Hamlet
Unite commutual in most sacred bands.
_P. Queen._ (L.) 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.
_P. King._ 'Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too;
My operant powers their functions leave to do:[78]
And thou shalt live in this fair world behind,
Honour'd, belov'd; and, haply one as kind
For husband shalt thou----
_P. Queen._ 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 kill'd the first.
_Ham._ That's wormwood.
[_Aside to_ HORATIO, R.]
_P. King._ I do believe you think what now you speak;
But what we do determine oft we break.[79]
So think you thou wilt no second husband wed;
But die thy thoughts when thy first lord is dead.
_P. Queen._ Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light!
Sport and repose lock from me day and night!
Both here, and hence, pursue me lasting strife,
If, once a widow, ever I be wife!
_P. King._ 'Tis deeply sworn.
_Ham._ If she should break it now!--
[_To_ OPHELIA.]
_P. King._ Sweet, leave me here awhile;
My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile
The tedious day with sleep.
[_Reposes on a bank_, R., _and sleeps._]
_P. Queen._ Sleep rock thy brain;
And never come mischance between us twain!
[_Exit_, L.H.]
_Ham._ Madam, how like you this play?
_Queen._ The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
_Ham._ O, but she'll keep her word.
_King._ Have you heard the argument?[80] Is there no offence in't?
_Ham._ No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest; no offence i'the
world.
_King._ What do you call the play?
_Ham._ The mouse-trap.[81] Marry, how? Tropically.[82] This play is
the image of a murder[83] 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,[84] our withers[85] are
unwrung.
_Enter_ LUCIANUS (L.H.)
This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king.
_Oph._ You are as good as a chorus,[86] my lord.
_Ham._ I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see
the puppets dallying.[87] Begin, murderer; leave thy damnable faces,
and begin. Come:--
----The croaking raven
Doth bellow for revenge.[88]
_Luc._ Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing;
Confederate season, else no creature seeing;
Thou mixture rank, of midnight weeds[89] collected,
With Hecat's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected,
Thy natural magick and dire property,
On wholesome life usurp[90] immediately.
[_Pours the poison into the Sleeper's Ears._]
_Ham._ He poisons him i' the 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.
_King._ Give me some light: away!
_All._ Lights, lights, lights!
[_Exeunt all_, R. _and_ L., _but_ HAMLET _and_ HORATIO.]
_Ham._ Why, let the strucken deer go weep,[91]
The hart ungallèd play;
For some must watch, while some must sleep:
So runs the world away.--
O, good Horatio, I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand pounds.
Didst perceive?
_Hor._ (R.) Very well, my lord.
_Ham._ (C.) Upon the talk of the poisoning.--
_Hor._ I did very well note him.
_Ham._ Ah, ah! come, some musick! come, the recorders!
[_Exit_ HORATIO, R.H.]
_Enter_ ROSENCRANTZ _and_ GUILDENSTERN (L.H.) HAMLET _seats
himself in the chair_ (R.)
_Guil._ (L.C.) Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you.
_Ham._ Sir, a whole history.
_Guil._ The king, sir,----
_Ham._ Ay, sir, what of him?
_Guil._ Is, in his retirement, marvellous distempered.[92]
_Ham._ With drink, sir?
_Guil._ No, my lord, with choler.
_Ham._ Your wisdom should show itself more rich to signify this to
the doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation would perhaps
plunge him into more choler.
_Guil._ Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start
not so wildly from my affair.
_Ham._ I am tame, sir:--pronounce.
_Guil._ The queen, your mother, in most great affliction of spirit,
hath sent me to you.
_Ham._ You are welcome.
_Guil._ 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.
_Ham._ Sir, I cannot.
_Guil._ What, my lord?
_Ham._ 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,--
_Ros._ (_Crosses to_ C.) Then thus she says: Your behaviour hath
struck her into amazement and admiration.[93]
_Ham._ O wonderful son, that can so astonish a mother! But is there
no sequel at the heels of this mother's admiration?--impart.
_Ros._ She desires to speak with you in her closet, ere you go to
bed.
_Ham._ We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Have you any
further trade with us?[94]
_Ros._ My lord, you once did love me.
_Ham._ And do still, by these pickers and stealers.[95]
[_Rises and comes forward_, C.]
_Ros._ (R.) Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? you do,
surely, bar the door of your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to
your friend.[96]
_Ham._ Sir, I lack advancement.
_Ros._ How can that be, when you have the voice of the king himself
for your succession in Denmark?[97]
_Ham._ Ay, sir, but _While the grass grows_,--the proverb is
something musty.[98]
_Enter_ HORATIO _and_ Musicians (R.H.)
