The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 534
QUEEN GERTRUDE
They sound so cheerful, but they are after the wrong dog!
How cheerfully on the false trail they cry!O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs!
KING CLAUDIUS
The doors are breaking.
The doors are broke.
Noise within
Enter LAERTES, armed; Danes following
LAERTES
Where is the king? Sirs, surround the area.
Where is this king? Sirs, stand you all without.
Danes
No, let’s go in.
No, let's come in.
LAERTES
I ask that you give me a moment.
I pray you, give me leave.
Danes
We will.
We will, we will.
They retire without the door
LAERTES
Thank you. Guard the door. Oh you vile king, give me my father!
I thank you: keep the door. O thou vile king,Give me my father!
QUEEN GERTRUDE
Calm down, good Laertes.
Calmly, good Laertes.
LAERTES
I have one drop of blood that’s calm and it calls me a bastard-child, my father a fool, and my mother a harlot.
That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard,Cries cuckold to my father, brands the harlotEven here, between the chaste unsmirched browOf my true mother.
KING CLAUDIUS
What is wrong, Laertes? Why are you leading this giant rebellion? Let him go, Gertrude. We have no need to fear, because God will protect us against traitors. Tell me, Laertes, why are you so angry? Let him go, Gertrude. Speak, man.
What is the cause, Laertes,That thy rebellion looks so giant-like?Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person:There's such divinity doth hedge a king,That treason can but peep to what it would,Acts little of his will. Tell me, Laertes,Why thou art thus incensed. Let him go, Gertrude.Speak, man.
LAERTES
Where is my father?
Where is my father?
KING CLAUDIUS
He is dead.
Dead.
QUEEN GERTRUDE
But the king didn’t kill him.
But not by him.
KING CLAUDIUS
Let him make his demands.
Let him demand his fill.
LAERTES
How did he die? I will not be lied to or threatened with hell. I don’t care what happens anymore. I just want revenge for my father.
How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with:To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil!Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!I dare damnation. To this point I stand,That both the worlds I give to negligence,Let come what comes; only I'll be revengedMost thoroughly for my father.
KING CLAUDIUS
Who’s controlling you?
Who shall stay you?
LAERTES
I am acting by my will alone, and I will use whatever means I have against you.
My will, not all the world:And for my means, I'll husband them so well,They shall go far with little.
KING CLAUDIUS
Good Laertes, if you want to know the details of your father’s death despite hurting his enemies and his friends?
Good Laertes,If you desire to know the certaintyOf your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge,That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe,Winner and loser?
LAERTES
No, only his enemies.
None but his enemies.
KING CLAUDIUS
Do you know his enemies?
Will you know them then?
LAERTES
I will open my arms to his friends like a mother bird. I will die for them.
To his good friends thus wide I'll ope my arms;And like the kind life-rendering pelican,Repast them with my blood.
KING CLAUDIUS
Now, you’re talking like a good child and gentleman. I am innocent of your father’s death, and quite frankly I am still grieving.
Why, now you speakLike a good child and a true gentleman.That I am guiltless of your father's death,And am most sensible in grief for it,It shall as level to your judgment pierceAs day does to your eye.
Danes
[Within]
Let her in.
Let her come in.
LAERTES
What’s going on?
How now! what noise is that?
Re-enter OPHELIA
Oh heat, dry up my brains and salty tears sting my eyes. I swear I will get revenge for my sweet sister’s madness. Oh sweet rose! Dear sweet sister, Ophelia! My sister has lost her mind over our father’s death.
O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt,Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!By heaven, thy madness shall be paid by weight,Till our scale turn the beam. O rose of May!Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia!O heavens! is't possible, a young maid's witsShould be as moral as an old man's life?Nature is fine in love, and where 'tis fine,It sends some precious instance of itselfAfter the thing it loves.
OPHELIA
[Sings]They carried him away in his coffin. Hey non nonny, hey nonny. And on his grave, cried many a tear. Good bye, my dove!
They bore him barefaced on the bier;Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny;And in his grave rain'd many a tear:--Fare you well, my dove!
LAERTES
If you had your sanity and persuaded me to take revenge, I would not be as moved as I am now.
Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge,It could not move thus.
OPHELIA
[Sings]You must sing a-down, a-down. And you call him a-down-a. Oh, how the wheels turn around, that stole his master’s daughter.
You must sing a-down a-down,An you call him a-down-a.O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the falsesteward, that stole his master's daughter.
LAERTES
This means more than sensible talk.
