2 Noble. My lord, it is your shine must comfort us.
Lussurioso. Alas I shine in tears, like the sun in April.
1 Noble. You’re now my lord’s grace.
Lussurioso. My lord’s grace? I perceive you’ll have it so.
2 Noble. ’Tis but your own.
Lussurioso. Then heavens give me grace to be so.
Vindice. [Aside] He prays well for himself.
170 2 Noble. Madam, all sorrows
Must run their circles into joys; no doubt but time
Will make the murderer bring forth himself.
Vindice. [Aside] He were an ass then i’faith.
1 Noble. In the mean season,
Let us bethink the latest funeral honours
Due to the duke’s cold body – and withal,
Calling to memory our new happiness
Spread in his royal son: lords, gentlemen,
180 Prepare for revels.
Vindice. Revels!
1 Noble. Time hath several falls;
Griefs lift up joys, feasts put down funerals.
Lussurioso. Come then, my lords: my favours to you all.
[Aside] The duchess is suspected, fouly bent;
I’ll begin dukedom with her banishment.
Exeunt [lussurioso as] Duke, Nobles and Duchess.
Hippolito. Revels.
Vindice. Ay, that’s the word, we are firm yet.
Strike one strain more, and then we crown our wit.
Exeunt brothers.
Spurio. Well, have the fairest mark – so said the duke when he begot me –
190 And if I miss his heart or near about,
Then have at any, a bastard scorns to be out.
[Exit.]
Supervacuo. Not’st thou that Spurio, brother?
Ambitioso. Yes, I note him to our shame.
Supervacuo. He shall not live, his hair shall not grow much longer. In this time of revels, tricks may be set afoot. Seest thou yon new moon? It shall outlive the new duke by much; this hand shall dispossess him, then we’re mighty.
A mask is treason’s licence – that build upon.
’Tis murder’s best face when a vizard’s on.
Exit Supervacuo.
200 Ambitioso. Is’t so, it’s very good.
And do you think to be duke then, kind brother?
I’ll see fair play, drop one and there lies t’other.
Exit Ambitioso.
Act 5
Scene 2
Enter Vindice and Hippolito, with Piero and other lords.
Vindice. My lords, be all of music: strike old griefs into other countries
That flow in too much milk, and have faint livers,
Not daring to stab home their discontents.
Let our hid flames break out, as fire, as lightning,
To blast this villainous dukedom, vexed with sin:
Wind up your souls to their full height again.
Piero. How?
1 lord. Which way?
2 lord. We cannot justly be revenged too much.
10 Vindice. You shall have all enough. Revels are toward,
And those few nobles that have long suppressed you,
Are busied to the furnishing of a masque,
And do affect to make a pleasant tale on’t.
The masquing suits are fashioning; now comes in
That which must glad us all – we to take pattern
Of all those suits: the colour, trimming, fashion,
E’en to an undistinguished hair almost;
Then, entering first, observing the true form,
Within a strain or two we shall find leisure
20 And steal our swords out handsomely.
And, when they think their pleasure sweet and good,
In midst of their joys, they shall sigh blood.
Piero. Weightily, effectually.
1 Noble. Before the other masquers come.
Vindice. We’re gone, all done and past.
Piero. But how for the duke’s guard?
Vindice. let that alone.
By one and one their strengths shall be drunk down.
Hippolito. There are five hundred gentlemen in the action,
30 That will apply themselves and not stand idle.
Piero. Oh, let us hug your bosoms.
Vindice. Come, my lords:
Prepare for deeds, let other times have words. Exeunt.
Act 5
Scene 3
In a dumb show, the possessing of the young Duke with all his Nobles; then sounding music, a furnished table is brought forth; then enters the Duke and his Nobles to the banquet. A blazing star appeareth.
1 Noble. Many harmonious hours and choicest pleasures
Fill up the royal numbers of your years.
Lussurioso. My lords we’re pleased to thank you – though we know
’Tis but your duty now to wish it so.
