Where wilt thou lead me? Speak. I'll go no further.

Mark me.

Mark me. I will.

Mark me. I will. My hour is almost come

1.5.3686When I to sulfurous and tormenting flames

1.5.4687Must render up myself.

Must render up myself. Alas, poor ghost!

Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing

1.5.6690To what I shall unfold.

Speak. I am bound to hear.

So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.

What?

I am thy father's spirit,

1.5.11695Doomed for a certain term to walk the night,

1.5.12696And for the day confined to fast in fires,

1.5.13697Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature

1.5.14698Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid

1.5.15699To tell the secrets of my prison house,

1.5.16700I could a tale unfold whose lightest word

1.5.17701Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,

1.5.18702Make thy two eyes like stars start from their spheres,

1.5.19703Thy knotty and combinèd locks to part,

1.5.20704And each particular hair to stand on end

1.5.21705Like quills upon the fretful porpentine.

1.5.22706But this eternal blazon must not be

1.5.23707To ears of flesh and blood. List, Hamlet, oh, list:

1.5.24708If thou didst ever thy dear father love--

O heaven!

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

Murder?

Murder most foul, as in the best it is,

1.5.29713But this most foul, strange, and unnatural.

Haste, haste me to know it, 715that with wings as swift

1.5.31716As meditation, or the thoughts of love,

1.5.32717May sweep to my revenge.

May sweep to my revenge. I find thee apt,

1.5.33719And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed

1.5.34720That rots itself in ease on Lethe wharf

1.5.35721Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear:

1.5.36722It's given out that, sleeping in mine orchard,

1.5.37723A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark

1.5.38724Is by a forgèd process of my death

1.5.39725Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth,

1.5.40726The serpent that did sting thy father's life

1.5.41727Now wears his crown.

Oh, my prophetic soul! Mine uncle?

Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,

1.5.44730With witchcraft of his wits, with traitorous gifts--

1.5.45731Oh, wicked wit and gifts, that have the power

1.5.46732So to seduce!--won to this shameful lust

1.5.47733The will of my most seeming virtuous queen.

1.5.48734Oh, Hamlet, what a falling off was there!

1.5.49735From me, whose love was of that dignity

1.5.50736That it went hand in hand even with the vow

1.5.51737I made to her in marriage, and to decline

1.5.52738Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor

1.5.53739To those of mine. But virtue, as it never will be moved,

1.5.54740Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven,

1.5.55741So lust, though to a radiant angel linked,

1.5.56742Will sate itself in a celestial bed

1.5.57And prey on garbage.

1.5.58743But soft, methinks I scent the morning's air.

1.5.59744Brief let me be. Sleeping within mine orchard,

1.5.60745My custom always in the afternoon,

1.5.61746Upon my secure hour, thy uncle stole

1.5.62747With juice of cursèd hebenon in a vial,

1.5.63748And in the porches of mine ears did pour

1.5.64749The leperous distillment, whose effect

1.5.65750Holds such an enmity with blood of man

1.5.66751That swift as quicksilver it courses through

1.5.67752The natural gates and alleys of the body,

1.5.68753And with a sudden vigor it doth posset

1.5.69754And curd like eager droppings into milk

1.5.70755The thin and wholesome blood; so did it mine,

1.5.71756And a most instant tetter baked about

1.5.72757Most lazarlike with vile and loathsome crust

1.5.73758All my smooth body.

1.5.74759Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand

1.5.75760Of life, of crown, and queen at once dispatched,

1.5.76761Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,

1.5.77762Unhousled, disappointed, unaneled,

1.5.78763No reckoning made, but sent to my account

1.5.79764With all my imperfections on my head.

1.5.80765Oh, horrible, oh, horrible, most horrible!

1.5.81766If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not.

1.5.82767Let not the royal bed of Denmark be

1.5.83768A couch for luxury and damnèd incest.

1.5.84769But howsoever thou pursuest this act,

1.5.85770Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive

1.5.86771Against thy mother aught; leave her to heaven

1.5.87772And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge

1.5.88773To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once.

1.5.89774The glow-worm shows the matin to be near

1.5.90775And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire.

1.5.91776Adieu, adieu, Hamlet! Remember me.

Oh, all you host of heaven! Oh, earth! What else?

