Table Of Content

CHARACTERS Hamlet The prince of Denmark, and a student at the University of Wittenberg. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet‟s father, King Hamlet, has recently died, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, has married the new king, Hamlet‟s uncle Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle and disgust at his mother for marrying him. When the ghost of Hamlet‟s father appears and claims to have been murdered by Claudius, Hamlet becomes obsessed with avenging his father‟s death but keeps thinking of reasons why he should wait before killing Claudius—then chastizes himself for failing to act boldly. Hamlet is a character of contradictions. He admires characters like Fortinbras and the Player King, who behave passionately and even violently for no good reason, but is himself thoughtful, reflective, and philosophical. At times Hamlet is indecisive and hesitant, but at other times he is prone to rash and impulsive acts of violence. Claudius The king of Denmark, Hamlet‟s uncle. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, adept at manipulating others for his own ends and willing to execute, assassinate, or murder to stay in power. He doesn‟t understand Hamlet or Hamlet‟s motives, but he is quick to perceive Hamlet as a threat and take decisive action against him. Claudius does occasionally show signs of remorse and human feeling—his affection for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Gertrude The queen of Denmark, Hamlet‟s mother, recently married to Claudius. We never get to observe Gertrude on her own, so we know much more about how Hamlet feels about her than about how she sees herself. She seems clearly to love Hamlet, but Hamlet sees her as a weak, even depraved, woman motivated wholly by lust. Hamlet has such strong feelings about her sex life that he becomes momentarily distracted from his revenge quest, urging her toward a life of chastity. Polonius The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius‟s court, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Polonius has good intentions, but he tends to be somewhat conniving and underhanded. He frequently leaps to the wrong conclusions, and his speeches are comically pompous and long-winded. He is completely incapable of figuring out what Hamlet is up to. Horatio Hamlet‟s close friend, who studied with the prince at the University of Wittenberg. Hamlet trusts Horatio above any of the other characters, valuing him for his even temper and equanimity— qualities that Hamlet seems to despise in himself. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlet‟s death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet‟s story. Ophelia Polonius‟s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. A sweet and innocent young girl, Ophelia dutifully strives to obey her father and her brother, Laertes, allowing Polonius to use her in his scheme to spy on Hamlet. When her father dies, her sanity unravels, and in her madness she paints a scathing picture of young men as sexually exploitative and unfaithful, and her mad speeches about flowers conceal implied condemnations of Claudius and Gertrude. Laertes Polonius‟s son and Ophelia‟s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is a foil for the reflective and agonized Hamlet. Fortinbras The young prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet‟s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father‟s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet. Hamlet admires Fortinbras for his willingness to fight for no good reason. The Ghost The specter of Hamlet‟s recently deceased father. The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. However, it is not entirely certain whether the ghost is what it appears to be. Hamlet speculates that the ghost might be a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him into murder, and the question of what the ghost is or where it comes from is never definitively resolved. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Two slightly bumbling courtiers, former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet‟s strange behavior. Osric The foolish courtier who summons Hamlet to his duel with Laertes. His speeches are pretentious and difficult to understand. Voltimand and Cornelius Courtiers whom Claudius sends to Norway to persuade the king to prevent Fortinbras from attacking. Marcellus and Barnardo The officers who first see the ghost walking the ramparts of Elsinore and who summon Horatio to witness it. Marcellus is present when Hamlet first encounters the ghost. Francisco A soldier and guardsman at Elsinore. Reynaldo Polonius‟s servant, sent to France by Polonius to check up on and spy on Laertes. Original Text Modern Text Act 1, Scene 1 Enter BARNARDO and FRANCISCO, two sentinels BARNARDO and FRANCISCO, two watchmen, enter. BARNARDO Who‟s there? BARNARDO Who‟s there? FRANCISCO Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself. FRANCISCO No, who are you? Stop and identify yourself. BARNARDO Long live the king! BARNARDO Long live the king! FRANCISCO Barnardo? FRANCISCO Is that Barnardo? BARNARDO He. BARNARDO Yes, it‟s me. FRANCISCO You come most carefully upon your hour. FRANCISCO You‟ve come right on time. 5 BARNARDO 'Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francisco. BARNARDO The clock‟s just striking twelve. Go home to bed, Francisco. FRANCISCO For this relief much thanks. 'Tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart. FRANCISCO Thanks for letting me go. It‟s bitterly cold out, and I‟m depressed. BARNARDO Have you had quiet guard? BARNARDO Has it been a quiet night? FRANCISCO Not a mouse stirring. FRANCISCO I haven‟t even heard a mouse squeak. 10 BARNARDO Well, good night. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste. BARNARDO Well, good night. If you happen to see Horatio and Marcellus, who are supposed to stand guard with me tonight, tell them to hurry. FRANCISCO I think I hear them.—Stand, ho! Who‟s there? FRANCISCO I think I hear them. —Stop! Who‟s there? Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS MARCELLUS and HORATIO enter. HORATIO Friends to this ground. HORATIO Friends of this country. MARCELLUS And liegemen to the Dane. MARCELLUS And servants of the Danish king. FRANCISCO Give you good night. FRANCISCO Good night to you both. MARCELLUS O, farewell, honest soldier. Who hath relieved you? MARCELLUS Good-bye. Who‟s taken over the watch for you? FRANCISCO Barnardo has my place. Give you good night. FRANCISCO Barnardo‟s taken my place. Good night. Exit FRANCISCO FRANCISCO exits. 15 MARCELLUS Holla, Barnardo. MARCELLUS Hello, Barnardo. BARNARDO Say what, is Horatio there? BARNARDO Hello. Is Horatio here too? HORATIO A piece of him. HORATIO More or less. BARNARDO Welcome, Horatio.—Welcome, good Marcellus. BARNARDO Welcome, Horatio. Welcome, Marcellus. MARCELLUS What, has this thing appeared again tonight? MARCELLUS So, tell us, did you see that thing again tonight? 20 BARNARDO I have seen nothing. BARNARDO I haven‟t seen anything. MARCELLUS MARCELLUS 25 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, That if again this apparition come He may approve our eyes and speak to it. Horatio says we‟re imagining it, and won‟t let himself believe anything about this horrible thing that we‟ve seen twice now. That‟s why I‟ve begged him to come on our shift tonight, so that if the ghost appears he can see what we see and speak to it. HORATIO Tush, tush, ‟twill not appear. HORATIO Oh, nonsense. It‟s not going to appear. Act 1, Scene 1, Page 3 Original Text Modern Text 30 BARNARDO Sit down a while And let us once again assail your ears, That are so fortified against our story, What we have two nights seen. BARNARDO Sit down for a while, and we‟ll tell you again the story you don‟t want to believe, about what we‟ve seen two nights now. HORATIO Well, sit we down, And let us hear Barnardo speak of this. HORATIO Well, let‟s sit down and listen to Barnardo tell us. 35 BARNARDO Last night of all, When yond same star that‟s westward from the pole Had made his course t' illume that part of heaven Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself, The bell then beating one— BARNARDO Last night, when that star to the west of the North Star had traveled across the night sky to that point where it‟s shining now, at one o'clock, Marcellus and I— Enter GHOST The GHOST enters. MARCELLUS Peace, break thee off. Look where it comes again! MARCELLUS Quiet, shut up! It‟s come again. BARNARDO BARNARDO In the same figure like the king that‟s dead. Looking just like the dead king. 40 MARCELLUS (to HORATIO) Thou art a scholar. Speak to it, Horatio. MARCELLUS (to HORATIO) You‟re well-educated, Horatio. Say something to it. BARNARDO Looks it not like the king? Mark it, Horatio. BARNARDO Doesn‟t he look like the king, Horatio? HORATIO Most like. It harrows me with fear and wonder. HORATIO Very much so. It‟s terrifying. BARNARDO It would be spoke to. BARNARDO It wants us to speak to it. MARCELLUS Question it, Horatio. MARCELLUS Ask it something, Horatio. 45 HORATIO 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. HORATIO What are you, that you walk out so late at night, looking like the dead king of Denmark when he dressed for battle? By God, I order you to speak. MARCELLUS It is offended. MARCELLUS It looks like you‟ve offended it. BARNARDO See, it stalks away. BARNARDO Look, it‟s going away. HORATIO Stay! Speak, speak! I charge thee, speak! HORATIO Stay! Speak! Speak! I order you, speak! Exit GHOST The GHOST exits. 