Scene III

[A room in the house of Polonius.]

Enter Laertes, and Ophelia, his sister.

LAERTES:

My necessaries are embark'd. Farewell.
And, sister, as the winds give benefit
And convoy is assistant, do not sleep,
But let me hear from you.

LAERTES:

The things I need are all on the ship. Goodbye.
And, sister, as the winds will be favorable
And the ships are strong to sail, don’t sleep,
Until you let me hear from you.

OPHELIA:

Do you doubt that?(5)

OPHELIA:

Do you doubt that?

LAERTES:

For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favours,
Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood;
A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting;
The perfume and suppliance of a minute;(10)
No more.

LAERTES:

As for Hamlet and the foolishness of his attentions,
Think that it is only a phase and a toy in blood.
A violet in the youth of nature that is in its prime,
Bold, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
The burning passion and extreme wanting of a moment,
Nothing more.

OPHELIA:

No more but so?

OPHELIA:

Nothing more than that?

LAERTES:

Think it no more.
For nature, crescent, does not grow alone
In thews and bulk; but as this temple waxes,(15)
The inward service of the mind and soul
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,
And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
The virtue of his will; but you must fear,
His greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own;(20)
For he himself is subject to his birth.
He may not, as unvalued persons do,
Carve for himself; for on his choice depends
The safety and health of this whole state,
And therefore must his choice be circumscribed(25)
Unto the voice and yielding of that body
Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you,
It fits your wisdom so far to believe it
As he in his particular act and place
May give his saying deed; which is no further(30)
Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain
If with too credent ear you list his songs,
Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open
To his unmast'red importunity.(35)
Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,
And keep you in the rear of your affection,
Out of the shot and danger of desire.
The chariest maid is prodigal enough
If she unmask her beauty to the moon.(40)
Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes.
The canker galls the infants of the spring
Too oft before their buttons be disclosed,
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
Contagious blastments are most imminent.(45)
Be wary then; best safety lies in fear.
Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.

LAERTES:

Stop thinking about it,
Because nature, the moon, does not grow alone
In strength and size, but as this temple grows,
The inward duty of the mind and soul
Grows wide along with the rest. Maybe he loves you now,
And now no dirt nor trick dims the luster of
The purity of his intentions, but you must fear him.
His greatness considered, his intentions are not his own,
He himself is subject to his birth as a prince.
He may not, as lower persons do,
Select for himself, for on his choice depends
The safety and health of this whole state,
And therefore must his choice be subject
To the voice and consent of that state
That he is the head of. Then if he says he loves you,
You would be wise to believe it
Because then being in his particular act and place
May do what he says, which is what
The majority of people in of Denmark go along with.
So decide what loss your honor may receive
If you listen to his songs with a too believing ear,
Or lose your heart, or lose your virginity
To his wild sense of bad timing.
Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,
And keep your affections deep within you,
Out of the range and danger of desire.
The most careful maid is wasteful enough
If she unmasks her beauty to the moon.
Virtue itself doesn’t aim at lying deeds.
An ugly disease afflicts the new flowers of the spring
Too often before they have bloomed,
And in the morning and liquid dew of youth
Contagious shriveling is the most imminent.
Be careful then. The safest way lies in fear.
Youth rebels against itself, even if no one else is near.

OPHELIA:

I shall the effect of this good lesson keep
As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,(50)
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whilst, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads
And recks not his own rede.

OPHELIA:

I shall keep the purpose of this good lesson
As watchman to my heart. But, my good brother,
Don’t, as some insincere ministers do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
While, like a proud and reckless wild man,
Preaches against the primrose path of sin
And does not practice what he preaches.

LAERTES:

O, fear me not!(55)

Enter Polonius.

I stay too long. But here my father comes.
A double blessing is a double grace;
Occasion smiles upon a second leave.

LAERTES:

O, don’t be afraid of me.

I’ve stayed too long. But here comes my father.
A double blessing is a double grace,
It’s a better occasion to smile at saying goodbye again.

POLONIUS:

Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame!
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,(60)
And you are stay'd for. There, my blessing with thee.
And these few precepts in thy memory
See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.(65)
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,(70)
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;(75)
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous, chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,(80)
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell. My blessing season this in thee!(85)

POLONIUS:

You’re still here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard, for shame!
The wind sits in the best part of your sail,
And the ship waits for you. There, my blessing with you!
And see that you write these few precepts
In your memory. Give your thoughts to yourself,
And don’t act without thinking.
Be friendly, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends you have, and their friendship tested,
Anchor them to your soul with hoops of steel,
But don’t spend your money on entertaining
Each newly acquired, unproven friend. Beware
Of getting into a quarrel, but, once you are in,
Fight so that the man you fight with may beware of you.
Listen to what every man says, but speak to few.
Take each man's opinion, but reserve your judgment.
Buy as costly clothes as can pay for,
But not made fancy, rich, and certainly not gaudy.
For the clothes often tell what kind of man you are,
And the ones in France of the best rank and station
Are most choosy and generous in that regard.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
For a loan often loses both the loan and the friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of the economy.
This above all, to your own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
You cannot then be false to any man.
Goodbye. My blessing instill these things in you!

