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- Edition: Hamlet
Hamlet (Modern, Quarto 2)
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1848[3.2]
1761Enter Hamlet, and three of the Players.
Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, 18501763trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, 18511764I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air 18521765too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very 18541766torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your 1855passion, you must 1767acquire and beget a temperance that 1856may give it smoothness. Oh, it 1768offends me to the soul 1857to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow1769tear a 1858passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the 18591770groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but 18601771inexplicable dumb-shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for 18611772o'erdoing Termagant. It out-Herods Herod. Pray you avoid it.
I warrant your honor.
Be not too tame, neither, but let your own discretion be 18651775your tutor. Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with 18661776this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of 18671777nature. For anything so o'erdone is from the purpose of playing, 18681778whose end, both at the first and now, was and is to hold as 'twere 18701779the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her feature, scorn her own 18711780image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. 18721781Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it makes the 18741782unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve, the censure of 18751783which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theater of 18761784others. Oh, there be players that I have seen play, and heard others 18771785praised, and that highly, not to speak it profanely, that, neither 18781786having th'accent of Christians nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor 18801787man, have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of 18811788nature's journeymen had made men, and not made them well, they 18821789imitated humanity so 1883abhominably.
I hope we have reformed that indifferently with us.
Oh, reform it altogether. And let those that play your clowns 18871792speak no more than is set down for them; for there be of them that 18881793will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity of barren spectators 18891794to laugh too, though in the meantime some necessary question of 18911795the play be then to be considered. That's villainous, and shows a most 18921796pitiful ambition in the fool that uses 1893it. Go make you ready.
5.1[Exeunt Players.]
And the Queen to[o], and that presently.
Bid the players make haste.
8.1[Exit Polonius.]
Will you two help to hasten them?
Ay, my lord.
9.1Exeunt they two.
What ho, Horatio!
10.1Enter Horatio.
Here, sweet lord, at your service.
Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man
Oh, my dear lord--
Nay, do not think I flatter,
Well, my lord,
46.119421842Enter trumpets and kettledrums, King, Queen, 1843Polonius, Ophelia[, Rosencrantz, 1943Guildenstern, and others].
How fares our cousin Hamlet?
Excellent, i'faith, 1848of the chameleon's dish; I eat the air, 19501849promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so.
That did I, my lord, and was accounted a good actor.
What did you enact?
Ay, my lord, they stay upon your patience.
Come hither, my dear Hamlet, sit by me.
No, good mother, here's mettle more attractive.
[To the King] Oho, do you mark that?
[To Ophelia, as he lies at her feet] Lady, shall I lie in your lap?
No, my lord.
Do you think I meant country matters?
I think nothing, my lord.
That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs.
What is, my lord?
Nothing.
You are merry, my lord.
Who, I?
Ay, my lord.
Oh, God, your only jig-maker. What should a man do but 19791875be merry? For look you how cheerfully my mother looks, and my 19801876father died within's two hours.
Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord.
So long? Nay, then, let the dev'l wear black, for I'll have a 19841879suit of sables. Oh, heavens! Die two months ago, and not forgotten yet? 19851880Then there's hope a great man's memory may outlive his life half a 19861881year. But, by'r Lady, 'a must build churches then, or else shall 'a suffer 19881882not thinking on, with the hobby-horse, whose epitaph is, "For oh, for 19891883oh, the hobby-horse is forgot."
72.119901884The trumpets sounds. Dumb-show follows. 19911885Enter [Players as] a King and a Queen, the Queen embracing him, and he her. He 19931886takes her up, and declines his head upon her neck. He lies him down 19941887upon a bank of flowers. She, seeing him asleep, leaves him. Anon come in 19951888another man, takes off his crown, kisses it, pours poison in the sleeper's ears, 19961889and leaves him. The Queen returns, finds the King dead, makes passionate 19981890action. The poisoner, with some three or four, come in again, seem to 19991891condole with her. The dead body is carried away. The poisoner woos the Queen 20011892with gifts. She seems harsh awhile, but in the end accepts love. [Exeunt players.]
What means this, my lord?
Marry, this munching mallico, it means mischief.
Belike this show imports the argument of the play.
75.1Enter [a Player as] Prologue.
We shall know by this fellow.
Will 'a tell us what this show meant?
Ay, or any show that you will show him. Be not you ashamed 20121900to show, he'll not shame to tell you what it means.
You are naught, you are naught. I'll mark the play.
For us and for our tragedy,
[Exit.]
Is this a prologue, or the posy of a ring?
'Tis brief, my lord.
