Hamlet (Modern, Editor's Version)

1[3.4]
4.0.123742236Enter Queen [Gertrude] and Polonius.
4.123752237Polonius
 'A will come straight. 2376Look you lay home to him.
4.223772238Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,
4.323782239And that your grace hath screened and stood between
4.423792240Much heat and him. I'll silence me e'en here.
4.523802241Pray you, be round with him.
4.62381Hamlet 
 Within. Mother, mother, mother!
4.723822243Queen
 I'll warrant you. Fear me not.
4.823832244Withdraw; I hear him coming.
4.8.1[Polonius conceals himself behind the arras.]
4.8.223842242Enter Hamlet.
4.923852245Hamlet
 Now mother, what's the matter?
4.1023862246Queen
 Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
4.1123872247Hamlet
 Mother, you have my father much offended.
4.1223882248Queen
 Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.
4.1323892249Hamlet
 Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.
4.1423902250Queen
 Why, how now, Hamlet?
 23912251Hamlet
 Why, how now, Hamlet?  What's the matter now?
4.1523922252Queen
 Have you forgot me?
 23932253Hamlet
 Have you forgot me?  No, by the rood, not so.
4.1623942254You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife,
4.1723952255And--would it were not so!--you are my mother.
4.1823962256Queen
 Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak.
4.1923972257Hamlet
 Come, come, and sit you down. You shall not budge.
4.2023992258You go not till I set you up a glass
4.2124002259Where you may see the inmost part of you.
4.2224012260Queen
 What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me?
4.2324022261Help, help, ho!
4.2424032262Polonius 
 [Behind the arras] What ho! Help, help, help!
4.2524042263Hamlet
 How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!
4.25.1[Hamlet thrusts through the arras with his sword.]
4.2624052264Polonius
 [Behind the arras] Oh, I am slain!
4.26.1[Polonius falls onto the stage floor, dead].
 24062265Queen
 [Behind the arras] Oh, I am slain!  Oh, me, what hast thou done?
4.2724072266Hamlet
 Nay I know not. Is it the King?
4.2824082267Queen
 Oh, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
4.2924092268Hamlet
 A bloody deed--almost as bad, good mother,
4.3024102269As kill a king, and marry with his brother.
4.3124112270Queen
 As kill a king?
 24122271Hamlet
 As kill a king?  Ay, lady, it was my word. 
4.31.1[He parts the arras and discovers the dead  Polonius.]
4.3224132272Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!
4.3324142273I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune.
4.3424152274Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.
4.3524162275[To the Queen] Leave wringing of your hands. Peace, sit you down,
4.3624172276And let me wring your heart, for so I shall
4.3724182277If it be made of penetrable stuff,
4.3824192278If damnèd custom have not brazed it so
4.3924202279That it is proof and bulwark against sense.
4.4024212280Queen
 What have I done, that thou dar'st wag thy tongue
4.4124222281In noise so rude against me?
 24232282Hamlet
 In noise so rude against me?  Such an act
4.4224242283That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,
4.4324252284Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose
4.4424262285From the fair forehead of an innocent love
4.4524272286And sets a blister there, makes marriage vows
4.4624282287As false as dicers' oaths--oh, such a deed
4.4724292288As from the body of contraction plucks
4.4824302289The very soul, and sweet religion makes
4.4924312290A rhapsody of words. Heaven's face doth glow
4.5024322291O'er this solidity and compound mass
4.5124332292With tristful visage, as against the doom,
4.5224342293Is thought-sick at the act.
 24352294Queen
 Is thought-sick at the act.  Ay me, what act,
4.532295That roars so loud and thunders 2436in the index?
4.5424372296Hamlet [Showing her two likenesses, of Hamlet senior and Claudius]
 Look here upon this picture, and on this,
4.5524382297The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.
4.5624392298See what a grace was seated on this brow:
4.5724402299Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself,
4.5824412300An eye like Mars to threaten and command,
4.5924422301A station like the herald Mercury
4.6024432302New lighted on a heaven-kissing hill,
4.6124442303A combination and a form indeed
4.6224452304Where every god did seem to set his seal
4.6324462305To give the world assurance of a man.
4.6424472306This was your husband. Look you now what follows:
4.6524482307Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear,
4.6624492308Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?
