?

By his cockle bat and' staff 2885

And his sandal shoon.

Gertrude. Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song?

Ophelia. Say you? Nay, pray You mark.

(Sings) He is dead and gone, lady,

He is dead and gone; 2890

At his head a grass-green turf,

At his heels a stone.

O, ho!

Gertrude. Nay, but Ophelia-

Ophelia. Pray you mark. 2895

(Sings) White his shroud as the mountain snow-

Enter King.

Gertrude. Alas, look here, my lord!

Ophelia. [Sings]

Larded all with sweet flowers; 2900

Which bewept to the grave did not go

With true-love showers.

Claudius. How do you, pretty lady?

Ophelia. Well, God dild you! They say the owl was a baker's daughter.

Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at 2905

your table!

Claudius. Conceit upon her father.

Ophelia. Pray let's have no words of this; but when they ask, you what

it means, say you this:

(Sings) To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, 2910

All in the morning bedtime,

And I a maid at your window,

To be your Valentine.

Then up he rose and donn'd his clo'es

And dupp'd the chamber door, 2915

Let in the maid, that out a maid

Never departed more.

Claudius. Pretty Ophelia!

Ophelia. Indeed, la, without an oath, I'll make an end on't!

[Sings] By Gis and by Saint Charity, 2920

Alack, and fie for shame!

Young men will do't if they come to't

By Cock, they are to blame.

Quoth she, 'Before you tumbled me,

You promis'd me to wed.' 2925

He answers:

'So would I 'a' done, by yonder sun,

An thou hadst not come to my bed.'

Claudius. How long hath she been thus?

Ophelia. I hope all will be well. We must be patient; but I cannot 2930

choose but weep to think they would lay him i' th' cold ground.

My brother shall know of it; and so I thank you for your good

counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies. Good night, sweet

ladies. Good night, good night. Exit

Claudius. Follow her close; give her good watch, I pray you. 2935

[Exit Horatio.]

O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs

All from her father's death. O Gertrude, Gertrude,

When sorrows come, they come not single spies.

But in battalions! First, her father slain; 2940

Next, your son gone, and he most violent author

Of his own just remove; the people muddied,

Thick and and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers

For good Polonius' death, and we have done but greenly

In hugger-mugger to inter him; poor Ophelia 2945

Divided from herself and her fair judgment,

Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts;

Last, and as much containing as all these,

Her brother is in secret come from France;

Feeds on his wonder, keeps, himself in clouds, 2950

And wants not buzzers to infect his ear

With pestilent speeches of his father's death,

Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd,

Will nothing stick our person to arraign

In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude, this, 2955

Like to a murd'ring piece, in many places

Give me superfluous death. A noise within.

Gertrude. Alack, what noise is this?

Claudius. Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door.

[Enter a Messenger.] 2960

What is the matter?

Messenger. Save Yourself, my lord:

The ocean, overpeering of his list,

Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste

Than Young Laertes, in a riotous head, 2965

O'erbears Your offices. The rabble call him lord;

And, as the world were now but to begin,

Antiquity forgot, custom not known,

The ratifiers and props of every word,

They cry 'Choose we! Laertes shall be king!' 2970

Caps, hands, and tongues applaud it to the clouds,

'Laertes shall be king! Laertes king!'

A noise within.

Gertrude. How cheerfully on the false trail they cry!

O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs! 2975

Claudius. The doors are broke.

Enter Laertes with others.

Laertes. Where is this king? – Sirs, staid you all without.

All. No, let's come in!

Laertes. I pray you give me leave. 2980

All. We will, we will!

Laertes. I thank you. Keep the door. [Exeunt his Followers.]

O thou vile king,

Give me my father!

Gertrude. Calmly, good Laertes. 2985

Laertes. That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard;

Cries cuckold to my father; brands the harlot

Even here between the chaste unsmirched brows

Of my true mother.

Claudius. What is the cause, Laertes, 2990

That thy rebellion looks so giantlike?

Let him go, Gertrude. Do not fear our person.

There's such divinity doth hedge a king

That treason can but peep to what it would,