Internet Shakespeare Editions

Toolbox




Jump to line
Help on texts
About this text
Print this page

About this text

  • 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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    Enter Queene and Corambis.
    2375Cor. Madame, I heare yong Hamlet comming,
    I'le shrowde my selfe behinde the Arras. exit Cor.
    2379.1Queene Do so my Lord.
    Ham. Mother, mother, O are you here?
    2385How i'st with you mother?
    Queene How i'st with you?
    2497.1Ham, I'le tell you, but first weele make all safe.
    Queene Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
    Ham. Mother, you haue my father much offended.
    2390Queene How now boy?
    Ham. How now mother! come here, sit downe, for you
    shall heare me speake.
    Queene What wilt thou doe? thou wilt not murder me:
    Helpe hoe.
    Cor. Helpe for the Queene.
    Ham. I a Rat, dead for a Duckat.
    Rash intruding foole, farewell,
    I tooke thee for thy better.
    Queene Hamlet, what hast thou done?
    Ham. Not so much harme, good mother,
    2410As to kill a king, and marry with his brother.
    Queene How! kill a king!
    Ham. I a King: nay sit you downe, and ere you part,
    If you be made of penitrable stuffe,
    I'le make your eyes looke downe into your heart,
    And see how horride there and blacke it shews.
    2466.1Queene Hamlet, what mean'st thou by these killing (words?
    Ham. Why this I meane, see here, behold this picture,
    2437.1It is the portraiture, of your deceased husband,
    See here a face, to outface Mars himselfe,
    An eye, at which his foes did tremble at,
    2440A front wherin all vertues are set downe
    2440.1For to adorne a king, and guild his crowne,
    Whose heart went hand in hand euen with that vow,
    G2 He
    The Tragedy of Hamlet
    He made to you in marriage, and he is dead.
    Murdred, damnably murdred, this was your husband,
    Looke you now, here is your husband,
    2447.1With a face like Vulcan.
    A looke fit for a murder and a rape,
    A dull dead hanging looke, and a hell-bred eie,
    To affright children and amaze the world:
    2450And this same haue you left to change with this.
    2455What Diuell thus hath cosoned you at hob-man blinde?
    A! haue you eyes and can you looke on him
    2449.1That slew my father, and your deere husband,
    To liue in the incestuous pleasure of his bed?
    Queene O Hamlet, speake no more.
    2464.1Ham. To leaue him that bare a Monarkes minde,
    For a king of clowts, of very shreads.
    Queene Sweete Hamlet cease.
    Ham. Nay but still to persist and dwell in sinne,
    To sweate vnder the yoke of infamie,
    2469.1To make increase of shame, to seale damnation.
    Queene Hamlet, no more.
    Ham. Why appetite with you is in the waine,
    2453.1Your blood runnes backeward now from whence it came,
    Who'le chide hote blood within a Virgins heart,
    When lust shall dwell within a matrons breast?
    Queene Hamlet, thou cleaues my heart in twaine.
    Ham. O throw away the worser part of it, and keepe the
    better.
    Enter the ghost in his night gowne.
    Saue me, saue me, you gratious
    Powers aboue, and houer ouer mee,
    With your celestiall wings.
    Doe you not come your tardy sonne to chide,
    That I thus long haue let reuenge slippe by?
    O do not glare with lookes so pittifull!
    Lest that my heart of stone yeelde to compassion,
    And
    Prince of Denmarke.
    2510And euery part that should assist reuenge,
    Forgoe their proper powers, and fall to pitty.
    2490Ghost Hamlet, I once againe appeare to thee,
    To put thee in remembrance of my death:
    2491.1Doe not neglect, nor long time put it off.
    But I perceiue by thy distracted lookes,
    Thy mother's fearefull, and she stands amazde:
    Speake to her Hamlet, for her sex is weake,
    Comfort thy mother, Hamlet, thinke on me.
    Ham. How i'st with you Lady?
    Queene Nay, how i'st with you
    That thus you bend your eyes on vacancie,
    And holde discourse with nothing but with ayre?
    2515Ham. Why doe you nothing heare?
    Queene Not I.
    Ham. Nor doe you nothing see?
    Queene No neither.
    Ham. No, why see the king my father, my father, in the (habite
    As he liued, looke you how pale he lookes,
    See how he steales away out of the Portall,
    Looke, there he goes. exit ghost.
    2520Queene Alas, it is the weakenesse of thy braine,