1.5.93778And shall I couple hell? Oh, fie! Hold, my heart,

1.5.94779And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,

1.5.95780But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee?

1.5.96781Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat

1.5.97782In this distracted globe. Remember thee?

1.5.98783Yea, from the table of my memory

1.5.99784I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,

1.5.100785All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past

1.5.101786That youth and observation copied there,

1.5.102787And thy commandment all alone shall live

1.5.103788Within the book and volume of my brain,

1.5.104789Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, yes, by heaven.

1.5.105790Oh, most pernicious woman!

1.5.106791Oh, villain, villain, smiling damnèd villain!

1.5.107792My tables, my tables--meet it is I set it down,

1.5.108793That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.

1.5.109794At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark.

1.5.110795So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word.

1.5.111796It is "Adieu, adieu, remember me."

1.5.112I have sworn't.

My lord, my lord!

Lord Hamlet!

Heaven secure him!

So be it.

Illo, ho, ho, my lord!

Hillo, ho, ho, boy, come, bird, come!

1

How is't, my noble lord?

What news, my lord?

Oh, wonderful!

Good my lord, tell it.

No, you'll reveal it.

Not I, my lord, by heaven.

Nor I, my lord.

How say you then, would heart of man once think it?

1.5.127812But you'll be secret?

But you'll be secret? Ay, by heaven, my lord.

There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark

1.5.129815But he's an arrant knave.

There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave,

1.5.131817To tell us this.

To tell us this. Why, right, you are i'th' right.

1.5.132819And so, without more circumstance at all,

1.5.133820I hold it fit that we shake hands and part:

1.5.134821You as your business and desires shall point you

1.5.135822(For every man has business and desire,

1.5.136823Such as it is), and for mine own poor part,

1.5.137824Look you, I'll go pray.

These are but wild and hurling words, my lord.

I'm sorry they offend you--heartily,

1.5.140827Yes, faith, heartily.

Yes, faith, heartily. There's no offense, my lord.

Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, my lord,

1.5.142830And much offense too. Touching this vision here,

1.5.143831It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you.

1.5.144832For your desire to know what is between us,

1.5.145833O'ermaster't as you may. And now, good friends,

1.5.146834As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,

1.5.147835Give me one poor request.

What is't, my lord? We will.

Never make known what you have seen tonight.

My lord, we will not.

Nay, but swear't.

In faith, my lord, not I.

Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Upon my sword.[He holds out his sword.]

We have sworn, my lord, already.

Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Swear.

Ah ha, boy, sayest thou so? Art thou there, truepenny?--

1.5.159847Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage.

1.5.160848Consent to swear.

Consent to swear. Propose the oath, my lord.

Never to speak of this that you have seen.

1.5.162851Swear by my sword.

Swear.

Hic et ubique? Then we'll shift for ground.

1.5.165854Come hither, gentlemen,

1.5.166855And lay your hands again upon my sword,

1.5.167856Never to speak of this that you have heard.

1.5.168857Swear by my sword.

Swear.

Well said, old mole. Canst work i'th' ground so fast?

1.5.171860A worthy pioneer!--Once more remove, good friends.

Oh, day and night, but this is wondrous strange.

And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.

1.5.174863There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,

1.5.175864Than are dreamt of in our philosophy. But come,

1.5.176865Here as before: never, so help you mercy,

1.5.177866How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself

1.5.178867(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

1.5.179868To put an antic disposition on),

1.5.180869That you at such time seeing me never shall,

1.5.181870With arms encumbered thus, or thus headshake,

1.5.182871Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase

1.5.183872As, "Well, we know," or "We could an if we would,"

1.5.184873Or "If we list to speak," or "There be an if there might,"

1.5.185874Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

1.5.186875That you know aught of me. This not to do,

1.5.187876So grace and mercy at your most need help you,

1.5.188877Swear.

Swear.

Rest, rest, perturbèd spirit. So, gentlemen,

1.5.191880With all my love I do commend me to you,

1.5.192881And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

1.5.193882May do t'express his love and friending to you,

1.5.194883God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together,

1.5.195884And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.

1.5.196885The time is out of joint. Oh, cursèd spite,

1.5.197886That ever I was born to set it right!

1.5.198887Nay, come, let's go together.