Faculty of English

BARNARDO                            Sit down awhile, And let us once again assail your ears That are so fortified against our story What we have two nights seen. HORATIO        Well, sit we down, And let us hear Barnardo speak of this. BARNARDO    Last night of all, When yond same star that’s westward from the pole Had made his course t’illume that part of heaven Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself, The bell […]

MARCELLUS   Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy And will not let belief take hold of him Touching this dreaded sight twice seen of us. Therefore I have entreated him along With us to watch the minutes of this night That, if again this apparition come, He may approve our eyes and speak to it. HORATIO        Tush, tush, ’twill not appear.             (1.1.21-28) […]

MARCELLUS   Holla, Barnardo! BARNARDO    Say, what, is Horatio there? HORATIO        A piece of him. BARNARDO    Welcome Horatio, welcome good Marcellus. HORATIO        What, has this thing appeared again tonight? BARNARDO    I have seen nothing.              (1.1.15-20) Holla, Barnardo! This could be one of the very, very limited circumstances in which it might be permissible to gloss as—YO. YO, Barnardo my […]

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 […]

Enter BARNARDO and FRANCISCO, two sentinels. BARNARDO    Who’s there? FRANCISCO    Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself. BARNARDO    Long live the King. FRANCISCO                            Barnardo? BARNARDO                                                    He. FRANCISCO    You come most carefully upon your hour. BARNARDO    ’Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francisco. FRANCISCO    For this relief much thanks. ’Tis bitter cold And […]

#InkyCloak a new #SlowShakespeare daily blog reading HAMLET starts tomorrow, 1 October 2024. It follows continuously on my #SlowShakespeare site from my two previous blogs, #2Dudes1Dog and #BurningBarge. Posts go up around 9am every day, and are tweeted on what I still refer to as twitter (@starcrossed2018) and also posted on Bluesy (@starcrossed2018.bsky.social) although there […]

VALENTINE What think you of this page, my lord? DUKE I think the boy hath grace in him – he blushes. VALENTINE I warrant you, my lord, more grace than boy. DUKE What mean you by that saying? VALENTINE Please you, I’ll tell you as we pass along, That you will wonder what hath fortuned. […]

DUKE  Thou hast prevailed. I pardon them and thee. Dispose of them as thou know’st their deserts. Come, let us go, we will conclude all jars With triumphs, mirth, and rare solemnity. VALENTINE    And as we walk along I dare be bold With our discourse to make your grace to smile.  (5.4.156-161) Oooooh, alright then, […]

VALENTINE    I thank your grace. The gift hath made me happy. I now beseech you, for your daughter’s sake, To grant one boon that I shall ask of you. DUKE  I grant it for thine own, whate’er it be. VALENTINE    These banished men that I have kept withal Are men endowed with worthy qualities. Forgive […]

DUKE  The more degenerate and base art thou To make such means for her as thou hast done, And leave her on such slight conditions. Now, by the honour of my ancestry, I do applaud thy spirit, Valentine, And think thee worthy of an empress’ love. Know then I here forget all former griefs, Cancel […]