Scene I

[Elsinore. A room in the house of Polonius.]

Enter old Polonius with his man [Reynaldo] or two.

POLONIUS:

Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

POLONIUS:

Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

REYNALDO:

I will, my lord.

REYNALDO:

I will, my lord.

POLONIUS:

You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to make inquire
Of his behaviour.(5)

POLONIUS:

You would do very well, good Reynaldo,
Before you visit him, to ask someone
About his behavior.

REYNALDO:

My lord, I did intend it.

REYNALDO:

My lord, I did intend to ask.

POLONIUS:

Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir,
Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris,
And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
What company, at what expense; and finding(10)
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,(15)
And in part him.’ Do you mark this, Reynaldo?

POLONIUS:

By Mary, well said, very well said. Look here, sir,
First ask what Danes are in Paris,
And how, and who, what means, and where they live,
What company, at what expense, and finding,
By this talking around and drift of questions,
That they who do know my son, come nearer to you
Than your particular questions will touch it.
Assume, as it were, that you have only heard about him,
Such as, “I know his father and his friends,
And in part him”, are you listening to me, Reynaldo?

REYNALDO:

Ay, very well, my lord.

REYNALDO:

Yes, very well, my lord.

POLONIUS:

‘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(20)
What forgeries you please—marry, none so 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.(25)

POLONIUS:

”And in part him, but,” you may say, “not very well.
But if it is the one I mean, he's very wild,
Addicted so and so” and there tell him
Whatever lies you please. By Mary, no one is so evil
That they may dishonor him, take heed of that,
But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips
Are companions as I have noted and most known
To youth and liberty.

REYNALDO:

As gaming, my lord?

REYNALDO:

As gaming, my lord.

POLONIUS:

Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,
Drabbing. You may go so far.

POLONIUS:

Yes, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,
Prostitution. You may go that far.

REYNALDO:

My lord, that would dishonour him.

REYNALDO:

My lord, that would dishonor him.

POLONIUS:

Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge.(30)
You must not put another scandal on him,
That he is open to incontinency.
That's not my meaning; but breathe his faults so quaintly
That they may seem the taints of liberty,
The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,(35)
A savageness in unreclaimed blood,
Of general assault.

POLONIUS:

Believe me, it won’t. Just as you mention it in the charge.
You must not put another scandal on him,
That he is open to inconstancy.
That's not what I mean. Just tell his faults so quaintly
That they may seem to be the stains of freedom,
The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,
A savageness in wild blood,
An attack that everyone goes through.

REYNALDO:

But, my good lord—

REYNALDO:

But, my good lord,

POLONIUS:

Wherefore should you do this?

POLONIUS:

Why should you do this?

REYNALDO:

Ay, my lord,(40)
I would know that.

REYNALDO:

Yes, my lord,
I want to know that.

POLONIUS:

Marry, sir, here's my drift,
And I believe it is a fetch of warrant.
You laying these slight sullies on my son
As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working,(45)
Mark you,
Your party in converse, him you would sound,
Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured
He closes with you in this consequence:(50)
‘Good sir,’ or so, or ‘friend,’ or ‘gentleman’
According to the phrase or the addition
Of man and country

POLONIUS:

By Mary, sir, here's my intention:,
And I believe it is a trick of protection.
You’re laying these slight lies on my son
As it were something dirty that’s being carried out,
Listen to me.
Your part turned around: you would feel him out,
Having seen the youth you say is guilty
In the unnamable crimes. I assure you
He will end his conversation with you like this:
”Good sir,” or something like that, or “friend, “
Or “gentleman” according to the language
Of the man and his country.

REYNALDO:

Very good, my lord.

REYNALDO:

Very good, my lord.

POLONIUS:

And then, sir, does he this—he does—what was I(55)
about to say?
By the mass, I was about to say something! Where did I
leave?

POLONIUS:

And then, sir, ask if he does this, does he--What was I about to say?
By the mass, I was about to say something--Where did I leave off?

REYNALDO:

At ‘closes in the consequence,’ at ‘friend or so,’ and
gentleman.'(60)

REYNALDO:

At “end his conversation,” at “friend or so,” and
gentleman.”