2 Noble. That shine makes us all happy.
3 Noble. [Aside] His grace frowns?
2 Noble. [Aside] Yet we must say he smiles.
3 Noble. [Aside] I think we must.
Lussurioso. [Aside] That foul incontinent duchess we have banished,
10 The bastard shall not live: after these revels
I’ll begin strange ones. He and the stepsons
Shall pay their lives for the first subsidies,
We must not frown so soon, else ’t’ad been now.
1 Noble. My gracious lord please you prepare for pleasure.
The masque is not far off.
Lussurioso. We are for pleasure.
Beshrew thee, what art thou? Mad’st me start!
Thou hast committed treason – a blazing star.
2 Noble. A blazing star, O where, my lord?
20 Lussurioso. Spy out.
2 Noble. See, see, my lords, a wondrous dreadful one.
Lussurioso. I am not pleased at that ill-knotted fire,
That bushing staring star – am not I duke?
It should not quake me now. Had it appeared
Before it, I might then have justly feared.
But yet they say, whom art and learning weds:
When stars wear locks, they threaten great men’s heads.
Is it so? You are read, my lords.
2 Noble. May it please your grace,
30 It shows great anger.
Lussurioso. That does not please our grace.
1 Noble. Yet here’s the comfort, my lord: many times
When it seems most it threatens farthest off.
Lussurioso. ’Faith, and I think so too.
2 Noble. Beside, my lord,
You’re gracefully established with the loves
Of all your subjects; and for natural death,
I hope it will be threescore years a-coming.
Lussurioso. True, no more but threescore years.
40 1 Noble. Fourscore I hope, my lord.
2 Noble. And fivescore, I.
3 Noble. But ’tis my hope, my lord, you shall ne’er die.
Lussurioso. Give me thy hand: these others I rebuke.
He that hopes so, is fittest for a duke.
Thou shalt sit next me. Take your places, lords;
We’re ready now for sports, let ’em set on.
You thing, we shall forget you quite anon!
3 Noble. I hear ’em coming, my lord.
Enter the Masque of Revengers the two brothers [Vindice and Hippolito] and two lords more.
Lussurioso. [Aside] Ah, ’tis well:
50 Brothers, and bastard, you dance next in hell.
The Revengers dance. At the end steal out their swords, and those four kill the four at the table, in their chairs. It thunders.
Vindice. Mark, thunder.
Does know thy cue, thou big-voiced crier?
Duke’s groans are thunder’s watchwords.
Hippolito. So my lords, you have enough.
Vindice. Come let’s away, no lingering.
Hippolito. Fol
low, go? Exeunt [except Vindice].
Vindice. No power is angry when the lustful die.
When thunder claps, heaven likes the tragedy.
Exit Vindice.
Lussurioso. Oh, oh!
Enter the other Masque of intended murderers: stepsons, Bastard, and a fourth man, coming in dancing. The Duke recovers a little in voice and groans – calls a guard, Treason. At which they all start out of their measure, and turning towards the table, they find them all to be murdered.
60 Spurio. Whose groan was that?
Lussurioso. Treason, a guard!
Ambitioso. How now? All murdered!
Supervacuo. Murdered!
4 Noble. And those his nobles?
Ambitioso. [Aside] Here’s a labour saved;
I thought to have sped him. ’Sblood, how came this?
Supervacuo. Then I proclaim myself: now I am duke.
Ambitioso. Thou duke! Brother, thou liest.
[Stabs Supervacuo]
Spurio. Slave, so dost thou! [Stabs Ambitioso]
70 4 Noble. Base villain, hast thou slain my lord and master?
[Stabs Spurio.]
Enter the first men [Vindice, Hippolito and the masquers, with Antonio].
Vindice. Pistols, treason, murder! Help, guard my lord the duke.
Hippolito. lay hold upon this traitors!
Lussurioso. Oh!
Vindice. Alas, the duke is murdered!
Hippolito. And the nobles.
Vindice. Surgeons, surgeons! [Aside] Heart, does he breathe so long.
Antonio. A piteous tragedy, able to wake
An old man’s eyes: bloodshot.
