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Enter King, Queene, H amlet, Leartes,
Corambis,
and
the two Ambassadors, with
Attendants.
King Lordes, we
here haue writ to Fortenbrasse,
Nephew to olde Norway, who
impudent
And bed-rid, scarcely heares of
this his
Nephews purpose: and Wee heere
dispatch
5
Yong good Cornelia, and
you Voltemar
For bearers of these greetings to
olde
Norway, giuing to you no further
personall power
To businesse with the King,
Then those related articles do
shew:
10
Farewell, and let your haste commend
your dutie.
Gent. In this and all
things will wee shew our dutie.
King. Wee doubt nothing,
hartily farewel:
And now Leartes, what's the news
with you?
You said you had a sute what i'st
Leartes?
15 Lea. My
gratious Lord, your fauorable licence,
Now that the funerall rites are
all performed,
I may haue leaue to go againe to
France,
For though the fauour of your
grace might stay mee,
Yet something is there whispers
in my hart,
20
Which makes my minde and spirits bend all for
France.
King: Haue you your
fathers leaue, Leartes?
Cor. He hath, my lord, wrung from me a forced
graunt,
And I beseech you grant your
Highnesse leaue.
King With all our heart,
Leartes fare thee well.
25
Lear. I in all loue and
dutie take my leaue.
King. And now princely
Sonne Hamlet,
What meanes
these sad and melancholy moodes?
For your intent going to
Wittenburg,
Wee hold it most vnmeet and
vnconuenient,
30
Being the Ioy and halfe heart of your
mother.
Therefore let mee intreat you
stay in Court,
All Denmarkes hope our coosin and
dearest Sonne.
Ham. My lord, ti's not the sable sute I weare:
No nor the
teares that still stand in my eyes,
35
Nor the distracted hauiour in the visage,
Nor all together mixt with
outward semblance,
Is equall to the sorrow of my
heart,
Him haue I lost I must of force
forgoe,
These but the ornaments and sutes
of woe.
40
King
This shewes a
louing care in you, Sonne Hamlet,
But you must thinke your father
lost a father,
That father dead, lost his, and
so shalbe vntill the
Generall ending. Therefore cease
laments,
It is a fault gainst heauen,
fault gainst the dead,
45
A fault gainst nature, and in reasons
Common course most certaine,
None liues on earth, but hee is
borne to die.
Que. Let not thy mother loose her praiers H
amlet,
Stay here with vs, go not to
Wittenburg.
50
Ham.
I shall in all my
best obay you madam.
King Spoke like a kinde
and a most louing Sonne,
And there's no health the King
shall drinke to day,
But the great Canon to the
clowdes shall tell
The rowse the King shall drinke
vnto Prince H amlet.
55
Ham. O that this too
much grieu'd and sallied flesh
Would melt to nothing, or that
the vniuersall
Globe of heauen would turne al to
a Chaos!
O God, within two months; no not
two: married,
Mine vncle: O let me not thinke
of it,
60
My fathers brother: but no more like
My father, then I to Hercules.
Within two months, ere yet the
salt of most
Vnrighteous teares had left their
flushing
In her galled eyes: she married,
O God, a beast
65
Deuoyd of reason would not haue made
Such speede: Frailtie, thy name
is Woman,
Why she would hang on him, as if
increase
Of appetite had growne by what it
looked on.
O wicked wicked speede, to make
such
70
Dexteritie to incestuous sheetes,
Ere yet the shooes were olde,
The which she followed my dead
fathers corse
Like Nyobe, all teares: married,
well it is not,
Nor it cannot come to good:
75
But breake my heart, for I must holde
my tongue.
Enter Horatio and Marcellus.
Hor.
Health
to your Lordship.
Ham. I am very glad to
see you, (Horatio) or I much
forget my selfe.
Hor. The same my Lord,
and your poore seruant euer.
80
Ham. O my good friend, I change that
name with you:
but what make you from Wittenburg
H oratio?
Marcellus.
Marc. My good Lord.
Ham. I am very glad to
see you, good euen sirs:
85
But what is your affaire in Elsenoure?
Weele teach you to drinke deepe
ere you depart.
Hor. A trowant
disposition, my good Lord.
Ham. Nor shall you make
mee truster
Of your owne report against your
selfe:
90
Sir, I know you are no trowant:
But what is your affaire in
Elsenoure?
