BARNARDO Have you had quiet guard?
FRANCISCO Not a mouse stirring.
BARNARDO Well, goodnight.
If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,
The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.
Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.
FRANCISCO I think I hear them. Stand ho, who is there?
HORATIO Friends to this ground.
MARCELLUS And liegemen to the Dane.
FRANCISCO Give you goodnight.
MARCELLUS O farewell, honest soldiers; who hath relieved you?
FRANCISCO Barnardo hath my place. Give you goodnight.
Exit FRANCISCO (1.1.7-14)
Have you had quiet guard? He’s asking, anything to report? It’s sort of just passing the time of—night—but also implying that it’s not always quiet guard, this job. Is it the larger situation that’s unquiet, are they on a war footing? Or are there other kinds of unquietness to be contemplated? Tonight, though, it’s been OK: not a mouse stirring. Quiet as. Nothing to worry about. Well, goodnight then. And if you do meet Horatio and Marcellus (more names, are these just other sentries?) the rivals of my watch—the other guys who are meant to be coming on duty now, partners, rather than opponents, here—bid them make haste. Tell them to hurry. Despite the fact that it’s apparently been quiet, Barnardo’s uneasy; he doesn’t want to be out here (where?) alone.
Fortunately here they are: I think I hear them, says Francisco, reassuringly. (And emphasising, again, that it’s night; he hears them, he can’t see Horatio and Marcellus.) Stand ho, who is there? Halt; identify yourselves! It’s a re-run of the play’s opening line: who’s there? Horatio speaks first, perhaps anxious to reassure, perhaps there’s a torch being shone in his face, the glitter of a blade, the dark bulk of a gun: whoa, friends to this ground, we’re on your side! And liegemen to the Dane, Marcellus chips in; we’re sworn servants to the Danish king, loyal as they come. So it’s not quite a re-run of just giving the password, there’s an additional protestation of loyalty, maybe a note of grievance, you know we’re all on the same side, doing the same job, no need to be so paranoid. Francisco’s satisfied: give you goodnight (maybe: no need to be so touchy). Marcellus is prepared to smooth over any slight cracks or crankiness: o farewell, honest soldiers. Good to see you doing it all by the book, of course you should have challenged us. Who hath relieved you, though? Who’s taken your place on guard duty? Partly a request for information, partly making sure that they’ve got the numbers. Barnardo hath my place: he’s replaced me (again, it’s dark, they can’t necessarily see). Give you goodnight. And yes, he’s saying goodnight, but it’s just that little bit more active, more apprehensive: I hope you have a good one; I pray God send you a good night. (Because it might not be.)