Closet scene
III. iv. 1-219 -- 2374-2585
2374 Enter {Gertrard} <Queene> and Polonius. 2375-6 Pol. {A} <He> will come strait, | looke you lay home to him, 2377 Tell him his prancks haue beene too braod to beare with, 2378 And that your grace hath screend and stood betweene 2379 Much heate and him, Ile silence me euen heere, 2380 Pray you be round <with him>. 2381 <Ham. within. Mother, mother, mother.> 2384 {Enter Hamlet.} 2382 {Ger.} <Qu.> Ile {wait} <warrant> you, feare me not, 2383 With-drawe, I heare him comming. 2384 <Enter Hamlet.> 2385 Ham. Now mother, what's the matter? 2386 {Ger.} <Qu.> Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended. 2387 Ham. Mother, you haue my father much offended. 2388 {Ger.} <Qu.> Come, come, you answere with an idle tongue. 2389 Ham. Goe, goe, you question with {a wicked} <an idle> tongue. 2390 {Ger.} <Qu.> Why how now Hamlet? 2391 Ham. What's the matter now? 2392 {Ger.} <Qu.> Haue you forgot me? 2393 Ham. No by the rood not so, 2394 You are the Queene, your husbands brothers wife, 2395 {And} <But> would {it} <you> were not {so, you} <so. You> are my mother. 2396 {Ger.} <Qu.> Nay, then Ile set those to you that can speake. 2397-8 Ham. Come, come, and sit you downe, you shall not | boudge, 2399 You goe not till I set you vp a glasse 2400 Where you may see the {most} <inmost> part of you. 2401 {Ger.} <Qu.> What wilt thou doe, thou wilt not murther me, 2402 {Helpe how} <Helpe, helpe, hoa>. 2403 Pol. What {how helpe} <hoa, helpe, helpe, helpe>. 2404 Ham. How now, a Rat, dead for a Duckat, dead. 2405 Pol. O I am slaine. <Killes Polon ius.> 2406 {Ger.} <Qu.> O me, what hast thou done? 2407 Ham, Nay I knowe not, is it the King? 2408 {I2v} {Ger.} <Qu.> O what a rash and bloody deede is this. 2409 Ham. A bloody deede, almost as bad, good mother 2410 As kill a King, and marry with his brother. 2411 {Ger.} <Qu.> As kill a King. 2412 Ham. I Lady, {it was} <'twas> my word. 2413 Thou wretched, rash, intruding foole farwell, 2414 I tooke thee for thy {better} <Betters>, take thy fortune, 2415 Thou find'st to be too busie is some danger, 2416 Leaue wringing of your hands, peace sit you downe, 2417 And let me wring your hart, for so I shall 2418 If it be made of penitrable stuffe, 2419 If damned custome haue not brasd it so, 2420 That it {be} <is> proofe and bulwark against sence. 2421 {Ger.} <Qu.> What haue I done, that thou dar'st wagge thy tongue 2422 In noise so rude against me? 2423 Ham. Such an act 2424 That blurres the grace and blush of modesty, 2425 Cals vertue hippocrit, takes of the Rose 2426 From the faire forhead of an innocent loue, 2427 And {sets} <makes> a blister there, makes marriage vowes 2428 As false as dicers oathes, ô such a deede, 2429 <pp2> As from the body of contraction plucks 2430 The very soule, and sweet religion makes 2431 A rapsedy of words; heauens face dooes glowe 2432 {Ore} <Yea> this solidity and compound masse 2433 With {heated} <tristfull> visage, as against the doome 2434 Is {thought sick} <thought-sicke> at the act 2435 Quee. Ay me, what act? 2435-6 {Ham.} That roares so low'd, and {thunders} <thun-| ders> in the Index, 2437 <Ham.> Looke heere vpon this Picture, and on this,
2438 The counterfeit presentment of two brothers, 2439 See what a grace was seated on {this} <his> browe, 2440 Hiperions curles, the front of Ioue himselfe, 2441 An eye like Mars, to threaten {and} <or> command, 2442 A station like the herald Mercury, 2443 New lighted on a {heaue, a kissing} <heauen-kissing> hill, 2444 A combination, and a forme indeede,