Hor. My good Lord, I
came to see your fathers funerall.
Ham. O I pre thee do not
mocke mee fellow studient,
I thinke it was to see my mothers
wedding.
95
Hor. Indeede my Lord, it
followed hard vpon.
Ham. Thrift, thrift, H
oratio, the funerall bak't meates
Did coldly furnish forth the
marriage tables,
Would I had met my deerest foe in
heauen
Ere euer I had seene that day
Horatio;
100
O
my father, my father, me thinks I see my father.
Hor. Where my Lord?
Ham. Why, in my mindes
eye H oratio.
Hor. I saw him once, he
was a gallant King.
Ham. He was a man, take
him for all in all,
105
I
shall not looke vpon his like againe.
Hor. My Lord, I thinke
I saw him yesternight,
Ham. Saw, who?
Hor. My Lord, the King
your father.
Ham. Ha, ha, the King my
father ke you.
110
Hor. Ceasen
your
admiration for a while
With an attentiue eare, till I
may deliuer,
Vpon the witnesse of these
Gentlemen
This wonder to you.
Ham. For Gods loue let
me heare it.
115 Hor.
Two nights together had these Gentlemen,
Marcellus and Bernardo, on their
watch,
In the dead vast and middle of
the night.
Beene thus incountered by a
figure like your father,
Armed to poynt, exactly Capapea
120
Appeeres
before them thrise, he walkes
Before their weake and feare
oppressed eies
Within his tronchions length,
While they distilled almost to
gelly.
With the act of feare stands
dumbe,
125
And
speake not to him: this to mee
In dreadfull secresie impart they
did.
And I with them the third night
kept the watch,
Where as they had deliuered forme
of the thing.
Each part made true and good,
130
The
Apparition comes: I knew your father,
These handes are not more like.
Ham. Tis very strange.
Hor. As I do liue, my
honord lord, tis true,
And wee did thinke it right done,
135
In
our dutie to let you know it.
Ham. Where was this?
Mar. My Lord, vpon the
platforme where we watched.
Ham. Did you not speake
to it?
Hor. My Lord we did,
but answere made it none,
140
Yet
once me thought it was about to speake,
And lifted vp his head to motion,
Like as he would speake, but euen
then
The morning cocke crew lowd, and
in all haste,
It shruncke in haste away, and
vanished
145
Our
sight.
Ham. Indeed, indeed
sirs, but this troubles me:
Hold you the watch to night?
All We do my Lord.
Ham. Armed say ye?
150
All Armed my good Lord.
Ham. From top to toe?
All. My good Lord, from
head to foote.
Ham. When then saw you
not his face?
Hor. O yes my Lord, he
wore his beuer vp.
155
Ham.
How look't he,
frowningly?
Hor. A countenance more
in sorrow than in anger.
Ham. Pale, or red?
Hor. Nay, verie pal
Ham. And fixt his eies
vpon you.
160
Hor. Most constantly.
Ham. I would I had beene
there.
Hor. It would a much
amazed you.
Ham. Yea very like, very
like, staid it long?
Hor. While one with
moderate pace
165
Might
tell a hundred.
Mar. O longer, longer.
Ham. His beard was
grisleld, no.
Hor. It was as I haue
seene it in his life,
A sable siluer.
170
Ham.
I wil watch to
night, perchance t'wil walke againe.
Hor. I warrant it will.
Ham. If it assume my
noble fathers person,
Ile speake to it, if hell if
selfe should gape,
And bid me hold my peace,
Gentlemen,
175
If
you haue hither consealed this sight,
Let it be tenible in your silence
still,
And whatsoeuer else shall chance
to night,
Giue it an vnderstanding, but no
tongue,
I will requit your loues, so fare
you well,
180
Vpon
the platforme, twixt eleuen and twelue,
Ile visit you.
All. Our duties to your
honor.
Ham. O
your
loues, your loues, as mine to you,
Farewell, my fathers spirit in
Armes,
185
Well,
all's not well. I doubt some foule play,
Would the night were come,
Till then, sit still my soule,
foule deeds will rise
Though all the world orewhelme
them to mens eies.
Exit.