50 MARCELLUS 'Tis gone and will not answer. MARCELLUS It‟s gone. It won‟t answer now. BARNARDO How now, Horatio? You tremble and look pale. BARNARDO What‟s going on, Horatio? You‟re pale and trembling. You agree now that we‟re Is not this something more than fantasy? What think you on ‟t? not imagining this, don‟t you? What do you think about it? 55 HORATIO Before my God, I might not this believe Without the sensible and true avouch Of mine own eyes. HORATIO I swear to God, if I hadn‟t seen this with my own eyes I‟d never believe it. MARCELLUS Is it not like the king? MARCELLUS Doesn‟t it look like the king? 60 HORATIO As thou art to thyself. Such was the very armour he had on When he the ambitious Norway combated. So frowned he once when, in an angry parle, He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice. 'Tis strange. HORATIO Yes, as much as you look like yourself. The king was wearing exactly this armor when he fought the king of Norway. And the ghost frowned just like the king did once when he attacked the Poles, traveling on the ice in sleds. It‟s weird. 65 MARCELLUS Thus twice before, and jump at this dead hour, With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. MARCELLUS It‟s happened like this twice before, always at this exact time. He stalks by us at our post like a warrior. HORATIO In what particular thought to work I know not, But in the gross and scope of mine opinion This bodes some strange eruption to our state. HORATIO I don‟t know exactly how to explain this, but I have a general feeling this means bad news for our country. 70 75 MARCELLUS Good now, sit down and tell me, he that knows, Why this same strict and most observant watch So nightly toils the subject of the land, And why such daily cast of brazen cannon And foreign mart for implements of war, MARCELLUS All right, let‟s sit down and discuss that question. Somebody tell me why this strict schedule of guards has been imposed, and why so many bronze cannons are being manufactured in Denmark, and so many weapons bought from abroad, and why the shipbuilders Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task Does not divide the Sunday from the week. What might be toward, that this sweaty haste Doth make the night joint laborer with the day? Who is ‟t that can inform me? are so busy they don‟t even rest on Sunday. Is something about to happen that warrants working this night and day? Who can explain this to me? 80 85 90 95 100 HORATIO That can I. At least, the whisper goes so: our last king, Whose image even but now appeared to us, Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway, Thereto pricked on by a most emulate pride, Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet (For so this side of our known world esteemed him) Did slay this Fortinbras, who by a sealed compact Well ratified by law and heraldry, Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands Which he stood seized of to the conqueror, Against the which a moiety competent Was gagèd by our king, which had returned To the inheritance of Fortinbras Had he been vanquisher, as, by the same covenant And carriage of the article designed, His fell to Hamlet. Now, sir, young Fortinbras, Of unimprovèd mettle hot and full, Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there Sharked up a list of lawless resolutes, HORATIO I can. Or at least I can describe the rumors. As you know, our late king, whom we just now saw as a ghost, was the great rival of Fortinbras, king of Norway. Fortinbras dared him to battle. In that fight, our courageous Hamlet (or at least that‟s how we thought of him) killed old King Fortinbras, who—on the basis of a valid legal document— surrendered all his territories, along with his life, to his conqueror. If our king had lost, he would have had to do the same. But now old Fortinbras‟s young son, also called Fortinbras—he is bold, but unproven—has gathered a bunch of thugs from the lawless outskirts of the country. For some food, they‟re eager to take on the tough enterprise of securing the lands the elder Fortinbras lost. For food and diet, to some enterprise That hath a stomach in ‟t, which is no other— As it doth well appear unto our state— But to recover of us, by strong hand 105 And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands So by his father lost. And this, I take it, Is the main motive of our preparations, The source of this our watch, and the chief head Of this posthaste and rummage in the land. As far as I understand, that‟s why we‟re posted here tonight and why there‟s such a commotion in Denmark lately. 