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. the Tragical History of . H A M L E T . Prince of Denmark .
(In the original language with modernized spelling)
- Scene 12 [~ Discord and Dismay ~] (Act 4 scene 1)
Setting: Inside the Castle;
- The King's Room;
The early morning hours.
(Claudius enters;- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter;
Gertrude enters)
Claudius: There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves,- You must translate; 'tis fit we understand them;
Where is your son?
- Gertrude: Bestow this place on us a little while.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit)
(Gertrude continues):- Ah mine own Lord, what have I seen tonight?!
- Claudius: What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?
- Gert: Mad as the sea and wind when both contend
- Which is the mightier! In his lawless fit,
Behind the arras, hearing something stir,
Whips out his rapier, cries "a rat, a rat,"
And in this brainish apprehension kills
The unseen, good old man.
- Clau: Oh, heavy deed!
- It had been so with us, had we been there;
His liberty is full of threats to all,
To you, yourself, to us, to everyone;
Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answered?
It will be laid to us, whose providence
Should have kept short, restrained, and out of haunt
This mad young man; but so much was our love,
We would not understand what was most fit,
But like the owner of a foul disease,
To keep it from divulging, let it feed
Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone?
- Gert: To draw apart the body he hath killed,
- O'er whom, his very madness, like some ore
Among a mineral of metals base,
Shows itself pure; he weeps for what is done.
- Clau: Oh, Gertrude, come away;
- The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch,
But we will ship him hence, and this vile deed
We must with all our majesty and skill . . .
(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter)
(Claudius continues):- Both countenance and excuse.
Ho, Guildenstern,
Friends both; go join you with some further aid;
Hamlet, in madness, hath Polonius slain,
And from his mother's closet hath he dreg'd him;
Go seek him out, speak fair, and bring the body
Into the chapel; I pray you, haste in this;
Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends,
And let them know both what we mean to do
And what's untimely done;
Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter,
(As level as the cannon to his blank,
Transports his poisoned shot,) may miss our name,
And hit the woundless air; o come away,
My soul is full of discord and dismay.
(all exit)
End of Scene 12
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. The Tragedy of . H A M L E T . Prince of Denmark .
(In simplified modern English translation)
- Scene 12 [~ Discord and Dismay ~] (Act 4 scene 1)
Setting: Inside the Castle;
- The King's Room;
The early morning hours.
(Claudius enters;- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter;
Gertrude enters)
Claudius: There's trouble in these sighs, these deep waves of breathing,- That you must explain to me. It's proper that I understand it.
Where's your son?
- Gertrude: Let us have some privacy here for a while.
(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit)
(Gertrude continues):- Ah, my Lord, what have I seen tonight?!
- Claudius: What, Gertrude? How is Hamlet?
- Gert: He's mad as a storm at sea, when the ocean and wind battle
- To see which is stronger. In his unruly fit,
And hearing something stir behind the arras,
He whipped out his rapier, cried "a rat, a rat,"
And in his thoughtless misapprehension killed
The unseen, good old man.
- Clau: Oh, what a greatly distressing deed!
- He would have killed me if I was there.
His freedom has become a threat to us all,
To you, yourself, to me, and to everyone.
Alas, what response shall we make about this bloody deed?
It will be blamed on me, who should have been wise enough
To have kept the mad young man on a short leash, restrained,
And out of circulation. But so great was my love for him,
I did not understand what was best to do.
Instead, like the carrier of a foul disease,
To keep it from being known, I let it infect
The core of my life. Where has he gone?
- Gert: He's gone to take away the body he killed,
- Over whom his madness, like some gold
Found among crude mineral ore
Shows itself blameless; he weeps for what he has done.
- Clau: Oh, Gertrude, come away.
- The sun will no sooner touch the mountaintops in the early morning,
But I will ship him away, and concerning his vile deed,
I will use all my kingly power and skill . . .
(Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter)
(Claudius continues):- To get it accepted and excused.
Ho, Guildenstern,
And both my friends, go and get more help.
Hamlet, in his madness, has slain Polonius,
And has dragged the body from his mother's room.
Go and find Hamlet, speak nicely to him, and take the body
To the chapel. Please act quickly in this.
Come, Gertrude, we'll call upon our wisest friends,
And inform them both of what we intend to do,
And of that which has been unfortunately done -
The whisper of which, all around,
(Like a cannon fired point blank, that
Shoots poisoned shot) won't put the blame on me,
And will do no harm. Oh, come away;
My soul is full of conflict and dismay.
(all exit)
End of Scene 12
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(Regained)