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Florish. Enter Claudius, King of Denmarke,
Gertrad the Queene,
Counsaile: as
Polonius, and
his Sonne Laertes,
Hamlet, Cum Alijs.
Claud.
Though yet of Hamlet our deare brothers death
The memorie be
greene, and that it vs befitted
To beare our
harts in griefe, and our whole Kingdome,
To be
contracted in one browe of woe
5
Yet so farre hath discretion fought with nature,
That we with
wisest sorrowe thinke on him
Together with
remembrance of our selues:
Therefore our
sometime Sister, now our Queene
Th'imperiall
ioyntresse to this warlike state
10
Haue we as twere with a defeated ioy
With an
auspitious, and a dropping eye,
With mirth in
funerall, and with dirdge in marriage,
In equall
scale waighing delight and dole
Taken to wife:
nor haue we heerein bard
15
Your better wisdomes, which haue
freely gone
With this
affaire along (for all our thankes)
Now followes
that you knowe young Fortinbrasse,
Holding a
weake supposall of our worth
Or thinking by
our late deare brothers death
20
Our state to be disioynt, and out of frame
Coleagued with
this dreame of his aduantage
He hath not
faild to pestur vs with message
Importing the
surrender of those lands
Lost by his
father, with all bands of lawe
25
To our most valiant brother, so much
for him:
Now for our
selfe, and for this time of meeting,
Thus much the
busines is, we haue heere writ
To Norway
Vncle of young Fortenbrasse
Who impotent
and bedred scarcely heares
30
Of this his Nephewes purpose; to
suppresse
His further
gate heerein, in that the leuies,
The lists, and
full proportions are all made
Out of his
subiect, and we heere dispatch
You good
Cornelius, and you Valtemand,
35
For bearers of this greeting to old
Norway,
Giuing to you
no further personall power
To busines
with the King, more then the scope
Of these
delated articles allowe:
Farwell, and
let your hast commend your dutie.
40 Cor. Vo. In that, and all things
will we showe our dutie.
King. We doubt it nothing, hartely farwell.
And now
Laertes whats the newes with you?
You told vs of
some sute, what ist Laertes?
You cannot
speake of reason to the Dane
45
And lose your voyce; what wold'st thou
begge Laertes,?
That shall not
be my offer, not thy asking,
The head is
not more natiue to the hart
The hand more
instrumentall to the mouth
Then is the
throne of Denmarke to thy father,
50
What would'st thou haue Laertes?
Laer.
My dread Lord,
Your leaue and
fauour to returne to Fraunce,
From whence,
though willingly I came to Denmarke,
To showe my
dutie in your Coronation;
55
Yet now I must confesse, that duty done
My thoughts
and wishes bend againe toward Fraunce
And bowe them
to your gracious leaue and pardon.
King.
Haue you your fathers leaue, what saies Polonius?
Polo. Hath my Lord wroung from me my slowe
leaue
60
By laboursome petition, and at last
Vpon his will
I seald my hard consent,
I doe beseech
you giue him leaue to goe.
King.
Take thy faire houre Laertes, time be thine
And thy best
graces spend it at thy will:
65
But now my Cosin Hamlet, and my sonne.
Ham. A little more then kin, and lesse then
kind.
King.
How is it that the clowdes still hang on you.
Ham.
Not so much my Lord, I am too much in the sonne.
Queene.
Good Hamlet cast thy nighted colour off
70
And let thine eye looke like a friend
on Denmarke,
Doe not for
euer with thy vailed lids
Seeke for thy
noble Father in the dust,
Thou know'st
tis common all that liues must die,
Passing
through nature to eternitie.
75 Ham. I Maddam, it is
common.
Quee.
If it be
Why seemes it
so perticuler with thee.
Ham.
Seemes Maddam, nay it is, I know not seemes,
Tis not alone
my incky cloake coold mother
80
Nor customary suites of solembe blacke
Nor windie
suspiration of forst breath
No, nor the
fruitfull riuer in the eye,
Nor the
deiected hauior of the visage
Together with
all formes, moodes, chapes of griefe
85
That can deuote me truely, these
indeede seeme,
For they are
actions that a man might play
But I haue
that within which passes showe
These but the
trappings and the suites of woe.
King.
