The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

REYNALDO

  My lord, I did intend it.

  POLONIUS

  Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir,

  Enquire me first what Danskers are in Paris,

  And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,

  What company, at what expense; and finding

  By this encompassment and drift of question

  That they do know my son, come you more nearer

  Than your particular demands will touch it.

  Take you, as ‘twere, some distant knowledge of him,

  As thus: ‘I know his father and his friends,

  And in part him’—do you mark this, Reynaldo?

  REYNALDO Ay, very well, my lord.

  POLONIUS

  ‘And in part him, but’, you may say, ‘not well,

  But if’t be he I mean, he’s very wild,

  Addicted so and so’; and there put on him

  What forgeries you please—marry, none so rank

  As may dishonour him, take heed of that—

  But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips

  As are companions noted and most known

  To youth and liberty.

  REYNALDO As gaming, my lord?

  POLONIUS

  Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing,

  Quarrelling, drabbing—you may go so far.

  REYNALDO

  My lord, that would dishonour him.

  POLONIUS

  Faith, no, as you may season it in the charge.

  You must not put another scandal on him,

  That he is open to incontinency.

  That’s not my meaning—but breathe his faults so

  quaintly

  That they may seem the taints of liberty,

  The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,

  A savageness in unreclaimed blood,

  Of general assault.

  REYNALDO

  But, my good lord—

  POLONIUS

  Wherefore should you do this?

  REYNALDO

  Ay, my lord.

  I would know that.

  POLONIUS

  Marry, sir, here’s my drift,

  And I believe it is a fetch of warrant:

  You laying these slight sullies on my son,

  As ‘twere a thing a little soiled i’th’ working,

  Mark you, your party in converse, him you would

  sound,

  Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes

  The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured

  He closes with you in this consequence:

  ‘Good sir’, or so, or ‘friend’, or ‘gentleman’,

  According to the phrase and the addition

  Of man and country.

  REYNALDO

  Very good, my lord.

  POLONIUS

  And then, sir, does a this—a does—

  what was I about to say? By the mass, I was about to

  say something. Where did I leave?

  REYNALDO

  At ‘closes in the consequence’, at ‘friend,

  Or so’, and ‘gentleman’.

  POLONIUS

  At ‘closes in the consequence’—ay, marry,

  He closes with you thus: ‘I know the gentleman,

  I saw him yesterday’—or t‘other day,

  Or then, or then—’with such and such, and, as you

  say,

  There was a gaming, there o‘ertook in ’s rouse,

  There falling out at tennis’, or perchance

  ‘I saw him enter such a house of sale’,

  Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth. See you now,

  Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth;

  And thus do we of wisdom and of reach

  With windlasses and with assays of bias

  By indirections find directions out.

  So, by my former lecture and advice,

  Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?

  REYNALDO My lord, I have.

  POLONIUS God b’wi’ ye. Fare ye well.

  REYNALDO Good my lord.

  POLONIUS

  Observe his inclination in yourself.

  REYNALDO I shall, my lord.

  POLONIUS And let him ply his music.

  REYNALDO Well, my lord.

  Enter Ophelia

  POLONIUS

  Farewell.

  Exit Reynaldo

  How now, Ophelia, what’s the matter?

  OPHELIA

  Alas, my lord, I have been so affrighted.

  POLONIUS With what, i’th’ name of God?

  OPHELIA

  My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber,

  Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,

  No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,

  Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle,

  Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,

  And with a look so piteous in purport

  As if he had been loosed out of hell

  To speak of horrors, he comes before me.

  POLONIUS

  Mad for thy love?

  OPHELIA

  My lord, I do not know,

  But truly I do fear it.

  POLONIUS

  What said he?

  OPHELIA

  He took me by the wrist and held me hard,

  Then goes he to the length of all his arm,

  And with his other hand thus o’er his brow

  He falls to such perusal of my face

  As a would draw it. Long stayed he so.

  At last, a little shaking of mine arm,

  And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

  He raised a sigh so piteous and profound

  That it did seem to shatter all his bulk

  And end his being. That done, he lets me go,

  And, with his head over his shoulder turned,

  He seemed to find his way without his eyes,

  For out o’ doors he went without their help,

  And to the last bended their light on me.

  POLONIUS

  Come, go with me. I will go seek the King.

  This is the very ecstasy of love,

  Whose violent property fordoes itself

  And leads the will to desperate undertakings

  As oft as any passion under heaven

  That does afflict our natures. I am sorry—

  What, have you given him any hard words of late?

