My Thoughts and Wishes Bend Again Toward France and Bow Them to Your Gracious Leave and Pardon

Village Translation Act i, Scene 2

CLAUDIUS, the king of Kingdom of denmark, enters, as do GERTRUDE the queen, Village, POLONIUS, POLONIUS 's son LAERTES and daughter OPHELIA, and LORDS of Claudius'southward court.

CLAUDIUS

Though notwithstanding of Hamlet our dear brother'southward death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in 1 brow of woe, However so far hath discretion fought with nature That nosotros with wisest sorrow think on him Together with remembrance of ourselves. Therefore our sometime sister, at present our queen, Th' purple jointress to this warlike state, Accept nosotros—every bit 'twere with a defeated joy, With an cheering 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 nosotros herein barred Your amend wisdoms, which take freely gone With this affair forth. For all, our thank you. Now follows that you know. Immature 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 reward, He hath not failed to pester us with bulletin Importing the surrender of those lands Lost past his father, with all bonds of law, To our nigh valiant brother. So much for him.

CLAUDIUS

Though my memories of my blood brother Hamlet are notwithstanding fresh—and though information technology was proper for me and our unabridged kingdom to grieve for him—life doesn't stop. And so while nosotros must remember to mourn for him, it is also wise to call up our own happiness. Therefore—with a lamentable joy; with ane center merry and the other crying; with laughter at a funeral and grieving at a wedding; with equal measures of happiness and sadness—I have married my former sis-in-constabulary and fabricated her my queen. In this union, I know I've done exactly what all of you have been advising me to do all along. To all of you, my thank you. Now, let's move on to news that y'all all know: young Fortinbras, dreaming of celebrity and thinking that I am weak—or perhaps that the death of my brother has thrown our state into chaos —continues to bother me with demands that I give up the lands that his father lost to my blood brother when he was alive. That's the news on Fortinbras.

VOLTEMAND and CORNELIUS enter.

CLAUDIUS

At present for ourself and for this time of meeting Thus much the business is: we accept here writ To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras— Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears Of this his nephew'south purpose —to suppress His farther gait herein, in that the levies, The lists, and full proportions are all fabricated Out of his field of study; and we here dispatch You lot, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand, For bearers of this greeting to sometime Norway, Giving to you no further personal ability To business with the king more than the scope Of these dilated articles allow. [gives them a newspaper] Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty.

CLAUDIUS

Equally for me and this meeting, hither'south the story: [He holds upwards a alphabetic character] I've written to the King of Norway—Fortinbras' uncle—a weak and bedridden one-time homo who's barely heard a thing about his nephew's aims. I've told the Norwegian King to put a halt to Fortinbras' plans, since all of Fortinbras' troops are Norwegian.

[To CORNELIUS and VOLTEMAND] You lot, good Cornelius, and you lot, Voltemand, we transport you to carry this letter to the quondam King of Norway, merely give you no more power to negotiate with the Norwegian Rex beyond what is outlined in this letter. [He gives them the letter] Goodbye, and may you show your loyalty through the speed with which you bring this letter to Norway.

CORNELIUS, VOLTEMAND

In that and all things volition nosotros show our duty.

CORNELIUS, VOLTEMAND

Nosotros'll show our loyalty to y'all in that and all other means.

CLAUDIUS

We doubtfulness it nothing. Heartily farewell.

CLAUDIUS

I do not dubiety it. A fond goodbye to you lot.

CORNELIUS and VOLTEMAND exit.

CLAUDIUS

And now, Laertes, what's the news with y'all? Yous told us of some suit. What is 't, Laertes? You cannot speak of reason to the Dane And lose your vocalisation. What wouldst thou beg, Laertes, That shall not be my offer, not thy asking? The head is not more native to the heart, The manus more instrumental to the oral fissure, Than is the throne of Denmark to thy begetter. What wouldst thou have, Laertes?

CLAUDIUS

And now, Laertes, what's your news? You mentioned that y'all have a favor to ask of me. What is it, Laertes? Y'all'll never exist wasting your words past making a reasonable request of the King of Denmark. What could y'all possibly enquire for that I wouldn't requite you? Your father is as vital to the Danish throne as the head is to the center, or the hand to the mouth. What do you want, Laertes?