Tis sweete and commendable in your nature Hamlet,
90
To giue these mourning duties to your
father
But you must
knowe your father lost a father,
That father
lost, lost his, and the suruiuer bound
In filliall
obligation for some tearme
To doe
obsequious sorrowe, but to perseuer
95
In obstinate condolement, is a course
Of impious
stubbornes, tis vnmanly griefe,
It showes a
will most incorrect to heauen
A hart
vnfortified, or minde impatient
An
vnderstanding simple and vnschoold
100
For
what we knowe must be, and is as common
As any the
most vulgar thing to sence,
Why should we
in our peuish opposition
Take it to
hart, fie, tis a fault to heauen,
A fault
against the dead, a fault to nature,
105
To
reason most absurd, whose common theame
Is death of
fathers, and who still hath cryed
From the first
course, till he that died to day
This must be
so: we pray you throw to earth
This
vnpreuailing woe, and thinke of vs
110
As
of a father, for let the world take note
You are the
most imediate to our throne,
And with no
lesse nobilitie of loue
Then that
which dearest father beares his sonne,
Doe I impart
toward you for your intent
115
In going back to schoole in Wittenberg,
It is most
retrogard to our desire,
And we beseech
you bend you to remaine
Heere in the
cheare and comfort of our eye,
Our chiefest
courtier, cosin, and our sonne.
120
Quee. Let not thy mother loose her prayers
Hamlet,
I pray thee
stay with vs, goe not to Wittenberg.
Ham. I
shall in all my best obay you Madam.
King. Why
tis a louing and a faire reply,
Be as our
selfe in Denmarke, Madam come,
125
This
gentle and vnforc'd accord of Hamlet
Sits smiling
to my hart, in grace whereof,
No iocond
health that Denmarke drinkes to day,
But the great
Cannon to the cloudes shall tell.
And the Kings
rowse the heauen shall brute againe,
130
Respeaking earthly thunder; come away.
Florish.
Exeunt all, but Hamlet.
Ham. O that this too too
sallied flesh would melt,
Thaw and
resolue it selfe into a dewe,
Or that the
euerlasting had not fixt
His cannon
gainst seale slaughter, ô God, God,
135
How wary, stale, flat, and vnprofitable
Seeme to me
all the vses of this world?
Fie on't, ah
fie, tis an vnweeded garden
That growes to
seede, things rancke and grose in nature,
Possesse it
meerely that it should come thus
140
But
two months dead, nay not so much, not two,
So excellent a
King, that was to this
Hiperion to a
satire, so louing to my mother,
That he might
not beteeme the winds of heauen
Visite her
face too roughly, heauen and earth
145
Must
I remember, why she should hang on him
As if increase
of appetite had growne
By what it fed
on, and yet within a month,
Let me not
thinke on't; frailty thy name is woman
A little month
or ere those shooes were old
150
With
which she followed my poore fathers bodie
Like Niobe all
teares, why she
O God, a beast
that wants discourse of reason
Would haue
mourn'd longer, married with my Vncle,
My fathers
brother, but no more like my father
155
Then
I to Hercules, within a month,
Ere yet the
salt of most vnrighteous teares,
Had left the
flushing in her gauled eyes
She married,
ô most wicked speede; to post
With such
dexteritie to incestious sheets,
160
It is not, nor it cannot come to good,
But breake my
hart, for I must hold my tongue.
Enter Horatio,Marcellus, and Bernardo.
Hora. Haile to your Lordship.
Ham. I
am glad to see you well; Horatio, or I do forget my selfe.
Hora.
The same my Lord, and your poore seruant euer.
165
Ham. Sir my good friend, Ile change that
name with you,
And what make
you from Wittenberg Horatio?
Marcellus.
Mar. My
good Lord.
Ham. I am very glad to see you, (good euen
sir)
170
But what in faith make you from Wittenberg?
Hora. A
truant disposition good my Lord.
Ham. I
would not heare your enimie say so,
Nor shall you
doe my eare that violence
To make it
truster of your owne report
175
Against your selfe, I knowe you are no truant,
But what is
your affaire in Elsonoure?
Weele teach
you for to drinke ere you depart.
Hora. My Lord, I came to see your fathers
funerall.
Ham. I pre thee doe not mocke me fellowe
studient,
180
I
thinke it was to my mothers wedding.
Hora.
Indeede my Lord it followed hard vppon.
Ham.
