Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 3

           Enter LAERTES and OPHELIA,
           his sister.  

       LAERTES
  1   My necessaries are embark'd: farewell:
1. My necessaries are embark'd: i.e., my luggage is on board the ship.

  2   And, sister, as the winds give benefit
  3   And convoy is assistant, do not sleep,
  4   But let me hear from you.
2-4. as the winds give benefit ... you: i.e., whenever the winds are blowing in the right direction and there is a means to send a message, don't sleep, but write to me.


      OPHELIA
                                              Do you doubt that?

      LAERTES
  5   For Hamlet and the trifling of his favor,
  6   Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,
6. a fashion: a matter of fashion, something that is socially expected   toy in blood: idle impulse.

  7   A violet in the youth of primy nature,
7. primy: springlike.

  8   Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
8. Forward: early-growing.

  9   The perfume and suppliance of a minute—
9. suppliance of a minute: something to fill up an empty minute of time.

 10   No more.

      OPHELIA
                        No more but so?

      LAERTES
                                               Think it no more;
 11   For nature, crescent, does not grow alone
11. crescent: increasing, developing.

 12   In thews and bulk, but, as this temple waxes,
12. thews: muscles and sinews. this temple: i.e.,the body.

 13   The inward service of the mind and soul
 14   Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,
13-14. The inward . . . withal: the inward capabilities of the mind and spirit grow wider in step with the body's growth.

 15   And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
15. soil: stain.  cautel: deceit.  besmirch: blemish.

 16   The virtue of his will; but you must fear,
 17   His greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own;
17. His greatness weigh'd: i.e., considering that he is heir to the throne.

 18   For he himself is subject to his birth:
 19   He may not, as unvalued persons do,
19. unvalued: of low rank.

 20   Carve for himself; for on his choice depends
20. Carve for himself: indulge his own desires.

 21   The safety and health of this whole state;
 22   And therefore must his choice be circumscribed
 23   Unto the voice and yielding of that body
23. voice: approval. yielding: assent. that body: i.e. the state of Denmark.

 24   Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you,
24. Whereof he is the head: King Claudius is currently the head of state, but Hamlet is the heir apparent.

 25   It fits your wisdom so far to believe it
 26   As he in his particular act and place
 27   May give his saying deed; which is no further
26-27. As he . . . deed: as he may put what he says into effect.

 28   Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.
28. main voice: general opinion.  goes withal: accords with.

 29   Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain,
 30   If with too credent ear you list his songs,
30. credent: credulous.  list: listen to.

 31   Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open
31. your chaste treasure: your virginity

 32   To his unmaster'd importunity.
32. unmaster'd importunity: impulsive, passionate pleading.

 33   Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,
 34   And keep you in the rear of your affection,
 35   Out of the shot and danger of desire.
35. shot: range, cannon shot.

 36   The chariest maid is prodigal enough,
36. chariest maid: most carefully modest virgin.

 37   If she unmask her beauty to the moon:
 38   Virtue itself scapes not calumnious strokes:
38. scapes not calumnious strokes: does not escape the injury of maliciously false statements.

 39   The canker galls the infants of the spring,
 40   Too oft before their buttons be disclosed,
39-40. The canker  . . . disclosed: the canker worm ruins the first flowers of spring too often before their buds open. ...more

 41   And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
41. liquid dew: i.e., time when the dew is still fresh.

 42   Contagious blastments are most imminent.
42. Contagious blastments: withering blights.

 43   Be wary then; best safety lies in fear.
 44   Youth to itself rebels, though none else near.
44. Youth . . near: i.e., youth will naturally betray itself, even when no one else is nearby.


      OPHELIA
 45   I shall the effect of this good lesson keep,
 46   As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,
 47   Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
47. ungracious: lacking God's true grace.

 48   Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
 49   Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,
49. puff'd: bloated.

 50   Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
 51   And recks not his own rede.
51. recks not his own rede: heeds not his own rule.


      LAERTES
                                                O, fear me not.
fear me not: don't worry about me.

 52   I stay too long: but here my father comes.

           Enter POLONIUS.

 53   A double blessing is a double grace,
53. double blessing: Polonius has already given his blessing to Laertes' departure; this will be the second time.

 54   Occasion smiles upon a second leave.
54. Occasion . . . leave: i.e., this occasion graciously bestows the opportunity for a second leave-taking.


      POLONIUS
 55   Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame!
 56   The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail,
 57   And you are stay'd for. There, my blessing with thee!
57. you are stay'd for: i.e., the ship is waiting for you.  There . . . thee!: He makes some goodbye gesture (a kiss?).

 58   And these few precepts in thy memory
 59   See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
59. character: inscribe.

 60   Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
60. unproportion'd: extreme, unfitting.  his act: its action.

 61   Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
61. familiar: sociable. vulgar: common. ...more

 62   Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
62. their adoption tried: their loyalty to you thoroughly tested.

 63   Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
63. Grapple them: hold them tight.

 64   But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
64. dull thy palm: i.e., make your handshake cheap.

 65   Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged courage. Beware
64-65. entertainment . . . courage: i.e., giving your time and attention to every immature young blood.