110 BARNARDO I think it be no other but e'en so. Well may it sort that this portentous figure Comes armèd through our watch so like the king That was and is the question of these wars. BARNARDO I think that‟s exactly right—that explains why the ghost of the late king would haunt us now, since he caused these wars. 115 120 HORATIO A mote it is to trouble the mind‟s eye. In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood, Disasters in the sun, and the moist star Upon whose influence Neptune‟s empire stands Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse. And even the like precurse of feared events, HORATIO The ghost is definitely something to worry about. In the high and mighty Roman Empire, just before the emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated, corpses rose out of their graves and ran through the streets of Rome speaking gibberish. There were shooting stars, and blood mixed in with the morning dew, and threatening signs on the face of the sun. The moon, which controls the tides of the sea, was so eclipsed it almost went completely out. And we‟ve had similar omens of terrible things to come, as if heaven and earth have joined together to warn us what‟s going to happen. As harbingers preceding still the fates And prologue to the omen coming on, Have heaven and earth together demonstrated Unto our climatures and countrymen. Enter GHOST The GHOST enters. 125 But soft, behold! Lo, where it comes again. I‟ll cross it though it blast me.—Stay, illusion! Wait, look! It has come again. I‟ll meet it if it‟s the last thing I do. —Stay here, you hallucination! GHOST spreads his arms The GHOST spreads his arms. If thou hast any sound or use of voice, Speak to me. If you have a voice or can make sounds, speak to me. 130 135 If there be any good thing to be done That may to thee do ease and grace to me, Speak to me. If thou art privy to thy country‟s fate, Which happily foreknowing may avoid, Oh, speak! Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life Extorted treasure in the womb of earth, For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death, Speak of it. Stay and speak! If there‟s any good deed I can do that will bring you peace and me honor, speak to me. If you have some secret knowledge of your country‟s sad fate— which might be avoided if we knew about it—then, please, speak. Or if you‟ve got some buried treasure somewhere, which they say often makes ghosts restless, then tell us about it. Stay and speak! The cock crows A rooster crows. —Stop it, Marcellus. Keep it from leaving, Marcellus. MARCELLUS Shall I strike at it with my partisan? MARCELLUS Should I strike it with my spear? 140 HORATIO Do, if it will not stand. HORATIO Yes, if it doesn‟t stand still. BARNARDO 'Tis here. BARNARDO It‟s over here. HORATIO HORATIO 'Tis here. There it is. Exit GHOST The GHOST exits. 145 MARCELLUS 'Tis gone. We do it wrong, being so majestical, To offer it the show of violence, For it is, as the air, invulnerable, And our vain blows malicious mockery. MARCELLUS It‟s gone. We were wrong to threaten it with violence, since it looks so much like a king. Besides, we can‟t hurt it anymore than we can hurt the air. Our attack was stupid, futile, and wicked. BARNARDO It was about to speak when the cock crew. BARNARDO It was about to say something when the rooster crowed. 150 155 HORATIO And then it started like a guilty thing Upon a fearful summons. I have heard The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat Awake the god of day, and, at his warning, Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, Th' extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine, and of the truth herein This present object made probation. HORATIO And then it acted startled, like a guilty person caught by the law. I‟ve heard that the rooster awakens the god of day with its trumpetlike crowing, and makes all wandering ghosts, wherever they are, hurry back to their hiding places. We‟ve just seen proof of that. 160 MARCELLUS It faded on the crowing of the cock. Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour‟s birth is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long. And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad. The nights are wholesome. Then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm, MARCELLUS Yes, it faded away when the rooster crowed. Some people say that just before Christmas the rooster crows all night long, so that no ghost dares go wandering, and the night is safe. The planets have no sway over us, fairies' spells don‟t work, and witches can‟t bewitch us. That‟s how holy that night is. So hallowed and so gracious is that time. 165 170 HORATIO So have I heard and do in part believe it. But look, the morn, in russet mantle clad, Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastward hill. Break we our watch up, and by my advice, Let us impart what we have seen tonight Unto young Hamlet, for, upon my life, This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it, As needful in our loves, fitting our duty? HORATIO Yes, I‟ve heard the same thing and sort of believe it. But look, morning is breaking beyond that hill in the east, turning the sky red. Let‟s interrupt our watch and go tell young Hamlet what we‟ve seen tonight. I‟m sure this ghost that‟s so silent with us will speak to him. Don‟t you agree that we owe it to him to tell him about this, out of duty and love? MARCELLUS Let‟s do ‟t, I pray, and I this morning know Where we shall find him most conveniently. MARCELLUS Let‟s do it. I know where we‟ll