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- HAMLET PRINCE OF DENMARK
-
- Act 5 Scene 2
-
- (Enter Prince Hamlet and Horatio)
- l1l Hamlet So much for this, sir. Now, let me see, the other.
- l2l You do remember all the circumstance?
- l3l Horatio Remember it, my lord!
- l4l Hamlet Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting
- l5l That would not let me sleep. Methought I lay
- l6l Worse than the mutines in the bilboes. Rashlyù
- l7l And praised be rashness for it: let us know
- l8l Our indiscretion sometime serves us well
- l9l When our dear plots do pall, and that should teach us
- l10l ThereÆs a divinity that shapes our ends,
- l11l Rough-hew them how we willù
- l12l Horatio That is most certain.
- l13l Hamlet Up from my cabin,
- l14l My sea-gown scarfed about me in the dark,
- l15l Groped I to find out them, had my desire,
- l16l Fingered their packet, and in fine withdrew
- l17l To mine own room again, making so bold,
- l18l My fears forgetting manners, to unseal
- l19l Their grand commission; where I found, Horatioù
- l20l O royal knavery!ùan exact command,
- l21l Larded with many several sorts of reasons
- l22l Importing DenmarkÆs health, and EnglandÆs, too,
- l23l With ho! such bugs and goblins in my life,
- l24l That on the supervise, no leisure bated,
- l25l No, not to stay the grinding of the axe,
- l26l My head should be struck off.
- Horatio Is Æt possible?
- Hamlet (giving it to him)
- l27l HereÆs the commission. Read it at more leisure.
- l28l But wilt thou hear me how I did proceed?
- l29l Horatio I beseech you.
- l30l Hamlet Being thus benetted round with villainiesù
- l31l Ere I could make a prologue to my brains,
- l32l They had begun the playùI sat me down,
- l33l Devised a new commission, wrote it fair.
- l34l I once did hold it, as our statists do,
- l35l A baseness to write fair, and laboured much
- l36l How to forget that learning; but, sir, now
- l37l It did me yeomanÆs service. Wilt thou know
- l38l ThÆ effect of what I wrote?
- Horatio Ay, good my lord.
- l39l Hamlet An earnest conjuration from the King,
- l40l As England was his faithful tributary,
- l41l As love between them like the palm should flourish,
- l42l As peace should still her wheaten garland wear
- l43l And stand a comma Ætween their amities,
- l44l And many such like ôasöes of great charge,
- l45l That on the view and know of these contents,
- l46l Without debatement further more or less,
- l47l He should the bearers put to sudden death,
- l48l Not shriving-time allowed.
- Horatio How was this sealed?
- l49l Hamlet Why, even in that was heaven ordinant.
- l50l I had my fatherÆs signet in my purse,
- l51l Which was the model of that Danish seal;
- l52l Folded the writ up in the form of thÆ other,
- l53l Subscribed it, gave Æt thÆ impression, placed it safely,
- l54l The changeling never known. Now the next day
- l55l Was our sea-fight; and what to this was sequent
- l56l Thou knowÆst already.
- l57l Horatio So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to Æt.
- l58l Hamlet Why, man, they did make love to this employment.
- l59l They are not near my conscience. Their defeat
- l60l Doth by their own insinuation grow.
- l61l ÆTis dangerous when the baser nature comes
- l62l Between the pass and fell incensΦd points
- l63l Of mighty opposites.
- Horatio Why, what a king is this!
- l64l Hamlet Does it not, thinkÆst thee, stand me now uponù
- l65l He that hath killed my king and whored my mother,
- l66l Popped in between thÆ election and my hopes,
- l67l Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
- l68l And with such cozÆnageùis Æt not perfect conscience
- l69l To quit him with this arm? And is Æt not to be damned
- l70l To let this canker of our nature come
- l71l In further evil?
- l72l Horatio It must be shortly known to him from England
- l73l What is the issue of the business there.