 66   Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
 67   Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
67. Bear't that: i.e., conduct yourself in such a way that.

 68   Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
68. voice: assent, approval.

 69   Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
69. Take: listen to. censure: opinion.

 70   Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
 71   But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy,
71. express'd in fancy: i.e., don't spend your money on flashy outfits.

 72   For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
 73   And they in France of the best rank and station
 74   Or of a most select and generous chief in that.
74. Or . . . that: The line is probably a misprint.

 75   Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
 76   For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
76. loan . . . friend: i.e., if you lend money to a friend, you will often lose both your money and your friend.

 77   And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
77. husbandry: thrift.

 78   This above all: to thine ownself be true,
 79   And it must follow, as the night the day,
 80   Thou canst not then be false to any man.
 81   Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!
81. my blessing season this in thee: i.e., let my blessing make you remember and make good use of my advice.


      LAERTES
 82   Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.

      POLONIUS
 83   The time invests you. Go, your servants tend.
83. invests you: besieges you, hurries you on.  tend: wait.


      LAERTES
 84   Farewell, Ophelia; and remember well
 85   What I have said to you.

      OPHELIA
Josef Sommer as Polonius
"What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?"

                                          'Tis in my memory lock'd,
 86   And you yourself shall keep the key of it.

      LAERTES
 87   Farewell.

           Exit Laertes.

      POLONIUS
 88   What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you?

      OPHELIA
 89   So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet.

      POLONIUS
 90   Marry, well bethought:
90. Marry: indeed.

 91   'Tis told me, he hath very oft of late
 92   Given private time to you; and you yourself
 93   Have of your audience been most free and bounteous:
93. your audience: i.e., your willingness to listen.

 94   If it be so—as so 'tis put on me,
 95   And that in way of caution—I must tell you,
94-95. 'tis put on me, / And that in way of caution: it has been [and continues to be] forcibly told to me, in order to caution me [against the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet].

 96   You do not understand yourself so clearly
 97   As it behooves my daughter and your honor.
 98   What is between you? give me up the truth.

      OPHELIA
 99   He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders
99. tenders: offers.

100   Of his affection to me.

      POLONIUS
101   Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl,
101. green: immature, naïve.

102   Unsifted in such perilous circumstance.
102. Unsifted: untested.  in such perilous circumstance: in such a dangerous situation.

103   Do you believe his tenders, as you call them?

      OPHELIA
104   I do not know, my lord, what I should think.

      POLONIUS
105   Marry, I'll teach you: think yourself a baby
106   That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay,
107   Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly;
106-107. you . . . sterling: you have been fooled with false coin.  Tender yourself more dearly: hold yourself at a higher price.

108   Or—not to crack the wind of the poor phrase,
109   Running it thus—you'll tender me a fool.
108-109. not . . . phrase: i.e., not to overuse the phrase. ...more 109. you'll tender me a fool: (1) make me look like a fool; (2) present me with a bastard grandchild. ("Fool" was a term of endearment for an infant.)


      OPHELIA
110   My lord, he hath importuned me with love
111   In honourable fashion.

      POLONIUS
112   Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to.
112. fashion: Polonius deliberately takes "fashion" to mean pretense, mere form.  go to, go to: "Go to" was a common phrase of contempt.


      OPHELIA
113   And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord,
113. countenance: credit, assurance of genuineness.

114   With almost all the holy vows of heaven.

      POLONIUS
115   Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know,
115. springes: snares.  woodcocks: Proverbially gullible birds. ...more

116   When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul
116. prodigal: freely and carelessly.

117   Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter,
118   Giving more light than heat, extinct in both,
119   Even in their promise, as it is a-making,
120   You must not take for fire. From this time
117-120. These blazes . . . fire: i.e., Hamlet's passionate declarations of love are not to be trusted. ...more

121   Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence;
121. Be  . . .  presence: i.e., withhold a little of your innocent and vulnerable company.

122   Set your entreatments at a higher rate
123   Than a command to parle. For Lord Hamlet,
122-123. Set  . . .  parle: i.e., don't give in to Hamlet simply because he wants to talk to you. ...more

124   Believe so much in him, that he is young
125   And with a larger tether may he walk
126   Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,
124-126. Believe  . . .  you: i.e., only believe that he is young and has much more freedom than you. 126. In few: in short.

127   Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers,
128   Not of that dye which their investments show,
128. Not  . . .  show: not of the color of their ceremonial robes.

129   But mere implorators of unholy suits,
129. mere implorators: out and out solicitors; i.e., pimps.

130   Breathing like sanctified and pious bonds,
130. Breathing  . . .  bonds: sounding like sanctified and pious vows.

131   The better to beguile. This is for all:
131. This is for all: i.e., in view of everything I have just explained, this is what I have concluded.

132   I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth,
133   Have you so slander any moment leisure,
134   As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
133-134. slander . . . Hamlet: bring disgrace upon any moment of your time by saying anything at all to Hamlet.

135   Look to't, I charge you: come your ways.
135. come your ways: come on!


      OPHELIA
136   I shall obey, my lord.

           Exeunt.