4.6724502309Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed
4.6824512310And batten on this moor? Ha, have you eyes?
4.6924522311You cannot call it love, for at your age
4.7024532312The heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble,
4.7124542313And waits upon the judgment, and what judgment
4.7224552314Would step from this to this? Sense, sure, you have,
4.732455.12315Else could you not have motion, but sure that sense
4.742455.22316Is apoplexed, for madness would not err,
4.752455.32317Nor sense to ecstasy was ne'er so thralled
4.762455.42318But it reserved some quantity of choice
4.772455.52319To serve in such a difference. What devil was't
4.7824562320That thus hath cozened you at hoodman-blind?
4.792456.12321Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight,
4.802456.22322Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all,
4.812456.32323Or but a sickly part of one true sense
4.822456.42324Could not so mope. O shame, where is thy blush?
4.8324572325Rebellious hell,
4.8424582326If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones,
4.8524592327To flaming youth let virtue be as wax
4.8624602328And melt in her own fire. Proclaim no shame
4.8724612329When the compulsive ardor gives the charge,
4.8824622330Since frost itself as actively doth burn,
4.8924632331And reason panders will.
4.9024642332Queen
 Oh, Hamlet speak no more!
4.9124652333Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul,
4.9224662334And there I see such black and grainèd spots
4.9324672335As will not leave their tinct.
 24682336Hamlet
 As will not leave their tinct.  Nay, but to live
4.9424692337In the rank sweat of an enseamèd bed
4.9524702338Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love
4.9624712339Over the nasty sty!
4.9724722340Queen
 Oh, speak to me no more!
4.9824732341These words like daggers enter in my ears.
4.9924742342No more, sweet Hamlet.
 24752343Hamlet
 No more, sweet Hamlet.  A murderer and a villain,
4.10024762344A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe 
4.10124772345Of your precedent lord, a vice of kings,
4.10224782346A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
4.10324792347That from a shelf the precious diadem stole
4.10424802348And put it in his pocket--
4.10524812349Queen
 No more!
4.105.124822350Enter Ghost [in his nightgown].
4.10624832351Hamlet
 A king of shreds and patches--
4.10724842352[Seeing the Ghost]Save me and hover o'er me with your wings,
4.10824852353You heavenly guards! What would you, gracious figure?
4.10924862354Queen
 Alas, he's mad!
4.11024872355Hamlet
 Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
4.11124882356That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go by
4.11224892357Th'important acting of your dread command? 
4.113Oh, say!
 24902358Ghost
 Oh, say!  Do not forget. This visitation
4.11424912359Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.
4.11524922360But look, amazement on thy mother sits.
4.11624932361Oh, step between her and her fighting soul!
4.11724942362Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works.
4.11824952363Speak to her, Hamlet.
 24962364Hamlet
 Speak to her, Hamlet.  How is it with you, lady?
4.11924972365Queen
 Alas, how is't with you,
4.12024982366That you do bend your eye on vacancy,
4.12124992367And with th'incorporal air do hold discourse?
4.12225002368Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep,
4.12325012369And, as the sleeping soldiers in th'alarm,
4.12425022370Your bedded hair, like life in excrements,
4.12525032371Start up and stand on end. O gentle son,
4.12625042372Upon the heat and flame of thy distemper
4.12725052373Sprinkle cool patience. Whereon do you look?
4.12825062374Hamlet
 On him, on him! Look you how pale he glares!
4.12925072375His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones,
4.13025082376Would make them capable. [To the Ghost] Do not look upon me,
4.13125092377Lest with this piteous action you convert
4.13225102378My stern effects. Then what I have to do
4.13325112379Will want true color, tears perchance for blood.
4.13425122380Queen
 To whom do you speak this?
4.13525132381Hamlet
 Do you see nothing there?
4.13625142382Queen
 Nothing at all, yet all that is I see.
4.13725152383Hamlet
 Nor did you nothing hear?
4.13825162384Queen
 No, nothing but ourselves.
4.13925172385Hamlet
 Why, look you there, look how it steals away!
4.14025182386My father in his habit as he lived.
4.14125192387Look where he goes, even now out at the portal! 
4.141.1Exit Ghost.
4.14225202388Queen
 This is the very coinage of your brain.