    2520.1Which makes thy tongue to blazon thy hearts griefe:
    But as I haue a soule, I sweare by heauen,
    I neuer knew of this most horride murder:
    But Hamlet, this is onely fantasie,
    2521.1And for my loue forget these idle fits.
    Ham. Idle, no mother, my pulse doth beate like yours,
    It is not madnesse that possesseth Hamlet.
    O mother, if euer you did my deare father loue,
    Forbeare the adulterous bed to night,
    2545And win your selfe by little as you may,
    2545.1In time it may be you wil lothe him quite:
    And mother, but assist mee in reuenge,
    And in his death your infamy shall die.
    Queene Hamlet, I vow by that maiesty,
    G3 That
    The Tragedie of Hamlet
    2573.1That knowes our thoughts, and lookes into our hearts,
    I will conceale, consent, and doe my best,
    2574.1What stratagem soe're thou shalt deuise.
    Ham. It is enough, mother good night:
    Come sir, I'le prouide for you a graue,
    Who was in life a foolish prating knaue.
    2585 Exit Hamlet with the dead body.
    Enter the King and Lordes.
    King Now Gertred, what sayes our sonne, how doe you
    finde him?
    Queene Alas my lord, as raging as the sea:
    2593.1Whenas he came, I first bespake him faire,
    But then he throwes and tosses me about,
    As one forgetting that I was his mother:
    2392.1At last I call'd for help: and as I cried, Corambis
    Call'd, which Hamlet no sooner heard, but whips me
    Out his rapier, and cries, a Rat, a Rat, and in his rage
    The good olde man he killes.
    2600King Why this his madnesse will vndoe our state.
    Lordes goe to him, inquire the body out.
    2624.1Gil. We will my Lord. Exeunt Lordes.
    King Gertred, your sonne shall presently to England,
    His shipping is already furnished,
    2617.1And we haue sent by Rossencraft and Gilderstone,
    Our letters to our deare brother of England,
    For Hamlets welfare and his happinesse:
    Happly the aire and climate of the Country
    1828.1May please him better than his natiue home:
    See where he comes.
    Enter Hamlet and the Lordes.
    Gil. My lord, we can by no meanes
    Know of him where the body is.
    King Now sonne Hamlet, where is this dead body?
    Ham. At supper, not where he is eating, but
    Where
    Prince of Denmarke.
    2685Where he is eaten, a certaine company of politicke wormes
    are euen now at him.
    Father, your fatte King, and your leane Beggar
    Are but variable seruices, two dishes to one messe:
    Looke you, a man may fish with that worme
    That hath eaten of a King,
    And a Beggar eate that fish,
    Which that worme hath caught.
    King What of this?
    Ham. Nothing father, but to tell you, how a King
    May go a progresse through the guttes of a Beggar.
    King But sonne Hamlet, where is this body?
    2695Ham. In heau'n, if you chance to misse him there,
    Father, you had best looke in the other partes below
    For him, aud if you cannot finde him there,
    You may chance to nose him as you go vp the lobby.
    King Make haste and finde him out.
    2699.1Ham. Nay doe you heare? do not make too much haste,
    2700I'le warrant you hee'le stay till you come.
    King Well sonne Hamlet, we in care of you: but specially
    in tender preseruation of your health,
    2701.1The which we price euen as our proper selfe,
    It is our minde you forthwith goe for England,
    2705The winde sits faire, you shall aboorde to night,
    Lord Rossencraft and Gilderstone shall goe along with you.
    Ham. O with all my heart: farewel mother.
    King Your louing father, Hamlet.
    2715Ham. My mother I say: you married my mother,
    My mother is your wife, man and wife is one flesh,
    And so (my mother) farewel: for England hoe.
    exeunt all but the king.
    2717.1king Gertred, leaue me,
    And take your leaue of Hamlet,
    To England is he gone, ne're to returne:
    Our Letters are vnto the King of England,
    That on the sight of them, on his allegeance,
    He
    The Tragedy of Hamlet
    2727.1He presently without demaunding why,
    2730That Hamlet loose his head, for he must die,
    2730.1There's more in him than shallow eyes can see:
    He once being dead, why then our state is free. exit.
    About
    Contact us
    Content quality
    Site guide
    © Internet Shakespeare Editions
    Copyright details
    Privacy policy
    This site is supported by:
    University of Victoria
    Friends of the ISE
    SSHRC