'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late Have of your audience been most free and bounteous: And that in way of caution-I must tell you, As it behoves my daughter and your honour. Ophelia. He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders Of his affection to me. 100 Polonius. Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl, Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? Ophelia. I do not know, my lord, what I should think. Polonius. Marry, I'll teach you: think yourself a baby, That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay, Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; Or-not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, Running it thus-you'll tender me a fool. Ophelia. My lord, he hath importuned me with love In honourable fashion. III Polonius. Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to. Oph. And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven. Polonius. Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. Than may be given you: in few, Ophelia, Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers, I do know, 120 Not of that dye which their investments show, I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to't, I charge you: come your ways. 130 Ophelia. I shall obey, my lord. SCENE IV. The platform. Enter HAMLET, HORATIO, and MArcellus. Hamlet. The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold. Horatio. It is a nipping and an eager air. Hamlet. What hour now? Horatio. Hamlet. No, it is struck. [Exeunt. I think it lacks of twelve. Horatio. Indeed? I heard it not: it then draws near the season Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk. [A flourish of trumpets, and ordnance shot off within. What does this mean, my lord? Ham. The king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering up-spring reels; And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge. Horatio. Hamlet. Ay, marry, is’t: Is it a custom? But to my mind, though I am native here And to the manner born, it is a custom More honour'd in the breach than the observance. This heavy-headed revel east and west Makes us traduced and tax'd of other nations: They clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase IO Soil our addition; and indeed it takes From our achievements, though perform'd at height, So, oft it chances in particular men, That for some vicious mole of nature in them, Shall in the general censure take corruption Horatio. Enter Ghost. Look, my lord, it comes! Hamlet. Angels and ministers of grace defend us! Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou comest in such a questionable shape That I will speak to thee: I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane: O, answer me! Let me not burst in ignorance; but tell Why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death, Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws, 20 30 40 50 So horridly to shake our disposition With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? [Ghost beckons Hamlet. Horatio. It beckons you to go away with it, As if it some impartment did desire To you alone. Marcellus. Look, with what courteous action It waves you to a more removed ground: But do not go with it. Horatio. No, by no means. Hamlet. It will not speak; then I will follow it. Hamlet. 60 Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee; It waves me forth again: I'll follow it. Horatio. What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea, And there assume some other horrible form, Hamlet. Go on; I'll follow thee. Marcellus. Hamlet. It waves me still. 70 79 You shall not go, my lord. Hold off your hands. Horatio. Be ruled; you shall not go. My fate cries out, And makes each petty artery in this body Still am I call'd. Unhand me, gentlemen. By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me: [Exeunt Ghost and Hamlet. Horatio. He waxes desperate with imagination. Marcellus. Let's follow; 'tis not fit thus to obey him. Nay, let's follow him. 91 [Exeunt. SCENE V. Another part of the platform. Enter GHOST and HAMLet. Ham. Whither wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further. Ghost. Mark me. Hamlet. Ghost. I will. My hour is almost come, When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames Must render up myself. Ghost. Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing To what I shall unfold. Hamlet. Speak; I am bound to hear. Ghost. So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear. Hamlet. What? Ghost. I am thy father's spirit; Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, ΙΟ |