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, Still now, I must confess, that duty done, My thoughts and wishes curve again toward France And bow them to your gracious exit and pardon.

LAERTES

My powerful lord, I'd like your permission to go back to French republic. Though I came willingly to Denmark to show my loyalty at your coronation, now that my duty is done, I must acknowledge that my thoughts are again directed toward France. I hope you lot will give me your permission to go.

CLAUDIUS

Have y'all your father's leave? What says Polonius?

CLAUDIUS

Exercise y'all take your father's permission? What does Polonius say?

POLONIUS

He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave Past laborsome petition, and at final Upon his will I sealed my hard consent. I practice beseech you, give him leave to go.

POLONIUS

My lord, he has won my permission past asking me over and over again then that, finally, I reluctantly gave my approval. I inquire you to please requite him permission to go.

CLAUDIUS

Take thy fair hour, Laertes. Time exist thine, And thy all-time graces spend information technology at thy volition.— But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son—

CLAUDIUS

Leave when you similar, Laertes. Your time is your own, to be spent withal you want. And now, Hamlet, my nephew and my son—

Hamlet

[aside] A piffling more than than kin and less than kind.

HAMLET

[To himself] I'one thousand more closely related to you than I used to be, but without any feelings of affection.

CLAUDIUS

How is information technology that the clouds even so hang on you?

CLAUDIUS

Why are you and so gloomy that information technology seems like you are covered past clouds?

Hamlet

Non so, my lord. I am too much i' the sun.

Hamlet

Not at all, my lord. The problem is that I am covered in sunday.

GERTRUDE

Adept Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine center look like a friend on Denmark. Do non forever with thy vailèd lids Seek for thy noble begetter in the dust. Thou know'st 'tis common. All that lives must dice, Passing through nature to eternity.

GERTRUDE

Dearest Hamlet, stop wearing these black clothes, and look upon the King of Kingdom of denmark equally a friend. You tin't spend your whole life with your eyes aimed downwards at the footing, looking for your noble father in the dust. Yous know it's common. Everything that lives must die, passing from nature to sky.

HAMLET

Ay, madam, it is mutual.

HAMLET

Yes, madam, it is mutual.

GERTRUDE

If it be, Why seems it so item with thee?

GERTRUDE

If that's and then, why does it seem similar such an result to you?

Hamlet

"Seems," madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems." 'Tis non alone my inky cloak, adept female parent, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the center, Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed "seem," For they are actions that a man might play. Simply I have that within which passeth evidence, These only the trappings and the suits of woe.

Hamlet

"Seem," female parent? No, it is . I don't know the meaning of "seems." Expert mother, the blackness clothes I wear each day, my heavy sighs, the tears from my eyes, the sadness visible in my confront, or any other show of grief cannot capture what I actually experience. All these things "seem" similar grief, since they're merely what a person would do to deed like they were grieving in a play. But inside of me I have real grief, of which these wearing apparel and displays of grief are just an outward representation.

CLAUDIUS

'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your begetter. Just you lot must know your father lost a father, That male parent lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To exercise obsequious sorrow. But to persever In obstinate comfort is a course Of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief. Information technology shows a will nearly incorrect to sky, A heart unfortified, a listen impatient, An agreement elementary and unschooled. For what we know must be and is as mutual Every bit whatsoever the most vulgar thing to sense, Why should we in our peevish opposition Take it to eye? Fie! 'Tis a fault to heaven, A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, To reason near cool, whose common theme Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried, From the first corse till he that died today, "This must be then." We pray yous, throw to earth This unprevailing woe, and call up of us As of a male parent. For let the world take note, You lot are the most immediate to our throne, And with no less nobility of beloved Than that which dearest begetter bears his son Do I impart toward you. For your intent In going back to school in Wittenberg, It is well-nigh retrograde to our desire. And we beseech you lot, bend you to remain Hither in the cheer and comfort of our eye, Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son.

