Enter the King, Queene, and Lordes.
King Lordes, can you by no meanes finde The cause of our sonne Hamlets lunacie? You being so neere in loue, euen from his youth, Me thinkes should gaine more than a stranger should. Gil. My lord, we haue done all the best we could, [F1v] To wring from him the cause of all his griefe, But still he puts vs off, and by no meanes Would make an answere to that we exposde. Ross. Yet was he something more inclin'd to mirth Before we left him, and I take it, He hath giuen order for a play to night, At which he craues your highnesse company. King With all our heart, it likes vs very well: Gentlemen, seeke still to increase his mirth, Spare for no cost, our coffers shall be open, And we vnto your selues will still be thankefull. Both In all wee can, be sure you shall commaund. Queene Thankes gentlemen, and what the Queene of May pleasure you, be sure you shall not want. (Denmarke Gil. Weele once againe vnto the noble Prince. King Thanks to you both; Gertred you'l see this play. Queene My lord I will, and it ioyes me at the soule He is incln'd to any kinde of mirth. Cor. Madame, I pray be ruled by me: And my good Soueraigne, giue me leaue to speake, We cannot yet finde out the very ground Of his distemperance, therefore I holde it meete, if so it please you, Else they shall not meete, and thus it is. King What i'st Corambis? (done, Cor. Mary my good lord this, soone when the sports are Madam, send you in haste to speake with him, And I my selfe will stand behind the Arras, There question you the cause of all his griefe, And then in loue and nature vnto you, hee'le tell you all: My Lord, how thinke you on't? King It likes vs well, Gerterd, what say you? Queene With all my heart, soone will I send for him. Cor. My selfe will be that happy messenger, Who hopes his griefe will be reueal'd to her. exeunt omnes Enter Hamlet and the Players. [F2] Ham. Pronounce me this spcech trippingly a the tongue as I taught thee, Mary and you mouth it, as a many of your players do I'de rather heare a towne bull bellow, Then such a fellow speake my lines. Nor do not saw the aire thus with your hands, But giue euerything his action with temperance. (fellow, O it offends mee to the soule, to heare a rebellious periwig To teare a passion in totters, into very ragges, To split the eares of the ignorant, who for the (noises, Most parte are capable or nothing but dumbe shewes and I would haue such a fellow whipt, or o're doing, tarmagant It out, Herodes Herod. players My Lorde, wee haue indifferently reformed that among vs. Ham. The better, the better, mend it all together: There be fellowes that I haue seene play, And heard others commend them, and that highly too, That hauing neither the gate or Christian, Pagan, Nor Turke, haue so strutted and bellowed, That you would a thought, some of Natures journeymen Had made men, and not made them well, They imitated humanitie, so abhominable: Take heede, auoyde it. players I warrant you my Lord. Ham. And doe you heare? let not your Clowne speake More then is set downe, there be of them I can tell you That will laugh themselues, to set on some Quantitie of barren spectators to laugh with them, Albeit there is some necessary point in the Play Then to be obserued: O t'is vile, and shewes A pittifull ambition in the foole that vseth it. And then you haue some agen, that keepes one sute Of ieasts, as a man is knowne by one sute of Apparell, and Gentlemen quotes his ieasts downe In their tables, before they come to the play, as thus: [F2v] Cannot you stay till I eate my porrige? and, you owe me A quarters wages: and, my coate wants a cullison: And, your beere is sowre: and, blabbering with his lips, And thus keeping in his cinkapase of ieasts, When, God knows, the warme Clowne cannot make a iest Vnlesse by chance, as the blinde man catcheth a hare: Maisters tell him of it. players We will my Lord. Ham. Well, goe make you ready. exeunt players. Horatio. Heere my Lord. Ham. Horatio, thou art