Scene VII

[Elsinore.]

Enter King and Laertes.

KING:

Now must your conscience my acquittance seal,
And you must put me in your heart for friend,
Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear,
That he which hath your noble father slain
Pursued my life.(5)

KING:

Now you must see that I am not guilty,
And you must put me in your heart as a friend,
Since you have heard, and with a knowing ear,
That man who killed your noble father
Wanted to kill me.

LAERTES:

It well appears. But tell me
Why you proceeded not against these feats
So crimeful and so capital in nature,
As by your safety, wisdom, all things else,
You mainly were stirr'd up.(10)

LAERTES:

It seems to be the truth. but tell me
Why didn’t you take action against these things,
So full of crime and punishable by death,
As you mainly were upset
By concern for your safety, wisdom, if nothing else.

KING:

O, for two special reasons,
Which may to you, perhaps, seem much unsinew'd,
But yet to me they are strong. The Queen his mother
Lives almost by his looks; and for myself—
My virtue or my plague, be it either which—(15)
She's so conjunctive to my life and soul
That, as the star moves not but in his sphere,
I could not but by her. The other motive
Why to a public count I might not go
Is the great love the general gender bear him,(20)
Who, dipping all his faults in their affection,
Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone,
Convert his gyves to graces; so that my arrows,
Too slightly timber'd for so loud a wind,
Would have reverted to my bow again,(25)
And not where I had aim'd them.

KING:

O, for two special reasons,
Which may to you, perhaps, seem a bit cowardly,
But yet to me they are strong. The queen his mother
Lives almost by his looks, and for myself,
Whether it’s my virtue or my plague,
She's so necessary to my life and soul,
That, as the star moves only in his orbit,
I couldn’t do anything without her say-so.
The other motive, why I couldn’t go to a public court,
Is the great love the people of this country have for him,
Who, dipping all his faults in their affection,
Would, like the spring that turn wood to stone,
Convert his crimes to graces, so that my actions,
Not at all popular with the masses,
Would have reflected badly on me,
And not be taken as I intended them.

LAERTES:

And so have I a noble father lost;
A sister driven into desperate terms,
Whose worth, if praises may go back again,
Stood challenger on mount of all the age(30)
For her perfections. But my revenge will come.

LAERTES:

And so I have lost a noble father,
A sister driven into insanity,
Whose worth, if praises may go back again,
Stood as a challenger to the most beautiful woman of all
Time for her perfections. but my revenge will come.

KING:

Break not your sleeps for that. You must not think
That we are made of stuff so flat and dull
That we can let our beard be shook with danger,
And think it pastime. You shortly shall hear more.(35)
I loved your father, and we love ourself,
And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine—

Enter a Messenger with letters.

How now? What news?

KING:

Don’t lose any sleep over it. You mustn’t think
That we are made of stuff so flat and dull
That we can let our power be shaken with danger,
And think it unimportant. You will soon hear more.
I loved your father, and we love ourself,
And that, I hope, will teach you to believe in that.

How now! What news?

MESSENGER:

Letters, my lord, from Hamlet.
This to your Majesty; this to the Queen.(40)

MESSENGER:

Letters, my lord, from Hamlet.
This one to your majesty, this one to the queen.

KING:

From Hamlet? Who brought them?

KING:

From Hamlet! Who brought them?

MESSENGER:

Sailors, my lord, they say; I saw them not.
They were given me by Claudio; he receiv'd them
Of him that brought them.

MESSENGER:

Sailors, my lord, they say, I didn’t see them.
They were given me by Claudio. He received them
From the sailors.

KING:

Laertes, you shall hear them.(45)
Leave us.

[Exit Messenger.]

[Reads]

High and mighty, you shall know I am set naked on your
kingdom. Tomorrow shall I beg leave to see your kingly eyes, when I
shall, first asking your pardon, thereunto recount the occasion of my
sudden and more strange return.(50)

HAMLET.

What should this mean? Are all the rest come back?
Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?

KING:

Laertes, you shall hear them.
Leave us alone.

'High and mighty, You shall know I am set naked
on your kingdom. Tomorrow shall I beg permission to see
your kingly eyes. when I shall, first asking your pardon,
recount the events of my sudden and more strange
return. HAMLET. '

What does this mean? Are all the rest returning?
Or is it some trick and no such thing?

LAERTES:

Know you the hand?

LAERTES:

Do you recognize the writing?

KING:

'tis Hamlet's character. 'Naked'—
And in a postscript here, he says 'Alone.'(55)
Can you advise me?

KING:

It’s Hamlet's handwriting. “Naked!”
And in a P. S. here he says “alone.”
What do you think?

LAERTES:

I'm lost in it, my lord. But let him come.
It warms the very sickness in my heart
That I shall live and tell him to his teeth,
'Thus diddest thou.'(60)

LAERTES:

I have no idea, my lord. But let him come.
It warms the very sickness in my heart
That I shall live and tell him to his face,
”You did it.”

KING:

If it be so, Laertes
As how should it be so? how otherwise?—
Will you be ruled by me?

KING:

If it is so, Laertes,
how should it be so? How can it be otherwise?
Will you take my advice?

LAERTES:

Ay my lord,
So you will not o'errule me to a peace.

LAERTES:

Yes, my lord,
Just as long as you don’t ask me to forget about it.

