PERSONS REPRESENTED.

CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark.

HAMLET, Nephew to the King.

POLONIUS, Lord Chamberlain.

HORATIO, Friend to Hamlet.
LAERTES, Son to Polonius.

ROSENCRANTZ, } Courtiers.

GUILDENSTERN,

MARCELLUS,Officers.

BERNARDO,

FRANCISCO, a Soldier.

Ghost of Hamlet's Father.

GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark, and Mother to Hamlet. OPHELIA, Daughter to Polonius.

Players, Grave-diggers, Messengers, and other Attendants.

SCENE-Elsinore.

A Room of State in the Castle.

Enter the King, Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, Lords, and Attendants.

King.

HOUGH yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death

The memory be green :

Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature,

That we with wisest sorrow think on him,

Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy,—
Taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along :-For all, our thanks.
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,-

Ham. A little more than kin, and less than kind.

King. How is it that the clouds still hang on you? Ham. Not so, my lord, I am too much i' the sun. Queen. Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not, for ever, with thy veiled lids

Seek for thy noble father in the dust:

Thou know'st, 'tis common; all that live must die,
Passing through nature to eternity.

Ham. Ay, madam, it is common.
Queen.

Why seems it so particular with thee?

If it be,

Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it ìs; I know not

seems.

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor the dejected haviour of the visage,

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief,
That can denote me truly: These, indeed, seèm,
For they are actions that a man might play;
But I have that within which passeth show;
These, but the trappings and the suits of wo.
King. 'Tis sweet and commendable in your na-
ture, Hamlet,

To give these mourning duties to your father :
But you must know your father lost a father;
That father his; and the survivor bound
In filial obligation, for some term

To do obsequious sorrow. But to perséver
In obstinate condolement, is a course
Of impious stubbornness; unmanly grief;

A fault to heav'n. We pray you, throw to earth
This unprevailing wo; and think of us

As of a father: for let the world take note,

You are the most immediate to our throne;

Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son.
Queen. Let not thy mòther lose her prayers,
Hamlet;

I pray thee, stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.
Ham. I shall in all my best obey yòu, madam.
King. Why, 'tis a loving and a fair reply:
This gentle and unforc'd accord of Hamlet
Sits smiling to my heart: in grace whereof
No jocund health that Denmark drinks to-day,
But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell;
Respeaking earthly thunder.-Madam, come.

[Flourish. Exeunt King, Queen, Lords, &c. Ham. O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!

Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable

Seem to me all the uses of this world!

Fye on't! O fye! 'tis an unweeded garden

That grows to seed; things rank, and gross in

nature,

Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead!-nay, not so much, not two: So 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 too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on: Yet, within a month!——
Let me not think on't;-Frailty, thy nàme is
woman!-

A little month; or ere those shoes were old,
With which she follow'd my poor father's body,

Like Niobe, all tears;-married mine uncle,
My father's brother; but no more like my father,
Than I to Hercules: Within a month!

It is not, nor it cannot còme tò, good;

But break, my heart: for I must hold my tongue!

Enter HORATIO, BERNARDO, and MARCELLUS.

Hor. Hail to your lordship!

Ham.

I'm glad to see you well Horatio, or I do forget myself.

;

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

ever.

Ham. Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you.

And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?— Hor. A truant disposition, good my lord.

Ham. I would not hear your enemy say so :
Nor shall you do mine ear that violence,

To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself: I know you are no truant.
But what is your affair in Elsinore ?

Hor. My lord, I came to see your father's funeral. Ham. I pray thee, do not mock me, fellow student;

I think, it was to see my mother's wedding.

Hor. Indeed, my lord, it follow'd hard upon. Ham. Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral bak'd

meats

Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
'Would, I had met my dearest foe in heaven
Ere ever I had seen that day, Horatio!
My father, Methinks, I see my father.

Hor.

O, where,