HORATIO        My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

HAMLET         Saw, who?

HORATIO                                My lord, the King your father.

HAMLET         The King my father?

HORATIO        Season your admiration for a while

With an attent ear till I may deliver

Upon the witness of these gentlemen

This marvel to you.

HAMLET                     For God’s love let me hear!   (1.2.188-194)

Horatio steels himself, deep breath, maybe a glance at Marcellus and Barnardo, who have gone very still, wondering, will he? and then he just comes out with it, plain and straightforward: my lord, I think I saw him yesternight. Saw, who? This just doesn’t compute; besides, Hamlet’s drifted off a bit into his own thoughts, the fact of his father’s death more significant than whether or not Horatio ever saw him. Perhaps he was only half listening—or, the idea that Horatio saw him last night is too incredible. What? Who did you see? So Horatio spells it out, carefully, politely: my lord, the King your father. That’s who I saw. Really? The King my father? Hamlet can’t believe it. Then Horatio—who is being so circumspect, so carefully deferential—tries to prepare Hamlet for his news, tries to calm him, put him in an appropriate frame of mind—whatever that might be. Just seen your dead dad! Just met his ghost! Season your admiration for a while—just try to keep calm, curb your enthusiasm a little—with an attent ear—by listening carefully—till I may deliver upon the witness of these gentlemen this marvel to you. And I’ll tell you about this astonishing thing, which these two soldiers here can absolutely corroborate. (Marcellus and Barnardo nod.) Just listen, I’ll do my best to explain and tell you the whole story. Hamlet is not exactly going to take this calmly: for God’s love let me hear! Get on with it! Tell me everything!