Scene III

[Elsinore. A room in the Castle.]

Enter King, and two or three.

KING:

I have sent to seek him, and to find the body.
How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
Yet must not we put the strong law on him.
He's loved of the distracted multitude,
Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;(5)
And where 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weigh'd,
But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,
This sudden sending him away must seem
Deliberate pause. Diseases desperate grown
By desperate appliance are relieved,(10)
Or not at all.

Enter Rosencrantz and all the rest.

How now, what hath befall'n?

KING:

I have sent to find him and the body.
How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
Yet we must not put the strong law on him.
He's very popular with this country’s masses,
Who like not in their minds, but with their eyes,
And where it is so, the offender's punishment is
important, but never the offense. To deal with everything
smoothly and evenly, this sudden sending him away
must seem like a planned event. Diseases grown
desperate are best healed by desperate measures,
Or not at all.

How now! What’s happened?

ROSENCRANTZ:

Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,
We cannot get from him.

ROSENCRANTZ:

We cannot get from him
Where the dead body is hidden, my lord.

KING:

But where is he?(15)

KING:

But where is he?

ROSENCRANTZ:

Without, my lord; guarded, to know your
pleasure.

ROSENCRANTZ:

Outside, my lord, guarded, to know what you want.

KING:

Bring him before us.

KING:

Bring him before us.

ROSENCRANTZ:

Ho, Guildenstern! Bring in my lord.

ROSENCRANTZ:

Ho, Guildenstern! bring in my lord.

[Enter Hamlet and Guildenstern with Attendants.]

KING:

Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?(20)

KING:

Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?

HAMLET:

At supper.

HAMLET:

At supper.

KING:

At supper? Where?

KING:

At supper! Where?

HAMLET:

Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain
convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your
worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures(25)
else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat
king and your lean beggar is but variable service, two
dishes, but to one table. That's the end.

HAMLET:

Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain
group of educated worms are now biting him. Your worm
is your only emperor for diet. We fatten up all other
creatures to fatten us up, when we fatten ourselves for
maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar
interchangeable, two dishes but for one table. That's the end.

KING:

Alas, alas!

KING:

Alas, alas!

HAMLET:

A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a(30)
king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.

HAMLET:

A man may fish with the worm that has eaten a king, and
eat the fish that has fed on that worm.

KING:

What dost thou mean by this?

KING:

What do you mean by this?

HAMLET:

Nothing but to show you how a king may go a
progress through the guts of a beggar.

HAMLET:

Nothing but to show you how a king may progress
through the guts of a beggar.

KING:

Where is Polonius?(35)

KING:

Where is Polonius?

HAMLET:

In heaven. Send thither to see. If your messenger
find him not there, seek him i' the other place yourself. But
indeed, if you find him not within this month, you shall
nose him as you go up the stair, into the lobby.

HAMLET:

In heaven. Send there to see. If your messenger can’t
find him there, look for him in the other place yourself.
But, indeed, if you don’t find him within this month, you
will smell him as you go up the stairs into the lobby.

KING:

Go seek him there.(40)

KING:

Go find him there.

HAMLET:

He will stay till you come.

HAMLET:

He will stay until you come.

KING:

Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety—
Which we do tender as we dearly grieve
For that which thou hast done—must send thee hence
With fiery quickness. Therefore prepare thyself.(45)
The bark is ready and the wind at help,
The associates tend, and everything is bent
For England.

KING:

Hamlet, for this deed, for your special safety,
Which we do consider as we dearly grieve
For what you’ve done, we must send you away
With fiery quickness. Therefore, prepare yourself,
The ship is ready, and the wind will help,
The servants are boarded, and everything is prepared
For your trip to England.

HAMLET:

For England?

HAMLET:

For England!

KING:

Ay, Hamlet.(50)

KING:

Yes, Hamlet.

HAMLET:

Good.

HAMLET:

Good.

KING:

So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes.

KING:

So it is, if you knew our reasons.

HAMLET:

I see a cherub that sees them. But come, for England!
Farewell, dear mother.

HAMLET:

I see an angel that sees them. But, come, for England!
Goodbye, dear mother.

KING:

Thy loving father, Hamlet.(55)

KING:

Your loving father, Hamlet.

HAMLET:

My mother! Father and mother is man and wife; man
and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother. Come, for England!

HAMLET:

My mother. Father and mother is man and wife, man and
wife is one flesh, and so, my mother. Come, for England!

Exit.

KING:

Follow him at foot. Tempt him with speed aboard.
Delay it not; I'll have him hence tonight.
Away! for every thing is seal'd and done(60)
That else leans on the affair. Pray you, make haste.
And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught—
As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe(65)
Pays homage to us—thou mayst not coldly set
Our sovereign process, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,
The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England;
For like the hectic in my blood he rages,(70)
And thou must cure me. Till I know 'tis done,
Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun.

KING:

Follow him closely, get him to hurry aboard,
Don’t delay it. I’ll have him away tonight.
Away! because everything is sealed and done
That relies on this affair. I beg you, hurry.
And, England, if you hold my love at anything,
As my great power may give you some sense,
Since your scar still looks raw and red
After the Danish sword, and your open fear
Pays homage to us, you might not view
Our sovereign process coldly, which gives you full power,
By letters testifying to that effect,
The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England,
Because, he rages like the pace of my blood,
And you must cure me. Until I know it is done,
However great my luck, my joys can never begin.

Exit.