That beetles o'er his base into the sea, And there assume some other horrible form, Which might deprive your sovereignty of rea

son

And draw you into madness? think of it: The very place puts toys of desperation, Without more motive, into every brain That looks so many fathoms to the sea And hears it roar beneath.

Ham.

It waves me still.

Go on; I'll follow thee.
Mar. You shall not go, my lord.
Ham.
Hold off your hands. 80
Hor. Be ruled; you shall not go.
Ham.
My fate cries out,
And makes each petty artery in this body
As hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve.
Still am I call'd. Unhand me, gentlemen.
By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that
lets me!

I say, away! Go on; I'll follow thee.
[Exeunt Ghost and Hamlet.
Hor. He waxes desperate with imagina-
tion.

Mar. Let's follow; 'tis not fit thus to obey him.

Hor. Have after. To what issue will this come?

Mar. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. 90

Hor. Heaven will direct it.

Mar. Nay, let's follow him. [Exeunt.

SCENE V. Another part of the platform. Enter GHOST and Hamlet.

Ham. Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.

Ghost. Mark me.

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 porpentine: 20
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

30

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 roots 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 abused; but know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father's life
Now wears his crown.
Ham.
My uncle!

O my prophetic soul! 40

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 50
Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor
To those of mine!

But virtue, as it never will be moved,
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,

60

80

Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhousel'd, disappointed, unaneled,
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 pursuest 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: 90 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,

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; 101
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'm sure it may be so in Denmark: [Writing. So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;

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 desire shall point

you;

For every man has business and desire, 130 Such as it is; and for mine own poor part, Look you, I'll go pray.

Hor. These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.

Ham. I am sorry they offend you, heartily Yes, 'faith, heartily.

Hor.

There's no offence, my lore Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is

Horatio,

My lord, I did intend it. Pol. Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir,

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, 170
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 headshake,

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 not to do,
So grace and mercy at your most need help

you,

Swear.

Ghost. [Beneath] Swear.

180

Ham. Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! [They swear.] So, gentlemen,

With all my love I do commend me to you: And what so poor a man as Hamlet is

And how, and who, what means, and where

they keep,

What company, at what expense; and finding

By this encompassment and drift of question That they do know my son, come you more

nearer

Than your particular demands will touch it: Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him;

As thus, I know his father and his friends, And in part him:' do you mark this, Reynaldo?

Rey. Ay, very well, my lord.

Pol. And in part him; but you may say 'not well:

But, if 't be he I mean, he's very wild; Addicted so and so:' and there put on him What forgeries you please; marry, none

rank

As may dishonour him; take heed of that; But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips As are companions noted and most known To youth and liberty.

SO

20

Rey.
As gaming, my lord.
Pol. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing,
quarrelling,

Drabbing: you may go so far.

Rey. My lord, that would dishonour him. Pol. 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge.

You must not put another scandal on him,
That he is open to incontinency;

30