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Hamlet

Act III, Scene 4

The Queen's closet.
 
[Enter GERTRUDE and POLONIUS]
 
POLONIUS
                  ,      ,
      He will / come straight:
                                 ,         T    T   .  T
                               Look you | lay home to him,
        ,     2         ,            ,          ,          ,
      Tell him his | pranks have | been too*| broad to | bear with,
            ,           ,              ,            ,         ,
      And that | your grace | hath screened,| and stood | between
             ,         ,            ,        ,       ,
      Much^heat,| and him.| I'll sconce | me ev|en here:
        ,     2       ,       2
      Pray you be | round with him.
 
HAMLET [Within]
                                      ,        ,        ,
                                     Mother,| mother,| mother.
 
GERTRUDE
            ,      2       ,        ,
      I'll war|rant you, fear | me not.  \\
            ,        ,         ,
      Withdraw,| I hear | him com|ing.  \\
 
[POLONIUS hides behind the arras. Enter HAMLET]
 
HAMLET
           ,         ,             x
      Now moth|er, what's | the matter?  \\
 
GERTRUDE
       ,         ,      2       ,         ,      ,
      Hamlet,| thou hast thy | father | much of|fended.
 
HAMLET
       ,        ,      2      ,         ,      ,
      Mother,| you have my | father | much of|fended.
 
GERTRUDE
        T     T    T     ,                   x     ,
      Come, come, you | answer | with an / idle tongue.
 
HAMLET
       T  T   T      ,            2    ,        ,
      Go go, you | question | with a wick|ed tongue.
 
GERTRUDE
           ,          ,
      Why how | now* Ham|let?
 
HAMLET
                               ,           ,       ,
                             What's | the mat|ter now?
 
GERTRUDE
        ,     2     ,
      Have you for|got me?
 
HAMLET
                               ,   2        T    T   T
                              No by the | rood, not so:
       ,              ,           ,          ,           ,
      You are | the queen,| your hus|band's broth|er's wife,
            ,                 ,   ,      2     ,    ,
      But would | you were / not so.| you are my | mother.
 
GERTRUDE
        ,               ,      ,              ,          ,
      Nay, then | I'll set | those to | you that | can speak.
 
HAMLET
        T     T    .   T          ,          ,           ,
      Come, come, and sit | you down,| you shall | not budge:
           ,    ,            ,         ,       ,
      You go | not till | I set | you up | a glass,
             ,         ,         ,         ,        ,
      Where you | may see | the in|most* part | of you?
 
GERTRUDE
             ,          ,          ,         ,       ,
      What wilt | thou do?| Thou wilt | not murd|er me?
        T     T    T
      Help, help, ho.
 
POLONIUS
                           ,     T     T     T
                     What ho,| help, help, help.
 
HAMLET
           ,       ,      ,           ,        ,
      How now,| a rat?| Dead for | a duc|at, dead.
 
[Kills POLONIUS]
 
POLONIUS
       ,          ,
      Oh I | am slain.
 
GERTRUDE
                         ,          ,           ,
                      O me,| what hast | thou done?
 
HAMLET
       ,       __    ___    ,            ,
      Nay I | know | not,| Is it | the king?
 
GERTRUDE
       ,            ,          ,       ,         ,
      Oh what | a rash,| and blood|y deed | is this?
 
HAMLET
          ,       ,        ,        ,          ,       o
      A blood|y deed,| almost | as bad,| good moth|er,
           ,        ,         ,       ,         ,        o
      As kill | a king,| and mar|ry with | his broth|er.  (hex with prev)
 
GERTRUDE
           ,        ,
      As kill | a king?
 
HAMLET
                         ,   ,                  ,
                        Aye la/dy, 'twas | my word.
 
[Lifts up the array and discovers POLONIUS]
             ,          ,       ,         ,          ,
      Thou wretch|ed, rash,| intrud|ing fool | farewell,
          ,           ,           x        ,         ,
      I took | thee* for | thy betters,| take thy | fortune,
              ,         ,    ,   ,       2        ,
      Thou findst | to be | too bu/sy, is some*| danger.
        ,     ,                   ,       ,               ,
      Leave wring/ing of | your hands,| peace, sit^|you down,
           ,         ,            ,          ,       ,
      And let | me wring | your heart,| for so | I shall
          ,        ,        ,    ,        ,
      If it | be made | of pen|etra|ble stuff;
           ,      ,        ,            ,         ,
      If damn|ed cust|om have | not* brazed | it so,
            ,        ,          ,            ,     ,
      That it | is proof | and bul|wark a/gainst sense.
 
