Faculty of English

POLONIUS                  This business is well ended. My liege and madam, to expostulate What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night, day and time; Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes. I will be brief: your noble son is […]

VOLTEMAND Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy, Gives him threescore thousand crowns in annual fee And his commission to employ those soldiers So levied (as before) against the Polack, With an entreaty herein further shown That it might please you to give quiet pass Through your dominions for this enterprise On such regards of safety and allowance As therein are set down. CLAUDIUS                  It likes us well, […]

Enter Voltemand and Cornelius. CLAUDIUS                  Welcome, my good friends. Say, Voltemand, what from our brother Norway? VOLTEMAND Most fair return of greetings and desires. Upon our first he sent out to suppress His nephew’s levies, which to him appeared To be a preparation ’gainst the Polack; But, better looked into, he truly found It was against your highness; whereat, grieved That so his sickness, age and impotence Was falsely borne […]

CLAUDIUS      O, speak of that, that do I long to hear. POLONIUS      Give first admittance to th’ambassadors. My news shall be the fruit to that great feast. CLAUDIUS      Thyself do grace to them and bring them in. He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found The head and source of all your son’s distemper. GERTRUDE    I doubt it is no other but the main – His father’s death […]

GUILDENSTERN        Heavens make our presence and our practices Pleasant and helpful to him. GERTRUDE                Ay, amen. Exeunt Rosencrantz, Guildenstern [and one or more Courtiers]. Enter Polonius. POLONIUS      Th’ambassadors from Norway, my good lord, Are joyfully returned. CLAUDIUS      Thou still hast been the father of good news. POLONIUS      Have I, my lord? I assure my good liege I hold my duty as I hold my […]

ROSENCRANTZ         Both your majesties Might by the sovereign power you have of us Put your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty. GUILDENSTERN        But we both obey And here give up ourselves in the full bent To lay our service freely at your feet To be commanded. CLAUDIUS      Thanks, Rosencrantz, and gentle Guildenstern. GERTRUDE    Thanks, Guildenstern, and gentle Rosencrantz. And I beseech you instantly to […]

QUEEN           Good gentlemen, he hath much talked of you And sure I am two men there is not living To whom he more adheres. If it will please you To show us so much gentry and good will As to expend your time with us awhile For the supply and profit of our hope, Your visitation shall receive such thanks As […]

CLAUDIUS                  I entreat you both That, being of so young days brought up with him And sith so neighboured to his youth and haviour, That you vouchsafe your rest here in our Court Some little time, so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures and to gather So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus That opened lies within our remedy.           (2.2.10-18) This is […]

Flourish. Enter KING and QUEEN, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern [and other Courtiers] KING   Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Moreover that we much did long to see you The need we have to use you did provoke Our hasty sending. Something have you heard Of Hamlet’s transformation – so call it Sith nor th’exterior nor the inward man Resembles that it was. What it should be More than his father’s death, that thus […]

POLONIUS                  That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgement I had not quoted him. I feared he did but trifle And meant to wrack thee – but beshrew my jealousy – By heaven it is as proper to our age To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions As it is common for the younger sort To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King: This must be known which, […]