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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 14 [~ For England ~] (Act 4 scene 3)
Setting: Inside the Castle;- The King's Room;
The early morning hours.
(Claudius enters, with guards and servants)
Claudius: I have sent to seek him, and to find the body;- How dangerous is it that this man goes loose;
Yet must not we put the strong law on him,
He's loved of the distracted multitude,
Who like, not in their judgment, but their eyes,
And where 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weighed
But never the offense. To bear all smooth and even,
This sudden sending him away must seem
Deliberate pause; diseases desperate grown,
By desperate appliance are relieved,
Or not at all.
(Rosencrantz enters;- Guildenstern stands with Hamlet and others at the doorway)
Claudius: How now, what hath befallen?- Rosencrantz: Where the dead body is bestowd, my Lord
- We cannot get from him.
- Clau: But where is he?
- Ros: Without, my Lord, guarded to know your pleasure.
- Clau: Bring him before us.
- Ros: How, bring in the Lord.
(Hamlet and Guildenstern enter, with more guards and servants)
Claudius: Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?- Hamlet: At supper.
- Clau: At supper? Where?
- Hamlet: Not where he eats, but where he is eaten; a certain
- convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only
emperour for diet; we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves
for maggots; your fat King and your lean begger is but variable
service, two dishes but to one table; that's the end.
- Clau: Alas, alas.
- Hamlet: A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a King, &
- eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
- Clau: What dost thou mean by this?
- Hamlet: Nothing but to show you how a King may go a progress
- through the guts of a beggar.
- Clau: Where is Polonius?
- Hamlet: In Heaven; send thither to see; if your messenger find him
- not there, seek him in the other place yourself; but if indeed you find
him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the
stairs into the lobby.
- Claudius (to the servants): Go seek him there.
- Hamlet: He will stay till you come.
- Clau: Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety
- Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve
For that which thou hast done, must send thee hence.
Therefore, prepare thyself,
The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
The associates tend, and every thing is bent
For England.
- Hamlet: For England?
- Clau: Aye, Hamlet.
- Hamlet: Good.
- Clau: So is it if thou knewest our purposes.
- Hamlet: I see a cherub that sees thee; but come, for England;
- Farewell, dear mother.
- Clau: Thy loving father, Hamlet.
- Hamlet: My mother; father and mother is man and wife;
- Man and wife is one flesh; so, my mother.
Come, for England.
(Hamlet exits)
Claudius: Follow him at foot;- Tempt him with speed aboard;
Delay it not; I'll have him hence tonight.
Away! For, everything is sealed and done
That else leans on the affair; pray you, make haste;
(Claudius stays;- everybody else exits to follow Hamlet)
(Claudius continues):- And England, if my love thou holdest at ought,
As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red,
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us, thou mayest not coldly set
Our sovereign process, which imports at full,
By Letters congruing to that effect,
The present death of Hamlet; do it, England,
For like the hectic in my blood, he rages,
And thou must cure me; till I know 'tis done,
How e'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.
(Claudius exits)
End of Scene 14
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. The Tragedy of . H A M L E T . Prince of Denmark .
(In simplified modern English translation)
- Scene 14 [~ For England ~] (Act 4 scene 3)
Setting: Inside the Castle;- The King's Room;
The early morning hours.
(Claudius enters, with guards and servants)
Claudius: I have sent them to find Hamlet, and to find the body.- How dangerous it is, that he's wandering around loose.
Yet I cannot put the strong arm of the law upon him,
Because he's very popular with the crazy majority of the people,
Who like him, not because they have sense, but because he looks good.
And when that happens, the offender's punishment is questioned,
But his offense is ignored. To make everything happen smoothly and easily
His sudden departure has to look like
It's the result of careful deliberation. Diseases that become desperate
Need desperate remedies,
Or they don't get cured at all.
(Rosencrantz enters;- Guildenstern stands with Hamlet and others at the doorway)
Claudius: How now, how is it going?- Rosencrantz: Where he has put the body, my Lord,
- We can't get him to tell.
- Clau: But where is he?
- Ros: Just outside, my Lord, guarded, and waiting to know what you want done.
- Clau: Bring him in.
- Ros: Ho! Bring in the Lord Hamlet.
(Hamlet and Guildenstern enter, with more guards and servants)
Claudius: Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?- Hamlet: At supper.
- Clau: At supper, where?
- Hamlet: Not where he eats, but where he's eaten. A certain
- meeting of politic worms is at him now. Your worm is your only
emperor, for diet. We fatten all creatures to fatten us, and then we fatten
ourselves for maggots. Your fat King and your lean beggar are but different
orders on the menu, two dishes on the same table. That's all.
- Clau: Alas, alas!
- Hamlet: A man may fish with a worm that has eaten of a King, and then
- eat the fish that has eaten that worm.
- Clau: What do you mean by this?
- Hamlet: Nothing, except to show how a King can go on a trip
- through the guts of a beggar.
- Clau: Where is Polonius?
- Hamlet: In Heaven, send to there and see. If your messenger can't find him
- there, look for him in the other place, yourself. But if you don't
find him in a month, you'll nose him out as you go up the
stairs to the lobby.
- Claudius (to the servants): Go and look for him there.
- Hamlet: He'll wait until you get there.
- Clau: Hamlet, because of this deed, and for your special safety,
- Which I do offer, since I greatly grieve
Over what you've done, I must send you away.
Therefore, prepare for your trip.
The ship is ready, and the wind is right.
Your companions will attend to you, and everything is set on course
For England.
- Hamlet: For England?
-
- Clau: Yes, Hamlet.
- Hamlet: Good.
- Clau: Yes, it's good indeed, if you knew my purposes.
- Hamlet: I see a spirit that sees you. But come, for England!
- Farewell, dear mother.
- Clau: Your loving father, Hamlet.
- Hamlet: No, my mother. Father and mother are man and wife,
- Man and wife are one flesh, and so, my mother.
Come on, for England.
(Hamlet exits)
Claudius (to R & G): Follow him closely, and- Lead him on the ship quickly.
Don't delay. I'll have him away by tonight.
Away! Because everything else is sealed and done
That relates to this affair. Please make haste.
(Claudius stays;- everybody else exits to follow Hamlet)
(Claudius continues):- And England, if you value my friendship at all, and
As the great power of my friendship may make you see reason
(Since your scar still looks raw and red
From the Danish sword that defeated you) and your own dread
Pays homage to me, you may not uncaringly delay
My sovereign order, which concerns, in full,
Through letters of correspondence to that effect,
The imminent death of Hamlet. Do it, England,
Because he rages in my blood like a fever,
And you must cure me. Until I know it's done
However good my luck, my joys cannot begin.
(Claudius exits)
End of Scene 14
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(Regained)