Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind

me!

If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,

Absent thee from felicity awhile,

And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain,

To tell my story.

[March afar off, and shot within.

What warlike noise is this?

Osr. Young Fortinbras, with conquest come

from Poland,

To the ambassadors of England gives

This warlike volley.

Ham.

O, I die, Horatio;

The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit:
I cannot live to hear the news from England;
But I do prophesy the election lights

On Fortinbras: he has my dying voice;

So tell him, with the occurrents, more and less,
Which have solicited. The rest is silence. [Dies.
Hor. Now cracks a noble heart. Good night,

sweet prince;

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

Why does the drum come hither?

If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.
Fort. This quarry cries on havoc. O proud death,

368. occurrents, more and less, events, great and small.

369. solicited, prompted my action.

375. quarry, heap of dead.

360

370

375. cries on havoc, urges to ruthless slaughter. This is more in the character of Fortinbras than the possible alternative, 'cries out against the butchery.'

What feast is toward in thine eternal cell,
That thou so many princes at a shot

So bloodily hast struck?

First Amb.

The sight is dismal;

And our affairs from England come too late :

The ears are senseless that should give us hearing, 380 To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd,

That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead :

Where should we have our thanks?

Hor.

Not from his mouth,

Had it the ability of life to thank you :

He never gave commandment for their death.
But since, so jump upon this bloody question,
You from the Polack wars, and you from England,
Are here arrived, give order that these bodies
High on a stage be placed to the view;
And let me speak to the yet unknowing world
How these things came about: so shall you hear
Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,

Of accidental judgements, casual slaughters,
Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,
And, in this upshot, purposes mistook

Fall'n on the inventors' heads: all this can I
Truly deliver.

Fort.

Let us haste to hear it,

And call the noblest to the audience.

For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune:
I have some rights of memory in this kingdom,
Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me.

Hor. Of that I shall have also cause to speak, And from his mouth whose voice will draw on more: But let this same be presently perform'd,

Even while men's minds are wild; lest more mischance,

On plots and errors, happen.

386. so jump upon, so immediately following.

390

400

Let four captains

Fort.
Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage;
For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have proved most royally: and, for his passage,
The soldiers' music and the rites of war

Speak loudly for him.

Take up the bodies: such a sight as this

Becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.
Go, bid the soldiers shoot.

[A dead march.

Exeunt, bearing off the dead bodies; after which a peal of ordnance is shot off.

408. put on, put to the

test.

409. for his passage, solemnise his passing away.

410

to

OTHELLO,

THE MOOR OF VENICE

DRAMATIS PERSONE

DUKE OF VENICE.

BRABANTIO, a senator.

Other Senators.

GRATIANO, brother to Brabantio.

LODOVICO, kinsman to Brabantio.

OTHELLO, a noble Moor in the service of the Venetian state. CASSIO, his lieutenant.

IAGO, his ancient.

RODERIGO, a Venetian gentleman. comin

MONTANO, Othello's predecessor in the government of Cyprus. Clown, servant to Othello.

DESDEMONA, daughter to Brabantio and wife to Othello.
EMILIA, wife to lago.

BIANCA, mistress to Cassio.

Sailor, Messenger, Herald, Officers, Gentlemen, Musicians,

and Attendants.

SCENE: Venice; a Sea-port in Cyprus.