- l74l Hamlet It will be short. The interimÆs mine,
- l75l And a manÆs lifeÆs no more than to say ôoneö.
- l76l But I am very sorry, good Horatio,
- l77l That to Laertes I forgot myself;
- l78l For by the image of my cause I see
- l79l The portraiture of his. IÆll court his favours.
- l80l But sure, the bravery of his grief did put me
- l81l Into a towÆring passion.
- Horatio Peace, who comes here?
- (Enter young Osric, a courtier, [taking off his hat])
- l82l Osric Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.
- l83l Hamlet I humbly thank you, sir. (To Horatio) Dost know
- l84l this water-fly?
- l85l Horatio No, my good lord.
- l86l Hamlet Thy state is the more gracious, for Ætis a vice to
- l87l know him. He hath much land, and fertile. Let a beast
- l88l be lord of beasts, and his crib shall stand at the kingÆs
- l89l mess. ÆTis a chuff, but, as I say, spacious in the
- l90l possession of dirt.
- l91l Osric Sweet lord, if your friendship were at leisure I
- l92l should impart a thing to you from his majesty.
- l93l Hamlet I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit.
- l94l Put your bonnet to his right use; Ætis for the head.
- l95l Osric I thank your lordship, Ætis very hot.
- l96l Hamlet No, believe me, Ætis very cold. The wind is
- l97l northerly.
- l98l Osric It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed.
- l99l Hamlet Methinks it is very sultry and hot for my
- l100l complexion.
- l101l Osric Exceedingly, my lord. It is very sultry, as Ætwereù
- l102l I cannot tell how. But, my lord, his majesty bade me
- l103l signify to you that a has laid a great wager on your
- l104l head. Sir, this is the matter.
- l105l Hamlet I beseech you, remember.
- l106l Osric Nay, good my lord, for mine ease, in good faith.
- l107l Sir, you are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is
- l108l at his weapon.
- l109l Hamlet WhatÆs his weapon?
- l110l Osric Rapier and dagger.
- l111l Hamlet ThatÆs two of his weapons. But well.
- l112l Osric The King, sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary
- l113l horses, against the which he imponed, as I take it, six
- l114l French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns as
- l115l girdle, hanger, or so. Three of the carriages, in faith,
- l116l are very dear to fancy, very responsive to the hilts,
- l117l most delicate carriages, and of very liberal conceit.
- l118l Hamlet What call you the carriages?
- l119l Osric The carriages, sir, are the hangers.
- l120l Hamlet The phrase would be more germane to the matter
- l121l if we could carry cannon by our sides. I would it might
- l122l be hangers till then. But on: six Barbary horses against
- l123l six French swords, their assigns, and three liberal-
- l124l conceited carriagesùthatÆs the French bet against the
- l125l Danish. Why is this ôimponedö, as you call it?
- l126l Osric The King, sir, hath laid, sir, that in a dozen passes
- l127l between you and him he shall not exceed you three
- l128l hits. He hath on Æt twelve for nine, and it would come
- l129l to immediate trial if your lordship would vouchsafe the
- l130l answer.
- l131l Hamlet How if I answer no?
- l132l Osric I mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in
- l133l trial.
- l134l Hamlet Sir, I will walk here in the hall. If it please his
- l135l majesty, Ætis the breathing time of day with me. Let the
- l136l foils be brought; the gentleman willing, an the King
- l137l hold his purpose, I will win for him an I can. If not,
- l138l IÆll gain nothing but my shame and the odd hits.
- l139l Osric Shall I re-deliver you eÆen so?
- l140l Hamlet To this effect, sir; after what flourish your nature
- l141l will.
- l142l Osric I commend my duty to your lordship.
- l143l Hamlet Yours, yours.
- (Exit Osric)
- l144l He does well to commend it himself; there are no
- l145l tongues else for Æs turn.
