ACT 1
[Enter KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, Lords, and Attendants]
KING CLAUDIUS
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death
Despite that our dear brother Hamlet’s death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
Lives fresh within our minds, and it seems right
To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom
To grieve in public as the public grieve
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Together in an outpouring of pain,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
We must think rationally, despite emotions
That we with wisest sorrow think on him,
That make us sad as we remember him,
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
But think not just of him, but of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
So, my sister-in-law, and now our queen,
The imperial jointress to this warlike state,
Who jointly rules our military nation,
Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy,--
Has—with a blend of sadness and delight,
With an auspicious and a dropping eye,
With eyes of mixed emotion, bright but wistful,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
That shine at funerals, but, at weddings, mourn,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,--
In equal measure, glad and melancholy—
Taken to wife: nor have we herein barred
Is now my wife. And we have not ignored
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
Your wise advice, which openly supported
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
Our love affair throughout. For that, our thanks.
Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras,
But now, as you’re aware, young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth,
Who seemingly believes we’re rather weak,
Or thinking by our late dear brother's death
Or, thinking that because our brother’s died,
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
We’re in a state of disarray and chaos,
Colleagued with the dream of his advantage,
And coupled with belief his army’s stronger,
He hath not failed to pester us with message,
Continues pestering us with messages
Importing the surrender of those lands
About surrendering the territory
Lost by his father, with all bonds of law,
His father lost, all fair and square in law,
To our most valiant brother. So much for him.
To our courageous brother. What a fool!
Now for ourself and for this time of meeting:
Reverting to ourselves and why we’re here,
Thus much the business is: we have here writ
This is today’s agenda: we have written
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,--
To Fortinbras’s old Norwegian uncle—
Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Who’s impotent, bedridden, barely hearing
Of this his nephew's purpose,--to suppress
Of what his nephew plans—to ask he quells
His further gait herein; in that the levies,
His further plans and progress, for the cost,
The lists and full proportions, are all made
The work, and vast equipment all are made
Out of his subject: and we here dispatch
From his own people; and so now we send
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,
Cornelius and Voltimand, good men,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
To share this message with the old Norwegian;
Giving to you no further personal power
You have no more authority yourselves
To business with the king, more than the scope
In doing business with the king, except
Of these delated articles allow.
As predefined in these formal agreements.
Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty.
Goodbye, and hurry on, as is your duty.
CORNELIUS & VOLTIMAND
In that and all things will we show our duty.
We will, as always, carry out our duty.
KING CLAUDIUS
We doubt it nothing: heartily farewell.
We do not doubt it! Now, a fond farewell.
[Exeunt VOLTIMAND and CORNELIUS]
And now, Laertes, what's the news with you?
And now, Laertes, what’s the news with you?
You told us of some suit; what is't, Laertes?
You’ve something to discuss: what’s up, Laertes?
You cannot speak of reason to the Dane,
The words you speak to me, the King of Denmark,
And loose your voice: what wouldst thou beg, Laertes,
Are never wasted. What is it, Laertes,
That shall not be my offer, not thy asking?
That I’ve not offered you before you’ve asked?
The head is not more native to the heart,
The head and heart are not more integrated,
The hand more instrumental to the mouth,
The hand and mouth are not more tightly knit,
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.
Than is the King of Denmark to your father.
What wouldst thou have, Laertes?
What do you want, Laertes?
LAERTES
My dread lord,
My dear lord,
Your leave and favour to return to France;
Your kind permission to return to France;
From whence though willingly I came to Denmark,
I came from there with pleasure back to Denmark
To show my duty in your coronation,
To dutifully attend your coronation,
Yet now, I must confess, that duty done,
But now, I must confess, with duty served,
My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France
My thoughts and wishes draw me back to France,
And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon.
And so I kindly ask you let me go.
KING CLAUDIUS
Have you your father's leave? What says Polonius?
Have you permission from your dad? Polonius?
LORD POLONIUS
He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave
He does, my lord, but with a slow reluctance
By laboursome petition, and at last
He ground me down, and so eventually,
Upon his will I sealed my hard consent:
As was his wish, I gave him my consent:
I do beseech you, give him leave to go.
And so I ask you grant his wish to leave.
KING CLAUDIUS
Take thy fair hour, Laertes; time be thine,
Go when you like, Laertes; it’s your time,
And thy best graces spend it at thy will!
So do the best you can with time you have!
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,--
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son…
HAMLET
[Aside]
A little more than kin, and less than kind.
Freshly related, not related well.
KING CLAUDIUS
How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
Why is it you remain constantly gloomy?