euen as iust a man, As e're my conuersation cop'd withall. Hor. O my lord! Ham. Nay why should I flatter thee? Why should the poore be flattered? What gaine should I receiue by flattering thee, That nothing hath but thy good minde? Let flattery sit on those time-pleasing tongs, To glose with them that loues to heare their praise, And not with such as thou Horatio. There is a play to night, wherein one Sceane they haue Comes very neere the murder of my father, When thou shalt see that Act afoote, Marke thou the King, doe but obserue his lookes, For I mine eies will riuet to his face: And if he doe not bleach, and change at that, It is a dammed ghost that we haue seene. Horatio, haue a care, obserue him well. Hor. My lord, mine eies shall still be on his face, And not the smallest alteration That shall appeare in him, but I shall note it. Ham. Harke, they come. Enter King, Queene, Corambis, and other Lords. (a play? King. How now son Hamlet, how fare you, shall we haue Ham. Yfaith the Camelions dish, not capon cramm'd, feede a the ayre. [F3] I father: My lord, you playd in the Vniuersitie. Cor. That I did my L: and I was counted a good actor. Ham. What did you enact there? Cor. My lord, I did act Iulius Cæsar, I was killed in the Capitol, Brutus killed me. Ham. It was a brute parte of him, To kill so capitall a calfe. Come, be these Players ready? Queene Hamlet come sit downe by me. Ham. No by my faith mother, heere's a mettle more at- Lady will you giue me leaue, and so forth: (tractiue: To lay my head in your lappe? Ofel. No my Lord. (trary matters? Ham. Vpon your lap, what do you thinke I meant con- Enter in Dumbe Shew, the King and the Queene, he sits downe in an Arbor, she leaues him: Then enters Luci- anus with poyson in a Viall, and powres it in his eares, and goes away: Then the Queene commmeth and findes him dead: and goes away with the other. Ofel. What meanes this my Lord? Enter the Prologue. Ham. This is myching Mallico, that meanes my chiefe. Ofel. What doth this meane my lord? Ham. You shall heare anone, this fellow will tell you all. Ofel. Will he tell vs what this shew meanes? Ham. I, or any shew you'le shew him, Be not afeard to shew, hee'le not be afeard to tell: O, these Players cannot keepe counsell, thei'le tell all. Prol. For vs, and for our Tragedie, Here stowpiug to your clemencie, We begge your hearing patiently. Ham. Is't a prologue, or a poesie for a ring? Ofel. T'is short, my Lord. Ham. As womens loue. Enter the Duke and Dutchesse. Duke Full fortie yeares are past, their date is gone, Since happy time ioyn'd both our hearts as one: [F3v] And now the blood that fill'd my youthfull veines, Runnes weakely in their pipes, and all the straines Of musicke, which whilome pleasde mine eare, Is now a burthen that Age cannot beare: And therefore sweete Nature must pay his due, To heauen must I, and leaue the earth with you. Dutchesse O say not so, lest that you kill my heart, When death takes you, let life from me depart. Duke Content thy selfe, when ended is my date, Thon maist (perchance) haue a more noble mate, More wise, more youthfull, and one. Dutchesse O speake no more for then I am accurst, None weds the second, but she kils the first: A second time I kill my Lord that's dead, When second husband kisses me in bed. Ham. O wormewood, wormewood! Duke I doe beleeue you sweete, what now you speake, But what we doe determine oft we breake, For our demises stil are ouerthrowne, Our thoughts are ours, their end's none of our owne: So thinke you will no second husband wed, But die thy thoughts, when thy first Lord is dead. Dutchesse Both here and there pursue me lasting strife, If once a widdow, euer I be wife. Ham. If she should breake now. Duke T'is deepely sworne, sweete leaue me here a while, My spirites growe dull, and faine I would beguile the tedi- ous time with sleepe. Dutchesse Sleepe rocke thy braine, And neuer come mischance betweene vs twaine. exit Lady Ham. Madam, how do you like this play? Queene The