Act 4 — Scene I. A room in the castle.
Reading edition
Enter King, Queen, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern.[1571]
King. There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves:[1572] You must translate: 'tis fit we understand them. Where is your son? Queen. Bestow this place on us a little while.
[Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.[1573]
Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen to-night![1574] 5 King. What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?[1575] Queen. Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend[1576] Which is the mightier: in his lawless fit,[1577] Behind the arras hearing something stir, Whips out his rapier, cries 'a rat, a rat!'[1578] 10 And in this brainish apprehension kills[1579] The unseen good old man. King. O heavy deed! It had been so with us, had we been there:[1580] His liberty is full of threats to all, To you yourself, to us, to every one. 15 Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answer'd?[1581] It will be laid to us, whose providence Should have kept short, restrain'd and out of haunt,[1582] This mad young man: but so much was our love, We would not understand what was most fit, 20 But, like the owner of a foul disease, To keep it from divulging, let it feed[1583] Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone? Queen. To draw apart the body he hath kill'd: O'er whom his very madness, like some ore[1584] 25 Among a mineral of metals base,[1585] Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done.[1586] King. O Gertrude, come away![1587] The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, But we will ship him hence: and this vile deed[1588] 30 We must, with all our majesty and skill, Both countenance and excuse. Ho, Guildenstern!
Re-enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.[1589]
Friends both, go join you with some further aid:[1590] Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain, And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him:[1591] 35 Go seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this.
[Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.[1592]
Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends; And let them know, both what we mean to do,[1593] And what's untimely done....[1594] 40 Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter[1594] As level as the cannon to his blank[1594] Transports his poison'd shot, may miss our name[1594][1595] And hit the woundless air. O, come away![1594] My soul is full of discord and dismay. [Exeunt. 45