2445 Where euery God did seeme to set his seale 2446 To giue the world assurance of a man, 2447 {I3} This was your husband, looke you now what followes, 2448 Heere is your husband like a mildewed eare, 2449 Blasting his wholsome {brother,} <breath.> haue you eyes, 2450 Could you on this faire mountaine leaue to feede, 2451 And batten on this Moore; ha, haue you eyes? 2452 You cannot call it loue, for at your age 2453 The heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble, 2454 And waits vppon the iudgement, and what iudgement 2455 Would step from this to this, {sence sure youe haue} 2455+1 {Els could you not haue motion, but sure that sence} 2455+2 {Is appoplext, for madnesse would not erre} 2455+3 {Nor sence to extacie was nere so thral'd} 2455+4 {But it reseru'd some quantity of choise} 2455+5 {To serue in such a difference,} what deuill wast 2456 That thus hath cosund you at hodman blind; 2456+1 {Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight,} 2456+2 {Eares without hands, or eyes, smelling sance all,} 2456+3 {Or but a sickly part of one true sence} 2456+4 {Could not so mope:} ô shame where is thy blush? 2457 Rebellious hell, 2458 If thou canst mutine in a Matrons bones, 2459 To flaming youth let vertue be as wax 2460 And melt in her owne fire, proclaime no shame 2461 When the compulsiue ardure giues the charge, 2462 Since frost it selfe as actiuely doth burne, 2463 {And} <As> reason {pardons} <panders> will. 2464 {Ger.} <Qu.> O Hamlet speake no more, 2465 Thou turnst {my very} <mine> eyes into my <very> soule, 2466 And there I see such blacke and {greeued} <grained> spots 2467 As will <not> leaue {there} their tin'ct. 2468 Ham. Nay but to liue 2469 In the ranck sweat of an inseemed bed 2470 Stewed in corruption, honying, and making loue 2471 Ouer the nasty stie. 2472 {Ger.} <Qu.> O speake to me no more, 2473 These words like daggers enter in {my} <mine> eares, 2474 No more sweete Hamlet. 2475 Ham. A murtherer and a villaine, 2476 A slaue that is not twentith part the {kyth} <tythe> 2477 {I3v} Of your precedent Lord, a vice of Kings, 2478 A cut-purse of the Empire and the rule, 2479 That from a shelfe the precious Diadem stole 2480 And put it in his pocket. 2481 {Ger.} <Qu.> No more. 2482 Enter Ghost. 2483 Ham. A King of shreds and patches, 2484 Saue me and houer ore me with your wings | 2487 Ham. Doe you not come your tardy sonne to chide,
2488 That lap'st in time and passion lets goe by 2489 Th'important acting of your dread command, ô say. 2490 Ghost. Doe not forget, this visitation 2491 Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose, 2492 But looke, amazement on thy mother sits, 2493 O step betweene her, and her fighting soule, 2494 Conceit in weakest bodies strongest workes, 2495 Speake to her Hamlet. 2496 Ham. How is it with you Lady? 2497 {Ger.} <Qu.> Alas how i'st with you? 2498 That you {doe} bend your eye on vacancie, 2499 And with {th'incorporall} <their corporall> ayre doe hold discourse, 2500 Foorth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep, 2501 And as the sleeping souldiers in th'alarme, 2502 Your bedded haire like life in excrements 2503 Start vp and stand an end, ô gentle sonne 2504 Vpon the heat and flame of thy distemper 2505 Sprinckle coole patience, whereon doe you looke? 2506 Ham. On him, on him, looke you how pale he glares, 2507 His forme and cause conioynd, preaching to stones 2508 Would make them capable, doe not looke vpon me, 2509 Least with this pittious action you conuert 2510 My stearne effects, then what I haue to doe 2511 Will want true cullour, teares perchance for blood. 2512 {Ger.} <Qu.> To {whom} <who> doe you speake this? 2513 Ham. Doe you see nothing there? 2514 {Ger.} <Qu.> Nothing at all, yet all that is I see. 2515 Ham. Nor did you nothing heare? 2516 {Ger.} <Qu.> No nothing but our selues. 2517 {I4} Ham. Why looke you there, looke how it steales away, 2518 My father in his habit as he liued, 2519 Looke where he goes, euen now out at the portall. Exit {Ghost}. 2520 {Ger.} <Qu.> This is the very coynage of your braine, 2521 This bodilesse extacie is very cunning in. 2522 <Ham. Extasie?> 2523 {Ham.} My pulse as yours doth temperatly keepe time, 2524 And makes as healthfull musicke, it is not madnesse 2525 That I haue vttred, bring me to the test, 2526 And <I> the matter will reword, which madnesse 2527 Would gambole from, mother f creation or loue of grace, 2528 Lay not {that} <a> flattering vnction to your soule