Lady protests too much. Ham. O but shee'le keepe her word. King Haue you heard the argument, is there no offence in it? Ham. No offence in the world, poyson in iest, poison in [F4] King What do you call the name of the play? (iest. Ham. Mouse-trap: mary how trapically: this play is The image of a murder done in guyana, Albertus Was the Dukes name, his wife Baptista, Father, it is a knauish peece a worke: but what A that, it toucheth not vs, you and I that haue free Soules, let the galld iade wince, this is one Lucianus nephew to the King. Ofel. Ya're as good as a Chorus my lord. Ham. I could interpret the loue you beare, if I sawe the poopies dallying. Ofel. Y'are very pleasant my lord. Ham. Who I, your onlie jig-maker, why what shoulde a man do but be merry? for looke how cheerefully my mother lookes, my father died within these two houres. Ofel. Nay, t'is twice two months, my Lord. Ham. Two months, nay then let the diuell weare blacke, For i'le haue a sute of Sables: Iesus, two months dead, And not forgotten yet? nay then there's some Likelyhood, a gentlemans death may outliue memorie, But by my faith hee must build churches then, Or els hee must follow the olde Epitithe, With hoh, with ho, the hobi-horse is forgot. Ofel. Your iests are keene my Lord. Ham. It would cost you a groning to take them off. Ofel. Still better and worse. Ham. So you must take your husband, begin. Murdred Begin, a poxe, leaue thy damnable faces and begin, Come, the croking rauen doth bellow for reuenge. Murd. Thoughts blacke, hands apt, drugs fit, and time Confederate season, else no creature seeing: (agreeing. Thou mixture rancke, of midnight weedes collected, With Hecates bane thrise blasted, thrise infected, Thy naturall magicke, and dire propertie, One wholesome life vsurps immediately. exit. Ham. He poysons him for his estate. [F4v] King Lights, I will to bed. Cor. The king rises, lights hoe. Exeunt King and Lordes. Ham. What, frighted with false fires? Then let the stricken deere goe weepe, The Hart vngalled play, For some must laugh, while some must weepe, Thus runnes the world away. Hor. The king is mooued my lord. Hor. I Horatio, i'le take the Ghosts word For more then all the coyne in Denmarke.
Enter Rossencraft and Gilderstone.
Ross. Now my lord, how i'st with you? Ham. And if the king like not the tragedy, Why then belike he likes it not perdy. Ross. We are very glad to see your grace so pleasant, My good lord, let vs againe intreate (ture To know of you the ground and cause of your distempera- Gil. My lord, your mother craues to speake with you. Ham. We shall obey, were she ten times our mother. Ross. But my good Lord, shall I intreate thus much? Ham. I pray will you play vpon this pipe? Ross. Alas my lord I cannot. Ham. Pray will you. Gil. I haue no skill my Lord. Ham. Why looke, it is a thing of nothing, T'is but stopping of these holes, And with a little breath from your lips, It will giue most delicate musick. Gil. But this cannot wee do my Lord. Ham. Pray now, pray hartily, I beseech you. Ros. My lord wee cannot. (me? Ham. Why how vnworthy a thing would you make of You would seeme to know my stops, you would play vpon [G1] You would search the very inward part of my hart, mee, And diue into the secreet of my soule. Zownds do you thinke I am easier to be pla'yd On, then a pipe? call mee what Instrument You will, though you can frett mee, yet you can not Play vpon mee, besides, to be demanded by a spunge. Ros. How a spunge my Lord? Ham. I sir, a spunge, that sokes vp the kings Countenance, fauours, and rewardes, that makes His liberalitie your store house: but such as you, Do the king, in the end, best seruise; For hee doth keep you as an Ape doth nuttes, In the corner of his Iaw, first mouthes you, Then swallowes you: so when hee hath need Of you, t'is but squeesing of you, And spunge, you shall be dry againe, you shall. Ros. Wel my Lord wee'le take our leaue. Ham Farewell, farewell, God blesse you. Exit Rossencraft and Gilderstone.
