Hamlet Page #9

There is a confession in your looks, which

your modesties have not craft to color.

-The king and queen have sent for you.

-To what end, my lord?

That you must teach me.

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.

-What say you?

-Nay, then, I have an eye of you.

If you love me, hold not off.

My lord, we were sent for.

HAMLET:

I will tell you why.

So shall my anticipation

prevent your discovery...

...and your secrecy

to the king and queen molt no feather.

I have of late--

But wherefore I know not.

--lost all my mirth,

forgone all custom of exercise.

And indeed it goes so heavily

with my disposition...

...that this goodly frame, the earth...

...seems to me a sterile promontory.

This most excellent canopy, the air...

...look you,

this brave o'erhanging firmament...

...this majestical roof...

...fretted with golden fire.

Why, it appears no other thing to me...

...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

how express and admirable...

...in action how like an angel...

...in apprehension how like a god...

...the beauty of the world...

...the paragon of animals.

And yet, to me...

...what is this quintessence...

...of dust?

Man delights not me.

No, nor woman neither,

though by your smiling 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 of 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 tickled o' th' sere...

...and the lady shall speak her mind freely,

or the blank verse shall halt for it.

What players are they?

ROSENCRANTZ:
Even those you were wont

to take delight in, the tragedians of the city.

How chances it they travel?

Their residence, both in reputation

and profit, was better both ways.

Their inhibition comes

by the means of the late innovation.

They hold the estimation

they did when I was in the city?

-Are they so followed?

-They are not.

HAMLET:

Well, how comes it? Do they grow rusty?

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 clapped for it.

These are now the fashion...

...and so berattle the common stages...

...that many wearing rapiers are afraid of

goose-quills and scarce come thither.

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

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.

The nation holds it no sin

to tarre them to controversy.

There was no money bid for argument

unless the poet and player went to cuffs.

-Is't possible?

-There has been much throwing of brains.

And do the boys carry it away?

ROSENCRANTZ:
Ay, that they do,

my lord, Hercules and his load too.

Well, it is not very strange.

For mine uncle is king of Denmark...

...and those that would make mouths at him

while my father lived...

...give 20, 40, 50, a hundred ducats

apiece for his picture in little.

[LAUGHING]

'Sblood, there is something in this more

than natural, if philosophy could find it out.

[PEOPLE CHUCKLING]

There are the players.

You are welcome to Elsinore.

Your hands. The appurtenance of welcome

is fashion and ceremony.

Let me comply with you in this garb,

lest my extent to the players--

Which must show fairly outwards.

--should more appear like entertainment

than yours.

But my uncle-father and aunt-mother

are deceived.

In what, my dear lord?

I am but mad north-north-west.

When the wind is southerly,

I know a hawk from a handsaw.

POLONIUS:

Well be with you, gentlemen.

Hark you, Guildenstern, and you too--

At each ear a hearer.

--that baby is not

out of his swaddling-clouts.

He's the second time come to them,

they say an old man is twice a child.

I will prophesy he comes

to tell me of the players.

You say right, sir, o' Monday morning,

'twas then indeed.

POLONIUS:

My lord, I have news to tell you.

HAMLET:

My lord, I have news to tell you.

-When Roscius was an actor in Rome--

-The actors are come hither, my lord.

-Buzz, buzz.

-Upon mine 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 loved passing well."

-Still on my daughter.

-Am I not i' the right, old Jephthah?

If you call me Jephthah,

I have a daughter that I love passing well.

Nay, that follows not.

POLONIUS:

What follows then, my lord?

Why, "As by lot, God wot," and then....

You know, "lt came to pass,

as most like it was."

The first row of the pious chanson

will show you more...

...for look where my abridgement comes.

You are welcome, masters, welcome all.

I am glad to see thee well.

Welcome, good friends.

-O, my old friend.

-Sir.

Why, thy face is valenced

since I saw thee last.

Com'st thou to beard me

in Denmark, yeah?

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...

...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 caviar 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,

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