- l146l Horatio This lapwing runs away with the shell on his
- l147l head.
- l148l Hamlet A did comply with his dug before a sucked it.
- l149l Thus has heùand many more of the same bevy that I
- l150l know the drossy age dotes onùonly got the tune of
- l151l the time and outward habit of encounter, a kind of
- l152l yeasty collection which carries them through and
- l153l through the most fanned and winnowed opinions; and
- l154l do but blow them to their trial, the bubbles are out.
- l155l Horatio You will lose this wager, my lord.
- l156l Hamlet I do not think so. Since he went into France, I
- l157l have been in continual practice. I shall win at the odds.
- l158l But thou wouldst not think how all here about my
- l159l heartùbut it is no matter.
- l160l Horatio Nay, good my lordù
- l161l Hamlet It is but foolery, but it is such a kind of gain-
- l162l giving as would perhaps trouble a woman.
- l163l Horatio If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will
- l164l forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit.
- l165l Hamlet Not a whit. We defy augury. ThereÆs a special
- l166l providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, Ætis
- l167l not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it
- l168l be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all. Since
- l169l no man has aught of what he leaves, what is Æt to leave
- l170l betimes?
- (Enter King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Laertes, and
- lords, with Osric and other attendants with trumpets,
- drums, cushions, foils, and gauntlets
- l171l King Claudius Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me.
- l172l Hamlet (to Laertes) Give me your pardon, sir. IÆve done you
- wrong;
- l173l But pardon Æt as you are a gentleman.
- l174l This presence knows,
- l175l And you must needs have heard, how I am punished
- l176l With sore distraction. What I have done
- l177l That might your nature, honour, and exception
- l178l Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness.
- l179l Was Æt Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet.
- l180l If Hamlet from himself be taÆen away,
- l181l And when heÆs not himself does wrong Laertes,
- l182l Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it.
- l183l Who does it then? His madness. If Æt be so,
- l184l Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged.
- l185l His madness is poor HamletÆs enemy.
- l186l Sir, in this audience
- l187l Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil
- l188l Free me so far in your most generous thoughts
- l189l That I have shot mine arrow oÆer the house
- l190l And hurt my brother.
- Laertes I am satisfied in nature,
- l191l Whose motive in this case should stir me most
- l192l To my revenge. But in my terms of honour
- l193l I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement
- l194l Till by some elder masters of known honour
- l195l I have a voice and precedent of peace
- l196l To keep my name ungored; but till that time
- l197l I do receive your offered love like love,
- l198l And will not wrong it.
- Hamlet I do embrace it freely,
- l199l And will this brothersÆ wager frankly play.ù
- l200l (To attendants) Give us the foils. Come on.
- Laertes (to attendants) Come, one for me.
- l201l Hamlet IÆll be your foil, Laertes. In mine ignorance
- l202l Your skill shall, like a star iÆ thÆ darkest night,
- l203l Stick fiery off indeed.
- l204l Laertes You mock me, sir.
- l205l Hamlet No, by this hand.
- l206l King Claudius Give them the foils, young Osric. Cousin Hamlet,
- l207l You know the wager?
- Hamlet Very well, my lord.
- l208l Your grace hath laid the odds oÆ thÆ weaker side.
- l209l King Claudius I do not fear it; I have seen you both.
- l210l But since he is bettered, we have therefore odds.
- l211l Laertes (taking a foil) This is too heavy; let me see another.
- Hamlet (taking a foil)
- l212l This likes me well. These foils have all a length?
- l213l Osric Ay, my good lord.
- (Hamlet and Laertes prepare to play)
- King Claudius (to attendants)
- l214l Set me the stoups of wine upon that table.
- l215l If Hamlet give the first or second hit,
- l216l Or quit in answer of the third exchange,
- l217l Let all the battlements their ordnance fire.