HAMLET
Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun.
Not true, my lord; I’m always in the sun.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,
Remove, dear Hamlet, your black mourning clothes
And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.
And look like you’re a friend of Denmark’s king.
Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
Don’t permanently stare with sorry eyes
Seek for thy noble father in the dust:
Towards the ground to seek your noble father.
Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die,
You know the rules: all living things must die
Passing through nature to eternity.
As nature moves us to eternity.
HAMLET
Ay, madam, it is common.
Yes, Mother; understood.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
If it be,
In which case, then
Why seems it so particular with thee?
Why does it seem unusual to you?
HAMLET
Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not 'seems'.
It doesn’t ‘seem’, Mother: it IS! Not ‘seems’.
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
It’s not just that my coat is dark, dear Mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor that I dress in solemn suits of black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
Nor heave exasperated sighs of woe;
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor either is it that I’m always crying,
Nor the dejected 'haviour of the visage,
A crestfallen and glum look on my face,
Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
And every other sign that I am sad
That can denote me truly: these indeed seem,
That demonstrates my thoughts. These actions ‘seem’,
For they are actions that a man might play:
For any man could act out this display.
But I have that within which passeth show;
But I’ve within me grief you cannot see;
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.
My clothes and actions aren’t the all of me.
KING CLAUDIUS
'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,
It’s to your credit, Hamlet, your sweet nature
To give these mourning duties to your father:
Makes you mourn out of duty to your father;
But, you must know, your father lost a father;
But you know that your father lost his father,
That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound
And he lost his, and those remaining must,
In filial obligation for some term
For some time out of family obligation,
To do obsequious sorrow: but to persevere
Express respectful sorrow; but persisting
In obstinate condolement is a course
In bloody-minded mourning is a path
Of impious stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief;
Pigheadedly ungodly; not man’s grief;
It shows a will most incorrect to heaven,
It shows you contradict the will of God,
A heart unfortified, a mind impatient,
Are weak at heart and also weak of mind,
An understanding simple and unschooled:
And demonstrate an unschooled simple psyche.
For what we know must be and is as common
We know the rules of life, that all things die,
As any the most vulgar thing to sense,
Although we do not like to think about it,
Why should we in our peevish opposition
Why should we, in a petulant resistance,
Take it to heart? Fie! 'Tis a fault to heaven,
Take it to heart? Yikes! It’s a crime to heaven,
A fault against the dead, a fault to nature,
Offensive to the dead, defying nature
To reason most absurd: whose common theme
With idiotic reasoning. It’s true
Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried,
That every father dies, and who’s still crying,
From the first corse till he that died to-day,
From Abel, first man dead, to deaths today:
'This must be so.' We pray you, throw to earth
‘That’s how it is.’ We beg you to give up
This unprevailing woe, and think of us
This futile misery, and think of me
As of a father: for let the world take note,
Just like your father. Everyone knows this:
You are the most immediate to our throne;
You are the next in line to be the king.
And with no less nobility of love
And with no less intensity of love
Than that which dearest father bears his son,
Between a loving father and his son
Do I impart toward you. For your intent
Do I convey to you. Now your intention
In going back to school in Wittenberg,
To soon go back to school in Wittenberg
It is most retrograde to our desire:
Directly contradicts both of our wishes,
And we beseech you, bend you to remain
And earnestly we ask you, stay with us
Here, in the cheer and comfort of our eye,
Here in the bosom of your loving family,
Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son.
Head of the court, our cousin, and our son.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet:
Don’t break your mother’s prayers and wishes, Hamlet:
I pray thee, stay with us; go not to Wittenberg.
For I implore you, stay; don’t go to Wittenberg.
HAMLET
I shall in all my best obey you, madam.
I will obey you, Ma’am, as best I can.
KING CLAUDIUS
Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply:
Well, that’s a fair and loving form of answer;
Be as ourself in Denmark. Madam, come;
Stay here with us in Denmark. Madam, come;
This gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet
For Hamlet’s kind and uncoerced agreement
Sits smiling to my heart: in grace whereof,
Has made my heart content; to honour this,
No jocund health that Denmark drinks to-day,
Each toast, I, King of Denmark, pledge today
But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell,
Includes the firing of a cannon skywards,
And the king's rouse the heavens all bruit again,
This king awakening heaven with an echo
Re-speaking earthly thunder. Come away.
Bounced back to earth as thunder. Come, let’s go.
[Exeunt all but HAMLET]
HAMLET
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
I wish my tarnished body would dissolve
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Into a liquid, like a morning dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
Or if our God had not so stipulated
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
That suicide is banned! Oh, God! Oh God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
I feel so tired and useless. What’s the point
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Of anything there is within this world?