This nothing's more than matter.
OPHELIA
Rosemary is for remembrance. Remember. There are pansies for thoughts.
There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray,love, remember: and there is pansies. that's for thoughts.
LAERTES
She is simply mad with memories.
A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted.
OPHELIA
Here are fennel and columbines for you. And here is rue for you and me. There is a daisy and violets, but they withered up when my father died. He died well.
There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's ruefor you; and here's some for me: we may call itherb-grace o' Sundays: O you must wear your rue witha difference. There's a daisy: I would give yousome violets, but they withered all when my fatherdied: they say he made a good end,--
Sings
The sweet robin is my joy.
For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.
LAERTES
Despite her affliction, she is focusing on what is pretty.
Thought and affliction, passion, hell itself,She turns to favour and to prettiness.
OPHELIA
[Sings]And will he come again? Will he come again? No, no he is dead, and in his death-bed. He will never come again. His beard is white as snow, and his hair was white, too. He is gone, gone, and we moan, “God have mercy on his soul!” And all the Christian souls, I pray God be with you.
And will he not come again?And will he not come again?No, no, he is dead:Go to thy death-bed:He never will come again.His beard was as white as snow,All flaxen was his poll:He is gone, he is gone,And we cast away moan:God ha' mercy on his soul!And of all Christian souls, I pray God. God be wi' ye.
Exit
LAERTES
Do you see this, God?
Do you see this, O God?
KING CLAUDIUS
Laertes, don’t deny me my grief. Go and find your wisest friends to listen to both of us and judge between you and me. If they find me at fault for your father’s death, then I will give you the kingdom. If they
find me innocent, then I will work to satisfy your need to know about your father’s death. But, you must be patient.
Laertes, I must commune with your grief,Or you deny me right. Go but apart,Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will.And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me:If by direct or by collateral handThey find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,Our crown, our life, and all that we can ours,To you in satisfaction; but if not,Be you content to lend your patience to us,And we shall jointly labour with your soulTo give it due content.
LAERTES
Fine, but I need to know how he died and why there wasn’t a proper funeral. Why was it kept so quiet?
Let this be so;His means of death, his obscure funeral--No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones,No noble rite nor formal ostentation--Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth,That I must call't in question.
KING CLAUDIUS
And, so you shall. May justice prevail. Go with me, now.
So you shall;And where the offence is let the great axe fall.I pray you, go with me.
Exeunt
Another room in the castle
Enter HORATIO and a Servant
HORATIO
Who are the people who want to speak with me?
What are they that would speak with me?
Servant
Sailors, sir. They have letters for you.
Sailors, sir: they say they have letters for you.
HORATIO
Let them come in.
Let them come in.
Exit Servant
I do not know who else would be sending me a letter from abroad, except Hamlet.
I do not know from what part of the worldI should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.
Enter Sailors
First Sailor
God bless you, sir.
God bless you, sir.
HORATIO
May he bless you, too.
Let him bless thee too.
First Sailor
He will, sir, if it pleases him. Here is a letter for you, sir. It comes from the ambassador, Lord Hamlet. If you are Horatio, let me know.
He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter foryou, sir; it comes from the ambassador that wasbound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I amlet to know it is.
HORATIO
[Reads]
“Dear Horatio, when you have looked at this letter send the message to the king. We were at sea only two days when a pirate ship overtook us. We tried to escape, but were too slow, so we fought. I am now the lone prisoner on board. They have treated me well, and want me to do them a favor. Please come to me as quickly as you can. I have much to tell you. These messengers will bring you to me. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are still on their way to England. I have much to tell you about them. Yours truly, Hamlet.” Come men. I’ll show you where to take these letters, so you can take me to Hamlet.
'Horatio, when thou shalt have overlookedthis, give these fellows some means to the king:they have letters for him. Ere we were two days oldat sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave uschase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put ona compelled valour, and in the grapple I boardedthem: on the instant they got clear of our ship; soI alone became their prisoner. They have dealt withme like thieves of mercy: but they knew what theydid; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the kinghave the letters I have sent; and repair thou to mewith as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. Ihave words to speak in thine ear will make theedumb; yet are they much too light for the bore ofthe matter. These good fellows will bring theewhere I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold theircourse for England: of them I have much to tellthee. Farewell.'He that thou knowest thine, HAMLET.'Come, I will make you way for these your letters;And do't the speedier, that you may direct meTo him from whom you brought them.