Enter Corambis Cor. My lord, the Queene would speake with you. Ham. Do you see yonder clowd in the shape of a camell? Cor. T'is like a camell in deed. Ham. Now me thinkes it's like a weasel. Cor. T'is back't like a weasell. Ham. Or like a whale. Cor. Very like a whale. exit Coram. Ham. Why then tell my mother i'le come by and by. Good night Horatio. Hor. Good night vnto your Lordship. exit Horatio. Ham. My mother she hath sent to speake with me: O God, let ne're the heart of Nero enter This soft bosome. Let me be cruell, not vnnaturall. I will speake daggers, those sharpe wordes being spent, [G1v] To doe her wrong my soule shall ne're consent. exit. Enter the King. King. O that this wet that falles vpon my face Would wash the crime cleere from my conscience! When I looke vp to heauen, I see my trespasse, The earth doth still crie out vpon my fact, Pay me the murder of a brother and a king, And the adulterous fault I haue committed: O these are sinnes that art vnpardonable: Why say thy sinnes were blacker then is ieat, Yet may contrition make them as white as snowe: I but still to perseuer in a sinne, It is an act gainst the vniuerfall power, Most wretched man, stoope, bend thee to thy prayer, Aske grace of heauen to keepe thee from despaire.
hee kneeles. enters Hamlet
Ham. I so, come forth and worke thy last, And thus hee dies: and so, am I reuenged: No, not so: he tooke my father sleeping, his sins brim full, And how his soule floode to the state of heauen Who knowes, saue the immortall powres, And shall I kill him now When he is purging of his soule? Making his way for heauen, this is a benefit, And not reuenge: no, get thee vp agen, (drunke, When hee's at game swaring, taking his carowse, drinking Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed, Or at some act that hath no relish Of saluation in't, then trip him That his heeles may kicke at heauen, And fall as lowe as hel: my mother stayes, This phisicke but prolongs they weary dayes. exit Ham. King. My wordes fly vp, my sinnes remaine below. No King on earth is safe, if Gods his foe. exit King.[G2] Enter Queene and Corambis. Cor. Madame, I heare yong Hamlet comming, I'le shrowde my selfe behinde the Arras. exit Cor. Queene Do so my Lord. Ham. Mother, mother, O are you here? How i'st with you mother? Queene How i'st with you? Ham, I'le tell you, but first weele make all safe. Queene Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. Ham. Mother, you haue my father much offended. Queene How now boy? Ham. How now mother! come here, sit downe, for you shall heare me speake. Queene What wilt thou doe? thou wilt not murder me: Helpe hoe. Cor. Helpe for the Queene. Ham. I a Rat, dead for a Duckat. Rash intruding foole, farewell, I tooke thee for thy better. Queene Hamlet, what hast thou done? Ham. Not so much harme, good mother, As to kill a king, and marry with his brother. Queene How! kill a king! Ham. I a King: nay sit you downe, and ere you part, If you be made of penitrable stuffe, I'le make your eyes looke downe into your heart, And see how horride there and blacke it shews. (words? Queene Hamlet, what mean'st thou by these killing Ham. Why this I meane, see here, behold this picture, It is the portraiture, of your deceased husband, See here a face, to outface Mars himselfe, An eye, at which his foes did tremble at, A front wherin all vertues are set downe For to adorne a king, and guild his crowne, Whose heart went hand in hand euen with that vow, He made to you in marriage, and he is dead. [G2v] Murdred, damnably murdred, this was your husband, Looke you now, here is your husband, With a face like Vulcan. A looke fit for a murder and a rape, A dull dead hanging looke, and a hell-bred eie, To affright children and amaze the world: And this same haue you left to change with this. What Diuell thus hath cosoned you at hob-man blinde? A! haue you eyes and can you looke on him That slew my father, and your deere husband, To liue in the incestuous pleasure of his bed? Queene O Hamlet, speake no more. Ham. To leaue him that bare a Monarkes minde, For a king of clowts, of very shreads. Queene Sweete Hamlet cease. Ham. Nay but still to persist and dwell in sinne, To sweate vnder the yoke of infamie, To make increase of shame, to seale damnation. Queene Hamlet, no more. Ham. Why appetite with you is in the waine, Your blood runnes backeward now from whence it came, Who'le chide hote blood within a Virgins heart, When lust shall dwell within a matrons breast? Queene Hamlet, thou cleaues my heart in twaine. Ham. O throw away the worser part of it, and keepe the better. Enter the ghost in his night gowne.
Saue me, saue me, you gratious