The very faculties of eyes and ears. A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, As deep as to the lungs ? Who does me this? Why, I should take it for it cannot be, O vengeance! What an ass am I! ay, sure, this is most brave; That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, And fall a cursing, like a very drab, A scullion! Fie upon't! foh! About, my brains! I have heard, That guilty creatures, sitting at a play, For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak players : Play something like the murder of my father, [Exit. ACT III. SCENE I.-A Room in the Castle. Enter KING, QUEEN, POLONIUS, OPHELIA, ROSEN- A King. ND can you, by no drift of circumstance, Get from him, why he puts on this confusion; Grating so harshly all his days of quiet With turbulent and dangerous lunacy? Ros. He does confess he feels himself dis tracted; But from what cause he will by no means speak. Guil. Nor do we find him forward to be sounded; But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof, When we would bring him on to some confession Of his true state. Queen. Did he receive you well! Guil. But with much forcing of his disposition. Ros. Niggard of question; but, of our demands, Most free in his reply. Queen. Did you assay him to any pastime? Ros. Madam, it so fell out, that certain players We o'er-raught on the way of these we told him; And there did seem in him a kind of joy Pol. 'Tis most true : And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties King. With all my heart; and it doth much content me To hear him so inclined. Good gentlemen, give him a further edge, King. [Exeunt ROSEN. and GUILD. Sweet Gertrude, leave us too: For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither; Her father, and myself (lawful espials), Will so bestow ourselves, that, seeing, unseen, That he thus suffers for. Queen. I shall obey you: And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish, That your good beauties be the happy cause Of Hamlet's wildness; so shall I hope your virtues Will bring him to his wonted way again, To both your honours. Oph. Madam, I wish it may. [Exit QUEEN. Pol. Ophelia, walk you here.-Gracious, so please you, We will bestow ourselves. [To OPHELIA.] Read on this book; That show of such an exercise may colour Your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this,'Tis too much proved, that, with devotion's visage, And pious action, we do sugar o'er The devil himself. King. [aside.] How smart a lash conscience! O, 'tis true! that speech doth give my The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art, Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it, Pol. I hear him coming; let's withdraw, my [Exeunt KING and POLONIUS. Enter HAMLET. Ham. To be, or not to be, that is the question: No more; and, by a sleep, to say we end Devoutly to be wish'd. To die,—to sleep ;— For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, That makes calamity of so long life: For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's con tumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay, And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought; Oph. I pray you, now receive them. Ham. No, no. I never gave you aught. |