The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

  HAMLET To this effect, sir, after what flourish your

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  nature will.

  OSRIC I commend my duty to your lordship.

  HAMLET Yours. Exit Osric.

  A does well to commend it himself, there are no

  tongues else for’s turn.

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  HORATIO This lapwing runs away with the shell on his

  head.

  HAMLET A did comply with his dug before a sucked it.

  Thus has he – and many more of the same bevy that I

  know the drossy age dotes on – only got the tune of

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  the time and, out of an habit of encounter, a kind of

  yeasty collection, which carries them through and

  through the most fanned and winnowed opinions;

  and do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are

  out.

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  Enter a Lord.

  LORD My lord, his Majesty commended him to you by

  young Osric, who brings back to him that you attend

  him in the hall. He sends to know if your pleasure hold

  to play with Laertes or that you will take longer time.

  HAMLET I am constant to my purposes, they follow the

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  King’s pleasure. If his fitness speaks, mine is ready.

  Now or whensoever, provided I be so able as now.

  LORD The King and Queen and all are coming down.

  HAMLET In happy time.

  LORD The Queen desires you to use some gentle

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  entertainment to Laertes before you fall to play.

  HAMLET She well instructs me. Exit Lord.

  HORATIO You will lose, my lord.

  HAMLET I do not think so. Since he went into France, I

  have been in continual practice. I shall win at the odds.

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  Thou wouldst not think how ill all’s here about my

  heart; but it is no matter.

  HORATIO Nay, good my lord.

  HAMLET It is but foolery, but it is such a kind of

  gaingiving as would perhaps trouble a woman.

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  HORATIO If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will

  forestall their repair hither and say you are not fit.

  HAMLET Not a whit. We defy augury. There is special

  providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not

  to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not

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  now, yet it will come. The readiness is all. Since no

  man, of aught he leaves, knows aught, what is’t to leave

  betimes? Let be.

  A table prepared. Trumpets, drums and officers with cushions. Enter KING, QUEEN, LAERTES, OSRIC and all the state, and attendants with foils and daggers.

  KING

  Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me.

  [Puts Laertes’s hand into Hamlet’s.]

  HAMLET

  Give me your pardon, sir. I have done you wrong;

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  But pardon’t as you are a gentleman.

  This presence knows, and you must needs have heard,

  How I am punish’d with a sore distraction.

  What I have done

  That might your nature, honour, and exception

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  Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness.

  Was’t Hamlet wrong’d Laertes? Never Hamlet.

  If Hamlet from himself be ta’en away,

  And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes,

  Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it.

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  Who does it then? His madness. If ’t be so,

  Hamlet is of the faction that is wrong’d;

  His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.

  Sir, in this audience,

  Let my disclaiming from a purpos’d evil

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  Free me so far in your most generous thoughts

  That I have shot my arrow o’er the house

  And hurt my brother.

  LAERTES I am satisfied in nature,

  Whose motive in this case should stir me most

  To my revenge; but in my terms of honour

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  I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement

  Till by some elder masters of known honour

  I have a voice and precedent of peace

  To keep my name ungor’d. But till that time

  I do receive your offer’d love like love

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  And will not wrong it.

  HAMLET I embrace it freely,

  And will this brothers’ wager frankly play. –

  Give us the foils.

  LAERTES Come, one for me.

  HAMLET I’ll be your foil, Laertes. In mine ignorance

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  Your skill shall like a star i’th’ darkest night

  Stick fiery off indeed.

  LAERTES You mock me, sir.

  HAMLET No, by this hand.

  KING

  Give them the foils, young Osric. Cousin Hamlet,

  You know the wager?

  HAMLET Very well, my lord.

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  Your Grace has laid the odds o’th’ weaker side.

  KING I do not fear it. I have seen you both,

  But since he is better’d, we have therefore odds.

  LAERTES This is too heavy. Let me see another.

  HAMLET

  This likes me well. These foils have all a length?

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  OSRIC Ay, my good lord. [They prepare to play.]

  Enter servants with flagons of wine.

  KING Set me the stoups of wine upon that table.

  If Hamlet give the first or second hit,

  Or quit in answer of the third exchange,

  Let all the battlements their ordnance fire:

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  The King shall drink to Hamlet’s better breath,

  And in the cup an union shall he throw

  Richer than that which four successive kings

  In Denmark’s crown have worn – give me the cups –

  And let the kettle to the trumpet speak,

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  The trumpet to the cannoneer without,

  The cannons to the heavens, the heaven to earth,

  ‘Now the King drinks to Hamlet.’ Come, begin.