CLAUDIUS

Hamlet, it is sweet and adept that you mourn like this for your male parent. But yous must as well remember that your father lost his father, who in turn lost his father, and each fourth dimension the son had a duty to mourn for his father for a certain time. But to go along to mourn out of sheer stubbornness is blasphemous. Information technology isn't manly. It does non fit with God'due south desires, and information technology indicates a likewise-soft middle, an undisciplined listen, and a general lack of knowledge. When we know that something must eventually happen—and that it happens to everyone—why should we get it into our heads to oppose it? Indeed! Interim this way is a crime against heaven, a crime against the dead, a crime confronting nature. To a reasonable heed, it is absurd, since the decease of fathers—from the commencement corpse until the about contempo—is an inescapable theme of life. I enquire y'all, surrender your incessant mourning, and recall of me as your new father. Let the world understand: yous are the next in line for the throne, and I feel as much love for you lot equally any male parent feels for his son. Equally for your desire to render to Wittenberg, it's not what I would want. So I beg yous, delight give in to my asking and remain hither, where you tin bring joy and comfort—as the highest-ranking member of my court, my nephew, and now my son.

GERTRUDE

Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee, stay with us. Go non to Wittenberg.

GERTRUDE

Please don't let my prayers be in vain, Village. I beg you, stay with us. Don't return to Wittenberg.

HAMLET

I shall in all my best obey yous, madam.

Hamlet

I'll obey y'all equally all-time I can, madam.

CLAUDIUS

Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply. Be as ourself in Denmark. —Madam, come. This gentle and unforced accord of Village Sits smiling to my center, in grace whereof No jocund health that Kingdom of denmark drinks today Merely the not bad cannon to the clouds shall tell, And the male monarch's rouse the heavens shall bruit again, Respeaking earthly thunder. Come abroad.

CLAUDIUS

That loving response is what I hoped for: stay with united states in Denmark.

[To GERTRUDE] My dearest wife, come. Hamlet's easy willingness to stay has made me glad, and in honor of it, every happy toast I'll drinkable today will sound similar cannons up to the clouds above. My drinking will repeat against the heavens like thunder. Come on.

Trumpets play. Everyone except HAMLET exits.

Village

Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His catechism 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this earth! Fie on 't, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature Possess it just. That information technology should come to this. But ii months dead—nay, not so much, not 2. Then excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr. So loving to my mother That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face up likewise roughly.—Heaven and world, Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on, and yet, inside a month— Permit me not call up on 't. Frailty, thy name is woman!— A lilliputian calendar month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor begetter's body, Similar Niobe, all tears. Why she, even she— O God, a fauna that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle, My father's blood brother, but no more similar my begetter Than I to Hercules. Inside a month, Ere yet the common salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes, She married. O almost wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is non nor it cannot come to good, But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.

Hamlet

Oh, if but my muddied flesh would cook and then evaporate into a dew, or that God had not outlawed suicide. Oh God, God! How tired, dried, dull, and worthless all of life seems to me. Curse it! Yeah, curse it! It'due south like an untended garden, growing wild. Nasty, gross weeds cover it completely. That it has come to this point. My male parent, dead for but two months—no, not even that much, non two. A king then excellent, in comparing to Claudius he was like a god compared to a caprine animal . My father was and so loving toward my mother that he would non let the wind blow besides hard on her face. Sky higher up, must I remember? She would hang on his arm, as if the more fourth dimension she spent with him, the more she wanted to be with him. And yet, inside a month of my father's expiry—no, don't think about information technology. Women, curse your weakness!—in merely a month, before she had even broken in the shoes she wore to his funeral, weeping endlessly —oh, God, a wild beast would have mourned longer than she did!—she married my uncle, my father's brother, who's no more like my father than I'm like Hercules . Inside a month of my begetter'south death—before the salt from her crocodile tears had washed out of her red optics—she remarried. Oh, what wicked speed! To jump and so quickly into a bed of incest! It is not adept, and will non lead to whatsoever good either. Only my heart must break in silence, because I must remain tranquillity

HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BARNARDO enter.

HORATIO

Hail to your lordship.

Hamlet

I am glad to run across you well.— Horatio? Or I do forget myself?

HAMLET

I'one thousand pleased to meet you lot doing well. You are Horatio, correct? Or am I mistaken?

HORATIO

The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.

HORATIO

I am Horatio, my lord, your loyal retainer forever.

HAMLET

Sir, my good friend, I'll change that name with yous. And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?— Marcellus!

HAMLET

Sir, my practiced friend, non my servant. Why are you not at Wittenberg, Horatio?