GERTRUDE
        ,             ,                  ,    ,           ,
      What have | I done,| that thou / darst wag | thy tongue,
           ,          ,        ,
      In noise | so rude | against | me?
 
HAMLET
                                           ,        ,
                                         Such | an act
             ,           ,           ,         ,     ,
      That blurs | the grace | and blush | of mod|esty,
             ,       ,     ,            ,          ,
      Calls^vir|tue hyp|ocrite,| takes^off | the rose
                   ,    ,    ,           ,   2      ,
      From the / fair fore|head of | an in|nocent love,
            ,        ,        ,            ,          ,
      And sets | a blist|er there.| Makes^mar|riage vows
           ,         ,         ,           ,        ,
      As false | as dic|ers'^oaths.| Oh* such | a deed,
           ,         ,     ,        ,          ,
      As from | the bo|dy of | contrac|tion plucks
           ,      ,          ,        ,        ,
      The ve|ry soul,| and sweet | relig|ion makes
          ,    2         ,     ,          ,           ,
      A rhap|sody of / words. heav|en's face | doth glow,
       ,      2    ,    ,        T   T     T
      Yea this so|lidi|ty and | compound mass,
             ,        ,        ,       ,           ,
      With trist|ful vis|age, as | against | the doom,
            ,       ,            ,
      Is thought-|sick at | the act.  \\
 
GERTRUDE
Aye me; what act, that roars so loud, and thunders in the index.
 
HAMLET
             ,    . T    T   T         ,         ,
      Look^here | upon this pic|ture, and | on this,
            ,       ,        ,       2    ,     ,
      The count|erfeit | present|ment of two | brothers:
       ,             ,           ,            ,    ,
      See what | a grace | was seat|ed on / this brow,
         ,   2      ,           ,          ,         ,
      Hyper|ion's curls,| the front | of Jove | himself,
       .  T    T    T          ,       ,         ,
      An eye like Mars,| to threat|en and | command
         ,          ,         ,       ,     ,
      A sta|tion, like | the her|ald Mer|cury
       ,    ,              ,        ,        ,
      New light/ed on | a heav|en-kiss|ing hill:
         ,     ,        ,        ,        ,
      A com|bina|tion, and | a form | indeed,
             ,      ,          ,        ,          ,
      Where eve|ry god | did seem | to set | his seal,
           ,          ,        ,        ,      ,
      To give | the world | assur|ance of | a man.
        ,     2        ,          ,         ,          ,
      This was your | husband.| Look you | now what | follows.
        ,             ,          ,    .  T   T    T
      Here is | your hus|band, like | a mildewed ear
        ,              ,         ,          ,          ,
      Blasting | his whole|some broth|er. Have | you eyes?
             ,                ,    ,         ,          ,
      Could^you | on this / fair mount|ain leave | to feed,
           ,       ,          ,      ,               ,
      And bat|ten on | this moor? | Ha? Have | you eyes?
           ,        ,         ,         ,         ,
      You can|not call | it love:| for at | your age,
           ,    ,    2        ,          ,           ,
      The hey-|day in the | blood is | tame, it's | humble,
            ,       ,          ,         ,           ,       2->
      And waits | upon | the judg|ment: and | what judg||ment
              ,           ,         ,          T      T   .     T
      Would step | from this,| to this?| [[[[Sense, sure you* have,
        ,       2       ,          ,             ,           ,
      Else could you | not have | motion,| but sure,| that sense
          ,     ,          ,         ,          ,
      Is ap|oplexed;| for mad|ness would | not err,
            ,         ,     ,         ,           ,
      Nor sense | to ecs|tasy | was nere | so thralled
           ,        ,            ,     ,         ,
      But it | reserved | some quan|tity | of choice,
           ,          ,       ,     2                  x      x
      To serve | in such | a dif|ference.]]]] What / devil was it,
             ,          ,        ,         ,        ,
      That thus | hath coz|ened you | at hood|man-blind?
            ,            ,         ,             ,    ,
[[[[      Eyes with|out feel|ing, feel|ing with/out sight,
        ,             ,          ,      ,              ,
      Ears with|out hands | or eyes,| smelling | sans^all,
       ,    2      ,        ,        T    T    T
      Or but a | sickly | part of | one true sense
             ,         ,
      Could not | so mope. \\  ]]]]
          ,       ,              ,        ,          ,
      O shame!| where is | thy blush?| Rebel|lious hell,
           ,           ,    ,     2   ,          ,
      If thou | canst mut|iny | in a ma|tron's bones,
           ,        ,          ,       ,       ,
      To flam|ing youth,| let vir|tue be | as wax,
            ,              ,    ,         ,          ,
      And melt | in her / own fire.| Proclaim | no shame,
        ,             ,       ,       ,            ,
      When the | compuls|ive ard|or gives | the charge,
              ,         ,        ,            ,    ,
      Since frost | itself,| as act|ively / doth burn,
           ,        ,        ,
      And reas|on pand|ers will.
 
