| ACT I. | |
| Scene V. A more remote part of the Castle. | |
| [Enter Ghost and Hamlet.] |
| Ham. | |
| Whither wilt thou lead me? speak! I'll go no further. |
| Ghost. | |
| Mark me. |
| Ham. | |
| I will. |
| Ghost. | |
| My hour is almost come, |
| When I to sulph'uous and tormenting flames |
| Must render up myself. |
| Ham. | |
| Alas, poor ghost! |
| Ghost. | |
| Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing |
| To what I shall unfold. |
| Ham. | |
| Speak;I am bound to hear. |
| Ghost. | |
| So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear. |
| Ham. | |
| What? |
| Ghost. | |
| I am thy father's spirit; |
| Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, |
| And for the day confin'd to wastein fires, |
| Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature |
| Are burnt and purg'd away. But that I am forbid |
| To tell the secrets of my prison-house, |
| I could a tale unfold whose lightest word |
| Would harrow up thy soul; freeze thy young blood; |
| Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres; |
| Thy knotted and combined locks to part, |
| And each particular hair to stand on end |
| Like quills upon the fretful porcupine: |
| But this eternal blazon must not be |
| To ears of flesh and blood.--List, list, O, list!-- |
| If thou didst ever thy dear father love-- |
| Ham. | |
| O God! |
| Ghost. | |
| Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. |
| Ham. | |
| Murder! |
| Ghost. | |
| Murder most foul, as in the best it is; |
| But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. |
| Ham. | |
| Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift |
| As meditation or the thoughts of love, |
| May sweep to my revenge. |
| Ghost. | |
| I find thee apt; |
| And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed |
| That rots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, |
| Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. |
| 'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, |
| A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark |
| Is by a forged process of my death |
| Rankly abus'd; but know, thou noble youth, |
| The serpent that did sting thy father's life |
| Now wears his crown. |
| Ham. | |
| O my prophetic soul! |
| Mine uncle! |
| Ghost. | |
| Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, |
| With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,-- |
| O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power |
| So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust |
| The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen: |
| O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there! |
| From me, whose love was of that dignity |
| That it went hand in hand even with the vow |
| I made to her in marriage; and to decline |
| Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor |
| To those of mine! |
| But virtue, as it never will be mov'd, |
| Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven; |
| So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd, |
| Will sate itself in a celestial bed |
| And prey on garbage. |
| But soft! methinks I scent the morning air; |
| Brief let me be.--Sleeping within my orchard, |
| My custom always of the afternoon, |
| Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, |
| With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, |
| And in the porches of my ears did pour |
| The leperous distilment; whose effect |
| Holds such an enmity with blood of man |
| That, swift as quicksilver, it courses through |
| The natural gates and alleys of the body; |
| And with a sudden vigour it doth posset |
| And curd, like eager droppings into milk, |
| The thin and wholesome blood; so did it mine; |
| And a most instant tetter bark'd about, |
| Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust |
| All my smooth body. |
| Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand, |
| Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd: |
| 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 glowworm shows the matin to be near, |
| And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire: |
| Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me. |
| [Exit.] |
| Ham. | |
| 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. |
| Hor. | |
| [Within.] My lord, my lord,-- |
| Mar. | |
| [Within.] Lord Hamlet,-- |
| Hor. | |
| [Within.] Heaven secure him! |
| Ham. | |
| So be it! |
| Mar. | |
| [Within.] Illo, ho, ho, my lord! |
| Ham. | |
| Hillo, ho, ho, boy! Come, bird, come. |
| [Enter Horatio and Marcellus.] |
| Mar. | |
| How is't, my noble lord? |
| Hor. | |
| What news, my lord? |
| Ham. | |
| O, wonderful! |
| Hor. | |
| Good my lord, tell it. |
| Ham. | |
| No; you'll reveal it. |
| Hor. | |
| Not I, my lord, by heaven. |
| Mar. | |
| Nor I, my lord. |
| Ham. | |
| How say you then; would heart of man once think it?-- |
| But you'll be secret? |
| Hor. and Mar. | |
| Ay, by heaven, my lord. |
| Ham. | |
| There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark |
| But he's an arrant knave. |
| Hor. | |
| There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave |
| To tell us this. |
| Ham. | |
| 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 desires 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. |
| Hor. | |
| These are but wild and whirling words, my lord. |
| Ham. | |
| I'm sorry they offend you, heartily; |
| Yes, faith, heartily. |
| Hor. | |
| There's no offence, my lord. |
| Ham. | |
| 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. |
| Hor. | |
| What is't, my lord? we will. |
| Ham. | |
| Never make known what you have seen to-night. |
| Hor. and Mar. | |
| My lord, we will not. |
| Ham. | |
| Nay, but swear't. |
| Hor. | |
| In faith, |
| My lord, not I. |
| Mar. | |
| Nor I, my lord, in faith. |
| Ham. | |
| Upon my sword. |
| Mar. | |
| We have sworn, my lord, already. |
| Ham. | |
| Indeed, upon my sword, indeed. |
| Ghost. | |
| [Beneath.] Swear. |
| Ham. | |
| Ha, ha boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, truepenny?-- |
| Come on!--you hear this fellow in the cellarage,-- |
| Consent to swear. |
| Hor. | |
| Propose the oath, my lord. |
| Ham. | |
| Never to speak of this that you have seen, |
| Swear by my sword. |
| Ghost. | |
| [Beneath.] Swear. |
| Ham. | |
| 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. |
| Ham. | |
| Well said, old mole! canst work i' the earth so fast? |
| A worthy pioner!--Once more remove, good friends. |
| Hor. | |
| O day and night, but this is wondrous strange! |
| Ham. | |
| 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, well, we know'; or 'We could, an if we would';-- |
| Or 'If we list to speak'; or 'There be, an if they might';-- |
| Or such ambiguous giving out, to note |
| That you know aught of me:--this is not to do, |
| So grace and mercy at your most need help you, |
| Swear. |
| Ghost. | |
| [Beneath.] Swear. |
| Ham. | |
| 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, to 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.] |