LAERTES:

Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.

LAERTES:

I take my leave most humbly, my lord.

POLONIUS:

The time invites you. Go, your servants tend.

POLONIUS:

It’s time to leave, go, your servants are waiting.

LAERTES:

Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well
What I have said to you.

LAERTES:

Goodbye, Ophelia, and remember well
What I have said to you.

OPHELIA:

'tis in my memory lock'd,(90)
And you yourself shall keep the key of it.

OPHELIA:

It is locked in my memory,
And you yourself shall keep the key of it.

LAERTES:

Farewell.

LAERTES:

Goodbye.

Exit Laertes.

POLONIUS:

What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?

POLONIUS:

What is it, Ophelia, that he has said to you?

OPHELIA:

So please you, something touching the Lord
Hamlet.(95)

OPHELIA:

If it pleases you, something touching the Lord Hamlet.

POLONIUS:

Marry, well bethought!
'tis told me, he hath very oft of late
Given private time to you, and you yourself
Have of your audience been most free and bounteous.
If it be so— as so 'tis put on me,(100)
And that in way of caution—I must tell you,
You do not understand yourself so clearly
As it behooves my daughter and your honour.
What is between you? Give me up the truth.

POLONIUS:

By Mary, well thought.
I have heard that he has very often lately
Given private time to you, and you yourself
Have been most free and generous with your time,
If it that is so, as it was put to me
And that in way of cautioning me, I must tell you
You don’t understand yourself so clearly
What is morally fitting my daughter and your honor.
What is going on between you? Tell me the truth.

OPHELIA:

He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders(105)
Of his affection to me.

OPHELIA:

My lord, he has of late made many offers
Of his affection to me.

POLONIUS:

Affection? Pooh! You speak like a green girl,
Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.
Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?

POLONIUS:

Affection! Pooh! You speak like a green girl,
Ignorant in such dangerous circumstances.
Do you believe his “offers,” as you call them?

OPHELIA:

I do not know, my lord, what I should think.(110)

OPHELIA:

My lord, I don’t know what I should think.

POLONIUS:

Marry, I'll teach you. Think yourself a baby,
That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay,
Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly,
Or—not to crack the wind of the poor phrase,
Running it thus—you'll tender me a fool.(115)

POLONIUS:

By Mary, I’ll teach you. Think that you are a baby,
That you have taken these offers for true love,
Which are not true offers. Consider yourself more dearly,
Or, not to keep harping on that poor phrase,
Doing harm to it, you'll “offer” me a fool!

OPHELIA:

My lord, he hath importuned me with love
In honourable fashion.

OPHELIA:

My lord, he has courted me with love
In honorable fashion.

POLONIUS:

Ay, fashion you may call it. Go to, go to!

POLONIUS:

Yes, fashion you may call it, get going, get going.

OPHELIA:

And hath given countenance to his speech, my
lord,(120)
With almost all the holy vows of heaven.

OPHELIA:

And has given proper appearance to his speech, my lord,
With almost all the holy vows of heaven.

POLONIUS:

Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know,
When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul
Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter,
Giving more light than heat, extinct in both(125)
Even in their promise, as it is a-making,
You must not take for fire. From this time
Be something scanter of your maiden presence.
Set your entreatments at a higher rate
Than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet,(130)
Believe so much in him, that he is young,
And with a larger tether may he walk
Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,
Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers,
Not of that dye which their investments show,(135)
But mere implorators of unholy suits,
Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds,
The better to beguile. This is for all:
I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth
Have you so slander any moment leisure(140)
As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
Look to't, I charge you. Come your ways.

POLONIUS:

Yes, mousetraps to catch fools. I do know,
When passion burns the blood, how the wasteful soul
Gives the tongue vows to speak. These blazes, daughter,
Giving more light than heat, dead in both,
Even in their promises, dying as they are being made,
Must not be taken for real fire. From this time
Let your maiden presence be somewhat less visible,
Set your conversations at a higher rate
Than a command to chit-chat. As for Lord Hamlet,
Only believe so much about him, that he is young,
And he may walk on a higher mountain
Than may be given you. In short, Ophelia,
Don’t believe his vows, because they are pimps,
Not made of those things which show outside,
But mere beggars of unholy courtships,
Breathing like holy and righteous procurers,
The better to deceive you. This is true for all.
I would not, in plain terms, from this time forward
Have you waste any leisure moment
By giving words to or talking with the Lord Hamlet.
Do as I say, I order you. Let’s go.

OPHELIA:

I shall obey, my lord.

OPHELIA:

I shall obey, my lord.

Exeunt.