GERTRUDE
                                    ,         ,           ,   ->
                                 O Ham|let, speak || no more.
              ,            ,      3 3    ,      ,
      Thou turnst | mine^eyes | into my ve|ry soul,
            ,        ,           ,           ,        ,
      And there | I see | such^black | and grain|ed spots,
           ,          ,             ,
      As will | not leave | their tinct.
 
HAMLET
                                          ,              ,
                                         Nay, but | to live
        2      ,      ,                 ,    ,
      In the rank | sweat of | an en/seamed bed,
      <-   ,             ,         ,     ,         ,        ,
        Stewed in || corrup|tion; hon|eying | and mak|ing love
      ,   2       ,       ,
      Over the | nasty | sty.
 
GERTRUDE
                                    ,     2          ,
                             Oh | speak to me,| no more,
              ,           ,        ,      ,          ,
      These words | like dag|gers ent|er in | mine^ears.
           ,            ,     2
      No more | sweet* Ham|let.
 
HAMLET
                                   ,    2     ,         x
                                A murd|erer, and | a villain:
          ,                ,    ,    2     ,          ,
      A slave,| that is / not twent|ieth part | the tithe
       ,         ,           ,        ,         ,
      Of your | prece|dent lord.| a vice | of kings,
         ,    ,             ,   ,              ,
      A cut|purse of | the em|pire and | the rule,
             ,        ,          ,         ,  2     ,
      That from | a shelf,| the pre|cious di|adem stole,
           ,        ,          x
      And put | it in | his pocket.
 
GERTRUDE
                                        ,     oo
                                    No more.|
 
[Enter Ghost]
 
HAMLET
          ,          ,           ,
      A king | of shreds | and patch|es.    \\
        ,            ,      ,         ,           ,
      Save me;| and hov|er ore | me with | your wings
             x         ,       ,       2        ,          ,
      You heaven|ly guards.| What would your | gracious | figure?
 
GERTRUDE
        ,          ,
      Alas | he's mad.   \\
 
HAMLET
          ,          ,          ,      ,         ,
      Do you | not come | your tar|dy son | to chide,
              ,          ,         ,          ,        ,
      That lapsed | in time | and pas|sion, lets | go by
         2   ,        ,     3  3       ,          ,        ,
      The impor|tant ac|ting of your dread | command?| Oh say.
 
GHOST
          ,        ,          ,    ,   ,
      Do not | forget:| this vis|ita|tion
          ,         ,         ,        ,          x
      Is but | to whet | thy al|most blunt|ed purpose.   ??
            ,       ,        ,        ,        ,
      But look,| amaze|ment on | thy moth|er sits;
          ,        ,      ,               ,         ,
      O step | between | her, and | her fight|ing soul,
           ,         ,       ,          ,         ,
      Conceit | in weak|est bod|ies, strong|est works.
        ,     2       ,
      Speak to her | Hamlet.   \\
 
HAMLET
            x           ,     ,
      How is it | with you,| lady?
 
GERTRUDE
        ,           x           ,
      Alas, | how is it | with you?   (tri with prev)
            ,         ,          ,        ,    ,
      That you | do bend | your eye | on vac|ancy,
            ,            ,   2    ,         ,          ,
      And with | their corp|oral air | do hold | discourse.
        ,               ,           ,        ,       ,
      Forth at | your eyes,| your spir|its wild|ly peep,
           ,         ,        ,         ,      2   ,
      And as | the sleep|ing sol|diers in | the alarm,
            ,        ,           ,        ,      ,
      Your bed|ded hair,| like life | in ex|crements,
              ,         ,         ,        ,       ,
      Starts^up,| and stand | an end.| Oh gent|le son,
        ,          ,          ,         ,        ,      ->
      Upon | the heat | and flame | of thy | distemp||er
         ,        ,     ,               ,     2      ,
      Sprink|le cool | patience.| Whereon | do you look?
 
HAMLET
          ,        ,      ,              ,          ,
      On him,| on him:| Look you | how pale | he glares,
            ,          ,           ,       ,               ,
      His form | and cause | conjoined,| preaching | to stones,
              ,          ,    2         ,    ,      ,        ->
      Would make | them cap|able. Do / not look | upon || me,
        ,        2      ,    2   ,       ,         ,
      Lest | with this pit|eous ac|tion you | convert
           ,         ,            ,        ,        ,
      My stern | effects:| then what | I have | to do,
             ,     T    Tx     T           ,           ,
      Will want| true color; tears | perchance | for blood.
 
