Hamlet: Act 4, Scene 5

           Enter HORATIO, [QUEEN] GERTRUDE,
           and a GENTLEMAN.

      QUEEN
  1   I will not speak with her.

      Gentleman
  2   She is importunate, indeed distract:
2. distract: insane.

  3   Her mood will needs be pitied.

      QUEEN
                                               What would she have?

      Gentleman
  4   She speaks much of her father; says she hears
  5   There's tricks i' the world; and hems, and beats her heart;
5. tricks: deceptions.  heart: i.e., breast.

  6   Spurns enviously at straws; speaks things in doubt,
6. Spurns  . . .  straws: i.e., spitefully takes offense at trifles. —Literally, "spurn" means "kick."  in doubt: obscurely.

  7   That carry but half sense. Her speech is nothing,
  8   Yet the unshaped use of it doth move
8. unshaped use: distracted manner.

  9   The hearers to collection; they yawn at it,
9. collection: attempts to gather the meaning. yawn at: gape at, wonder at.

 10   And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts;
10. botch: patch.

 11   Which, as her winks, and nods, and gestures yield them,
 12   Indeed would make one think there might be thought,
 13   Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily.
11-13. Which,  . . .  unhappily: i.e., her words — as she delivers them with winks, nods, and odd gestures — would indeed make one think that one could infer — though without being sure — much shocking meaning.


      HORATIO
 14   'Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew
 15   Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.
15. ill-breeding minds: minds which conceive ill thoughts; i.e., people who are prone to think the worst.


      QUEEN
 16   Let her come in.

           [Exit Horatio and Gentleman.]

 17   To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is,
17. as sin's . . . is: i.e., as is natural to a guilty conscience.

 18   Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss:
18. toy: trifle.  amiss: calamity.

 19   So full of artless jealousy is guilt,
19. artless jealousy: i.e., paranoia which cannot be concealed.

 20   It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.
20. It spills itself in fearing to be spilt: i.e., it reveals itself precisely because it fears to be revealed.


           Enter OPHELIA [and Horatio].

      OPHELIA
 21   Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark?

      QUEEN
 22   How now, Ophelia!

      OPHELIA   [She sings.]
 23          "How should I your true love know
 24             From another one?
 25          By his cockle hat and staff,
 26             And his sandal shoon."
23-26. "How ... shoon": These are probably lines from a traditional ballad. cockle hat: hat adorned with cockle shells. sandal shoon: sandals.  Carrying a staff and wearing sandals were marks of a pilgrim, and a cockle hat signified that the pilgrim had made the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela
Pilgrim with Cockle hat and Staff
Pilgrim with Cockle Hat and Staff


      QUEEN
 27   Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song?

      OPHELIA
 28   Say you? nay, pray you, mark.

           Song.

 29          "He is dead and gone, lady,
 30             He is dead and gone;
 31          At his head a grass-green turf,
 32             At his heels a stone."
 33   O ho!

      QUEEN
 34   Nay, but, Ophelia—

      OPHELIA
 35   Pray you, mark.
35. Pray you, mark: Please pay attention.


           [Sings.]
 36          "White his shroud as the mountain snow,"—
'Larded with sweet flowers' by H. C. Selous



           Enter KING.

      QUEEN
 37   Alas, look here, my lord.

      OPHELIA

           Song.

 38             "Larded with sweet flowers
38. Larded: Adorned.

 39          Which bewept to the grave did not go
39. Which bewept to the grave did not go: — Because her father was buried in a "hugger-mugger" (see line 84) fashion, it seems possible that Ophelia added the word "not" to this line of the old ballad.

 40             With true-love showers."

      KING
 41   How do you, pretty lady?

      OPHELIA
 42   Well, God 'ild you! They say the owl was a baker's
42. 'ild: yield, reward. owl: —Ophelia is alluding to a legend of a baker's daughter whom Jesus turned into an owl because she did not respond generously to his request for bread.

 43   daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not
 44   what we may be. God be at your table!

      KING
 45   Conceit upon her father.
45. Conceit upon her father: i.e., she is brooding about her father.


      OPHELIA
 46   Pray you, let's have no words of this; but when they
 47   ask you what it means, say you this:

           Song.

 48          "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's day.
 49             All in the morning betime,
 50          And I a maid at your window,
 51             To be your Valentine.
49-51. All in the morning betime, / And I a maid at your window, / To be your Valentine: —The girl in the song gets up early in the morning ("betime") on Valentine's day and goes to the man's window because folklore said that the first girl seen by a man on the morning of Valentine's day would be his valentine, his true love. 53. dupp'd: opened.