Fie on't! Ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden,
Damn it! Oh, damn! It’s a neglected garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Once planted, but now overrun with weeds,
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
Destroying what it was. How could this happen?
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:
He’s dead two months; not even, less than two!
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
He was a perfect king: compared to now,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
A God, and not a fraud. He loved my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
So much he wouldn’t let the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Blow like the Mistral on her face. Oh no!
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him,
Must I remember? She would dote on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
As though the more she ate, the hungrier
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month--
She would become; but yet, within a month—
Let me not think on't--Frailty, thy name is woman!--
Don’t let me think of it!—Woman: you weakling!
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
Less than a month, before the shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father's body,
That she had worn at my poor father’s funeral,
Like Niobe, all tears:--why she, even she--
Blubbing hysterically. And then she went—
O, God! A beast, that wants discourse of reason,
My God! An animal, with basic instincts,
Would have mourned longer--married with my uncle,
Would be in mourning more!—and wed my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
My father’s brother, but as much like him
Than I to Hercules: within a month:
As I’m like Hercules! Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Before her tears had insincerely welled
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
And run down from her red and bloodshot eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
She married. Oh, with cruel velocity
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
She jumped with skill to his incestuous bed.
It is not nor it cannot come to good:
That will not, and nor can it, come to good.
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.
But hold that thought; I cannot speak my mind.
[Enter HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BERNARDO]
HORATIO
Hail to your lordship!
Hello, my lord.
HAMLET
I am glad to see you well:
I’m glad to see you well.
Horatio,--or I do forget myself.
Horatio! Goodness, how could I forget!
HORATIO
The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.
It’s me, my lord, your same old humble servant.
HAMLET
Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you:
Sir, you’re my friend, and I’m your humble servant!
And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio? Marcellus?
What brings you here from Wittenberg, Horatio? Marcellus?
MARCELLUS
My good lord--
My good lord.
HAMLET
I am very glad to see you. Good even, sir.
I am so pleased to see you. Evening, sir.
But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?
But, come on then, what brings you here from Wittenberg?
HORATIO
A truant disposition, good my lord.
In truth, I’m skiving school, my gracious lord.
HAMLET
I would not hear your enemy say so,
I wouldn’t let your enemy say that,
Nor shall you do mine ear that violence,
Nor shall you say such slanderous words to me!
To make it truster of your own report
Let me correct the statement you have said
Against yourself: I know you are no truant.
Against yourself: I know you never skive!
But what is your affair in Elsinore?
So, tell me, what brings you to Elsinore?
We'll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.
I’ll teach you how to drink before you leave!
HORATIO
My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.
My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.
HAMLET
I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student;
My fellow student, don’t make fun of me:
I think it was to see my mother's wedding.
I think you came to see my mother’s wedding.
HORATIO
Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.
Well, yes, my lord, it happened rather soon.
HAMLET
Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked meats
It was a bargain, for the funeral meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Were then reused upon the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
I’d rather have faced my fiercest foe in heaven
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!
Than lived throughout that day, Horatio.
My father!--Methinks I see my father.
My father! I believe I see my father!
HORATIO
Where, my lord?
Where, my lord?
HAMLET
In my mind's eye, Horatio.
In my mind’s eye, Horatio.
HORATIO
I saw him once; he was a goodly king.
I saw him once; he was a splendid king.
HAMLET
He was a man, take him for all in all,
He was a perfect man in every way;
I shall not look upon his like again.
I’ll never see the likes of him again.
HORATIO
My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
My lord, I think I saw his face last night.
HAMLET
Saw? Who?
You what?
HORATIO
My lord, the king your father.
My lord, the king. Your father.
HAMLET
The king my father!
The king? My father?
HORATIO
Season your admiration for awhile
Now, momentarily, contain yourself
With an attent ear, till I may deliver,
And listen up, until I’ve said my piece,
Upon the witness of these gentlemen,
In presence of these men, both witnesses,
This marvel to you.
About this wonder.
HAMLET
For God's love, let me hear.
For love of God, I’m listening.
HORATIO
Two nights together had these gentlemen,
For two successive nights, these gentlemen,
Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch,
Marcellus and Bernardo, while on watch
In the dead vast and middle of the night,
In barren stillness, sometime close to midnight,
Been thus encountered. A figure like your father,
Encountered this: A figure like your father,
Armed at point exactly, cap-a-pe,
In every detail, armed from head to toe,
Appears before them, and with solemn march
Appears before them, marching solemnly,
Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walked
Both slow and elegant; he’s passed three times
By their oppressed and fear-surprised eyes,
Before their eyes, both overcome with fear,
Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distilled
A truncheon’s length away; whilst they—reduced
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Almost to jelly, scared out of their wits—
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me
Stand speechless, saying nothing. But to me,
In dreadful secrecy impart they did;
In utmost secrecy, confessed their story.
