HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK. DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. CLAUDIUS, king of Denmark. MARCELLUS, HAMLET, son to the former, and BERNARDO, nephew to the present king. POLONIUS, lord chamberlain. HORATIO, friend to Hamlet. LAERTES, son to Polonius. VOLTIMAND, FRANCISCO, a soldier. REYNALDO, servant to Polonius. Two Clowns, grave-diggers. English Ambassadors. GERTRUDE, queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet. OPHELIA, daughter to Polonius. Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants. Ghost of Hamlet's Father. SCENE Elsinore; except in the fourth scene of the fourth act, where it is a plain in Denmark. ACT I. SCENE I. Elsinore. A platform before the castle. FRANCISCO at his post. Enter to him Bernardo. Ber. Who's there? Fran. Nay, answer me: stand, and unfold yourself. Fran. Bernardo? Shakespeare. VI. 1 Ber. He. Fran. You come most carefully upon your hour. Ber. "Tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, Francisco. And I am sick at heart. Ber. Have you had quiet guard? Ber. Well, good night. Not a mouse stirring. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, - Stand, ho! Who is there? Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS. Hor. Friends to this ground. Who hath reliev'd you? And liegemen to the Dane. O, farewell, honest soldier: Bernardo has my place. Fran. Give you good night. [Exit. welcome, good Marcellus. Ber. Welcome, Horatio: Mar. What, has this thing appear'd again to-night? Ber. I have seen nothing. Mar. Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy, And will not let belief take hold of him Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us: Therefore I have entreated him along With us to watch the minutes of this night; And let us once again assail your ears, Sit down awhile; That are so fortified against our story, What we two nights have seen. Hor. Well, sit we down, And let us hear Bernardo speak of this. Ber. Last night of all, When yond same star that's westward from the pole The bell then beating one, Mar. Peace, break thee off; look, where it comes again! Enter Ghost. Ber. In the same figure, like the king that's dead. Most like: it harrows me with fear and wonder. Mar. Question it, Horatio. Hor. What art thou, that usurp'st this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march? by heaven I charge thee, speak! Mar. See, it stalks away! Hor. Stay! speak, speak! I charge thee, speak! Mar. "Tis gone, and will not answer. [Exit Ghost. Ber. How now, Horatio! you tremble, and look pale: Is not this something more than fantasy? What think you on't? Hor. Before my God, I might not this believe Without the sensible and true avouch Is it not like the king? Hor. As thou art to thyself: Such was the very armour he had on When he th' ambitious Norway combated; So frown'd he once, when, in an angry parle, "Tis strange. Mar. Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour, With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. Hor. In what particular thought to work I know not; But, in the gross and scope of my opinion, This bodes some strange eruption to our state. Mar. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he that knows, Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task Hor. At least, the whisper goes so. That can I; Our last king, Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands Had he been vanquisher; as, by the same co-mart, His fell to Hamlet. Now, sir, young Fortinbras, Hath in the skirts of Norway, here and there, |