Thrift, thrift, Horatio, the funerall bak't meates
Did coldly
furnish forth the marriage tables,
Would I had
met my dearest foe in heauen
185
Or
euer I had seene that day Horatio,
My father, me
thinkes I see my father.
Hora.
Where my Lord?
Ham. In
my mindes eye Horatio.
Hora. I saw him once, a was a goodly King.
190
Ham.
A was a man take him for all in all
I shall not
looke vppon his like againe.
Hora.
My Lord I thinke I saw him yesternight.
Ham.
saw, who?
Hora. My Lord the King your father.
195 Ham. The King my father?
Hora.
Season your admiration for a while
With an attent
eare till I may deliuer
Vppon the
witnes of these gentlemen
This maruile
to you.
200 Ham. For Gods loue let me
heare?
Hora.
Two nights together had these gentlemen
Marcellus, and
Barnardo, on their watch
In the dead
wast and middle of the night
Beene thus
incountred, a figure like your father
205
Armed
at poynt, exactly Capapea
Appeares
before them, and with solemne march,
Goes slowe and
stately by them; thrice he walkt
By their
opprest and feare surprised eyes
Within his
tronchions length, whil'st they distil'd
210
Almost to gelly, with the act of feare
Stand dumbe
and speake not to him; this to me
In dreadfull
secresie impart they did,
And I with
them the third night kept the watch,
Whereas they
had deliuered both in time
215
Forme
of the thing, each word made true and good,
The Apparision
comes: I knewe your father,
These hands
are not more like.
Ham.
But where was this?
Mar. My Lord vppon the platforme where we
watch,
220 Ham. Did you not speake to it?
Hora.
My Lord I did,
But answere
made it none, yet once me thought
It lifted vp
it head, and did addresse
It selfe to
motion like as it would speake:
225
But
euen then the morning Cock crewe loude,
And at the
sound it shrunk in hast away
And vanisht
from our sight.
Ham.
Tis very strange.
Hora. As I doe liue my honor'd Lord tis true
230
And we did thinke it writ downe in our dutie
To let you
knowe of it.
Ham. Indeede
Sirs but this troubles me,
Hold you the
watch to night?
All. We doe my Lord.
235
Ham.
Arm'd say you?
All.
Arm'd my Lord.
Ham.
From top to toe?
All. My
Lord from head to foote.
Ham. Then sawe you not his face.
240
Hora. O yes my Lord, he wore his beauer vp.
Ham. What look't he frowningly?
Hora. A
countenance more in sorrow then in anger.
Ham.
Pale, or red?
Hora. Nay very pale.
245 Ham. And fixt his eyes
vpon you?
Hora.
Most constantly.
Ham. I
would I had beene there.
Hora.
It would haue much a maz'd you.
Ham. Very like, stayd it long?
250 Hora. While one with moderate
hast might tell a hundreth.
Both.
Longer, longer.
Hora.
Not when I saw't.
Ham. His beard was grissl'd, no.
Hora. It was as I haue seene it in his life
255
A
sable siluer'd.
Ham. I
will watch to nigh
Perchaunce
twill walke againe.
Hora. I
warn't it will.
Ham. If it assume my noble fathers person,
260
Ile
speake to it though hell it selfe should gape
And bid me
hold my peace; I pray you all
If you haue
hetherto conceald this sight
Let it be
tenable in your silence still,
And what
someuer els shall hap to night,
265
Giue
it an vnderstanding but no tongue,
I will requite
your loues, so farre you well:
Vppon the
platforme twixt a leauen and twelfe
Ile visite you.
All.
Our dutie to your honor.
Exeunt.
270
Ham. Your loues, as mine to you, farwell.
My fathers
spirit (in armes) all is not well,
I doubt some
foule play, would the night were come,
Till then sit
still my soule, fonde deedes will rise
Though all the
earth ore-whelme them to mens eyes.
Exit.
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Enter
Claudius King of Denmarke, Gertrude the
Queene,
Hamlet,
Polonius, Laertes, and his Sister O-
phelia, Lords Attendant.
King.
Though yet of
Hamlet
our deere Brothers death
The
memory be greene: and that
it
vs befitted
To
beare our hearts in greefe,
and
our whole Kingdome
To
be contracted in one
brow
of
woe:
5
Yet
so farre hath Discretion
fought with Nature,
That
we with wisest sorrow
thinke
on him,
Together
with remembrance
of
our
selues.