2529 That not your trespasse but my madnesse speakes, 2530 It will but skin and filme the vlcerous place 2531 {Whiles} <Whil'st> ranck corruption mining all within 2532 Infects vnseene, confesse your selfe to heauen, 2533 Repent what's past, auoyd what is to come, 2534 And doe not spread the compost {on} <or> the weedes 2535 To make them {rancker,} <ranke.> forgiue me this my vertue, 2536 For in the fatnesse of {these} <this> pursie times 2537 Vertue it selfe of vice must pardon beg, 2538 Yea curbe and wooe for leaue to doe him good. 2539-40 {Ger.} <Qu.> O Hamlet | thou hast cleft my hart in twaine. 2541 Ham. O throwe away the worser part of it, 2542 And {leaue} <liue> the purer with the other halfe, 2543 Good night, but goe not to {my} <mine> Vncles bed, 2544 Assune a vertue if you haue it not, <refraine to night,> 2544+1 {That monster custome, who all sence doth eate} 2544+2 {Of habits deuill, is angell yet in this} 2544+3 {That to the vse of actions faire and good,} 2544+4 {He likewise giues a frock or Liuery} 2544+5 {That aptly is put on to refraine night,} 2545 And that shall lend a kind of easines 2546 To the next abstinence, {the next more easie:} 2546+1 {For vse almost can change the stamp of nature,} 2546+2 {And either the deuill, or throwe him out} 2546 {With wonderous potency:} once more good night, 2547 And when you are desirous to be blest, 2548 Ile blessing beg of you, for this same Lord 2549 I doe repent; but heauen hath pleasd it so 2550 {I4v} To punish me with this, and this with me, 2551 That I must be their scourge and minister, 2552 I will bestowe him and will answere well 2553 The death I gaue him; so againe good night 2554 I must be cruell only to be kinde, 2555 {This} <Thus> bad beginnes, and worse remaines behind. 2555+1 {One word more good Lady.} 2556 {Ger.} <Qu.> What shall I doe? 2557 Ham. Not this by no meanes that I bid you doe, 2558 Let the {blowt} <blunt> King temp't you againe to bed, 2559 Pinch wanton on your cheeke, call you his Mouse, 2560 And let him for a paire of reechie kisses, 2561 <pp2v> Or padling in your necke with his damn'd fingers. 2562 Make you to {rouell} <rauell> all this matter out 2563 That I essentially am not in madnesse, 2564 But {mad} <made> in craft, t'were good you let him knowe, 2565 For who that's but a Queene, faire, sober, wise, 2566 Would from a paddack, from a bat, a gib, 2567 Such deare concernings hide, who would doe so, 2568 No, in dispight of sence and secrecy, 2569 Vnpeg the basket on the houses top, 2570 Let the birds fly, and like the famous Ape, 2571 To try conclusions in the basket creepe, 2572 And breake your owne necke downe. 2573 {Ger.} <Qu.> Be thou assur'd, if words be made of breath 2574 And breath of life, I haue no life to breath 2575 What thou hast sayd to me. 2576 Ham. I must to England, you knowe that. 2577 {Ger.} <Qu.> Alack I had forgot. 2577 Tis so concluded on. 2577+1 { Ham. Ther's letters seald, and my two Schoolefellowes,} 2577+2 {Whom I will trust as I will Adders fang'd,} 2577+3 {They beare the mandat, they must sweep my way} 2577+4 {And marshall me to knauery: let it worke,} 2577+5 {For tis the sport to haue the enginer} 2577+6 {Hoist with his owne petar, an't shall goe hard} 2577+7 {But I will delue one yard belowe their mines,} 2577+8 {And blowe them at the Moone: ô tis most sweete} 2577+9 {When in one line two crafts directly meete,} 2578 {K1} <Ham.> This man shall set me packing, 2579 Ile lugge the guts into the neighbour roome; 2580 Mother {good night indeed,} <goodnight. Indeede> this Counsayler 2581 Is now most still, most secret, and most graue, 2582 Who was in life a {most} foolish prating knaue. 2583 Come sir, to draw toward an end with you. 2584 Good night mother. {Exit.} 2585 <Exit Hamlet tugging in Polonius.> |