HAMLET         How say you then – would heart of man once think it? –

But you’ll be secret?

HORATIO / MARCELLUS                  Ay, by heaven.

HAMLET         There’s never a villain dwelling in all Denmark

But he’s an arrant knave.

HORATIO        There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave

To tell us this.

HAMLET         Why, right, you are in the right!

And so without more circumstance at all

I hold it fit that we shake hands and part –

You as your business and desire shall point you

(For every man hath business and desire

Such as it is) and for my own poor part

I will go pray.             (1.5.120-131)

Hamlet’s all over the place, not sure if he can trust them, but also just confused, buying time, gabbling: how say you then—would heart of man once think it?—but you’ll be secret? Can you promise me you’ll keep quiet about this? Ay, by heaven, absolutely, of course, they reply. But he’s still prevaricating: there’s never a villain dwelling in all Denmark—and Hamlet could, at this point, be straight with them and say, and it’s my uncle, the king, he’s the villain—but he doesn’t, he swerves, shies away: but he’s an arrant knave, a total wrong ’un. A villain is a villain, that’s the thing! Horatio’s quite right to respond, in effect, well, d’uh, there needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave to tell us this. He can play it for laughs, slightly, a calculated attempt to lower the temperature, engage, calm Hamlet down, humour him, rather than simply expressing frustration.

But Hamlet’s not biting, he shies away again: why, right, you are in the right! Absolutely, couldn’t agree more. And so without more circumstance at all—without any further explanation on my part—I hold it fit that we shake hands and part. That’s us, done, good night and good luck. (Hamlet’s speaking to the immediate situation; he’s also, perhaps, cutting himself off from Horatio, from his former life and friends, already, setting himself on the other side of a terrible, lonely divide.) You as your business and desire shall point you—you must have things to do, much better things to do in fact—(for every man hath business and desire such as it is) (and that’s an aside almost to himself: he has only one thing to do, one thing that he wants to do now, he’s reminding himself, remember, REMEMBER) and for my own poor part I will go pray. I need to be alone. That’s all I can do at this moment. Pray.