Therefore
our sometimes
Sister,
now our Queen,
Th'Imperiall
Ioyntresse of
this
warlike State,
10
Haue
we, as 'twere, with a
defeated ioy,
With
one Auspicious, and one
Dropping eye,
With
mirth in Funerall, and
with
Dirge in Marriage,
In
equall Scale weighing
Delight
and Dole
Taken
to Wife; nor haue
we
heerein
barr'd
15 Your
better Wisedomes,
which
haue
freely gone
With
this affaire along, for
all
our Thankes.
Now
followes, that you know
young
Fortinbras,
Holding
a weake supposall of
our
worth;
Or
thinking by our late deere
Brothers death,
20
Our
State to be disioynt,
and
out
of Frame,
Colleagued
with the dreame of
his
Aduantage;
He
hath not fayl'd to pester vs
with Message,
Importing
the surrender of
those
Lands
Lost
by his Father:
with all Bonds
of Law
25
To
our most valiant Brother.
So
much for him.
Enter Voltemand and Cornelius.
Now for our selfe, and for this time of meeting
Thus
much the businesse is. We haue heere writ
To Norway, Vncle of young Fortinbras,
Who Impotent and Bedrid, scarsely heares
30
Of this his Nephewes purpose, to suppresse
His further gate heerein. In
that the Leuies,
The Lists,
and full proportions are all made
Out
of his subiect: and we heere dispatch
You
good Cornelius, and you Voltemand,
35
For bearing of this greeting to old Norway,
Giuing to you no
further personall power
To
businesse with the King, more then the scope
Of
these dilated Articles
allow:
Farewell, and let your hast
commend your duty.
40
Volt. In that,
and all things, will we shew our duty.
King.
We doubt
it
nothing,
heartily farewell.
Exit Voltemand
and Cornelius.
And now Laertes, what's the newes with you?
You
told vs of some suite. What is't Laertes?
You
cannot speake
of Reason to the Dane,
45
And
loose your voyce. What would'st thou beg Laertes,
That shall not be my Offer, not thy Asking?
The
Head is not more Natiue
to the Heart,
The
Hand more instrumentall to the Mouth,
Then
is the Throne of Denmarke to
thy Father.
50
What would'st thou haue
Laertes?
Laer.
Dread my Lord,
Your
leaue and fauour to returne to France,
From
whence, though willingly I came to Denmarke
To
shew my duty in your
Coronation,
55
Yet now I must confesse, that duty
done,
My
thoughts and wishes bend againe towards France,
And
bow them to your gracious leaue and pardon.
King. Haue you
your Fathers leaue?
What
sayes Pollonius?
60 Pol. He hath
my
Lord:
I do
beseech you giue him leaue to go.
King. Take thy
faire houre Laertes, time be thine,
And
thy best graces spend it at thy will:
But
now my Cosin Hamlet, and
my Sonne?
65
Ham. A little
more
then kin, and lesse then kinde.
King.
How is it
that the Clouds still hang on you?
Ham. Not so my
Lord, I am too much i'th' Sun.
Queen. Good
Hamlet cast thy nightly
colour off,
And
let thine eye looke like a Friend on Denmarke.
70
Do not for euer with thy
veyled
lids
Seeke for thy Noble Father in the dust;
Thou
know'st 'tis common, all that liues must dye,
Passing through Nature, to Eternity.
Ham.
I Madam, it
is common.
75
Queen.
If it be;
Why
seemes it so particular with thee.
Ham. Seemes
Madam? Nay, it is: I know not Seemes:
'Tis
not alone my Inky Cloake (good
Mother)
Nor
Customary suites
of solemne Blacke,
80
Nor windy suspiration
of forc'd breath,
No,
nor the fruitfull Riuer in the Eye,
Nor
the deiected hauiour of the Visage,
Together with all Formes, Moods, shewes of Griefe,
That
can denote me truly. These indeed Seeme,
85
For they are actions that a man might play:
But
I haue that Within, which passeth show;
These, but the Trappings, and the Suites of woe.
