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HAMLET:

A dream itself is but a shadow.

HAMLET:

A dream itself is but a shadow.

ROSENCRANTZ:

Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light
a quality that it is but a shadow's shadow.

ROSENCRANTZ:

Truly, and I hold ambition of so airy and light a quality
that it is but a shadow's shadow.

HAMLET:

Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and(270)
outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows. Shall we to the
court? For, by my fay, I cannot reason.

HAMLET:

Then our beggars are bodies, and our monarchs and
outstretched heroes are the beggars' shadows. Shall we
to the court? for, by my faith, I cannot reason.

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN:

We'll wait upon you.

ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN:

We'll wait upon you.

HAMLET:

No such matter! I will not sort you with the rest of
my servants; for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am(275)
most dreadfully attended. But in the beaten way of friend-
ship, what make you at Elsinore?

HAMLET:

That’s not necessary. I won’t sort you with the rest of my
servants, because, to speak to you like an honest man, I
am most dreadfully attended. But, in the beaten way of
friendship, what are you doing at Elsinore?

ROSENCRANTZ:

To visit you, my lord; no other occasion.

ROSENCRANTZ:

To visit you, my lord, no other occasion.

HAMLET:

Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks; but I
thank you; And sure, dear friends, my thanks are too dear(280)
a halfpenny. Were you not sent for? Is it your own inclin-
ing? Is it a free visitation? Come, deal justly with me.
Come, come! Nay, speak.

HAMLET:

Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks, but I thank
you, and sure, dear friends, my thanks are a halfpenny
too expensive. Weren’t you sent for? Is it your own desire
to come here? Is it a free visit? Come on, Tell me the
truth. Come on, come on, no, tell me.

GUILDENSTERN:

What should we say, my lord?

GUILDENSTERN:

What should we say, my lord?

HAMLET:

Why, anything, but to the purpose. You were sent(285)
for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which
your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the
good King and Queen have sent for you.

HAMLET:

Why, anything but to the answer. You were sent for, and
there is a kind of confession in your looks, which you are
not very good at hiding. I know the good king and queen
have sent for you.

ROSENCRANTZ:

To what end, my lord?

ROSENCRANTZ:

What for, my lord?

HAMLET:

That you must teach me. But let me conjure you by the(290)
rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by
the obligation of our ever-preserved love, and by what more
dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and
direct with me, whether you were sent for or no.

HAMLET:

You have to tell me. But let me beg you, by the rights of
our fellowship, by the harmony of our youth, by the
obligation of our ever preserved love, and by anything
else that could charge you to be even and direct with me,
were you were sent for or not?

ROSENCRANTZ:

What say you?(295)

ROSENCRANTZ:

What do you say?

HAMLET:

Nay then, I have an eye of you.—If you love me, hold
not off.

HAMLET:

No, then, I see it all. If you love me, don’t hold
back.

GUILDENSTERN:

My lord, we were sent for.

GUILDENSTERN:

My lord, we were sent for.

HAMLET:

I will tell you why. So shall my anticipation prevent
your discovery, and your secrecy to the King and Queen(300)
moult no feather. I have of late—but wherefore I know not—
lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed,
it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame,
the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most
excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging(305)
firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire,
why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent
congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is a man! how
noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving
how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in(310)
apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the
paragon of animals! And yet to me what is this quintessence
of dust? Man delights not me—no, nor woman nei-
ther, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

HAMLET:

I will tell you why, so that my telling you first may prevent
your finding out, and your secrecy to the king and queen
will not lose anything. I have of late, but why I don’t know,
lost all my joy, given up all habits of exercises, and
indeed, I am so depressed that this good frame, the
earth, seems to me to be a sterile outpost, this most
excellent canopy, the air— look—, this brave sky hanging
over us, this majestic roof divided with golden fire, why, it
seems to me to be nothing but a dirty and disgusting
meeting of vapors. What a piece
of work is man! How noble in reason! how infinite in
faculties! in form and moving, how expressive and
admirable! In action how like an angel! in understanding,
how like a god! The beauty of the world! the paragon of
animals! And yet, to me, what is this highly refined speck
of dust? Man doesn’t delight me, no, nor woman either,
though by your smiling, you seem to find that funny.

ROSENCRANTZ:

My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts.(315)

ROSENCRANTZ:

My lord, there wasn’t any such stuff in my thoughts.

HAMLET:

Why did you laugh then, when I said man delights not
me?

HAMLET:

Why did you laugh then, when I said, “Man doesn’t delight me”?

ROSENCRANTZ:

To think, my lord, if you delight not in man,
what lenten entertainment the players shall receive from
you. We coted them on the way, and hither are they com-(320)
ing to offer you service.

ROSENCRANTZ:

To think, my lord, if you do not delight in man, what a
somber reception the players shall receive from you. We
passed them on the way, and they are coming here to perform.

HAMLET:

He that plays the king shall be welcome; his Majesty
shall have tribute of me. The adventurous knight shall use
his foil and target; the lover shall not sigh gratis; the
humorous man shall end his part in peace; the clown shall(325)
make those laugh whose lungs are tickle o' the sere; and the
lady shall say her mind freely, or the blank verse shall halt
for't. What players are they?