  And you, the judges, bear a wary eye.

  HAMLET Come on, sir.

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  LAERTES Come, my lord. [They play.]

  HAMLET One.

  LAERTES No.

  HAMLET Judgment.

  OSRIC A hit, a very palpable hit.

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  LAERTES Well, again.

  KING Stay, give me drink. Hamlet this pearl is thine.

  Here’s to thy health.

  [Drums; trumpets; and shot goes off.]

  Give him the cup.

  HAMLET I’ll play this bout first. Set it by awhile. Come.

  [They play again.] Another hit. What say you?

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  LAERTES I do confess’t.

  KING Our son shall win.

  QUEEN He’s fat and scant of breath.

  Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows.

  The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.

  HAMLET Good madam.

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  KING Gertrude, do not drink.

  QUEEN I will, my lord, I pray you pardon me.

  [She drinks and offers the cup to Hamlet.]

  KING [aside] It is the poison’d cup. It is too late.

  HAMLET I dare not drink yet, madam – by and by.

  QUEEN Come, let me wipe thy face.

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  LAERTES My lord, I’ll hit him now.

  KING I do not think’t.

  LAERTES [aside]

  And yet it is almost against my conscience.

  HAMLET Come for the third, Laertes. You do but dally.<
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  I pray you pass with your best violence.

  I am afeard you make a wanton of me.

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  LAERTES Say you so? Come on. [They play.]

  OSRIC Nothing neither way.

  LAERTES Have at you now.

  [Laertes wounds Hamlet; then, in scuffling, they change

  rapiers.]

  KING Part them; they are incensed.

  HAMLET Nay, come again.

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  [He wounds Laertes. The Queen falls.]

  OSRIC Look to the Queen there, ho!

  HORATIO

  They bleed on both sides. How is it, my lord?

  OSRIC How is’t, Laertes?

  LAERTES

  Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric.

  I am justly kill’d with mine own treachery.

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  HAMLET

  How does the Queen?

  KING She swoons to see them bleed.

  QUEEN

  No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet!

  The drink, the drink! I am poison’d. [Dies.]

  HAMLET O villainy! Ho! Let the door be lock’d.

  Treachery! Seek it out. Exit Osric.

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  LAERTES It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain.

  No medicine in the world can do thee good;

  In thee there is not half an hour’s life.

  The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,

  Unbated and envenom’d. The foul practice

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  Hath turn’d itself on me. Lo, here I lie,

  Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poison’d.

  I can no more. The King – the King’s to blame.

  HAMLET

  The point envenom’d too! Then, venom, to thy

  work. [Wounds the King.]

  ALL Treason! treason!

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  KING O yet defend me, friends. I am but hurt.

  HAMLET

  Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damned Dane,

  Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?

  Follow my mother. [King dies.]

  LAERTES He is justly serv’d.

  It is a poison temper’d by himself.

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  Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet.

  Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee,

  Nor thine on me. [Dies.]

  HAMLET Heaven make thee free of it. I follow thee.

  I am dead, Horatio. Wretched Queen, adieu.

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  You that look pale and tremble at this chance,

  That are but mutes or audience to this act,

  Had I but time – as this fell sergeant, Death,

  Is strict in his arrest – O, I could tell you –

  But let it be. Horatio, I am dead,

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  Thou livest. Report me and my cause aright

  To the unsatisfied.

  HORATIO Never believe it.

  I am more an antique Roman than a Dane.

  Here’s yet some liquor left.

  HAMLET As th’art a man

  Give me the cup. Let go, by Heaven I’ll ha’t.

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  O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,

  Things standing thus unknown, shall I leave behind me.

  If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

  Absent thee from felicity awhile,

  And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain

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  To tell my story. [A march afar off and shot within.]

  What warlike noise is this?

  Enter OSRIC.

  OSRIC

  Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from Poland,

  To the ambassadors of England gives

  This warlike volley.

  HAMLET O, I die, Horatio.

  The potent poison quite o’ercrows my spirit.

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  I cannot live to hear the news from England,

  But I do prophesy th’election lights

  On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice.

  So tell him, with th’occurrents more and less

  Which have solicited – the rest is silence. [Dies.]

  HORATIO

  Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,

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  And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

  [March within.]

  Why does the drum come hither?

  Enter FORTINBRAS, and the English Ambassadors, and soldiers with drum and colours.

  FORTINBRAS Where is this sight?

  HORATIO What is it you would see?

  If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.

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  FORTINBRAS