- l218l The King shall drink to HamletÆs better breath,
- l219l And in the cup an union shall he throw
- l220l Richer than that which four successive kings
- l221l In DenmarkÆs crown have worn. Give me the cups,
- l222l And let the kettle to the trumpet speak,
- l223l The trumpet to the cannoneer without,
- l224l The cannons to the heavens, the heaven to earth,
- l225l ôNow the King drinks to Hamletö.
- (Trumpets the while he drinks)
- Come, begin.
- l226l And you, the judges, bear a wary eye.
- l227l Hamlet (to Laertes) Come on, sir.
- l228l Laertes Come, my lord.
- (They play)
- l229l Hamlet One.
- l230l Laertes No.
- l231l Hamlet (to Osric) Judgement.
- l232l Osric A hit, a very palpable hit.
- l233l Laertes Well, again.
- l234l King Claudius Stay. Give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thine.
- l235l HereÆs to thy health.ù
- (Drum and trumpets sound, and shot goes off)
- Give him the cup.
- l236l Hamlet IÆll play this bout first. Set it by a while.ù
- l237l Come.
- (They play again)
- Another hit. What say you?
- l238l Laertes A touch, a touch, I do confess.
- l239l King Claudius Our son shall win.
- Queen Gertrude HeÆs fat and scant of breath.ù
- l240l Here, Hamlet, take my napkin. Rub thy brows.
- l241l The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.
- l242l Hamlet Good madam.
- King Claudius Gertrude, do not drink.
- l243l Queen Gertrude I will, my lord, I pray you pardon me.
- (She drinks, then offers the cup to Hamlet)
- l244l King Claudius (aside) It is the poisoned cup; it is too late.
- l245l Hamlet I dare not drink yet, madam; by and by.
- l246l Queen Gertrude (to Hamlet) Come, let me wipe thy face.
- l247l Laertes (aside to Claudius) My lord, IÆll hit him now.
- l248l King Claudius (aside to Laertes) I do not think Æt.
- l249l Laertes (aside) And yet Ætis almost Ægainst my conscience.
- l250l Hamlet Come for the third, Laertes, you but dally.
- l251l I pray you pass with your best violence.
- l252l I am afeard you make a wanton of me.
- l253l Laertes Say you so? Come on.
- (They play)
- Osric Nothing neither way.
- l254l Laertes (to Hamlet) Have at you now!
- ([Laertes wounds Hamlet]. In scuffling, they change
- rapiers, [and Hamlet wounds Laertes])
- King Claudius (to attendants) Part them, they are incensed.
- l255l Hamlet (to Laertes) Nay, come again.
- (The Queen falls down)
- Osric Look to the Queen there, ho!
- l256l Horatio They bleed on both sides.
- (To Hamlet) How is Æt, my lord?
- l257l Osric How is Æt, Laertes?
- l258l Laertes Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric.
- l259l I am justly killed with mine own treachery.
- l260l Hamlet How does the Queen?
- King Claudius She swoons to see them bleed.
- l261l Queen Gertrude No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet,
- l262l The drink, the drinkùI am poisoned.
- (She dies)
- l263l Hamlet O villainy! Ho! Let the door be locked!
- (Exit Osric)
- l264l Treachery, seek it out.
- l265l Laertes It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain.
- l266l No medÆcine in the world can do thee good.
- l267l In thee there is not half an hour of life.
- l268l The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,
- l269l Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice
- l270l Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie,
- l271l Never to rise again. Thy motherÆs poisoned.
- l272l I can no more. The King, the KingÆs to blame.
- l273l Hamlet The point envenomed too? Then, venom, to thy work.
- (He hurts King Claudius)
- l274l All The Courtiers Treason, treason!
- l275l King Claudius O yet defend me, friends! I am but hurt.
- l276l Hamlet Here, thou incestuous, murdÆrous, damnΦd Dane,
- l277l Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?
- l278l Follow my mother.
- (King Claudius dies)
- Laertes He is justly served.