4.14325212389This bodiless creation ecstasy 
4.144Is very cunning in.
4.1452522Hamlet
 Ecstasy?
4.14625232390My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time,
4.14725242391And makes as healthful music. It is not madness
4.14825252392That I have uttered. Bring me to the test,
4.14925262393And I the matter will reword, which madness
4.15025272394Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,
4.15125282395Lay not that flattering unction to your soul
4.15225292396That not your trespass but my madness speaks.
4.15325302397It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,
4.15425312398Whiles rank corruption, mining all within,
4.15525322399Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven,
4.15625332400Repent what's past, avoid what is to come,
4.15725342401And do not spread the compost on the weeds
4.15825352402To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue,
4.15925362403For in the fatness of these pursy times
4.16025372404Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg,
4.16125382405Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.
4.16225392406Queen
 Oh, Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.
4.16325412407Hamlet
 Oh, throw away the worser part of it,
4.16425422408And live the purer with the other half.
4.16525432409Good night. But go not to my uncle's bed;
4.16625442410Assume a virtue if you have it not. 
4.1672544.12411That monster custom, who all sense doth eat,
4.1682544.22412Of habits devil, is angel yet in this,
4.1692544.32413That to the use of actions fair and good
4.1702544.42414He likewise gives a frock or livery
4.1712544.52415That aptly is put on. Refrain tonight,
4.17225452416And that shall lend a kind of easiness
4.17325462417To the next abstinence; the next more easy:
4.1742546.12418For use almost can change the stamp of nature,
4.1752546.22419And either [in] the devil, or throw him out
4.1762546.32420With wondrous potency. Once more good night,
4.17725472421And when you are desirous to be blest,
4.17825482422I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord,
4.17925492423I do repent; but heaven hath pleased it so
4.18025502424To punish me with this, and this with me,
4.18125512425That I must be their scourge and minister.
4.18225522426I will bestow him, and will answer well
4.18325532427The death I gave him. So, again, good night.
4.18425542428I must be cruel only to be kind.
4.18525552429Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.
4.1862555.12430One word more, good lady.
 25562431Queen
 One word more, good lady.  What shall I do?
4.18725572432Hamlet
 Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:
4.18825582433Let the bloat King tempt you again to bed,
4.18925592434Pinch wanton on your cheek, call you his mouse,
4.19025602435And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,
4.19125612436Or paddling in your neck with his damned fingers,
4.19225622437Make you to ravel all this matter out
4.19325632438That I essentially am not in madness,
4.19425642439But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know,
4.19525652440For who that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,
4.19625662441Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,
4.19725672442Such dear concernings hide? Who would do so?
4.19825682443No, in dispite of sense and secrecy,
4.19925692444Unpeg the basket on the house's top,
4.20025702445Let the birds fly, and like the famous ape,
4.20125712446To try conclusions, in the basket creep,
4.20225722447And break your own neck down.
4.20325732448Queen
 Be thou assured, if words be made of breath
4.20425742449And breath of life, I have no life to breathe
4.20525752450What thou hast said to me.
4.20625762451Hamlet
 I must to England. You know that?
4.20725772452Queen
 Alack, I had forgot. 2453'Tis so concluded on.
4.2082577.12454Hamlet
 There's letters sealed, and my two schoolfellows,
4.2092577.22455Whom I will trust as I will adders fanged,
4.2102577.32456They bear the mandate; they must sweep my way
4.2112577.42457And marshal me to knavery. Let it work,
4.2122577.52458For 'tis the sport to have the enginer
4.2132577.62459Hoised with his own petard, and't shall go hard
4.2142577.72460But I will delve one yard below their mines,
4.2152577.82461And blow them at the moon. Oh 'tis most sweet
4.2162577.92462When in one line two crafts directly meet.
4.21725782463This man shall set me packing.
4.21825792464I'll lug the guts into the neighbor room.
4.21925802465Mother, good night indeed. This counselor
4.22025812466Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,
4.22125822467Who was in life a foolish prating knave.--
4.22225832468Come, sir, to draw toward an end with you.--
4.22325842469Good night, mother. 
4.223.12585Exit Hamlet, tugging in Polonius.
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Hamlet (Modern, Editor's Version)