And I with them the third night kept the watch;
And so I joined their watch on that third night;
Where, as they had delivered, both in time,
And, just as they’d recounted, bang on time
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
And as described, confirming what they’d said,
The apparition comes: I knew your father;
The apparition came. I knew your father;
These hands are not more like.
My hands are just as different.
HAMLET
But where was this?
Where was this?
MARCELLUS
My lord, upon the platform where we watched.
My lord, upon the platform where we watched.
HAMLET
Did you not speak to it?
Didn’t you speak to it?
HORATIO
My lord, I did;
My lord, I did.
But answer made it none: yet once methought
But it did not reply. One point I thought
It lifted up its head and did address
It lifted up its head as though it might
Itself to motion, like as it would speak;
Be readying itself, about to speak;
But even then the morning cock crew loud,
But, on the dot, the cockerel crowed for dawn,
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away,
And at the sound it quickly shrunk away
And vanished from our sight.
And vanished from our sight.
HAMLET
'Tis very strange.
That’s very strange.
HORATIO
As I do live, my honoured lord, 'tis true;
Upon my life, my lord, I swear it’s true,
And we did think it writ down in our duty
And we all felt a formal obligation
To let you know of it.
To let you know of it.
HAMLET
Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me.
Well absolutely, sirs. It troubles me.
Hold you the watch to-night?
Are you on watch tonight?
MARCELLUS & BERNARDO
We do, my lord.
We are, my lord.
HAMLET
Armed, say you?
You said it’s armed?
MARCELLUS & BERNARDO
Armed, my lord.
We did.
HAMLET
From top to toe?
From top to toe?
MARCELLUS & BERNARDO
My lord, from head to foot.
My lord, from head to foot.
HAMLET
Then saw you not his face?
You couldn’t see his face?
HORATIO
O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.
Oh, yes, my lord: he wore his visor up.
HAMLET
What, looked he frowningly?
So, was he frowning, then?
HORATIO
A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.
He wore a look of sadness more than anger.
HAMLET
Pale or red?
Pale or red?
HORATIO
Nay, very pale.
No, very pale.
HAMLET
And fixed his eyes upon you?
And did he look right at you?
HORATIO
Most constantly.
Unflinchingly.
HAMLET
I would I had been there.
I wish I had been there.
HORATIO
It would have much amazed you.
You would have been astounded.
HAMLET
Very like, very like. Stayed it long?
I bet, I’m sure. Did it stay long?
HORATIO
While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.
As long as slowly counting to a hundred.
MARCELLUS & BERNARDO
Longer, longer.
Longer than that.
HORATIO
Not when I saw't.
Not when I watched.
HAMLET
His beard was grizzled--no?
His beard was greying, no?
HORATIO
It was, as I have seen it in his life,
Exactly as it was in real life.
A sable silvered.
Both black and greying.
HAMLET
I will watch to-night;
I will watch tonight.
Perchance 'twill walk again.
It might just walk again.
HORATIO
I warrant it will.
I’m sure it will.
HAMLET
If it assume my noble father's person,
If it appears just like my noble father,
I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape
I’ll speak to it, though gates of hell may open
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
And tell me to be quiet. I ask you all,
If you have hitherto concealed this sight,
If you’ve thus far concealed this as a secret,
Let it be tenable in your silence still;
Continue with your silence furthermore.
And whatsoever else shall hap to-night,
Also, whatever happens out tonight,
Give it an understanding, but no tongue:
Try understanding it, but keep this quiet;
I will requite your loves. So, fare you well:
And I’ll return the favour. Bye for now.
Upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve,
The platform, from eleven, before twelve:
I'll visit you.
I’ll see you there.
All
Our duty to your honour.
It is our call of duty.
HAMLET
Your loves, as mine to you: farewell.
Do it for love, like me to you. Goodbye.
[Exeunt all but HAMLET]
My father's spirit in arms! All is not well;
My father’s ghost in armour: something’s wrong!
I doubt some foul play: would the night were come!
Now I suspect foul play. Night—hurry up!
Till then sit still, my soul: foul deeds will rise,
But now, keep calm: foul deeds will be revealed,
Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.
Though others cower, I’ll keep my own eyes peeled.
[Exit]