 52          "Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
 53             And dupp'd the chamber-door;
 54          Let in the maid, that out a maid
 55             Never departed more."
54-55. Let in the maid, that out a maid / Never departed more: —The man who the girl wanted for a valentine takes advantage of her: When he lets her into his room she's a "maid" (a virgin), but when she leaves she is no longer a virgin.


      KING
 56   Pretty Ophelia!

      OPHELIA
 57   Indeed, la, without an oath, I'll make an end on't:

           [Sings.]

 58          "By Gis and by Saint Charity,
58. Gis: —Contraction of "Jesus."

 59             Alack, and fie for shame!
 60          Young men will do't, if they come to't;
60. if they come to't: i.e., if they have an opportunity.

 61             By cock, they are to blame.
61. cock: —Slang for "God"; also, penis. Given the context, "cock" is a rather nasty pun; the girl in the song has been just screwed in two ways: 1) she's had sex; 2) her partner has cynically taken advantage of her love for him.


 62          Quoth she, 'Before you tumbled me,
 63             You promised me to wed.'

 64   He answers:

 65          'So would I ha' done, by yonder sun,
 66             An thou hadst not come to my bed.'"
66. An: if.


      KING
 67   How long hath she been thus?

      OPHELIA
 68   I hope all will be well. We must be patient: but I
 69   cannot choose but weep, to think they should lay him
 70   i' the cold ground. My brother shall know of it:
 71   and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my
 72   coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies;
 73   good night, good night.

           [Exit.]

      KING
 74   Follow her close; give her good watch, I pray you.

           [Exit Horatio.]

 75   O, this is the poison of deep grief; it springs
 76   All from her father's death—and now behold!
 77   O Gertrude, Gertrude,
 78   When sorrows come, they come not single spies
78. spies: i.e., scouts sent ahead of the main force.

 79   But in battalions. First, her father slain:
 80   Next, your son gone; and he most violent author
 81   Of his own just remove: the people muddied,
80-81. he  . . .  remove: i.e., he, by his own violence, caused his own justified exile.  muddied: confused and stirred up.

 82   Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers,
 83   For good Polonius' death; and we have done but greenly,
83. greenly: i.e., like someone who is "green" in the sense of being inexperienced and thoughtless.

 84   In hugger-mugger to inter him: poor Ophelia
84. In hugger-mugger: in secret haste.

 85   Divided from herself and her fair judgment,
 86   Without the which we are pictures, or mere beasts;
 87   Last, and as much containing as all these,
 88   Her brother is in secret come from France;
 89   Feeds on his wonder, keeps himself in clouds,
89. Feeds . . . wonder: i.e., thinks only on his suspicions. keeps . . . clouds: i.e., doesn't reveal what he's thinking (?). 

 90   And wants not buzzers to infect his ear
90. wants no: lacks no. buzzers: gossiping busybodies.

 91   With pestilent speeches of his father's death;
 92   Wherein necessity, of matter beggar'd,
92. necessity . . . beggar'd: out of necessity, because there are no supporting facts.

 93   Will nothing stick our person to arraign
 94   In ear and ear. O my dear Gertrude, this,
93-94. Will . . . ear: will think nothing of slandering me to everyone.

 95   Like to a murdering-piece, in many places
 96   Gives me superfluous death.
95-96. murd'ring-piece: cannon loaded with small shot, to kill as many as possible with one blast. Gives me superfluous death: —The King's idea is that any one of his woes would be enough to kill him, so that all together they give him more death than he needs, "superfluous death."


           A noise within.

      QUEEN
                                            Alack, what noise is this?

      KING
 97   Attend!
97. Attend!: Come help me!

98. Switzers: Swiss guards. —In Shakespeare's time Swiss guards, who had a strong reputation for discipline and loyalty, were employed as palace guards in various European courts.The advantages of having Swiss guards was that the Swiss were unlikely to be influenced by local politics, and so unlikely to turn on the king who employed them.
 98   Where are my Switzers? Let them guard the door.

           Enter a Messenger.

 99   What is the matter?

      Messenger
                                    Save yourself, my lord:
100   The ocean, overpeering of his list,
100. overpeering of his list: rising higher than its shores.

101   Eats not the flats with more impetuous haste
101. flats: i.e., flatlands near shore.

102   Than young Laertes, in a riotous head,
102. in a riotous head: i.e., leading a rowdy crowd of rebels.

103   O'erbears your officers. The rabble call him lord;
104   And, as the world were now but to begin,
105   Antiquity forgot, custom not known,
106   The ratifiers and props of every word,
104-106. as the world . . . every word: i.e., as if the world were just begun, as if all history were forgotten and traditional practices were unknown, as if history and tradition were not what validates and supports every oath and pledge.