POLONIUS:

At ‘closes in the consequence,’ ay, marry!
He closes with you thus: ‘I know the gentleman.
I saw him yesterday,’ or ‘t'other day,’
Or then, or then, with such, or such; ‘and, as you say,
There was a gaming,’ ‘there o'ertook in's rouse,’(65)
‘There falling out at tennis’; or perchance,
‘I saw him enter such a house of sale,’
Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.
See you now;
Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth;(70)
And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
With windlasses and with assays of bias,
By indirections find directions out.
So, by my former lecture and advice,
Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?(75)

POLONIUS:

At “end his conversation.” Yes, by Mary!
He ends talking with you like this: “I know the gentleman,
I saw him yesterday, or the other day,
Or then, or then, with such, or such, and, as you say,
There was he gaming, there overindulged in drinking,
There an argument at tennis'. Or maybe,
”I saw him enter such a house of prostitution”
That is to say, a brothel, or so forth
Listen now,
Your bait of lies catches this fish of truth.
And thus we who are wise and ambition,
With winches and with testing of what works,
Will find out what we want to know by being indirect.
So, using my lecture and advice from before,
You shall check on my son. You understand me, yes?

REYNALDO:

My lord, I have.

REYNALDO:

My lord, I do.

POLONIUS:

God be wi' ye. Fare ye well!

POLONIUS:

God be with you, goodbye.

REYNALDO:

Good my lord!

REYNALDO:

My good lord!

POLONIUS:

Observe his inclination in yourself.

POLONIUS:

Observe his inclinations in yourself.

REYNALDO:

I shall, my lord.(80)

REYNALDO:

I shall, my lord.

POLONIUS:

And let him play his music.

POLONIUS:

And let him practice his music.

REYNALDO:

Well, my lord.

REYNALDO:

Well, my lord.

POLONIUS:

Farewell!

Exit Reynaldo.

Enter Ophelia.

How now, Ophelia, what's the matter?

POLONIUS:

Goodbye!

Why, Ophelia! what's the matter?

OPHELIA:

O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!(85)

OPHELIA:

Alas, my lord, I have been so frightened!

POLONIUS:

With what, i' the name of God?

POLONIUS:

By what, in the name of God?

OPHELIA:

My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,
No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,
Ungartered, and down-gyved to his ankle;(90)
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors, he comes before me.

OPHELIA:

My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber,
Lord Hamlet, with his shirt all unbuttoned,
No hat upon his head, his stockings dirty,
Not pulled up, and fallen down around his ankles,
Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking together,
And with a look so pitiful in its meaning
As if he had been freed out of hell
To speak of horrors, he comes before me.

POLONIUS:

Mad for thy love?(95)

POLONIUS:

Crazy for your love?

OPHELIA:

My lord, I do not know,
But truly I do fear it.

OPHELIA:

My lord, I don’t know,
But I truly fear it.

POLONIUS:

What said he?

POLONIUS:

What did he say?

OPHELIA:

He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
Then goes he to the length of all his arm,(100)
And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,
He falls to such perusal of my face
As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so.
At last, a little shaking of mine arm,
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,(105)
He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
And end his being. That done, he lets me go,
And with his head over his shoulder turn'd
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;(110)
For out o' doors he went without their help,
And to the last bended their light on me.

OPHELIA:

He took me by the wrist, and held me hard,
Then he went to the length of his whole arm,
And with his other hand like this over his brow,
He started such study of my face
As though he wanted to draw it. He stayed this way a long time,
At last, with a little shaking of my arm,
And waving his head up and down like this three times,
He let out a sigh so pitiful and profound
That it seemed to shatter his whole body
And end his life. That done, he let me go.
And, with his head turned over his shoulder,
He seemed to find his way without his eyes,
Because he went through the doors without looking,
And to the last step, kept his eyes on me.

POLONIUS:

Come, go with me. I will go seek the King.
This is the very ecstasy of love,
Whose violent property fordoes itself(115)
And leads the will to desperate undertakings
As oft as any passion under heaven
That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.
What, have you given him any hard words of late?

POLONIUS:

Come, go with me. I will look for the king.
This is the very passion of love
Whose violent property kills itself,
And leads the will to desperate undertakings
As often as any passion under heaven
That afflicts our natures. I am sorry,
What, have you spoken to him harshly of late?

OPHELIA:

No, my good lord; but, as you did command,(120)
I did repel his letters and denied
His access to me.

OPHELIA:

No, my good lord, but, as you did command,
I did reject his letters and denied
His access to me.

POLONIUS:

That hath made him mad.
I am sorry that with better heed and judgment
I had not quoted him. I fear'd he did but trifle(125)
And meant to wrack thee; but beshrew my jealousy!
By heaven, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King.(130)
This must be known; which, being kept close, might move
More grief to hide than hate to utter love.

POLONIUS:

That has made him crazy.
I am sorry that I didn’t treat him with better heed and Judgment.
I was afraid he was only trifling with you
And meant to wreck you, but curse my jealousy!
It seems it is as proper for our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. Come, let’s go to the king.
This must be known, which, if kept secret, might mean
More trouble to hide it than hate for utter love.

Exeunt.