Lussurioso. Oh!
80 Vindice. look to my lord the duke. [Aside] A vengeance throttle him!
Confess thou murderous and unhallowed man,
Didst thou kill all these?
4 Noble. None but the bastard, I.
Vindice. How came the duke slain then?
4 Noble. We found him so.
Lussurioso. O villain!
Vindice. Hark!
Lussurioso. Those in the masque did murder us.
Vindice. law you now sir,
90 O marble impudence! Will you confess now?
4 Noble. ’Sblood, ’tis all false!
Antonio. Away with that foul monster,
Dipped in a prince’s blood.
4 Noble. Heart, ’tis a lie.
Antonio. let him have bitter execution.
[Exit 4 Noble under guard.]
Vindice. [Aside] New marrow! No, I cannot be expressed.
How fares my lord the duke?
Lussurioso. Farewell to all.
He that climbs highest has the greatest fall:
100 My tongue is out of office.
Vindice. Air, gentlemen, air.
[Whispers] Now thou’lt not prate on’t, ’twas Vindice murdered thee. [Stabs lussurioso.]
Lussurioso. Oh!
Vindice. Murdered thy father.
Lussurioso. Oh!
Vindice. And I am he. Tell nobody. [Lussurioso dies.] So so, the duke’s departed.
Antonio. It was a deadly hand that wounded him.
The rest, ambitious who should rule and sway,
110 After his death were so made all away.
Vindice. My lord was unlikely.
Hippolito. Now, the hope
Of Italy lies in your reverend years.
Vindice. Your hair will make the silver age again,
When there was fewer but more honest men.
Antonio. The burden’s weighty and will press age down.
May I so rule that heaven may keep the crown.
Vindice. The rape of your good lady has been ’quited,
With death on death.
120 Antonio. Just is the law above.
But of all things it puts me most to wonder,
How the old duke came murdered.
Vindice. Oh, my lord.
Antonio. It was the strangeliest carried: I not heard of the like.
Hippolito. ’Twas all done for the best, my lord.
Vindice. All for your grace’s good. We may be bold to speak it now:
’Twas somewhat witty carried though we say it.
’Twas we two murdered him.
Antonio. You two?
130 Vindice. None else, i’faith my lord, nay ’twas managed.
Antonio. lay hands upon those villains!
Vindice. How? On us?
Antonio. Bear ’em to speedy execution.
Vindice. Heart, wast not for your good, my lord?
Antonio. My good? Away with ’em. Such an old man as he,
You that would murder him would murder me.
Vindice. Is’t come about –
Hippolito. ’Sfoot, brother, you begun.
Vindice. May we not set so well as the duke’s on,
140 Thou hast no conscience; are we not revenged?
Is there one enemy left alive amongst those?
’Tis time to die, when we ourselves our foes.
When murders shut deeds close, this curse does seal ’em;
If none disclose ’em, they themselves reveal ’em!
This murder might have slept in tongueless brass,
But for ourselves, and the world died an ass.
Now I remember too, here was Piato
Brought forth a knavish sentence once, no doubt, said he, but time
Will make the murderer bring forth himself?
150 ’Tis well he died, he was a witch.
And now my lord, since we are in for ever:
This work was ours which else might have been slipped;
And if we list, we could have nobles clipped,
And go for less than beggars; but we hate
To bleed so cowardly. We have enough,
I’faith: we’re well, our mother turned, our sister true,
We die after a nest of dukes, adieu. Exeunt [under guard].
Antonio. How subtly was that murder closed. Bear up
Those tragic bodies, ’tis a heavy season:
160 Pray heaven their blood may wash away all treason.
Exeunt.