- l279l It is a poison tempered by himself.
- l280l Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet.
- l281l Mine and my fatherÆs death come not upon thee,
- l282l Nor thine on me.
- (He dies)
- l283l Hamlet Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.
- l284l I am dead, Horatio. Wretched Queen, adieu!
- l285l You that look pale and tremble at this chance,
- l286l That are but mutes or audience to this act,
- l287l Had I but timeùas this fell sergeant Death
- l288l Is strict in his arrestùO, I could tell youù
- l289l But let it be. Horatio, I am dead,
- l290l Thou livÆst. Report me and my cause aright
- l291l To the unsatisfied.
- Horatio Never believe it.
- l292l I am more an antique Roman than a Dane.
- l293l HereÆs yet some liquor left.
- Hamlet As thouÆrt a man,
- l294l Give me the cup. Let go. By heaven, IÆll ha Æt.
- l295l O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,
- l296l Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!
- l297l If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,
- l298l Absent thee from felicity a while,
- l299l And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain
- l300l To tell my story.
- (March afar off, and shout within)
- What warlike noise is this?
- (Enter Osric)
- l301l Osric Young Fortinbras, with conquest come from Poland,
- l302l To thÆ ambassadors of England gives
- l303l This warlike volley.
- Hamlet O, I die, Horatio!
- l304l The potent poison quite oÆercrows my spirit.
- l305l I cannot live to hear the news from England,
- l306l But I do prophesy thÆ election lights
- l307l On Fortinbras. He has my dying voice.
- l308l So tell him, with thÆ occurrents, more and less,
- l309l Which have solicited. The rest is silence.
- l310l O, O, O, O!
- (He dies)
- l311l Horatio Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
- l312l And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.ù
- l313l Why does the drum come hither?
- (Enter Fortinbras with the English Ambassadors, with a
- drummer, colours, and attendants)
- l314l Fortinbras Where is this sight?
- l315l Horatio What is it ye would see?
- l316l If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.
- l317l Fortinbras This quarry cries on havoc. O proud death,
- l318l What feast is toward in thine eternal cell
- l319l That thou so many princes at a shot
- l320l So bloodily hast struck!
- Ambassador The sight is dismal,
- l321l And our affairs from England come too late.
- l322l The ears are senseless that should give us hearing
- l323l To tell him his commandment is fulfilled,
- l324l That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.
- l325l Where should we have our thanks?
- Horatio Not from his mouth,
- l326l Had it thÆ ability of life to thank you.
- l327l He never gave commandment for their death.
- l328l But since so jump upon this bloody question
- l329l You from the Polack wars, and you from England,
- l330l Are here arrived, give order that these bodies
- l331l High on a stage be placΦd to the view;
- l332l And let me speak to thÆ yet unknowing world
- l333l How these things came about. So shall you hear
- l334l Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,
- l335l Of accidental judgements, casual slaughters,
- l336l Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause;
- l337l And, in this upshot, purposes mistook
- l338l FallÆn on thÆ inventorsÆ heads. All this can I
- l339l Truly deliver.
- Fortinbras Let us haste to hear it,
- l340l And call the noblest to the audience.
- l341l For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune.
- l342l I have some rights of memory in this kingdom,
- l343l Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me.
- l344l Horatio Of that I shall have also cause to speak,
- l345l And from his mouth whose voice will draw on more.
- l346l But let this same be presently performed,
- l347l Even whiles menÆs minds are wild, lest more mischance
- l348l On plots and errors happen.
- Fortinbras Let four captains
- l349l Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage,
- l350l For he was likely, had he been put on,
- l351l To have proved most royally; and for his passage,
- l352l The soldiersÆ music and the rites of war
- l353l Speak loudly for him.
- l354l Take up the body. Such a sight as this
- l355l Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.
- l356l Go, bid the soldiers shoot.
- (Exeunt, marching, with the bodies
-
