Hamlet Page #5

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A worthy pioneer!

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 our philosophy. But come!

Here, as before, never,

so help you mercy,

how strange or odd soe',

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 encumber'd thus,

or this headshake,

or by pronouncing of

some doubtful phrase,

As "Well, well, we know",'

or "We could, and if we would",

or such ambiguous giving out,

to note

that you know aught of me.

This not to do,

so grace and mercy at your most need

help you - swear!

LOUD ECHOING VOICE: Swear!

We swear! We swear!

Rest, rest, perturb-ed spirit!

So, gentlemen,

let us go in together;

and still your fingers

on your lips, I pray.

The time is out of joint.

O cursed spite,

that ever I was born

to set it right!

Give my son this money and these

notes, Reynaldo. I will, my lord.

You shall do marvellous wisely,

good Reynaldo,

before you visit him,

to make inquire of his behaviour.

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.

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.

"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 dishonour him,

take heed of that,

but, sir, such wanton, wild

and usual slips

as are companions noted

and most known

to youth and liberty.

As gaming, my lord?

Ay, or drinking, fencing,

swearing, quarrelling,

drabbing - you may go so far.

My lord, that would dishonour him.

Faith, no, as you may season it

in the charge.

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

soil'd i' the 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.

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 closes in the consequence?

Ay, marry!

He closes thus -

"I know the gentleman,

"I saw him yesterday,

or t' other day,

"Or then, or then,

with such, or such,

"and, as you say,

there was a' gaming,

"there a 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

takes this carp of truth

and thus do we of wisdom

and of reach,

by indirections

find directions out.

You have me, have you not?

My lord, I have.

God be wi' you -

fare you well. Good my lord!

Observe his inclinations in yourself.

I shall, my lord.

And let him ply his music.

Well, my lord.

Farewell!

Oh.

How now, Ophelia! What's the matter?

O, my lord, my lord,

I have been so affrighted!

With what, i' the 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 foul'd,

ungarter'd,

and down-gyved 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 loosed 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 stay'd 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 turn'd,

he seem'd to find his way

without his eyes.

For out o' doors

he went without their help,

and, to the last,

bended their light on me.

Come.

This is the very ecstasy of love,

whose violent property fordoes itself

and leads the will

to desperate undertakings.

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 fetters and denied

his access to me.

That hath made him mad.

I am sorry that with better heed

and judgment

I had not quoted him.

I fear'd he did but trifle,

and meant to wreck thee,

but, beshrew my jealousy!

Come, go we to the king.

This must be known.

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.

What it should be,

more than his father's death,

that thus hath put him

so much from the understanding

of himself,

we cannot dream of. I beseech you

that, being of such young days

brought up with him,

that you vouchsafe your rest

here in our court

some little time

so by your companies

to lead him on to pleasures,

and to gather,

so much as by occasion

you may glean,

whether aught, to us unknown,

afflicts him thus,

that, open'd,

lies within our remedy.

Good gentlemen,

he hath much talk'd of you,

and sure I am two men there are

not living

to whom he more adheres.

If it will please you

to show us

so much gentry and good will

as to expend your time with us

awhile,

for the supply and profit

of our hope,

your visitation

shall receive such thanks

as fits a king's remembrance.

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 changed son.

Go, some of you, and bring these

gentlemen where Hamlet is.

Heavens make our presence

and our practises

pleasant and helpful to him!

Ay, amen!

The ambassadors from Norway,

my good lord,

are joyfully return'd.

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