Internet Shakespeare Editions

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed

Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)

Prince of Denmarke.
1950feede a the ayre.
I father: My lord, you playd in the Vniuersitie.
1955Cor. That I did my L: and I was counted a good actor.
Ham. What did you enact there?
Cor. My lord, I did act Iulius Caesar, I was killed
in the Capitoll, Brutus killed me.
1960Ham. It was a brute parte of him,
To kill so capitall a calfe.
Come, be these Players ready?
Queene Hamlet come sit downe by me.
Ham. No by my faith mother, heere's a mettle more at- (tractiue:
Lady will you giue me leaue, and so forth:
To lay my head in your lappe?
Ofel. No my Lord.
Ham. Vpon your lap, what do you thinke I meant con- (trary matters?
1990 Enter in a Dumbe Shew, the King and the Queene, he sits
downe in an Arbor, she leaues him: Then enters Luci-
anus with poyson in a Viall, and powres it in his eares, and
goes away: Then the Queene commeth and findes him
dead: and goes away with the other.
Ofel. What meanes this my Lord? Enter the Prologue.
Ham. This is myching Mallico, that meanes my chiefe.
Ofel. What doth this meane my lord?
Ham. you shall heare anone, this fellow will tell you all.
2010Ofel. Will he tell vs what this shew meanes?
Ham. I, or any shew you'le shew him,
Be not afeard to shew, hee'le not be afeard to tell:
O these Players cannot keepe counsell, thei'le tell all.
Prol. For vs, and for our Tragedie,
Heere stowpiug to your clemencie,
We begge your hearing patiently.
2020Ham. I'st a prologue, or a poesie for a ring?
Ofel. T'is short my Lord.
Ham. As womens loue.
Enter the Duke and Dutchesse.
Duke Full fortie yeares are past, their date is gone,
F3 Since