Home > Hamlet Text > Act I, Scene II - Page 2

Flourish. Exeunt all but Hamlet.

HAMLET:

O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!(135)
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah, fie! 'tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!(140)
But two months dead! Nay, not so much, not two;
So excellent a king, that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!(145)
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on; and yet, within a month—
Let me not think on't! Frailty, thy name is woman—
A little month, or ere those shoes were old(150)
With which she follow'd my poor father's body
Like Niobe, all tears—why she, even she—
O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourn'd longer—married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father(155)
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!(160)
It is not, nor it cannot come to, good.
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue!

HAMLET:

O that my too, too solid body would melt,
Thaw, and change itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting God has forbidden
Suicide! O God! O God!
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
All the habits of this world seem to me!
Shame on it! O for shame! It is an unweeded garden
That is going to seed, only things that are decaying and
Disgusting grow there. That it should come to this!
Only dead for two months! No, not so much, not two.
So excellent a king that, compared to this king, was
A magnificent man to a beast, so loving to my mother,
That he might not allow the winds of heaven
To blow on her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
As if her appetite had only increased
By what it fed on. And yet, within a month — Don’t let
me think about it! Weakness, your name is woman —
A little month, even before those shoes with which she
Followed my poor father's body were old, she was
Totally inconsolable, all tears, why she, even she—
O God! a beast that lacks the gift of reason,
Would have mourned longer— married my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I am like Hercules. Within a month,
Before the salt of the most wicked tears
Had left the redness in her bitter eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to travel
With such quickness to incestuous sheets!
It is not good and it cannot come to good.
But, break my heart, for I must be silent!

Enter Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo.

HORATIO:

Hail to your lordship!

HORATIO:

Greetings to your lordship!

HAMLET:

I am glad to see you well.
Horatio—or I do forget myself.(165)

HAMLET:

I am glad to see you well.
Horatio? Or I do forget myself!

HORATIO:

The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.

HORATIO:

It’s me, my lord, and your poor servant forever.

HAMLET:

Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you.
And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?—
Marcellus?

HAMLET:

Sir, my good friend! I’ll exchange that name with you.
And why are you here from Wittenberg, Horatio?
Marcellus?

MARCELLUS:

My good lord!(170)

MARCELLUS:

My good lord.

HAMLET:

I am very glad to see you.— [To Bernardo] Good
even, sir.—
But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?

HAMLET:

I am very glad to see you. [To Bernardo] Good evening, sir.
But why, truly, are you here from Wittenberg?

HORATIO:

A truant disposition, good my lord.

HORATIO:

A lazy disposition, my good lord.

HAMLET:

I would not hear your enemy say so,(175)
Nor shall you do my ear that violence
To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself. I know you are no truant.
But what is your affair in Elsinore?
We'll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.(180)

HAMLET:

I wouldn’t even hear your enemy say so,
And you shall not violently throw those words to my ear,
To make my ear the keeper of your own report
Against yourself. I know you are not lazy.
But what are you doing in Elsinore?
We'll teach you to drink a lot before you leave!

HORATIO:

My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.

HORATIO:

My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.

HAMLET:

I prithee do not mock me, fellow student.
I think it was to see my mother's wedding.

HAMLET:

Please don’t mock me, fellow-student.
I think it was to see my mother's wedding.

HORATIO:

Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.

HORATIO:

Indeed, my lord, it followed very soon after.

HAMLET:

Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats(185)
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!
My father—methinks I see my father.

HAMLET:

Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The meats baked for the funeral
Were also put on the marriage tables.
I wish I had met my dearest enemy in heaven
Before I had ever seen that day, Horatio!
My father… I think I see my father.

HORATIO:

O, where, my lord?(190)

HORATIO:

Where, my lord?

HAMLET:

In my mind's eye, Horatio.

HAMLET:

In my mind's eye, Horatio.

HORATIO:

I saw him once. He was a goodly king.

HORATIO:

I saw him once, he was a goodly king.

HAMLET:

He was a man, take him for all in all;
I shall not look upon his like again.

HAMLET:

He was a man, take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again.

HORATIO:

My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.(195)

HORATIO:

My lord, I think I saw him last night.

HAMLET:

Saw? Who?

HAMLET:

Saw who?

HORATIO:

My lord, the King your father.

HORATIO:

My lord, the king your father.

HAMLET:

The King my father?

HAMLET:

The King my father!

HORATIO:

Season your admiration for a while
With an attent ear, till I may deliver(200)
Upon the witness of these gentlemen,
This marvel to you.

HORATIO:

Hold off your compliments for awhile
And pay attention, until I may deliver,
With the witness of these gentlemen,
Something marvelous to you.

HAMLET:

For God's love let me hear!

HAMLET:

For God's love, let me hear what you have to say.