find him this morning. Exeunt They exit. Act 1, Scene 2 Enter CLAUDIUS, king of Denmark; GERTRUDEthe queen; HAMLET; POLONIUS; his sonLAERTES; and his daughter OPHELIA; LORDSattendant CLAUDIUS, the king of Denmark, enters, along with GERTRUDE the queen, HAMLET,POLONIUS, POLONIUS ‟s son LAERTES and daughter OPHELIA, and LORDS who wait on the king. 5 CLAUDIUS Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother‟s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him CLAUDIUS Although I still have fresh memories of my brother the elder Hamlet‟s death, and though it was proper to mourn him throughout our kingdom, life still goes on—I think it‟s wise to mourn him while also thinking about my own well being. Therefore, I‟ve married my former sister-in-law, the queen, with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. I know that in marrying Gertrude I‟m only doing what all 10 15 20 25 Together with remembrance of ourselves. Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state, Have we—as ‟twere with a defeated joy, With an auspicious and a dropping eye, With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole— Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone With this affair along. For all, our thanks. Now follows that you know. Young Fortinbras, Holding a weak supposal of our worth Or thinking by our late dear brother‟s death Our state to be disjoint and out of frame, Colleaguèd with the dream of his advantage, He hath not failed to pester us with message Importing the surrender of those lands Lost by his father, with all bonds of law, To our most valiant brother. So much for him. of you have wisely advised all along—for which I thank you. Now, down to business. You all know what‟s happening. Young Fortinbras, underestimating my strength or imagining that the death of the king has thrown my country into turmoil, dreams of getting the better of me, and never stops pestering me with demands that I surrender the territory his father lost to the elder Hamlet, my dead brother-in-law. So much for Fortinbras. Enter VOLTEMAND and CORNELIUS VOLTEMAND and CORNELIUS enter. Now for ourself and for this time of meeting Now, here‟s what needs to be done. 30 Thus much the business is: we have here writ To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras— Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears Of this his nephew‟s purpose—to suppress His further gait herein, in that the levies, The lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subject; and we here dispatch You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand, I‟ve written to Fortinbras‟s uncle, the present head of Norway, an old bedridden man who knows next to nothing about his nephew‟s plans. I‟ve told the uncle to stop those plans, which he has the power to do, since all the troops assembled by young Fortinbras are Norwegian, and thus under the uncle‟s control. I‟m giving the job of 35 For bearers of this greeting to old Norway, Giving to you no further personal power To business with the king more than the scope Of these dilated articles allow. (gives them a paper) Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty. delivering this letter to you, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand. Your business in Norway will be limited to this task. (he gives them a paper) Now good- bye. Show your loyalty by leaving quickly, rather than with elaborate speeches. 40 CORNELIUS, VOLTEMAND In that and all things will we show our duty. CORNELIUS, VOLTEMAND We‟ll do our duty to you in that and everything else. CLAUDIUS We doubt it nothing. Heartily farewell. CLAUDIUS I have no doubt you will. Good-bye. Exeunt VOLTEMAND and CORNELIUS CORNELIUS and VOLTEMAND exit. 45 50 And now, Laertes, what‟s the news with you? You told us of some suit. What is ‟t, Laertes? You cannot speak of reason to the Dane And lose your voice. What wouldst thou beg, Laertes, That shall not be my offer, not thy asking? The head is not more native to the heart, The hand more instrumental to the mouth, Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father. What wouldst thou have, Laertes? And now, Laertes, what do you have to tell me? You have a favor you to ask of me. What is it, Laertes? You‟ll never waste your words when talking to the king of Denmark. What could you ever ask for that I wouldn‟t give you? Your father and the Danish throne are as close as the mind and the heart, or the hand and the mouth. What would you like, Laertes? 55 LAERTES My dread lord, Your leave and favor to return to France, From whence though willingly I came to Denmark To show my duty in your coronation, Yet now, I must confess, that duty done, My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon. LAERTES My lord, I want your permission to go back to France, which I left to come to Denmark for your coronation. I confess, my thoughts are on France, now that my duty is done. Please, let me go.