Scene Title : SCENE V. Another part of the platform.

Stage Dir : Enter GHOST and HAMLET

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Mark me.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : I will.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : My hour is almost come,
Line : When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames
Line : Must render up myself.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Alas, poor ghost!

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing
Line : To what I shall unfold.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Speak; I am bound to hear.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : What?

Speaker : Ghost

Line : I am thy father's spirit,
Line : Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,
Line : And for the day confined to fast in fires,
Line : Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature
Line : Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid
Line : To tell the secrets of my prison-house,
Line : I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Line : Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Line : Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
Line : Thy knotted and combined locks to part
Line : And each particular hair to stand on end,
Line : Like quills upon the fretful porpentine:
Line : But this eternal blazon must not be
Line : To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list!
Line : If thou didst ever thy dear father love--

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : O God!

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Murder!

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Murder most foul, as in the best it is;
Line : But this most foul, strange and unnatural.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift
Line : As meditation or the thoughts of love,
Line : May sweep to my revenge.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : I find thee apt;
Line : And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed
Line : That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf,
Line : Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear:
Line : 'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
Line : A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark
Line : Is by a forged process of my death
Line : Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth,
Line : The serpent that did sting thy father's life
Line : Now wears his crown.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : O my prophetic soul! My uncle!

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,
Line : With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,--
Line : O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power
Line : So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust
Line : The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen:
Line : O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!
Line : From me, whose love was of that dignity
Line : That it went hand in hand even with the vow
Line : I made to her in marriage, and to decline
Line : Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor
Line : To those of mine!
Line : But virtue, as it never will be moved,
Line : Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven,
Line : So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd,
Line : Will sate itself in a celestial bed,
Line : And prey on garbage.
Line : But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air;
Line : Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard,
Line : My custom always of the afternoon,
Line : Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
Line : With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
Line : And in the porches of my ears did pour
Line : The leperous distilment; whose effect
Line : Holds such an enmity with blood of man
Line : That swift as quicksilver it courses through
Line : The natural gates and alleys of the body,
Line : And with a sudden vigour doth posset
Line : And curd, like eager droppings into milk,
Line : The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine;
Line : And a most instant tetter bark'd about,
Line : Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust,
Line : All my smooth body.
Line : Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand
Line : Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd:
Line : Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
Line : Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd,
Line : No reckoning made, but sent to my account
Line : With all my imperfections on my head:
Line : O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!
Line : If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Line : Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
Line : A couch for luxury and damned incest.
Line : But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,
Line : Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Line : Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven
Line : And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
Line : To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!
Line : The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
Line : And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
Line : Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?
Line : And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart;
Line : And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
Line : But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee!
Line : Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a seat
Line : In this distracted globe. Remember thee!
Line : Yea, from the table of my memory
Line : I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
Line : All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
Line : That youth and observation copied there;
Line : And thy commandment all alone shall live
Line : Within the book and volume of my brain,
Line : Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven!
Line : O most pernicious woman!
Line : O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
Line : My tables,--meet it is I set it down,
Line : That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
Line : At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark:
Line : So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;
Line : It is 'Adieu, adieu! remember me.'
Line : I have sworn 't.

Speaker : MARCELLUS

Line : Within My lord, my lord,--

Speaker : MARCELLUS

Line : Within Lord Hamlet,--

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : Within Heaven secure him!

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : So be it!

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : Within Hillo, ho, ho, my lord!

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come.

Speaker : MARCELLUS

Line : How is't, my noble lord?

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : What news, my lord?

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : O, wonderful!

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : Good my lord, tell it.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : No; you'll reveal it.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : Not I, my lord, by heaven.

Speaker : MARCELLUS

Line : Nor I, my lord.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : How say you, then; would heart of man once think it?
Line : But you'll be secret?

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : Ay, by heaven, my lord.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : There's ne'er a villain dwelling in all Denmark
Line : But he's an arrant knave.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave
Line : To tell us this.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Why, right; you are i' the right;
Line : And so, without more circumstance at all,
Line : I hold it fit that we shake hands and part:
Line : You, as your business and desire shall point you;
Line : For every man has business and desire,
Line : Such as it is; and for mine own poor part,
Line : Look you, I'll go pray.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : I'm sorry they offend you, heartily;
Line : Yes, 'faith heartily.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : There's no offence, my lord.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,
Line : And much offence too. Touching this vision here,
Line : It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you:
Line : For your desire to know what is between us,
Line : O'ermaster 't as you may. And now, good friends,
Line : As you are friends, scholars and soldiers,
Line : Give me one poor request.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : What is't, my lord? we will.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Never make known what you have seen to-night.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : My lord, we will not.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Nay, but swear't.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : In faith,
Line : My lord, not I.

Speaker : MARCELLUS

Line : Nor I, my lord, in faith.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Upon my sword.

Speaker : MARCELLUS

Line : We have sworn, my lord, already.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Beneath Swear.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Ah, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there,
Line : truepenny?
Line : Come on--you hear this fellow in the cellarage--
Line : Consent to swear.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : Propose the oath, my lord.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Never to speak of this that you have seen,
Line : Swear by my sword.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Beneath Swear.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Hic et ubique? then we'll shift our ground.
Line : Come hither, gentlemen,
Line : And lay your hands again upon my sword:
Line : Never to speak of this that you have heard,
Line : Swear by my sword.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Beneath Swear.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Well said, old mole! canst work i' the earth so fast?
Line : A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends.

Speaker : HORATIO

Line : O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
Line : There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Line : Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come;
Line : Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
Line : How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
Line : As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
Line : To put an antic disposition on,
Line : That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
Line : With arms encumber'd thus, or this headshake,
Line : Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
Line : As 'Well, well, we know,' or 'We could, an if we would,'
Line : Or 'If we list to speak,' or 'There be, an if they might,'
Line : Or such ambiguous giving out, to note
Line : That you know aught of me: this not to do,
Line : So grace and mercy at your most need help you, Swear.

Speaker : Ghost

Line : Beneath Swear.

Speaker : HAMLET

Line : Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!
Line : So, gentlemen,
Line : With all my love I do commend me to you:
Line : And what so poor a man as Hamlet is
Line : May do, to express his love and friending to you,
Line : God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;
Line : And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
Line : The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
Line : That ever I was born to set it right!
Line : Nay, come, let's go together.