  OPHELIA

  No, my good lord, but as you did command

  I did repel his letters and denied

  His access to me.

  POLONIUS

  That hath made him mad.

  I am sorry that with better speed and judgement

  I had not quoted him. I feared he did but trifle

  And meant to wreck thee. But beshrew my jealousy!

  By heaven, it is as proper to our age

  To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions

  As it is common for the younger sort

  To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King.

  This must be known, which, being kept close, might

  move

  More grief to hide than hate to utter love. Exeunt

  2.2 ⌈Flourish.⌉ Enter King Claudius and Queen Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with others

  KING CLAUDIUS

  Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

  Moreover that we much did long to see you,

  The need we have to use you did provoke

  Our hasty sending. Something have you heard

  Of Hamlet’s transformation—so I call it,

  Since not th‘exterior nor the inward man

  Resembles that it was. What it should be,

  More than his father’s death, that thus hath put him

  So much from th’understanding of himself,

  I cannot deem of. I entreat you both

  That, being of so young days brought up with him,

  And since so neighboured to
his youth and humour,

  That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court

  Some little time, so by your companies

  To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather,

  So much as from occasions you may glean,

  Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus

  That, opened, lies within our remedy.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE

  Good gentlemen, he hath much talked of you,

  And sure I am two men there is not living

  To whom he more adheres. If it will please you

  To show us so much gentry and good will

  As to expend your time with us a while

  For the supply and profit of our hope,

  Your visitation shall receive such thanks

  As fits a king’s remembrance.

  ROSENCRANTZ

  Both your majesties

  Might, by the sovereign power you have of us,

  Put your dread pleasures more into command

  Than to entreaty.

  GUILDENSTERN

  But we both obey,

  And here give up ourselves in the full bent

  To lay our service freely at your feet

  To be commanded.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE

  Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz.

  And I beseech you instantly to visit

  My too-much changed son.—Go, some of ye,

  And bring the gentlemen where Hamlet is.

  GUILDENSTERN

  Heavens make our presence and our practices

  Pleasant and helpful to him.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE

  Ay, amen!

  Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ⌈with others⌉ Enter Polonius

  POLONIUS

  Th’ambassadors from Norway, my good lord,

  Are joyfully returned.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  Thou still hast been the father of good news.

  POLONIUS

  Have I, my lord? Assure you, my good liege,

  I hold my duty, as I hold my soul,

  Both to my God and to my gracious King.

  And I do think—or else this brain of mine

  Hunts not the trail of policy so sure

  As it hath used to do—that I have found

  The very cause of Hamlet’s lunacy.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  O speak of that, that I do long to hear!

  POLONIUS

  Give first admittance to th’ambassadors.

  My news shall be the fruit to that great feast.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  Thyself do grace to them, and bring them in.

  Exit Polonius

  He tells me, my sweet queen, that he hath found

  The head and source of all your son’s distemper.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE

  I doubt it is no other but the main—

  His father’s death and our o’er-hasty marriage.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  Well, we shall sift him.Enter Polonius, Valtemand, and Cornelius Welcome, my good friends.

  Say, Valtemand, what from our brother Norway?

  VALTEMAND

  Most fair return of greetings and desires.

  Upon our first he sent out to suppress

  His nephew’s levies, which to him appeared

  To be a preparation ‘gainst the Polack;

  But better looked into, he truly found

  It was against your highness; whereat grieved

  That so his sickness, age, and impotence

  Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests

  On Fortinbras, which he, in brief, obeys,

  Receives rebuke from Norway, and, in fine,

  Makes vow before his uncle never more

  To give th’essay of arms against your majesty;

  Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,

  Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee

  And his commission to employ those soldiers

  So levied as before, against the Polack,

  With an entreaty herein further shown,

  He gives a letter to Claudius

  That it might please you to give quiet pass

  Through your dominions for his enterprise

  On such regards of safety and allowance

  As therein are set down.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  It likes us well,

  And at our more considered time we’ll read,

  Answer, and think upon this business.

  Meantime we thank you for your well-took labour.

  Go to your rest; at night we’ll feast together.

  Most welcome home.

  Exeunt Valtemand and Cornelius

  POLONIUS

  This business is very well ended.

  My liege, and madam, to expostulate

  What majesty should be, what duty is,

  Why day is day, night night, and time is time,

  Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time.

  Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

  And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,

  I will be brief. Your noble son is mad—

  ‘Mad’ call I it, for to define true madness,

  What is’t but to be nothing else but mad?