FINIS
Appendix Hamlet (or Hamlets)
The text published here as Hamlet (1603) was not rediscovered until the nineteenth century. Its title-page describes the quarto pamphlet as ‘The / Tragicall Historie of / Hamlet / Prince of Denmarke / By William Shake-speare / As it hath beene diverse times acted by his Highnesse ser- / vants in the Cittie of London : as also in the two U- / niversities of Cambridge and Oxford, and else-where’, and gives the date of publication of 1603. In 1604, another quarto was published: ‘The / Tragicall Historie of / Hamlet, / Prince of Denmarke. / By William Shakespeare. / Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much / againe as it was, according to the true and perfect / Coppie.’ The play was printed again in the complete collected works of Shakespeare, the First Folio of 1623. Textual critics call these three versions of Hamlet Q1, Q2 and F, respectively (Q1 is referred to as ‘Q’ in the annotation in this volume).
While Q2 and F differ in some details, Q1 is radically different from them, even though it shares plot, characters and, in outline at least, many of the speeches. But Q1 is about half the length of Q2 and F, and thus is the only one of the three extant versions that could feasibly have been performed in its entirety on the early modern stage. The names of some characters are slightly different, and the king’s councillor is called Corambis, rather than Polonius as in the later texts. It also has a different role for Hamlet’s mother, who has an unique scene (14) in which she vows with Horatio to support her son against her husband.
There has been extensive scholarly discussion of the nature of the differences between the texts and their possible provenance without any clearcut conclusion, although almost all modern editors of Hamlet base their text on either Q2 or F. The theory that Q1 represents a so-called ‘bad quarto’ – the phrase comes from the bibliographer A. W. Pollard writing at the beginning o
f the twentieth century, whose variations from later texts are the mangled signs of piracy, corruption and misremembering – has been challenged on several fronts in recent years. For example, one group of scholars has been interested in the ways Q1 might represent a theatrical text and thus give us information about the Hamlet performed at the Globe Theatre at the turn of the seventeenth century, and particular descriptive stage directions such as ‘Enter Ofelia playing on a lute, and her hair down, singing’ (scene 13) may support this view. For another, renewed interest in the idea that Shakespeare might have revised his own works, particularly King Lear, has led to speculation that Q1 represents Shakespeare’s own theatrical abridgement of a longer text (Q2) intended for reading (see Erne). On the other hand, there are marks in Q1 designed to help readers identify commonplaces, or extract lines or sentiments that might be used in other contexts, which would suggest it was at least in part prepared as a reading text (Lesser and Stallybrass).
So far, the textual discussion of the Hamlets has been trapped in comparisons: looking at how characters, speeches and stage business are differently enacted across two or three versions, largely to the detriment of the earliest text. In printing Q1 alongside the revenge plays with which it is clearly akin, this edition tries to break out of that Shakespeare-centric comparative model. Edited alongside, for example, Chettle’s Hoffman, the textual problems of Q1 seem much less troublesome than they do by endless comparison to the Q2 and F, still implicitly perceived to be ‘better’ texts. The logic of disentangling those earlier texts which previous editors conflated into a supra-Hamlet – as in, for example, the Arden text edited by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor – must now be that the three distinct versions which emerge have their own autonomous life, in dialogue less with narcissistic versions of the same play but with dramatic imaginings of similar scenarios by different authors. This edition gives readers the opportunity to read Hamlet as it first appeared in 1603, before it was overshadowed by Q2’s boastful self-presentation as the ‘true and perfect’ copy, and to read it alongside other revenge plays of the period.
Further Reading
Exploring the textual issues around Hamlet can quickly become overwhelming. The Arden edition by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor (2006) publishes Q2 in one volume, with a supplementary volume for Q1 and F. Aspects of printing and play publication are usefully considered in Part 7 of David Scott Kastan’s A Companion to Shakespeare (1999), and his Shakespeare and the Book (2001) is lucid and engaging on the issues, rather than the detail. Lukas Erne gives a clear idea of its revisionist thesis in his title: Shakespeare as Literary Dramatist (2003). Also of interest is Zachary Lesser and Peter Stallybrass, ‘The First Literary Hamlet and the Commonplacing of Professional Plays’, Shakespeare Quarterly 59 (2008), 371–42.
Five Revenge Tragedies: The Spanish Tragedy, Hamlet, Antonio's Revenge, The Tragedy of Hoffman, The Revenger's Tragedy (Penguin Classics) Page 40