[To MARCELLUS] Oh, Marcellus!

HAMLET

[to MARCELLUS ] I am very glad to see you. [to BARNARDO] Expert even, sir. [to HORATIO] —Merely what, in faith, make y'all from Wittenberg?

Hamlet

[To MARCELLUS] Then nice to run across you.

[To BARNARDO] How-do-you-do, sir.

[To HORATIO] Just what are you doing away from Wittenberg, Horatio?

HORATIO

A truant disposition, adept my lord.

HORATIO

I accept the eye of a dropout, my practiced lord.

Hamlet

I would not hear your enemy say and so, Nor shall you exercise mine ear that violence, To make it truster of your ain study Confronting yourself. I know you lot are no truant. Only what is your affair in Elsinore? We'll teach y'all to drinkable deep ere y'all depart.

Hamlet

I wouldn't let your enemies say that nearly y'all, then I won't let you lot say it—or believe you lot if you did. I know you'd never drop out. So why are you here at Elsinore? I'll teach you to drink deeply before you leave.

HORATIO

My lord, I came to come across your father's funeral.

HORATIO

My lord, I came to nourish your begetter'south funeral.

Hamlet

I pray thee, practise not mock me, young man pupil. I think it was to see my mother'south wedding ceremony.

HAMLET

Please, don't make fun of me, my swain student. I remember you came to see my female parent's wedding.

HORATIO

Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.

HORATIO

Well, my lord, it's true the wedding came soon later the funeral.

HAMLET

Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my beloved foe in heaven Or always I had seen that mean solar day, Horatio. My father—methinks I come across my father.

Hamlet

Information technology'due south called being frugal, Horatio. The leftovers from the funeral dinner made a great common cold dejeuner for the wedding. Horatio, I would rather take met my worst enemy in heaven than accept lived to see that awful 24-hour interval! My begetter—I think I run across my male parent.

Hamlet

In my mind's centre, Horatio.

HAMLET

In my imagination, Horatio.

HORATIO

I saw him once. He was a goodly king.

HORATIO

I saw him once. He was an impressive king.

HAMLET

He was a human. Take him for all in all. I shall not expect upon his like again.

HAMLET

He was a great man, perfect in all things. I'll never see his equal once again.

HORATIO

My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

HORATIO

My lord, I think I saw him final night.

HORATIO

My lord, the rex your male parent.

HORATIO

The male monarch your father, my lord.

Hamlet

The rex my father?!

Village

The king my father?!

HORATIO

Flavour your admiration for a while With an attent ear, till I may deliver, Upon the witness of these gentlemen, This curiosity to you.

HORATIO

Hold dorsum your excitement for a while, and mind while I tell you about this astonishing matter, with these two gentlemen as my witnesses.

HAMLET

For God's dearest, permit me hear.

Village

For God's sake, allow me hear information technology.

HORATIO

Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, on their picket, In the dead waste matter and centre of the nighttime, Been thus encountered: a figure like your father, Armed at bespeak exactly, cap-à-pie, Appears before them and with solemn march Goes wearisome and stately by them. Thrice he walked Past their oppressed and fright-surprisèd optics Within his truncheon'due south length, whilst they, distilled Nearly to jelly with the act of fearfulness, Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me In dreadful secrecy impart they did, And I with them the tertiary dark kept the lookout man, Where—as they had delivered, both in fourth dimension, Course of the thing, each give-and-take made true and proficient— The apparition comes. I knew your father. These hands are not more like.

HORATIO

For the last two nights, these two guardsmen—Marcellus and Barnardo—during their picket in the middle of the night, encountered a effigy that looked very much like your father, dressed in full armor from caput to toe. It appeared in front of them and marched by them, slowly and with dignity, at no greater distance than the length of his staff. He walked by them three times as they stood shaking in fearfulness like jelly, as well shocked to speak. They told me all near what they'd seen, swearing me to secrecy. On the third night, I stood baby-sit with them, and the ghost appeared, just when they said it would and looking just as they had described. I knew your male parent. The ghost looked as much similar him as my hands look like each other.

HAMLET

But where was this?

Hamlet

Where did this happen?

MARCELLUS

My lord, upon the platform where we lookout man.

MARCELLUS

On the platform where we stand baby-sit, my lord.