GERTRUDE
           ,      2      ,          2
      To whom | do you speak | this?
 
HAMLET
                                         ,         ,         ,
                                     Do you | see noth|ing there?
 
GERTRUDE
       ,            ,         ,          ,      ,
      Nothing | at all,| yet all | that is | I see.
 
HAMLET
       ,     2        ,         T
      Nor did you | nothing | hear?
 
GERTRUDE
                                     T   T      3   3      ,
                                    No, noth|ing but ourselves.
 
HAMLET
            ,          ,       ,              ,       ,
      Why look | you there:| look how | it steals | away:
          ,       ,        ,       ,        ,
      My fath|er in | his hab|it, as | he lived,
        ,       2       ,         ,     ,    2       ,
      Look where he | goes e|ven^now | out at the | portal.
 
[Exit Ghost]
 
GERTRUDE
        ,            ,      ,       ,          ,
      This is | the ve|ry coin|age of | your brain,
            ,     ,       ,       ,     ,        ,     ,        , ->
      This bod|iless | creat|ion ec|stasy || is ve|ry cun|ning in.
 
HAMLET
       ,    __
      Ecsta|sy?
           ,          ,           ,    2          ,    ,
      My pulse | as yours | doth temp|erately / keep time,
            ,           ,        ,        2      ,   ,       2->
      And makes | as health|ful mus|ic, it is / not mad||ness
           ,         ,          ,         ,         ,
      That I | have ut|tered; bring | me to | the test
          ,          x           ,    ,            ,
      And I | the matter | will re-|word: which | madness
             ,        ,     ,             ,         ,
      Would gam|bol from.| Mother,| for love | of grace,
            ,          ,     2    ,        ,          ,
      Lay* not | that mat|tering unc|tion to | your soul,
            ,      ,    ,                  ,          ,
      That not | your tres/pass, but | my mad|ness speaks:  ??
           ,          ,          ,         ,   2      ,
      It will | but skin | and film | the ul|cerous place,
               ,        ,        ,       ,        ,
      Whilst^rank | corrup|tion min|ing all | within,
          ,         ,         ,          ,          x
      Infects | unseen.| Confess | yourself | to heaven,
          ,             ,       ,          ,        ,
      Repent | what's^past,| avoid | what is | to come,
                ,     ,          ,        ,         ,
      And do / not spread | the com|post^on | the weeds,
           ,           ,         ,         ,        ,       ->
      To make | them rank.| Forgive | me this | my vir||tue,
       ,      2     ,        ,          ,       ,
      For | in the fat|ness of | these pur|sy times,
       ,           ,         ,          ,       ,
      Virtue | itself,| of vice | must pard|on beg,
            ,         ,          ,         ,         ,
      Yea curb,| and woo,| for leave | to do | him good.
 
GERTRUDE
         ,
      O Ham|let,
                  ,           ,          ,          ,
                Thou | hast cleft | my heart | in twain.
 
HAMLET
          ,       ,          ,       ,        ,
      O throw | away | the wors|er part | of it,
            ,         ,       ,         ,       ,
      And live | the pur|er with | the oth|er half.
             ,          ,    ,             ,        ,
      Good night,| but go | not to | mine^unc|le's bed,
          ,     ,               ,      ,       ,       ,
      Assume a virtue, if you have it not, refrain tonight,  ????
                 ,         ,            ,    ,           ,
[[[[      That monst|er, cust|om, who^/all sense | doth^eat,
          ,        x         ,      ,         ,
      Of hab|its devil,| is ang|el yet | in this,
            ,        ,        ,         ,          ,
      That to | the use | of ac|tions fair | and good
           ,    T    T   .   T         ,    ,
      He like|wise gives a frock | or liv|ery,
            ,           ,   ,       ,         ,
      That apt|ly is / put on.| Refrain | tonight,]]]]
            ,            ,        ,        ,     ,
      And that | shall lend | a kind | of eas|iness
        2      ,     ,      ,                ,         ,
      To the next | absti|nence. [[[[The | next more^|easy,
           ,     ,    2         ,           ,         ,
      For use | almost can | change the | stamp of | nature,
            ,       ,    2      x          ,          ,
      And eith|er mast|er the devil | or throw | him out
             ,        ,     ,              ,           ,
      With wond|rous pot|ency.|]]]] Once^more | good night,
            ,         ,       ,       ,         ,
      And when | you are | desir|ous to | be blessed,
             ,        ,        ,          ,           ,
      I'll bles|sing beg | of you.| For this | same^lord,
 