Exeunt
Another room in the castle
Enter KING CLAUDIUS and LAERTES
KING CLAUDIUS
Now you must believe that I am your friend, since the man who killed your father was trying to kill me.
Now must your conscience my acquaintance seal,And you must put me in your heart for friend,Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear,That he which hath your noble father slainPursued my life.
LAERTES
It appears so, but tell me why didn’t you do anything about it.
It well appears: but tell meWhy you proceeded not against these feats,So crimeful and so capital in nature,As by your safety, wisdom, all things else,You mainly were stirr'd up.
KING CLAUDIUS
I have two reasons, but you may think they are weak. First the queen is his mother, and she is devoted to him. She is a great part of my life, and I don’t think I could live without her. The other reason is the people of Denmark love him. I could not do anything to him without them revolting.
O, for two special reasons;Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsinew'd,But yet to me they are strong. The queen his motherLives almost by his looks; and for myself--My virtue or my plague, be it either which--She's so conjunctive to my life and soul,That, as the star moves not but in his sphere,I could not but by her. The other motive,Why to a public count I might not go,Is the great love the general gender bear him;Who, dipping all his faults in their affection,Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone,Convert his gyves to graces; so that my arrows,Too slightly timber'd for so loud a wind,Would have reverted to my bow again,And not where I had aim'd them.
LAERTES
So, I have lost a noble father, and my sister has been driven insane. I will get my revenge in the end.
And so have I a noble father lost;A sister driven into desperate terms,Whose worth, if praises may go back again,Stood challenger on mount of all the ageFor her perfections: but my revenge will come.
KING CLAUDIUS
Don’t worry about that. You mustn’t think that I am so old and dull that I can sit idly by while being threatened. You will soon hear more about my plans. I loved your father and I love myself enough to…
Break not your sleeps for that: you must not thinkThat we are made of stuff so flat and dullThat we can let our beard be shook with dangerAnd think it pastime. You shortly shall hear more:I loved your father, and we love ourself;And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine--
Enter a Messenger
What’s going on? Do you have news for me?
How now! what news?
Messenger
Letters, my lord, from Hamlet. This is for the queen.
Letters, my lord, from Hamlet:This to your majesty; this to the queen.
KING CLAUDIUS
Letters from Hamlet? Who brought them?
From Hamlet! who brought them?
Messenger
Sailors, my lord, although I didn’t see them. The letters were brought by Claudio.
Sailors, my lord, they say; I saw them not:They were given me by Claudio; he received themOf him that brought them.
KING CLAUDIUS
Laertes, you can listen. Leave us.
Laertes, you shall hear them. Leave us.
Exit Messenger
Reads
“High and mighty, You will know that I am returning to Denmark and I ask that you will see me. I apologize for my actions. I will tell you how I came back to Denmark so suddenly. Hamlet.” What does this mean? Is everyone back or is this some joke?
'High and mighty, You shall know I am set naked onyour kingdom. To-morrow shall I beg leave to seeyour kingly eyes: when I shall, first asking yourpardon thereunto, recount the occasion of my suddenand more strange return. 'HAMLET.'What should this mean? Are all the rest come back?Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?
LAERTES
Do you recognize the handwriting?
Know you the hand?
KING CLAUDIUS
It’s Hamlet’s. Here he states he wants to see me alone. What do you think?
'Tis Hamlets character. 'Naked!And in a postscript here, he says 'alone.'Can you advise me?
LA
ERTES
I don’t understand it, my lord. But let him come. It warms my heart and sets my soul ablaze to know that I will live to tell him to his face what he has done.
I'm lost in it, my lord. But let him come;It warms the very sickness in my heart,That I shall live and tell him to his teeth,'Thus didest thou.'
KING CLAUDIUS
If it is to be, Laertes, will you let me guide you? Of course you will.
If it be so, Laertes--As how should it be so? how otherwise?--Will you be ruled by me?
LAERTES
Yes, my lord. Just don’t think I will be persuaded to act peacefully.
Ay, my lord;So you will not o'errule me to a peace.
KING CLAUDIUS
No, just to give you some inner peace. If he is back without any means to continue on his trip, then I am going to put in place a plan that will surely kill him. Even his mother will think it was an accident.
To thine own peace. If he be now return'd,As checking at his voyage, and that he meansNo more to undertake it, I will work himTo an exploit, now ripe in my device,Under the which he shall not choose but fall:And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe,But even his mother shall uncharge the practiseAnd call it accident.
LAERTES
My lord, I will follow your lead, but I would like to be the instrument of Hamlet’s death, if possible.