HAMLET

Did yous not speak to it?

Village

Didn't you talk to it?

HORATIO

My lord, I did, Merely reply fabricated information technology none. Yet once methought It lifted up its head and did address Itself to movement, like equally it would speak. But fifty-fifty then the morning erect crew loud, And at the sound it shrunk in haste away And vanished from our sight.

HORATIO

I did, my lord. But it didn't respond. Though once I idea that it raised its head equally if it were nearly to speak, but just so the rooster began to crow, and at the sound the ghost flinched so vanished from sight.

Village

'Tis very strange.

Hamlet

That's very strange.

HORATIO

Equally I do live, my honored lord, 'tis true. And we did think it writ down in our duty To allow you know of it.

HORATIO

I swear on my life that information technology'south truthful, my lord. We thought that it was our duty to tell you about it.

Hamlet

Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you lot the scout tonight?

Village

Yeah, you're right. just I'grand disturbed by this story. Do you have baby-sit duty once more this night?

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

We do, my lord.

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

We practise, my lord.

Village

The ghost was armed, you say?

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

Armed, my lord.

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

Armed, my lord.

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

My lord, from head to foot.

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

From head to toe, my lord.

HAMLET

And then saw y'all not his face?

Hamlet

Then you didn't come across his face?

HORATIO

Oh yep, my lord. He wore his beaver up.

HORATIO

Oh, yes, nosotros could, my lord. He had his helmet visor upwards.

HAMLET

What, looked he frowningly?

HORATIO

A countenance more In sorrow than in acrimony.

HORATIO

His expression looked more sad than angry.

Village

Was he pale or flushed?

HAMLET

And fixed his eyes upon you?

Hamlet

Did he look straight at you lot?

Hamlet

I would I had been there.

Village

I wish I'd been there.

HORATIO

Information technology would have much amazed you.

HORATIO

Yous would have been shocked and amazed.

HAMLET

Very similar. Stayed it long?

Village

I'm sure I would have. Did it stay a long time?

HORATIO

While i with moderate haste might tell a hundred.

HORATIO

As long every bit it would take a person to count to one hundred at a moderate speed.

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

Longer, longer.

MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

No, longer.

HORATIO

Not when I saw 't.

HORATIO

Not the time I saw information technology.

HAMLET

His beard was grizzled, no?

Village

His beard was gray, right?

HORATIO

It was, as I accept seen it in his life, A sable silvered.

HORATIO

It was, just as it looked when I saw information technology when he was alive: dark brown with silverish streaks.

HAMLET

I will sentinel tonight. Perchance 'Twill walk again.

Village

I'll join you for guard duty tonight. Perchance the ghost will appear once more.

HORATIO

I warrant information technology will.

Hamlet

If it assume my noble father's person, I'll speak to it, though Hell itself should gape And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all, If you have hitherto concealed this sight, Let it be tenable in your silence still. And whatsoever else shall hap tonight, Give it an understanding, simply no tongue. I will give your loves. So fare you lot well. Upon the platform, 'twixt 11 and twelve, I'll visit you.

Hamlet

If it looks like my noble father, I'll speak to it, even if Hell itself opens upward and tells me to be quiet. I beg all of y'all, if y'all've kept this a undercover so far, continue to exist silent. And whatsoever happens tonight, call up nigh it, but don't hash out information technology with anyone. I'll exercise the same. So goodbye. I'll come encounter you on the guards' platform between eleven and twelve.

HORATIO, MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

Our duty to your honor.

HORATIO, MARCELLUS, BARNARDO

Nosotros'll do our duty to your Honor.

HAMLET

Your loves, as mine to yous. Goodbye.

HAMLET

Instead requite me your friendship, just as I give mine to you lot. Goodbye.

Everyone but Village exits.

HAMLET

My male parent's spirit in arms. All is non well. I dubiousness some foul play. Would the nighttime were come! Till so sit down still, my soul. Foul deeds will ascent, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's optics.

HAMLET

My begetter's ghost, wearing armor. This is non expert. I suspect some foul play. I wish it were night already! Until then, I must stay calm. Bad deeds volition always exist revealed, no affair how deeply they've been buried.

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Source: https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations/hamlet/act-1-scene-2

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