Act 4 — Scene V. Elsinore. A room in the castle.

Queen. I will not speak with her. Gent. She is importunate, indeed distract:[1666][1667] Her mood will needs be pitied.[1667] Queen. What would she have? Gent. She speaks much of her father, says she hears[1666] There's tricks i' the world, and hems and beats her heart, 5 Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt, That carry but half sense: her speech is nothing, Yet the unshaped use of it doth move The hearers to collection; they aim at it,[1668] And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts;[1669] 10 Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them,[1670] Indeed would make one think there might be thought,[1671] Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. Hor. 'Twere good she were spoken with, for she may strew[1672] Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.[1672] 15 Queen. Let her come in. [Exit Gentleman.[1672][1673][1674] [Aside] To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is,[1674][1675][1676] Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss:[1676] So full of artless jealousy is guilt,[1676] It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.[1676][1677] 20

Oph. Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark? Queen. How now, Ophelia![1678] Oph. [Sings] How should I your true love know[1679][1680] From another one?[1680] By his cockle hat and staff[1680] 25 And his sandal shoon.[1680][1681] Queen. Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song? Oph. Say you? nay, pray you, mark.[1682] [Sings] He is dead and gone, lady,[1683][1684][1685] He is dead and gone;[1684][1685] 30 At his head a grass-green turf,[1685][1686] At his heels a stone.[1685] Oh, oh![1687] Queen. Nay, but, Ophelia,— Oph. Pray you, mark. [Sings] White his shroud as the mountain snow,—

Queen. Alas, look here, my lord. 35 Oph. [Sings] Larded with sweet flowers;[1689] Which bewept to the grave did go[1690] With true-love showers.[1691] King. How do you, pretty lady?[1692] Oph. Well, God 'ild you! They say the owl was a[1693] 40 baker's daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know[1694] not what we may be. God be at your table![1695] King. Conceit upon her father. Oph. Pray you, let's have no words of this; but when[1696] they ask you what it means, say you this: 45 [Sings] To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,[1697][1698][1699] All in the morning betime,[1698][1700] And I a maid at your window,[1698] To be your Valentine.[1698] Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,[1701][1702] 50 And dupp'd the chamber-door;[1701][1703] Let in the maid, that out a maid[1701][1704] Never departed more.[1701] King. Pretty Ophelia! Oph. Indeed, la, without an oath, I'll make an end on't:[1705] 55 [Sings] By Gis and by Saint Charity,[1706][1707] Alack, and fie for shame![1707] Young men will do't, if they come to't;[1707] By cock, they are to blame.[1707][1708] Quoth she, before you tumbled me,[1709][1710] 60 You promised me to wed.[1710] He answers:[1711] So would I ha' done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed.[1712] King. How long hath she been thus?[1713] Oph. I hope all will be well. We must be patient: but 65 I cannot choose but weep, to think they should lay him i'[1714] the cold ground. My brother shall know of it: and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night,[1715] good night. [Exit.[1715][1716] 70 King. Follow her close; give her good watch, I pray you. [Exit Horatio.[1717] O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs[1718] All from her father's death. O Gertrude, Gertrude,[1719] When sorrows come, they come not single spies,[1720] But in battalions! First, her father slain:[1721] 75 Next, your son gone; and he most violent author Of his own just remove: the people muddied, Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers,[1722] For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly,[1723] In hugger-mugger to inter him: poor Ophelia[1724] 80 Divided from herself and her fair judgement, Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts:[1725] Last, and as much containing as all these, Her brother is in secret come from France, Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds,[1726] 85 And wants not buzzers to infect his ear[1727] With pestilent speeches of his father's death; Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd,[1728] Will nothing stick our person to arraign[1729] In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude, this, 90 Like to a murdering-piece, in many places[1730][1731] Gives me superfluous death. [A noise within.[1731] Queen. Alack, what noise is this?[1732] King. Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door.[1733][1734]

What is the matter?[1734] Gent. Save yourself, my lord:[1734][1735] The ocean, overpeering of his list, 95 Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste[1736] Than young Laertes, in a riotous head, O'erbears your officers. The rabble call him lord;[1737] And, as the world were now but to begin,[1738] Antiquity forgot, custom not known,[1738] 100 The ratifiers and props of every word,[1738][1739][1740] They cry 'Choose we; Laertes shall be king!'[1739][1741] Caps, hands and tongues applaud it to the clouds,[1742] 'Laertes shall be king, Laertes king!'[1743] Queen. How cheerfully on the false trail they cry! 105 O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs! [Noise within.[1744] King. The doors are broke.