As woman's love.
Enter [two Players as] King and Queen.
Full thirty times hath Phoebus' cart gone round
So many journeys may the sun and moon
Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly to[o];
Oh, confound the rest!
2049Hamlet
That's wormwood.
The instances that second marriage move
I do believe you think what now you speak,
Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light,
2090Hamlet
If she should break it now!
'Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile.
Sleep rock thy brain,
160.1 [The Player King] sleeps.
160.2Exit [Player Queen].
Madam, how like you this play?
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Oh, but she'll keep her word.
Have you heard the argument? Is there no offense in't?
No, no, they do but jest, poison in jest, no 2103offense i'th' world.
What do you call the play?
21051990HamletThe Mousetrap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image 21061991of a murder done in Vienna. Gonzago is the Duke's name, his wife 21071992Baptista. You shall see anon. 'Tis a knavish piece of work, but what of 21081993that? Your majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not. 21101994Let the galled jade winch, our withers are unwrung. 21121995--This is one Lucianus, nephew to the King.
You are as good as a chorus, my lord.
You are keen, my lord, you are keen.
It would cost you a groaning to take off mine 2118edge.
Still better and worse.
So you mistake your husbands.--Begin, murderer, leave 21212004thy damnable faces and begin. Come, the croaking raven doth bellow 21222005for revenge.
Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing,
'A poisons him i'th' garden for his estate. His name's 21332013Gonzago. The story is extant, and written in very choice Italian. You shall see 21342014anon how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife.
The King rises.
How fares my lord?
Give o'er the play.
Give me some light. Away!
Lights, lights, lights!
185.1Exeunt all but Hamlet and Horatio.
"Why, let the strucken deer go weep,
2147Would not this, sir, and a forest of 2024feathers--if the rest of2148 my fortunes turn Turk with me--with provincial 21492025roses on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry 2150of players?
Half a share.
A whole one, I.
2030Of Jove himself, and now reigns here
You might have rhymed.
Very well, my lord.
Upon the talk of the pois'ning.
I did very well note him.
Aha, come, some music! Come, the recorders.
Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you.
Sir a whole history.
The King, sir--
Ay, sir, what of him?
Is in his retirement marvelous distempered.
With drink, sir?
No, my lord, with choler.
Your wisdom should show itself more richer to signify 21762051this to the doctor, for, for me to put him 2177to his purgation would 2052perhaps plunge him into 2178more choler.
I am tame sir. Pronounce.
You are welcome.
Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. If 21862060it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your 21872061mother's commandment. If not, your pardon and my return shall 21882062be the end of business.
Sir, I cannot.
What, my lord?
Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased. But, sir, such 21932066answer as I can make, you shall command, or rather, as you say, my 21942067mother. Therefore no more, but to the matter. My mother, you say.
Oh, wonderful son, that can so 'stonish a mother! But is there 21992071no sequel at the heels of this 2201mother's admiration? Impart.
She desires to speak with you in her closet ere you go to bed.
My lord, you once did love me.
Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper? You do 22082078surely bar the door upon your own liberty if you deny your griefs to 22092079your friend.
Sir, I lack advancement.
How can that be, when you have the voice of the King 22122082himself for your succession in Denmark?
Ay, sir, but "while the grass grows"--the proverb is something 22142085musty.--Oh, the recorders. Let me see one. [He takes a recorder.] To withdraw with you, why 22172086do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you would drive 22182087me into a toil?
Oh, my lord, if my duty be too bold, my love 2220is too unmannerly.
I do not well understand that. Will you play upon this pipe?
My lord, I cannot.
I pray you.
Believe me, I cannot.
I do beseech you.
I know no touch of it, my lord.
It is as easy as lying. Govern these ventages with your 22292096fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse 22302097most eloquent music. Look you, these are the stops.
Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of 22352101me! You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops, 22362102you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me 22372103from my lowest note to my compass, and there is much music, 22392104excellent voice in this little organ, yet cannot you make it speak. 'Sblood, 22402105do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what 22412106instrument you will, though you fret me, you cannot play upon me. [To Polonius, as he enters] 22422107God bless you, sir.
My lord, the Queen would speak with you, and presently.
Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape 2248of a camel?
By th'mass, and 'tis like a camel indeed.
Methinks it is like a weasel.
It is backed like a weasel.
Or like a whale.
Very like a whale.
22542116Hamlet Then I will come to my mother by and by. 22552117[Aside] They fool me to the top of my bent.[Aloud] I will come by and by. Leave me, friends. 2257I will, say so. "By and by" is easily said.
261.1Exit.