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Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
More Performances…
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Hamlet (Quarto 2, 1604)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
The Tragedie of Hamlet
1990
The Trumpets sounds. Dumbe show followes.
Enter a King and a Queene, the Queene embracing him, and he her,he
takes her vp, and declines his head vpon her necke,he lyes him downe vp-
pon a bancke of flowers, she seeing him asleepe, leaues him: anon come in an
1995other man, takes off his crowne, kisses it, pours poyson in the sleepers eares,
and leaues him: the Queene returnes, finds the King dead, makes passionate
action, the poysner with some three or foure come in againe, seeme to con-
dole with her, the dead body is carried away, the poysner wooes the Queene
with gifts, shee seemes harsh awhile, but in the end accepts loue.

Oph. VVhat meanes this my Lord?
Ham. Marry this munching Mallico, it meanes mischiefe.
Oph. Belike this show imports the argument of the play.
Ham. We shall know by this fellow,
Enter Prologue.
The Players cannot keepe, they'le tell all.
2010Oph. Will a tell vs what this show meant?
Ham. I, or any show that you will show him, be not you asham'd
to show, heele not shame to tell you what it meanes.
Oph. You are naught, you are naught, Ile mark the play.
Prologue. For vs and for our Tragedie,
Heere stooping to your clemencie,
We begge your hearing patiently.
2020Ham. Is this a Prologue, or the posie of a ring?
Oph. Tis breefe my Lord.
Ham. As womans loue.
Enter King and Queene.
King. Full thirtie times hath Phebus cart gone round
2025Neptunes salt wash, and Tellus orb'd the ground,
And thirtie dosen Moones with borrowed sheene
About the world haue times twelue thirties beene
Since loue our harts, and Hymen did our hands
Vnite comutuall in most sacred bands.
2030Quee. So many iourneyes may the Sunne and Moone
Make vs againe count ore ere loue be doone,
But woe is me, you are so sicke of late,
So farre from cheere, and from our former state,
That I distrust you, yet though I distrust,
2035Discomfort you my Lord it nothing must.
For