HORATIO:

Two nights together had these gentlemen
Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch(205)
In the dead vast and middle of the night,
Been thus encountered. A figure like your father,
Armed at point exactly, cap-à-pie,
Appears before them, and with solemn march
Goes slow and stately by them. Thrice he walk'd(210)
By their oppress'd and fear-surprised eyes,
Within his truncheon's length; whilst they, distill'd
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful secrecy impart they did,(215)
And I with them the third night kept the watch;
Where, as they had deliver'd, both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes. I knew your father.
These hands are not more like.(220)

HORATIO:

Two nights in a row had these gentlemen,
Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch,
In the dead vast country and middle of the night,
Encountered a figure like your father,
Armed at every point exactly, head to toe,
Appearing before them, and, with solemn march,
Goes slow and stately by them. Three times he walked
By their oppressed and fear-surprised eyes,
Within the length of their spears, while they, reduced
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Stood speechless, and did not speak They told
Me this in dreadful secrecy,
So I kept the watch with them the third night.
Where, just as they had said, both in time and
Form of the thing, each word being true and good,
The apparition comes. I knew your father,
These hands are not more like the apparition I saw.

HAMLET:

But where was this?

HAMLET:

But where was this?

MARCELLUS:

My lord, upon the platform where we watch'd.

MARCELLUS:

My lord, on the platform where we watched.

HAMLET:

Did you not speak to it?

HAMLET:

Didn’t you speak to it?

HORATIO:

My lord, I did;
But answer made it none. Yet once methought(225)
It lifted up it head and did address
Itself to motion, like as it would speak;
But, even then, the morning cock crew loud,
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away
And vanish'd from our sight.(230)

HORATIO:

My lord, I did,
But it made me no answer. However, once I thought
It lifted up its head, and urged
Itself to motion, just as if it would speak.
But then the morning rooster crew loud,
And at that sound, it shrunk away very quickly,
And vanished from our sight.

HAMLET:

'tis very strange.

HAMLET:

It is very strange.

HORATIO:

As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true;
And we did think it writ down in our duty
To let you know of it.

HORATIO:

I swear, my honored lord, it is true,
And we thought it was our duty
To let you know about it.

HAMLET:

Indeed, indeed, sirs. But this troubles me.(235)
Hold you the watch tonight?

HAMLET:

Indeed, indeed, gentlemen, but this troubles me.
Are you going to watch again tonight?

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

We do, my lord.

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

We are, my lord.

HAMLET:

Arm'd, say you?

HAMLET:

He was armed, you say?

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

Arm'd, my lord.

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

Armed, my lord.

HAMLET:

From top to toe?(240)

HAMLET:

From top to toe?

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

My lord, from head to foot.

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

My lord, from head to foot.

HAMLET:

Then saw you not his face?

HAMLET:

Then you didn’t see his face?

HORATIO:

O, yes, my lord! He wore his beaver up.

HORATIO:

O, yes, my lord. He had the front visor of his helmet up.

HAMLET:

What, look'd he frowningly?

HAMLET:

What, did he look like he was frowning?

HORATIO:

A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.(245)

HORATIO:

His face showed more sorrow than anger.

HAMLET:

Pale, or red?

HAMLET:

Was he pale or red?

HORATIO:

Nay, very pale.

HORATIO:

No, very pale.

HAMLET:

And fix'd his eyes upon you?

HAMLET:

And he fixed his eyes on you?

HORATIO:

Most constantly.

HORATIO:

Most constantly.

HAMLET:

I would I had been there.(250)

HAMLET:

I wish I had been there.

HORATIO:

It would have much amazed you.

HORATIO:

It would have amazed you very much.

HAMLET:

Very like, very like. Stay'd it long?

HAMLET:

I’m sure it would’ve, I’m sure it would’ve. Did it stay long?

HORATIO:

While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.

HORATIO:

As long as an average person might count to a hundred.

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

Longer, longer.

MARCELLUS AND BERNARDO:

Longer, longer.

HORATIO:

Not when I saw't.(255)

HORATIO:

Not when I saw it.

HAMLET:

His beard was grizzled, no?

HAMLET:

His beard was grizzly, no?

HORATIO:

It was as I have seen it in his life,
A sable silvered.

HORATIO:

It was, as I have seen it in his life,
A silvery sable.

HAMLET:

I will watch tonight.
Perchance 'twill walk again.(260)

HAMLET:

I will watch tonight,
Maybe it will walk again.

HORATIO:

I warrant it will.

HORATIO:

I guarantee it will.

HAMLET:

If it assume my noble father's person,
I'll speak to it, though hell itself should gape
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,(265)
Let it be tenable in your silence still;
And whatsoever else shall hap tonight,
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
I will requite your loves. So, fare you well.
Upon the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve,(270)
I'll visit you.

HAMLET:

If it takes on my noble father's appearance,
I’ll speak to it, though hell itself should open wide
And order me to be silent. I beg you all,
If you have kept this sight secret so far,
Keep your silence still,
And whatever else shall happen tonight,
Take it in, but don’t talk about it.
I will reward your loyalty. So, goodbye for now.
On the platform, between eleven and twelve,
I’ll visit you.