107   They cry "Choose we: Laertes shall be king!"
108   Caps, hands, and tongues, applaud it to the clouds:
109   "Laertes shall be king, Laertes king!"

      QUEEN
110   How cheerfully on the false trail they cry!
111   O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs!
110-111. on the false trail they cry!: —A pack of hunting dogs, barking and baying as they follow a scent, are said to be "crying on a trail." this is counter: this backward; you've got everything wrong. false treacherous.


      KING
112   The doors are broke.

           Enter LAERTES with others.

      LAERTES
113   Where is this king? Sirs, stand you all without.

      Danes
114   No, let's come in.

      LAERTES
114                                   I pray you, give me leave.

      Danes
115   We will, we will.

      LAERTES
116   I thank you: keep the door.

           [Exeunt Laertes' followers.]

                                           O thou vile king,
117   Give me my father!

      QUEEN
                                    Calmly, good Laertes.

      LAERTES
118   That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard,
118. That drop . . . bastard: i.e., being calm would prove me a bastard.

119   Cries cuckold to my father, brands the harlot
120   Even here, between the chaste unsmirched brows
120. chaste unsmirched brows: The idea that the brows reveals the truth of a person's character shows up in the proverbial expression, "honest as the skin between his brows," which Shakespeare uses in Much Ado About Nothing (3.5.12).

121   Of my true mother.

      KING
                                    What is the cause, Laertes,
122   That thy rebellion looks so giant-like?
123   Let him go, Gertrude; do not fear our person:
123. do . . . person: don't be afraid that I will be harmed.

124   There's such divinity doth hedge a king,
124. hedge: enclose, protect.

125   That treason can but peep to what it would,
125. can but peep to what it would: can only catch a glimpse of what it would like to do.

126   Acts little of his will. Tell me, Laertes,
126. Acts little of his will: performs little of what it ["treason"] wants to do.

127   Why thou art thus incensed. Let him go, Gertrude.
128   Speak, man.
Bendict Wong as Laertes
and
Sally Dexter as Gertrude

      LAERTES
129   Where is my father?

      KING
                                       Dead.

      QUEEN
                                                  But not by him.

      KING
130. Let him demand his fill: i.e., let him ask as many questions as he wants.
130   Let him demand his fill.

      LAERTES
131   How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with:
132   To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil!
133   Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!
134   I dare damnation. To this point I stand,
134. I dare damnation: I dare to risk damnation.

135   That both the worlds I give to negligence,
135. both the worlds I give to negligence: i.e., I don't care what the consequences are in this world or in the next.

136   Let come what comes; only I'll be revenged
137   Most thoroughly for my father.

      KING
                                                Who shall stay you?
137. Who shall stay you?: who's going to stop you?  —The King means that he certainly won't stand in Laertes' way.


      LAERTES
138   My will, not all the world's.
138. My will, not all the world's: i.e., I'll stop only when my will is accomplished, not when the rest of the world tells me to.

139   And for my means, I'll husband them so well,
140   They shall go far with little.

      KING
                                                  Good Laertes,
141   If you desire to know the certainty
142   Of your dear father's death, is't writ in your revenge,
143   That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe,
143. That, swoopstake, you will draw both friend and foe: i.e., that you will destroy friend and foe indiscriminately.  —Both "swoopstake" and "draw" are gambling terms. The big winner in a game swoops down on the table and draws everyone's stakes.

144   Winner and loser?

      LAERTES
145   None but his enemies.

      KING
                                        Will you know them then?

      LAERTES
146   To his good friends thus wide I'll ope my arms;
146. ope: open.


           [Laertes opens arms, as for a hug.]

147   And like the kind life-rendering pelican,
147. the kind life-rendering pelican: —The pelican was thought to feed its young with its heart's blood. ...more

148   Repast them with my blood.
148. Repast: feed.


      KING
                                             Why, now you speak
149   Like a good child and a true gentleman.
149. good child: faithful son.

150   That I am guiltless of your father's death,
151   And am most sensibly in grief for it,
151. sensibly: feelingly.

152   It shall as level to your judgment pierce
153   As day does to your eye.
152-153. It shall . . . eye: i.e. it [the truth of what I am saying] will penetrate your judgment as plainly as day appears to your eye.


           A noise within.

      Danes
                                           Let her come in!

      LAERTES
154   How now! what noise is that?

           Enter OPHELIA.

155   O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt,
156   Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!
156. virtue: faculty, power.  — Laertes is asking to be struck blind rather than see the pitiful madness of his sister.