King. 'Tis sweet
and commendable
In your Nature Hamlet,
90
To
giue these mourning duties to your Father:
But
you must know, your Father lost a Father,
That
Father lost, lost his, and the Suruiuer bound
In
filiall Obligation, for
some terme
To
do obsequious
Sorrow. But to perseuer
95
In obstinate Condolement,
is a course
Of
impious stubbornnesse.
'Tis vnmanly greefe,
It
shewes a will most
incorrect to
Heauen,
A
Heart vnfortified, a Minde impatient,
An
Vnderstanding simple, and vnschool'd:
100
For, what we know must be, and is as common
As
any the most vulgar thing to sence,
Why
should we in our peeuish Opposition
Take
it to heart? Fye, 'tis a fault to Heauen,
A
fault against the
Dead, a
fault to Nature,
105
To Reason most absurd, whose common Theame
Is
death of Fathers, and who still
hath
cried,
From
the first Coarse,
till he that dyed to day,
This
must be so. We pray you throw to earth
This
vnpreuayling woe,
and thinke of vs
110
As of a Father; For let the world take note,
You
are the most
immediate to our Throne,
And
with no lesse Nobility of Loue,
Then
that which deerest Father beares his Sonne,
Do
I impart towards you. For your intent
115
In
going backe to Schoole in Wittenberg,
It
is most retrograde to our
desire:
And
we beseech you, bend you to
remaine
Heere
in the cheere and comfort of our eye,
Our cheefest Courtier Cosin, and our Sonne.
120 Qu. Let not thy
Mother lose her Prayers Hamlet:
I
prythee stay with vs, go not to Wittenberg.
Ham.
I shall in
all my best
Obey
you Madam.
King.
Why 'tis a
louing, and a faire
Reply,
125
Be as our selfe in
Denmarke.
Madam come,
This gentle and vnforc'd accord of Hamlet
Sits smiling to my heart; in grace whereof,
No iocond health that
Denmarke drinkes to day,
But the great Cannon to the Clowds shall tell,
130
And the Kings Rouce, the
Heauens shall bruite
againe,
Respeaking earthly Thunder. Come away.
Exeunt
Manet
Hamlet.
Ham. Oh that
this too too solid Flesh,
would melt,
Thaw, and resolue it selfe into a Dew:
Or
that the Euerlasting had not fixt
135
His Cannon
'gainst Selfe-slaughter. O God, O
God!
How weary, stale, flat, and vnprofitable
Seemes
to me all the vses of this world?
Fie
on't? Oh fie, fie, 'tis an vnweeded Garden
That
growes to Seed: Things rank, and grosse in Nature
140
Possesse it meerely. That it should come to this:
But two months dead: Nay,
not so much; not two,
So excellent a King, that was to this
Hiperion to a Satyre: so louing to my Mother,
That he might not beteene the
windes of heauen
145
Visit her face too roughly. Heauen and Earth
Must I remember: why she
would hang on
him,
As if encrease of
Appetite had growne
By what it fed on;
and yet within a month?
Let me not thinke on't: Frailty, thy name is woman.
150
A little Month, or ere those shooes were old,
With
which she followed my poore Fathers body
Like Niobe, all teares. Why
she, euen she.
(O Heauen! A beast that wants discourse of Reason
Would haue mourn'd longer) married with mine Vnkle,
155
My Fathers Brother: but no more like my Father,
Then
I to Hercules. Within a
Moneth?
Ere yet the salt of most vnrighteous Teares
Had left the flushing of
her gauled eyes,
She
married. O most wicked speed, to post
160
With
such dexterity to Incestuous
sheets:
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But breake my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
Enter Horatio,
Barnard, and
Marcellus.
Hor. Haile to
your Lordship.
Ham.
I am glad to
see you well:
165
Horatio, or I do forget my selfe.
Hor. The same my Lord,
And your poore Seruant euer.
Ham. Sir my good
friend,
Ile change that name with you:
170
And what make you from Wittenberg Horatio?
Marcellus.
Mar. My good Lord.
Ham. I am very
glad to see you: good euen Sir.
But what in faith make you from Wittemberge?
175 Hor. A truant
disposition, good my Lord.
Ham. I would not
haue your Enemy say so;
Nor
shall you doe mine eare that violence,
To make it truster of your owne report
Against your selfe. I know you are no Truant:
180
But what is your affaire in Elsenour?
Wee'l teach you to drinke deepe, ere you depart.
