Faculty of English

Enter GERTRUDE and POLONIUS. POLONIUS      ’A 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. GERTRUDE     I’ll warrant you, fear me not. Withdraw, I hear him coming. [Polonius hides behind the arras.]    (3.4.1-6) Closet scene, so-called! A closet isn’t a […]

HAMLET         Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent When he is drunk asleep or in his rage, Or in th’incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game a-swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in’t. Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven And that his soul may be as damned and black As hell whereto it […]

HAMLET         ’A took my father grossly full of bread With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May, And how his audit stands who knows, save heaven, But in our circumstance and course of thought ’Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged To take him in the purging of his soul When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No. [Sheathes sword.]            (3.3.80-87) Then fury and disgust and […]

HAMLET         Now might I do it. But now ’a is a-praying. And now I’ll do it [Draws sword.] – and so ’a goes to heaven, And so am I revenged! That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. Why, this is base and silly, not revenge.      (3.3.73-79) Quite by chance, it seems, here’s Hamlet. Speculations about […]

CLAUDIUS      O wretched state, O bosom black as death, O limed soul that struggling to be free Art more engaged. Help, angels, make assay. Bow, stubborn knees, and heart with strings of steel Be soft as sinews of the new-born babe. All may be well.         (3.3.67-72) Claudius’s cry of anguish reaches its climax: O wretched state! O bosom black as death! I […]

CLAUDIUS      In the corrupted currents of this world Offence’s gilded hand may shove by justice, And oft ’tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law; but ’tis not so above: There is no shuffling, there the action lies In his true nature, and we ourselves compelled Even to the teeth and forehead of our faults To give in evidence. What then? What rests? Try what repentance can – what […]

CLAUDIUS      But O, what form of prayer Can serve my turn: ‘Forgive me my foul murder’? That cannot be, since I am still possessed Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition and my Queen. May one be pardoned and retain th’offence?          (3.3.51-56) Claudius realises what a bind he’s in—and it’s desperately human. But […]

CLAUDIUS      What if this cursed hand Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood? Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy But to confront the visage of offence? And what’s in prayer but this twofold force – To be forestalled ere we come to fall Or pardoned, being down? Then I’ll look up: My fault is past.         (3.3.43-51) […]

CLAUDIUS      O, my offence is rank: it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t – A brother’s murder. Pray can I not: Though inclination be as sharp as will, My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent And like a man to double business bound I stand in pause where I shall first begin And both neglect.      […]

(Enter POLONIUS.) POLONIUS      My lord, he’s going to his mother’s closet. Behind the arras I’ll convey myself To hear the process. I’ll warrant she’ll tax him home And, as you said – and wisely was it said – ’Tis meet that some more audience than a mother (Since nature makes them partial) should o’er-hear The speech of vantage. Fare you well, my liege, I’ll call upon you ere you go […]