Laer. Where is this king? Sirs, stand you all without.[1746] Danes. No, let's come in.[1747] Laer. I pray you, give me leave. Danes. We will, we will. 110

Laer. I thank you: keep the door. O thou vile king,[1749][1750] Give me my father![1749] Queen. Calmly, good Laertes. Laer. That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard;[1751] Cries cuckold to my father; brands the harlot Even here, between the chaste unsmirched brow[1752] 115 Of my true mother. King. What is the cause, Laertes, That thy rebellion looks so giant-like? Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person: There's such divinity doth hedge a king, That treason can but peep to what it would,[1753] 120 Acts little of his will. Tell me, Laertes,[1754] Why thou art thus incensed: let him go, Gertrude:[1755] Speak, man. Laer. Where is my father? King. Dead. Queen. But not by him.[1756] King. Let him demand his fill. 125 Laer. How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with: To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil![1757] Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit![1758] I dare damnation: to this point I stand,[1758] That both the worlds I give to negligence, 130 Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged Most throughly for my father. King. Who shall stay you? Laer. My will, not all the world:[1759] And for my means, I'll husband them so well, They shall go far with little.[1760] King. Good Laertes,[1761] 135 If you desire to know the certainty[1761] Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge,[1762] That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe,[1763] Winner and loser?[1764] Laer. None but his enemies. King. Will you know them then?[1765] 140 Laer. To his good friends thus wide I'll ope my arms;[1766] And, like the kind life-rendering pelican,[1767] Repast them with my blood.[1768] King. Why, now you speak Like a good child and a true gentleman. That I am guiltless of your father's death, 145 And am most sensibly in grief for it,[1769] It shall as level to your judgement pierce[1770] As day does to your eye. Danes. [Within] Let her come in. Laer. How now! what noise is that?

O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt, 150 Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye![1772] By heaven, thy madness shall be paid with weight,[1773] Till our scale turn the beam. O rose of May![1774] Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia! O heavens! is't possible a young maid's wits 155 Should be as mortal as an old man's life?[1775] Nature is fine in love, and where 'tis fine[1776][1777] It sends some precious instance of itself[1776][1777] After the thing it loves.[1776] Oph. [Sings] They bore him barefaced on the bier;[1778] 160 Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny:[1779] And in his grave rain'd many a tear,—[1780] Fare you well, my dove![1781] Laer. Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge,[1782] It could not move thus.[1782][1783] 165 Oph. [Sings] You must sing down a-down,[1784] An you call him a-down-a.[1785] O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the false steward, that[1786] stole his master's daughter. Laer. This nothing's more than matter.[1787] 170 Oph. There's rosemary, that's for remembrance: pray[1788][1789] you, love, remember: and there is pansies, that's for[1789][1790] thoughts. Laer. A document in madness; thoughts and remembrance fitted. 175 Oph. There's fennel for you, and columbines: there's rue for you; and here's some for me: we may call it herb[1791] of grace o' Sundays: O, you must wear your rue with a[1791][1792] difference. There's a daisy: I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died: they 180 say a' made a good end,—[1793] [Sings] For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.[1794] Laer. Thought and affliction, passion, hell itself,[1795] She turns to favour and to prettiness. Oph. [Sings] And will a' not come again?[1796][1797] 185 And will a' not come again?[1797] No, no, he is dead,[1798] Go to thy death-bed,[1798][1799] He never will come again. His beard was as white as snow,[1800] 190 All flaxen was his poll:[1801] He is gone, he is gone,[1802] And we cast away moan:[1802] God ha' mercy on his soul![1803] And of all Christian souls, I pray God. God be wi' you. 195

Laer. Do you see this, O God?[1805] King. Laertes, I must commune with your grief,[1806] Or you deny me right. Go but apart, Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will, And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me: 200 If by direct or by collateral hand[1807] They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,[1808] Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours, To you in satisfaction; but if not, Be you content to lend your patience to us,[1809] 205 And we shall jointly labour with your soul To give it due content. Laer. Let this be so; His means of death, his obscure funeral,[1810] No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones,[1811] No noble rite nor formal ostentation,[1812] 210 Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth, That I must call't in question.[1813] King. So you shall; And where the offence is let the great axe fall.[1814] I pray you, go with me. [Exeunt.