157   By heaven, thy madness shall be paid by weight,
157. thy madness . . . beam: i.e., your madness shall be revenged to such an extent that the revenge shall outweigh the wrong done to you. ...more

158   Till our scale turn the beam. O rose of May!
159   Dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia!
160   O heavens! is't possible, a young maid's wits
161   Should be as mortal as an old man's life?
162   Nature is fine in love, and where 'tis fine,
162. fine in: refined or spiritualized by.

163   It sends some precious instance of itself
163. instance: proof, token. Laertes means that Ophelia's sanity is the love-token that she has sent after her dead father.

164   After the thing it loves.

      OPHELIA

           Song.

165          "They bore him barefaced on the bier;
166          Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny;
167          And in his grave rain'd many a tear"—
168   Fare you well, my dove!

      LAERTES
169   Hadst thou thy wits, and didst persuade revenge,
170   It could not move thus.
169-170. Hadst  . . .  thus: If you had your wits and were arguing for revenge (for Polonius' death), it could not move me (to seek revenge for Polonius' death) as much as I am now moved (by the spectacle of your insanity).


      OPHELIA
171   You must sing "a-down a-down," and you call him
172   a-down-a. O, how the wheel becomes it! It is the
171-172. You  . . .  a-down-a: you must sing "a-down a-down" if you believe he is dead (??). wheel: refrain (??).

173   false steward, that stole his master's daughter.
173. false steward: Ophelia seems to be referring to some ballad or tale.


      LAERTES
174   This nothing's more than matter.
174. This nothing's more than matter: this nonsense is more moving than rational speech.


      OPHELIA
175   There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray,
175. rosemary: —Rosemary was used as a symbol of remembrance at both weddings and funerals. ...more

176   love, remember. And there is pansies; that's for
175. pansies: — The word is derived from the French word for thoughts, "pensées."

177   thoughts.

      LAERTES
178   A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance
179   fitted.
178-179. A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted: i.e., from her madness comes a lesson ("document"): thoughts and remembrance belong together (are "fitted"). Laertes may also mean that Ophelia is teaching him that he should never forget his father, always remembering who killed his father, and the revenge due.


      OPHELIA

           [To King.]

180   There's fennel for you, and columbines.
[To King.] ... [To Queen.]: —None of the original texts have these stage directions; editors often insert them because they seem appropriate: Fennel, an emblem of flattery, and columbine, an emblem of ingratitude, to King Claudius, and rue, emblem of sorrow and repentance, to Queen Gertrude.


           [To Queen.]

181   There's rue for you; and here's some
182   for me: we may call it herb of grace a' Sundays.
183   You may wear your rue with a difference. There's
184   a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they
184. daisy, violets: —Daisies were emblematic of false appearances; violets were emblematic of faithfulness.

185   withered all when my father died. They say he
186   made a good end—

           [Sings.]

187          "For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy."

      LAERTES
188   Thought and affliction, passion, hell itself,
189   She turns to favour and to prettiness.
189. favour: grace, charm.


      OPHELIA

           Song.

190          "And will he not come again?
191          And will he not come again?
192            No, no, he is dead:
193            Go to thy death-bed:
194          He never will come again.

195          "His beard was as white as snow,
196          All flaxen was his poll:
196. flaxen: white. poll: head.

197            He is gone, he is gone,
198            And we cast away moan:
198. we cast away moan: i.e., we moan in grief, but it's useless.

199          God ha' mercy on his soul!"
200   And of all Christian souls, I pray God. God buy
200-201. God buy you: goodbye; God be with you.

201   you.

           [Exit.]

      LAERTES
202   Do you see this, O God?

      KING
203   Laertes, I must commune with your grief,
203. I must commune with your grief: i.e., you must allow me to share your grief.

204   Or you deny me right. Go but apart,
205   Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will,
206   And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me:
207   If by direct or by collateral hand
207. collateral: i.e., indirect.

208   They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,
208. find us touch'd: find me (even a little) guilty.

209   Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours,
210   To you in satisfaction; but if not,
210. in satisfaction: in payment (of the debt owed to you for the death of your father).

211   Be you content to lend your patience to us,
212   And we shall jointly labour with your soul
213   To give it due content.
211-213. Be you . . . content: be patient with me while you and I work together to give your soul the satisfaction it deserves.


      LAERTES
                                          Let this be so;
214   His means of death, his obscure funeral—
215   No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones,
215. trophy: memorial. hatchment: heraldic memorial tablet. ...more

216   No noble rite nor formal ostentation—
216. formal ostentation: customary ceremony.

217   Cry to be heard, as 'twere from heaven to earth,
218   That I must call't in question.
218. That I must call't in question: so that I must call all these matters into question.


      KING
                                                    So you shall;
219   And where the offence is let the great axe fall.
220   I pray you, go with me.

           Exeunt.