Scene 4 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Enter Polonius and Gertrude.
He will come straight. Look you lay home to him. Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with, and that your Grace hath screened and stood between much heat and him. I'll silence me even here. Pray you, be round with him.
Polonius hides behind the arras. Enter Hamlet.
The Queen's closet
Hamlet kills Polonius behind the arras; confronts Gertrude; Ghost appears again
[Enter Polonius and Gertrude.]
He will come straight. Look you lay home to him. Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with, and that your Grace hath screened and stood between much heat and him. I'll silence me even here. Pray you, be round with him.
[Polonius hides behind the arras. Enter Hamlet.]
Now, mother, what's the matter?
Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
Mother, you have my father much offended.
Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.
Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.
Why, how now, Hamlet?
What's the matter now?
Have you forgot me?
No, by the rood, not so. You are the Queen, your husband's brother's wife, and—would it were not so!—you are my mother.
Nay, then I'll set those to you that can speak.
Come, come, and sit you down. You shall not budge. You go not till I set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of you.
What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, ho!
What ho! Help!
How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!
[Hamlet thrusts his sword through the arras and kills Polonius.]
O, I am slain!
O me, what hast thou done?
Nay, I know not. Is it the King?
O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
A bloody deed—almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother.
As kill a king?
[Hamlet discovers Polonius behind the arras.]
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune. Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.
Look here upon this picture, and on this, the counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated on this brow: Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, an eye like Mars to threaten and command, a station like the herald Mercury new-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill, a combination and a form indeed where every god did seem to set his seal to give the world assurance of a man. This was your husband. Look you now what follows: here is your husband, like a mildewed ear blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed and batten on this moor? Ha, have you eyes? You cannot call it love, for at your age the heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble, and waits upon the judgement, and what judgement would step from this to this?
O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct.
Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stewed in corruption, honeying and making love over the nasty sty!
O, speak to me no more! These words like daggers enter in my ears. No more, sweet Hamlet!
[Enter Ghost.]
Save me and hover o'er me with your wings, you heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure?
Alas, he's mad!
Do not forget. This visitation is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. But look, amazement on thy mother sits. O, step between her and her fighting soul. Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works. Speak to her, Hamlet.
How is it with you, lady?
Alas, how is't with you, that you do bend your eye on vacancy and with th' incorporal air do hold discourse? Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep, and, as the sleeping soldiers in th' alarm, your bedded hair, like life in excrements, start up and stand on end. O gentle son, upon the heat and flame of thy distemper sprinkle cool patience! Whereon do you look?
On him, on him! Look you how pale he glares. His form and cause conjoined, preaching to stones, would make them capable. Do not look upon me, lest with this piteous action you convert my stern effects. Then what I have to do will want true colour—tears perchance for blood.
To whom do you speak this?
Do you see nothing there?
Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.
Nor did you nothing hear?
No, nothing but ourselves.
[Exit Ghost.]
Mother, for love of grace, lay not that flattering unction to your soul that not your trespass but my madness speaks. It will but skin and film the ulcerous place, whiles rank corruption, mining all within, infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven, repent what's past, avoid what is to come, and do not spread the compost on the weeds to make them ranker.
O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain!
O, throw away the worser part of it, and live the purer with the other half! Good night. But go not to my uncle's bed. Assume a virtue if you have it not. Once more, good night, and when you are desirous to be blessed, I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord, I do repent; but heaven hath pleased it so, to punish me with this and this with me, that I must be their scourge and minister. I will bestow him and will answer well the death I gave him. So, again, good night. I must be cruel only to be kind. Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.
[Exeunt severally, Hamlet tugging in Polonius.]
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