HAMLET:

The man that plays the king shall be welcome, his
“majesty” shall have my loyalty, the adventurous knight
shall use his sword and shield, the lover won’t sigh for
free, the funny man shall end his part in peace, the clown
shall make those laugh whose lungs are withered and the
lady shall say her mind freely, or the poetry of the play
shall stop for it. What players are they?

ROSENCRANTZ:

Even those you were wont to take such delight
in, the tragedians of the city.(330)

ROSENCRANTZ:

Even those you usually enjoy, the
tragedians of the city.

HAMLET:

How chances it they travel? Their residence, both in
reputation and profit, was better both ways.

HAMLET:

How is it that they travel? Being in the city was better for
them in regards to their reputation and their profits.

ROSENCRANTZ:

I think their inhibition comes by the means of
the late innovation.

ROSENCRANTZ:

I think their traveling to perform a play is a new
innovation.

HAMLET:

Do they hold the same estimation they did when I(335)
was in the city? Are they so followed?

HAMLET:

Do they hold the same respect they did when I was in the
city? Are they still followed?

ROSENCRANTZ:

No, indeed, are they not.

ROSENCRANTZ:

No, indeed, they are not.

HAMLET:

How comes it? Do they grow rusty?

HAMLET:

Why? Do they grow rusty?

ROSENCRANTZ:

Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace;
but there is, sir, an eyrie of children, little eyases, that(340)
cry out on the top of question and are most tyrannically
clapped for't. These are now the fashion, and so berattle the
common stages—so they call them—that many wearing
rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and dare scarce come
thither.(345)

ROSENCRANTZ:

No, their work keeps them at their usual pace, but there
is, sir, a brood of children, untrained, that complicate their
situation, and are most tyrannically beaten for it. Children
are now very popular, and are on the common stages, as
they call them, so much that many actors are afraid they
cannot compete and barely dare to come there.

HAMLET:

What, are they children? Who maintains 'em? How
are they escoted? Will they pursue the quality no longer
than they can sing? Will they not say afterwards, if they
should grow themselves to common players—as it is most
like, if their means are no better—their writers do them(350)
wrong to make them exclaim against their own succession?

HAMLET:

What, are they children? Who cares for them? Where do
they live? Will they stop pursuing the stage when they
can no longer sing? Won’t they say later, if they should
go on to become common players, which is likely, and
their lives are no better, that their writers did them wrong
to make them exclaim against their own success?

ROSENCRANTZ:

Faith, there has been much to do on both sides;
and the nation holds it no sin to tarre them to controver-
sy. There was, for a while, no money bid for argument
unless the poet and the player went to cuffs in the question.(355)

ROSENCRANTZ:

Well, there has been a lot of comment on both sides, and
the nation holds it no sin to provoke them to controversy.
There was, for a while, no money paid for debate unless
the poet and the player fought over the question.

HAMLET:

Is't possible?

HAMLET:

Is it possible?

GUILDENSTERN:

O, there has been much throwing about of
brains.

GUILDENSTERN:

O, there has been a lot of bashing of brains going on.

HAMLET:

Do the boys carry it away?

HAMLET:

Do the boys carry them away?

ROSENCRANTZ:

Ay, that they do, my lord, Hercules and his load(360)
too.

ROSENCRANTZ:

Yes, they do, my lord, Hercules and his load too.

HAMLET:

It is not very strange; for my uncle is King of
Denmark, and those that would make mows at him while
my father lived give twenty, forty, fifty, a hundred ducats
apiece for his picture in little. 'Sblood, there is something(365)
in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out.

HAMLET:

It is not very strange, for my uncle is king of Denmark,
and those that would make faces at him while my father
lived, paid twenty, forty, fifty, a hundred ducats each for a
little picture of him. God’s blood!, there is something
more than natural in this, if philosophy could figure it out.

Flourish [for the Players.]

GUILDENSTERN:

There are the players.

GUILDENSTERN:

There are the players.

HAMLET:

Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your
hands, come! Then appurtenance of welcome is fashion
and ceremony. Let me comply with you in this garb, lest my(370)
extent to the players—which, I tell you, must show fairly
outwards—should more appear like entertainment than
yours. You are welcome. But my uncle-father and aunt-
mother are deceived.

HAMLET:

Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Let me shake
your hands. The accessory of a welcome is fashion and
ceremony. Let me comply with it in these clothes, for fear
that my welcome to the players, which I tell you must look
good, should more appear like entertainment than your
plays. You are welcome. but my uncle-father and aunt-
mother are deceived.

GUILDENSTERN:

In what, my dear lord?(375)

GUILDENSTERN:

In what, my dear lord?

HAMLET:

I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is
southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.

HAMLET:

I am but crazy north-north-west. When the wind is from
the south, I know a hawk from a handsaw.

Enter Polonius.

POLONIUS:

Well be with you, gentlemen!

POLONIUS:

Welcome, gentlemen!

HAMLET:

Hark you, Guildenstern, and you too—at each ear a
hearer!(380)
That great baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling
clouts.

HAMLET:

Listen, Guildenstern, and you too, with each ear. That
great baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling clothes.