Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhous'led, disappointed, unanel'd;
No reckoning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head.
O horrible! O horrible! most horrible!
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.
But howsoever thou pursu'st this act,
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Against thy mother aught; leave her to heaven,
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire.
Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me.
[Exit]
Hamlet
O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?
And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, my heart;
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee?
Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee?
Yea, from the table of my memory
I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
That youth and observation copied there;
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmix'd with baser matter. Yes, by heaven!
O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!
My tables. Meet it is I set it down,
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain!
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.
[Writing]
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;
It is 'Adieu, adieu, remember me.'
I have sworn't.
Horatio and Marcellus
[Within]
My lord, my lord.
Marcellus
[Within]
Lord Hamlet.
Horatio
[Within]
Heaven secure him.
Hamlet
So be it!
Marcellus
[Within]
Illo, ho, ho, my lord!
Hamlet
Hillo, ho, ho, boy! Come, bird, come.
[Enter Horatio and Marcellus]
Marcellus
How is't, my noble lord?
Horatio
What news, my lord?
Hamlet
O, wonderful!
Horatio
Good my lord, tell it.
Hamlet
No, you'll reveal it.
Horatio
Not I, my lord, by heaven.
Marcellus
Nor I, my lord.
Hamlet
How say you then, would heart of man once
think it? —
But you'll be secret?
Horatio and Marcellus
Ay, by heaven, my lord.
Hamlet
There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark
But he's an arrant knave.
Horatio
There needs no ghost, my lord, come from
the grave
To tell us this.
Hamlet
Why, right; you are i' the right;
And so, without more circumstance at all,
I hold it fit that we shake hands and part:
You, as your business and desire shall point you, —
For every man hath business and desire,
Such as it is;-and for my own poor part,
Look you, I'll go pray.
Horatio
These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.
Hamlet
I'm sorry they offend you, heartily;
Yes faith, heartily.
Horatio
There's no offence, my lord.
Hamlet
Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,
And much offence too. Touching this vision here,
It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you.
For your desire to know what is between us,
O'ermaster't as you may. And now, good friends,
As you are friends, scholars, and soldiers,
Give me one poor request.
Horatio
What is't, my lord? We will.
Hamlet
Never make known what you have seen tonight.
Horatio and Marcellus
My lord, we will not.
Hamlet
Nay, but swear't.
Horatio
In faith, my lord, not I.
Marcellus
Nor I, my lord, in faith.
Hamlet
Upon my sword.
Marcellus
We have sworn, my lord, already.
Hamlet
Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.
Ghost
[Cries under the stage]
Swear.
Hamlet
Ha, ha boy, sayst thou so? Art thou there,
truepenny?
Come on, you hear this fellow in the cellarage.
Consent to swear.
Horatio
Propose the oath, my lord.
Hamlet
Never to speak of this that you have seen.
Swear by my sword.
Ghost
[Beneath]
Swear.
Hamlet
Hic et ubique? Then we'll shift our ground.
Come hither, gentlemen,
And lay your hands again upon my sword.
Never to speak of this that you have heard.
Swear by my sword.
Ghost
[Beneath]
Swear.
Hamlet
Well said, old mole! Canst work i' th'earth so fast?
A worthy pioner! Once more remove,
good friends.
Horatio
O day and night, but this is wondrous strange.
Hamlet
And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come,
Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, —
As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on —
That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
As 'Well, we know', or 'We could and if we would',
Or 'If we list to speak'; or 'There be
and if they might',
Or such ambiguous giving out, to note
That you know aught of me:-this not to do.
So grace and mercy at your most need help you,
Swear.
Ghost
[Beneath]
Swear.
Hamlet
Rest, rest, perturbed spirit. So, gentlemen,
With all my love I do commend me to you;
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is
May do t'express his love and friending to you,
God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together,
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint. O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right.
Nay, come, let's go together.
[Exeunt]
Act II
Scene I
A room in Polonius's house
Enter Polonius and Reynaldo
Polonius
Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.
Reynaldo
I will, my lord.