The ghost declares that it is Hamlet's father's spirit and says Claudius murdered him by pouring poison into his ear. The ghost commands Hamlet to avenge the killing while sparing Gertrude and leaving her judgment to heaven. Hamlet makes Horatio and Marcellus swear secrecy and warns that he may adopt an antic disposition.
SCENE I. A room in Polonius’s house.
Enter Polonius and Reynaldo.
POLONIUS
Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.
REYNALDO
I will, my lord.
POLONIUS
You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,Before you visit him, to make inquiryOf his behaviour.
REYNALDO
My lord, I did intend it.
POLONIUS
Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir,Enquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,What company, at what expense; and findingBy this encompassmentA surrounding, encircling, or enclosing. and drift of question,That they do know my son, come you more nearerThan your particular demands will touch it.Take you as ’twere some distant knowledge of him,As thus, ‘I know his father and his friends,And in part him’—do you mark this, Reynaldo?
REYNALDO
Ay, very well, my lord.
POLONIUS
‘And in part him, but,’ you may say, ‘not well;But if’t be he I mean, he’s very wild;Addicted so and so;’ and there put on himWhat forgeries you please; marry, none so rankAs may dishonour him; take heed of that;But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slipsa counterfeit coin, often plated to resemble genuine money.As are companions noted and most knownTo youth and liberty.
REYNALDO
As gaming, my lord?
POLONIUS
Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing,Quarrelling, drabbingA prostitute; ‘drabbing’ is consorting with prostitutes.. You may go so far.
REYNALDO
My lord, that would dishonour him.
POLONIUS
Faith no, as you may season it in the charge.You must not put another scandal on him,That he is open to incontinency;That’s not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintlyThat they may seem the taints of liberty;The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,A savageness in unreclaimed blood,Of general assault.
REYNALDO
But my good lord—
POLONIUS
Wherefore should you do this?
REYNALDO
Ay, my lord, I would know that.
POLONIUS
Marry, sir, here’s my drift,And I believe it is a fetch of warrant.You laying these slight sullies on my son,As ’twere a thing a little soil’d i’ th’ working,Mark you,Your party in converse, him you would sound,Having ever seen in the prenominatepreviously named or mentioned. crimesThe youth you breathe of guilty, be assur’dHe closes with you in this consequence;‘Good sir,’ or so; or ‘friend,’ or ‘gentleman’—According to the phrase or the additionOf man and country.
REYNALDO
Very good, my lord.
POLONIUS
And then, sir, does he this,—He does—What was I about to say?By the mass, I was about to say something. Where did I leave?
REYNALDO
At ‘closes in the consequence.’At ‘friend or so,’ and ‘gentleman.’
POLONIUS
At ‘closes in the consequence’ ay, marry!He closes with you thus: ‘I know the gentleman,I saw him yesterday, or t’other day,Or then, or then, with such and such; and, as you say,There was he gaming, there o’ertook in’s rousea full cup of liquor drunk as a toast or carousal.,There falling out at tennis’: or perchance,‘I saw him enter such a house of salea brothel, where sexual services are sold.’—Videlicetnamely; that is to say., a brothel, or so forth. See you now;Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth;And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,With windlassesa circuitous approach or indirect means of reaching an object., and with assays of bias,By indirections find directions out.So by my former lecture and adviceShall you my son. You have me, have you not?
REYNALDO
My lord, I have.
POLONIUS
God b’ wi’ you, fare you well.
REYNALDO
Good my lord.
POLONIUS
Observe his inclination in yourself.
REYNALDO
I shall, my lord.
POLONIUS
And let him ply his music.
REYNALDO
Well, my lord.
POLONIUS
Farewell.
Exit Reynaldo.
Enter Ophelia.
POLONIUS
How now, Ophelia, what’s the matter?
OPHELIA
Alas, my lord, I have been so affrighted.
POLONIUS
With what, in the name of God?
OPHELIA
My lord, as I was sewing in my chamber,Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac’d,No hat upon his head, his stockings foul’d,Ungart’red, and down-gyvedHanging down around the ankles like fetters. to his ankle,Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,And with a look so piteous in purportAs if he had been loosed out of hellTo speak of horrors, he comes before me.
POLONIUS
Mad for thy love?
OPHELIA
My lord, I do not know, but truly I do fear it.
POLONIUS
What said he?
OPHELIA
He took me by the wrist and held me hard;Then goes he to the length of all his arm;And with his other hand thus o’er his brow,He falls to such perusal of my faceAs he would draw it. Long stay’d he so,At last,—a little shaking of mine arm,And thrice his head thus waving up and down,He rais’d a sigh so piteous and profoundAs it did seem to shatter all his bulkAnd end his being. That done, he lets me go,And with his head over his shoulder turn’dHe seem’d to find his way without his eyes,For out o’ doors he went without their help,And to the last bended their light on me.
POLONIUS
Come, go with me. I will go seek the King.This is the very ecstasy of love,Whose violent property fordoes itself,And leads the will to desperate undertakings,As oft as any passion under heavenThat does afflict our natures. I am sorry,—What, have you given him any hard words of late?
OPHELIA
No, my good lord; but as you did command,I did repel his letters and deniedHis access to me.
POLONIUS
That hath made him mad.I am sorry that with better heed and judgementI had not quoted him. I fear’d he did but trifle,And meant to wreck thee. But beshrew my jealousy!It seems it is as proper to our ageTo cast beyond ourselvesTo conjecture or plan beyond one’s knowledge or capacity. in our opinionsAs it is common for the younger sortTo lack discretion. Come, go we to the King.This must be known, which, being kept close, might moveMore grief to hide than hate to utter love.