O, the recorders:[99]--let me see one.--So; withdraw with you:--
[_Exeunt_ HORATIO _and_ Musicians R.H. GUILDENSTERN,
_after speaking privately to_ ROSENCRANTZ, _crosses
behind_ HAMLET _to_ R.H.]
Why do you go about to recover the wind of me,[100] as if you would
drive me into a toil?[101]
_Guil._ (R.) O, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love is too
unmannerly.[102]
_Ham._ (C.) I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this
pipe?
_Guil._ My lord, I cannot.
_Ham._ I pray you.
_Guil._ Believe me, I cannot.
_Ham._ I do beseech you.
_Ros._ (L.) I know no touch of it, my lord.
_Ham._ 'Tis 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.[103] Look you, these are the stops.
_Guil._ But these cannot I command to any utterance of harmony; I
have not the skill.
_Ham._ 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. 'Sdeath, 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.[104]
[_Crosses to_ L.H.]
_Enter_ POLONIUS (R.H.)
_Pol._ (R.) My lord, the queen would speak with you, and presently.
_Ham._ (C.) Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a
camel?
_Pol._ By the mass, and 'tis like a camel, indeed.
_Ham._ Methinks it is like a weasel.
_Pol._ It is backed like a weasel.
_Ham._ Or like a whale?
_Pol._ Very like a whale.
_Ham._ Then will I come to my mother by and by. They fool me to the
top of my bent.[105] I will come by and by.
_Pol._ I will say so.
_Ham._ By and by is easily said.
[_Exit_ POLONIUS, R.H.
Leave me, friends.
[_Exeunt_ ROSENCRANTZ _and_ GUILDENSTERN, R.H.]
'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[106] 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.
[_Exit._]
SCENE II.--A ROOM IN THE SAME.
_Enter_ KING, ROSENCRANTZ _and_ GUILDENSTERN (R.H.)
_King._ I like him not; nor stands it safe with us[107]
To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you;
I your commission will forthwith despatch,
And he to England shall along with you:
Arm you, I pray you, to this speedy voyage;
For we will fetters put upon this fear,[108]
Which now goes too free-booted.
_Ros._ }
} We will haste us.
_Guil._}
[_Cross behind the_ KING, _and exeunt_ ROSENCRANTZ _and_
GUILDENSTERN, L.H.]
_Enter_ POLONIUS (R.H.)
_Pol._ My lord, he's going to his mother's closet:
Behind the arras I'll convey myself,[109]
To hear the process;[110] 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.[111] Fare you well, my liege:
[POLONIUS _crosses to_ L.H.]
I'll call upon you ere you go to bed,
And tell you what I know.
_King._ Thanks, dear my lord.
[_Exeunt_ POLONIUS, L.H., _and_ KING, R.H.]
SCENE III.--THE QUEEN'S CHAMBER.
_Enter_ QUEEN _and_ POLONIUS (L.H.)
_Pol._ He will come straight. Look, you lay home to him:[112]
Tell him his pranks have been too broad[113] to bear with,
And that your grace hath screen'd and stood between
Much heat and him. I'll sconce me even here.[114]
Pray you, be round with him.
_Queen._ I'll warrant you;
Fear me not:--withdraw, I hear him coming.
[POLONIUS _hides himself_, L.H.U.E.
_Enter_ HAMLET (R.)
_Ham._ (R.C.) Now, mother, what's the matter?
_Queen._ (L.C.) Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
_Ham._ Mother, you have my father much offended.
_Queen._ Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.
_Ham._ Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.
_Queen._ Why, how now, Hamlet!
_Ham._ What's the matter now?
_Queen._ Have you forgot me?
_Ham._ No, by the rood,[115] not so:
You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife;
And--would it were not so!--you are my mother.
_Queen._ Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak.
_Ham._ 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.
_Queen._ What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder me?
Help, help, ho!
_Pol._
(_Behind._)
What, ho! help!
_Ham._ How now! a rat?[116]
[_Draws._]
Dead, for a ducat, dead!
[HAMLET _rushes off behind the arras._]
_Pol._ (_Behind._) O, I am slain!
[_Falls and dies._]
_Queen._ O me, what hast thou done?
_Ham._
(_Returning._)
Nay, I know not:
Is it the king?
_Queen._ O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
_Ham._ A bloody deed!--almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king, and marry with his brother.
_Queen._ As kill a king!
_Ham._ Ay, lady, 'twas my word.
[_Goes off behind the arras, and returns._]
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!