252 PERSONS REPRESENTED. CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark. HAMLET, Son to the former, and Nephew to the present, King. POLONIUS, Lord Chamberlain. HORATIO, Friend to Hamlet. LAERTES, Son to Polonius. GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark, and Mother to Hamlet. Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Players, Grave-diggers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants. SCENE. Elsinore. HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK. ACT I. SCENE I. Elsinore. A Platform before the Castle. FRANCISCO on his post. Enter to him, BERNARDO. Bernardo. WHO's there? Fran. You come most carefully upon your hour. Ber. 'Tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, Francisco. Fran. For this relief, much thanks; 'tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart. Ber. Have you had quiet guard? Ber. Well, good night. Not a mouse stirring. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, 2 The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste. 1 i. e. me, who have a right to demand the watchword; which appears to have been, "Long live the king." * Shakspeare uses rivals for associates, partners; and competitor has the same sense throughout these plays. It is the original sense of rivalis. Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS. Fran. I think I hear them.-Stand, ho! Who is A piece of him. Ber. Welcome, Horatio; welcome, good Marcellus. Hor. What, has this thing appeared again to-night? Ber. I have seen nothing. Mar. Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy; And will not let belief take hold of him, Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us. With us to watch the minutes of this night; Hor. Sit down awhile; Well, sit we down, And let us hear Bernardo speak of this. Ber. Last night of all, When yon same star, that's westward from the pole, Had made his course to illume that part of heaven Where now it burns, Marcellus, and myself, The bell then beating one, Mar. Peace, break thee off; look, where it comes again! 1 To approve is to confirm. Enter Ghost. Ber. In the same figure like the king that's dead. wonder. Ber. It would be spoke to. Mar. Hor. What art thou, that night, 2 Speak to it, Horatio. usurp'st this time of Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march? By Heaven, I charge thee, speak. Mar. It is offended. Ber. See! it stalks away. Hor. Stay; speak: speak, I charge thee speak. Mar. 'Tis gone, and will not answer. Exit Ghost. Ber. How now, Horatio? you tremble, and look pale Is not this something more than fantasy? What think you of it? Hor. Before my God, I might not this believe, Without the sensible and true avouch Of mine own eyes. Mar. Is it not like the king? Hor. As thou art to thyself. Such was the very armor he had on, When he the ambitious Norway combated; He smote the sledded Polack 3 on the ice. 'Tis strange. 1 It was a vulgar notion, that a supernatural being could only be spoken to, with effect, by persons of learning; exorcisms being usually practised by the clergy in Latin. 2 The first quarto reads, "it horrors me." 3 i. e. the sledged Polander (Polaque, Fr.). The old copy reads Pollax Mar. Thus, twice before, and jump at this dead hour, With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch. Hor. In what particular thought to work, I know not; 2 But, in the gross and scope of mine opinion, This bodes some strange eruption to our state. Mar. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he that knows, Why this same strict and most observant watch So nightly toils the subject of the land; Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task Hor. ; That can I Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands, 1 Jump. So the quarto of 1603, and that of 1604. The folio reads just. Jump and just were synonymous. So in Chapman's May Day, 1611: "Your appointment was jumpe at three with me.” 2 That is, "what particular train of thought to follow," &c. The first quarto reads: "In what particular to work I know not." |