  But let that go.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE More matter with less art.

  POLONIUS

  Madam, I swear I use no art at all.

  That he is mad, ‘tis true; ’tis true ‘tis pity,

  And pity ’tis ‘tis true—a foolish figure,

  But farewell it, for I will use no art.

  Mad let us grant him, then; and now remains

  That we find out the cause of this effect—

  Or rather say ’the cause of this defect‘,

  For this effect defective comes by cause.

  Thus it remains, and the remainder thus.

  Perpend.

  I have a daughter—have whilst she is mine—

  Who in her duty and obedience, mark,

  Hath given me this. Now gather and surmise.

  He reads a letter

  ’To the celestial and my soul’s idol, the most beautified

  Ophelia‘—that’s an ill phrase, a vile phrase, ‘beautified’

  is a vile phrase. But you shall hear—‘these in her

  excellent white bosom, these’.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE Came this from Hamlet to her?

  POLONIUS

  Good madam, stay a while. I will be faithful.

  ‘Doubt thou the stars are fire,

  Doubt that the sun doth move,

  Doubt truth to be a liar,

  But never doubt I love.

  O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers. I have not

  art to reckon my groans. But that I love thee best, O

  most best, believe it. Adieu.

  Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this

  machine is to him,

  Hamlet.’

  This in obedience hath my daughter showed me,

  And more above hath his solicitings,

  As they fell out by time, by means, and place,

  All given to mine ear.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  But how hath she

  Received his love?

  POLONIUS

  What do you think of me?

  KING CLAUDIUS

  As of a man faithful and honourable.

  POLONIUS

  I would fain prove so. But what might you think,

  When I had seen this hot love on the wing,

  As I perceived it—I must tell you that—

  Before my daughter told me, what might you,

  Or my dear majesty your queen here, think,

  If I had played the desk or table-book,

  Or given my heart a winking mute and dumb,

  Or looked upon this love with idle sight—

  What might you think? No, I went round
to work,

  And my young mistress thus I did bespeak:

  ‘Lord Hamlet is a prince out of thy star.

  This must not be’. And then I precepts gave her,

  That she should lock herself from his resort,

  Admit no messengers, receive no tokens;

  Which done, she took the fruits of my advice,

  And he, repulsèd-a short tale to make—

  Fell into a sadness, then into a fast,

  Thence to a watch, thence into a weakness,

  Thence to a lightness, and, by this declension,

  Into the madness wherein now he raves,

  And all we wail for.

  KING CLAUDIUS (to Gertrude) Do you think ’tis this?

  QUEEN GERTRUDE It may be; very likely.

  POLONIUS

  Hath there been such a time—I’d fain know that—

  That I have positively said ‘ ’Tis so’

  When it proved otherwise?

  KING CLAUDIUS

  Not that I know.

  POLONIUS (touching his head, then his shoulder)

  Take this from this if this be otherwise.

  If circumstances lead me I will find

  Where truth is hid, though it were hid indeed

  Within the centre.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  How may we try it further?

  POLONIUS

  You know sometimes he walks four hours together

  Here in the lobby.

  QUEEN GERTRUDE

  So he does indeed.

  POLONIUS

  At such a time I’ll loose my daughter to him.

  (To Claudius) Be you and I behind an arras then.

  Mark the encounter. If he love her not,

  And be not from his reason fall’n thereon,

  Let me be no assistant for a state,

  But keep a farm and carters.

  KING CLAUDIUS

  We will try it.

  Enter Prince Hamlet, madly attired, reading on a book

  QUEEN GERTRUDE

  But look where sadly the poor wretch comes reading.

  POLONIUS

  Away, I do beseech you both, away.

  I’ll board him presently. O give me leave.

  Exeunt Claudius and Gertrude

  How does my good Lord Hamlet?

  HAMLET Well, God-‘a’-mercy.

  POLONIUS Do you know me, my lord?

  HAMLET Excellent, excellent well. You’re a fishmonger.

  POLONIUS Not I, my lord.

  HAMLET Then I would you were so honest a man.

  POLONIUS Honest, my lord?

  HAMLET Ay, sir. To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.

  POLONIUS That’s very true, my lord.

  HAMLET For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion—have you a daughter?

  POLONIUS I have, my lord.

  HAMLET Let her not walk i’th’ sun. Conception is a blessing, but not as your daughter may conceive. Friend, look to’t.