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  • Title: Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)
  • Textual editor: Eric Rasmussen
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-434-9

    Copyright Internet Shakespeare Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-proift purposes; for all other uses contact the Coordinating Editor.
    Author: William Shakespeare
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Hamlet (Quarto 1, 1603)

    Prince of Denmarke
    Ham. And why a tanner?
    Clowne Why his hide is so tanned with his trade,
    That it will holde out water, that's a parlous
    Deuourer of your dead body, a great soaker.
    Looke you, heres
    a scull hath bin here this dozen yeare,
    Let me see, I euer since our last king Hamlet
    3335Slew Fortenbrasse in combat, yong Hamlets father,
    Hee that's mad.
    Ham. I mary, how came he madde?
    Clowne Ifaith very strangely, by loosing of his wittes.
    3350Ham. Vpon what ground?
    Clowne A this ground, in Denmarke.
    3351.1Ham. Where is he now?
    Clowne Why now they sent him to England.
    3340Ham. To England! wherefore?
    Clowne Why they say he shall haue his wittes there,
    Or if he haue not, t'is no great matter there,
    It will not be seene there.
    Ham. Why not there?
    Clowne Why there they say the men are as mad as he.
    Ham. Whose scull was this?
    Clowne This, a plague on him, a madde rogues it was,
    He powred once a whole flagon of Rhenish of my head,
    3365Why do not you know him? this was one Yorickes scull.
    3370Ham. Was this? I prethee let me see it, alas poore Yoricke
    I knew him Horatio,
    A fellow of infinite mirth, he hath caried mee twenty times
    vpon his backe, here hung those lippes that I haue Kissed a
    3375hundred times, and to see, now they abhorre me: Wheres
    your iests now Yoricke? your flashes of meriment: now go
    3380to my Ladies chamber, and bid her paint her selfe an inch
    thicke, to this she must come Yoricke. Horatio, I prethee
    tell me one thing, doost thou thinke that Alexander looked
    thus?
    Hor. Euen so my Lord.
    Ham. And smelt thus?
    I Hor.