[Pointing to POLONIUS]
         ,       ,           x             ,          ,
      I do | repent:| but heaven | hath pleased | it so,
          ,       ,          ,          ,          ,
      To pun|ish me | with this,| and this | with me,
           ,         ,            ,           ,     ,
      That I | must be | their scourge | and min|ister.
          ,        ,          ,          ,        ,
      I will | bestow | him, and | will ans|wer well
            ,         ,          ,      ,           ,
      The death | I gave | him: So | again,| good night.
          ,         ,      ,     ,        ,
      I must | be cru|el, on|ly to | be kind;
            ,        ,          ,         ,         ,
      Thus bad | begins,| and worse | remains | behind.
 
GERTRUDE
        ,             ,
      What shall | I do?  \\
 
HAMLET
            ,        ,     ,             ,         ,
      Not this | by no | means that | I bid | you do:
       T   .    T     T      ,            ,        ,
      Let the blunt king | tempt you | again | to bed,
        ,     ,                 ,       ,              ,
      Pinch want/on on | your cheek,| call you | his mouse,
           ,     ,     2      ,        ,        ,
      And let | him for a | pair of | reechy | kisses,
          ,         ,          ,        2       ,      ,
      Or pad|dling in | your neck | with his damned | fingers,
        ,            ,      ,          ,       ,
      Make you | to rav|el all | this mat|ter out,
           ,      ,    2          ,   ,    ,
      That I | essen|tially am / not in | madness,
           ,         ,              ,         ,          ,
      But mad | in craft.| 'Twere good | you let | him know,
           ,                      ,      ,    ,        ,
      For who | that's but a // queen, fair, sob|er, wise,
        ,             ,          ,       ,       ,
      Would from | a pad|dock, from | a bat,| a gib,
             ,        ,          ,     ,           ,
      Such^dear | concern|ings hide,| Who would | do so,
       ,          ,          ,          ,     ,
      No in | despite | of sense | and sec|recy,
         ,         ,       ,        ,        ,
      Unpeg | the bask|et on | the hou|se's top:
       T   .    T    T          ,         ,       ,
      Let the birds fly,| and like | the fam|ous ape
          ,        ,         ,         ,        ,
      To try | conclu|sions in | the bask|et, creep
            ,                 ,    ,
      And break | your own^/neck down.  \\
 
GERTRUDE
           ,        ,          ,          ,          ,
      Be thou | assured,| if words | be made | of breath,
             ,          ,        ,         ,          ,
      And breath | of life:| I have | no life | to breathe
             ,           ,        ,
      What thou | hast said | to me.  \\
 
HAMLET
          ,        ,                ,    ,
      I must | to Eng|land, you / know that?
 
GERTRUDE
      <-    ,        ,        ,          ,        ,      ,
         Alack || I had | forgot:| 'tis so | conclud|ed on.
 
HAMLET
                   ,          ,               ,     ,    ,
[[[[      There's let|ters sealed:| and my / two school|fellows,
           ,          ,        ,         ,         ,
      Whom I | will trust | as I | will ad|ders fanged,
             ,         ,    ,                 ,         ,
      They bear | the man|date, they | must sweep | my way
           ,        ,        ,        ,         ,
      And mar|shal me | to knave|ry. Let | it work,
            ,          ,          ,         ,     ,
      For 'tis | the sport | to have | the en|gineer
        ,               ,        ,       2     ,          ,
      Hoist with | his own | petard:| and it shall | go hard
          ,          ,      T    T   . T            ,
      But I | will delve | one yard below | their mines,
            ,          ,         ,         ,           ,
      And blow | them at | the moon:| O* 'tis | most^sweet,
          2    ,      T   T     T         ,        ,
      When in one | line two crafts | direct|ly meet.]]]]
            ,           ,         ,
      This man | shall set | me pack|ing:   \\
            ,          ,     ,           ,         ,
      I'll lug | the guts | into | the neigh|bor room,
       ,              ,         ,           ,      ,
      Mother | good night.| Indeed | this couns|ellor
       .  T    T    T           ,               ,    ,
      Is now most still,| most^sec|ret, and / most grave,
           ,         ,       ,         ,        ,
      Who was | in life,| a fool|ish prat|ing knave.
        ,             ,        ,        ,          ,
      Come sir,| to draw | toward | an end | with you.
             ,      ,
      Good night | mother.  \\
 
[Exeunt severally; HAMLET dragging POLONIUS]

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