KING:

To thine own peace. If he be now return'd(65)
As checking at his voyage, and that he means
No more to undertake it, I will work him
To an exploit, now ripe in my device,
Under the which he shall not choose but fall;
And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe,(70)
But even his mother shall uncharge the practice,
And call it accident.

KING:

Only to your own satisfaction. If he returns now
As completing his voyage and he intends
To stay here and not sail to England, I will work him
To a plan, now ready for me to execute,
Under which he has no choice but to die.
And there will be no rumors about his death,
And even his mother shall understand the practice
And call it an “accident.”

LAERTES:

My lord, I will be ruled;
The rather, if you could devise it so
That I might be the organ.(75)

LAERTES:

My lord, I will take your advice,
But I’d rather, if you can arrange it,
To be the one who kills him.

KING:

It falls right.
You have been talk'd of since your travel much,
And that in Hamlet's hearing, for a quality
Wherein they say you shine. Your sum of parts
Did not together pluck such envy from him(80)
As did that one; and that, in my regard,
Of the unworthiest siege.

KING:

It’s falling into place.
You have been talked about since your travel so much,
For a quality where, they say, you really shine.
And Hamlet must have heard it. All your parts together
Didn’t arouse such jealousy in him
As did that one, and that, in my regard,
Is his weak spot.

LAERTES:

What part is that, my lord?

LAERTES:

What part is that, my lord?

KING:

A very ribbon in the cap of youth,
Yet needful too; for youth no less becomes(85)
The light and careless livery that it wears
Than settled age his sables and his weeds,
Importing health and graveness. Two months since
Here was a gentleman of Normandy—
I have seen myself, and served against, the French,(90)
And they can well on horseback; but this gallant
Had witchcraft in't. He grew unto his seat,
And to such wondrous doing brought his horse
As had he been incorpsed and demi-natured
With the brave beast. So far he topp'd my thought(95)
That I, in forgery of shapes and tricks,
Come short of what he did.

KING:

A very ribbon in the cap of youth,
But necessary too, for youth doesn’t look less well in
The fun and reckless clothes that it wears
Than old age settles for his black furs and woolens,
Showing health and seriousness. Two months ago,
There was a gentleman from Normandy here,
I’ve seen myself, and served against the French,
And they can do well on horseback, but this gallant
Had witchcraft in it. He grew into his seat,
And had his horse do such wonderful things,
As if he had been absorbed into the horse’s body
With the brave beast. He so impressed me,
That I, through lies and tricks,
Didn’t waste time in finding out what he did.

LAERTES:

A Norman was't?

LAERTES:

A Norman, was it?

KING:

A Norman.

KING:

A Norman.

LAERTES:

Upon my life, Lamord.(100)

LAERTES:

I swear, Lamond.

KING:

The very same.

KING:

The very same.

LAERTES:

I know him well. He is the brooch indeed
And gem of all the nation.

LAERTES:

I know him well. He is the jewel, indeed,
And gem of the whole nation.

KING:

He made confession of you;
And gave you such a masterly report,(105)
For art and exercise in your defence,
And for your rapier most especial,
That he cried out 'twould be a sight indeed
If one could match you. The scrimers of their nation
He swore had neither motion, guard, nor eye,(110)
If you opposed them. Sir, this report of his
Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy
That he could nothing do but wish and beg
Your sudden coming o'er to play with you.
Now, out of this—(115)

KING:

He said he knew you,
And gave such a great report of your skills
In the art and exercises of self-defense,
And for your sword especially,
That he cried out, “ It would be a sight indeed
If someone could match you.” The fencers of their nation,
He swore, didn’t have movements, strategy, or eyes,
If you fought them. Sir, this report of his
Poisoned Hamlet with envy
That he couldn’t do anything but wish and beg
Your sudden coming over her to play with him.
Now, out of this. . .

LAERTES:

What out of this, my lord?

LAERTES:

What “out of this,” my lord?

KING:

Laertes, was your father dear to you?
Or are you like the painting of a sorrow,
A face without a heart,

KING:

Laertes, was your father dear to you?
Or are you like a picture of sorrow,
A face without a heart?

LAERTES:

Why ask you this?(120)

LAERTES:

Why do you ask this?

KING:

Not that I think you did not love your father,
But that I know love is begun by time,
And that I see, in passages of proof,
Time qualifies the spark and fire of it.
There lives within the very flame of love(125)
A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it;
And nothing is at a like goodness still;
For goodness, growing to a pleurisy,
Dies in his own too much. That we would do,
We should do when we would; for this 'would' changes,(130)
And hath abatements and delays as many
As there are tongues, are hands, are accidents;
And then this 'should' is like a spendthrift sigh,
That hurts by easing. But to the quick o' the ulcer!
Hamlet comes back. What would you undertake(135)
To show yourself your father's son in deed
More than in words?

KING:

Not that I think you didn’t love your father,
But because I know love is begun by time,
And I see, in the ways of love,
That time dampens the spark and fire of it.
Within the very flame of love, there lives
A kind of wick or snuff that will put it out,
And nothing is worse than goodness staying still,
For goodness, growing to an infectious flu,
Dies in his own too much. What we want to do,
We should do when we would, for this 'would' changes,
And has stoppages and delays as many
As there are voices, hands, accidents,
And then this 'should' is like the sigh of a spendthrift,
That hurts by easing up. But to the heart of the matter.
Hamlet comes back. What would you do
To show yourself your father's son in deed
More than in words?