Faculty of English

GERTRUDE    He’s fat and scant of breath. Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows – The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet. HAMLET         Good madam. CLAUDIUS      Gertrude, do not drink. GERTRUDE    I will, my lord. I pray you pardon me. CLAUDIUS      [aside] It is the poisoned cup! It is too late. HAMLET         I dare not drink yet, madam. By and by. […]

HAMLET         Come on, sir. LAERTES        Come, my lord. [They play.] HAMLET         One! LAERTES        No! HAMLET         Judgement? OSRIC A hit, a very palpable hit. Drum, trumpets and shot LAERTES        Well, again. CLAUDIUS      Stay, give me drink. Hamlet, this pearl is thine: Here’s to thy health. Give him the cup. HAMLET         I’ll play this bout first. Set it by awhile. [They play.] Come, another hit! – What say you? […]

CLAUDIUS                  Give me the cups, And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, The trumpet to the cannoneer without, The cannons to the heavens, the heaven to earth. (Trumpets the while) Now the King drinks to Hamlet. Come, begin. And you, the judges, bear a wary eye.         (5.2.251-256) The tension is rising, rising, as Claudius issues his instructions—give me the cups, go on, […]

LAERTES        This is too heavy, let me see another. HAMLET         This likes me well. These foils have all a length? OSRIC Ay, my good lord. CLAUDIUS      Set me the stoups of wine upon that table. If Hamlet give the first or second hit Or quit in answer of the third exchange Let all the battlements their ordnance fire. The King shall drink to Hamlet’s better breath And in […]

HAMLET         Give us the foils. LAERTES                    Come, one for me. HAMLET         I’ll be your foil, Laertes. In mine ignorance Your skill shall like a star i’th’ darkest night Stick fiery off indeed. LAERTES                    You mock me, sir. HAMLET         No, by this hand. CLAUDIUS      Give them the foils, young Osric. Cousin Hamlet, You know the wager. HAMLET         Very well, my lord. […]

LAERTES                    I am satisfied in nature, Whose motive in this case should stir me most To my revenge. But in my terms of honour I stand aloof and will no reconcilement Till by some elder masters of known honour I have a voice and precedent of peace To keep my name ungored. But all that time I do receive your offered love like love And will not wrong it. HAMLET                     […]

HAMLET         Was’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet. If Hamlet from himself be ta’en away And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not; Hamlet denies it. Who does it then? His madness. If’t be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged – His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy. Let my disclaiming from a purposed evil […]

A table prepared. Trumpets, Drums and Officers with cushions, foils and daggers. [Enter] CLAUDIUS, GERTRUDE, LAERTES, [OSRIC] and all the state. CLAUDIUS      Come, Hamlet, come and take this hand from me. [Puts Laertes’ hand into Hamlet’s.] HAMLET         Give me your pardon, sir. I have done you wrong, But pardon’t as you are a gentleman. This presence knows, and you must needs have heard, How I am punished with a sore distraction. What I […]

HORATIO       If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither and say you are not fit. HAMLET         Not a whit. We defy augury. There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be, ’tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If […]

HORATIO       You will lose, my lord. HAMLET         I do not think so. Since he went into France I have been in continual practice. I shall win at the odds. Thou wouldst not think how ill all’s here about my heart – but it is no matter. HORATIO       Nay, good my lord – HAMLET         It is […]