Hor. My Lord, I
came to see your Fathers Funerall.
Ham.
I pray thee
doe not mock me (fellow Student)
I
thinke it was to see
my Mothers Wedding.
185 Hor.
Indeed my
Lord, it followed hard vpon.
Ham.
Thrift,
thrift Horatio: the Funerall
Bakt-meats
Did coldly furnish
forth the Marriage Tables.
Would
I had met my dearest foe
in heauen,
Ere
I had euer seene that day Horatio
190
My father, me thinkes I see my father.
Hor. Oh where my Lord?
Ham. In my minds
eye (Horatio)
Hor. I saw him
once; he was a goodly King.
Ham. He was a
man, take him for all in all:
195
I shall not look vpon his like againe.
Hor. My Lord, I
thinke I saw him yesternight.
Ham. Saw? Who?
Hor. My Lord, the
King your Father.
Ham. The King my
Father?
200 Hor.
Season your
admiration for a while
With
an attent
eare; till I may deliuer
Vpon
the witnesse of these Gentlemen,
This maruell to you.
Ham. For Heauens
loue let me heare.
205 Hor. Two nights
together, had these Gentlemen
(Marcellus and Barnardo) on their Watch
In the dead wast and middle of
the night
Beene thus encountred. A figure like your Father,
Arm'd at all points exactly, Cap a Pe,
210
Appeares before them, and with sollemne march
Goes slow and stately: By them thrice he walkt,
By their opprest and feare-surprized eyes,
Within his Truncheons
length; whilst they bestil'd
Almost to Ielly with the Act of feare,
215
Stand
dumbe and speake not to him. This to me
In dreadfull secrecie
impart they did,
And
I with them the third Night kept the Watch,
Whereas they had deliuer'd both in time,
Forme of the thing; each word made true and good,
220
The Apparition comes. I knew your Father:
These hands are not more like.
Ham.
But where
was this?
Mar. My Lord,
vpon the platforme where we watcht.
Ham. Did you not
speake to it?
225 Hor. My Lord, I
did;
But answere made it none: yet once me thought
It
lifted vp it head, and did addresse
It selfe to motion, like as it would speake:
But euen then, the Morning Cocke crew lowd;
230
And at the sound it shrunke in hast away,
And vanisht from our sight.
Ham. Tis very
strange.
Hor. As I doe
liue my honourd Lord 'tis true;
And
we did thinke it writ downe in our duty
235
To let you know of it.
Ham. Indeed,
indeed Sirs; but this troubles me.
Hold
you the watch to Night?
Both.
We doe my
Lord.
Ham.
Arm'd, say you?
240
Both. Arm'd, my
Lord.
Ham. From top to
toe?
Both. My Lord,
from head to foote.
Ham. Then saw you
not his face?
Hor. O yes, my
Lord, he wore his Beauer vp.
245
Ham. What, lookt
he frowningly?
Hor. A
countenance more in
sorrow then in anger.
Ham. Pale, or red?
Hor. Nay very
pale.
Ham. And fixt his
eyes vpon you?
250
Hor. Most
constantly.
Ham.
I would I
had beene there.
Hor. It would
haue much amaz'd you.
Ham. Very like,
very like: staid it long?
Hor. While one
with moderate hast might tell a hundred.
255
All. Longer,
longer.
Hor. Not when I
saw't.
Ham. His Beard
was grisly? no.
Hor. It was, as I
haue seene it in his life,
A
Sable Siluer'd.
260
Ham. Ile watch to
Night; perchance 'twill
wake againe.
Hor. I warrant
you it will.
Ham. If it
assume my noble Fathers person,
Ile speake to it, though Hell it selfe should gape
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
265
If you haue hitherto conceald this sight;
Let it bee treble in
your silence still:
And whatsoeuer els shall hap to night,
Giue
it an vnderstanding but no tongue;
I will requite your loues; so, fare ye well:
270
Vpon the Platforme twixt eleuen and twelue,
Ile visit you.
All. Our duty to
your Honour.
Exeunt.
Ham. Your
loue, as mine to you: farewell.
275
My Fathers Spirit in Armes? All is not well:
I
doubt some foule play:
would the
Night were come;
Till
then sit still my soule; foule deeds
will rise,
Though all the
earth orewhelm them to mens eies.
Exit.
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