Faculty of English

LAERTES                                Where is my father? CLAUDIUS                                          Dead. GERTRUDE     But not by him. CLAUDIUS                              Let him demand his fill. LAERTES        How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with. To hell allegiance, vows to the blackest devil, Conscience and grace to the profoundest pit. I dare damnation. To this point I stand – That both the worlds I give to […]

LAERTES                    O thou vile King, Give me my father. GERTRUDE     Calmly, good Laertes. LAERTES        That drop of blood that’s calm proclaims me bastard, Cries ‘Cuckold!’ to my father, brands the harlot Even here between the chaste unsmirched brow Of my true mother. CLAUDIUS                  What is the cause, Laertes, That thy rebellion looks so giant-like? Let him go, Gertrude, do not fear our person. There’s such divinity doth hedge a king […]

GERTRUDE     How cheerfully on the false trail they cry. (A noise within) O, this is counter, you false Danish dogs! CLAUDIUS      The doors are broke. Enter Laertes with Followers. LAERTES        Where is this king? Sirs, stand you all without. FOLLOWERS  No, let’s come in. LAERTES                    I pray you give me leave. FOLLOWERS  We will, we will. LAERTES                    I thank you, keep the door. […]

MESSENGER              Save yourself, my lord. The ocean overpeering of his list Eats not the flats with more impiteous haste Than young Laertes in a riotous head O’erbears your officers. The rabble call him lord And, as the world were now but to begin, Antiquity forgot, custom not known, The ratifiers and props of every word, They cry, ‘Choose we: Laertes shall be king!’ – […]

CLAUDIUS                  O my dear Gertrude, this, Like to a murdering-piece in many places Gives me superfluous death. (A noise within) Enter a Messenger. Attend! Where is my Switzers? Let them guard the door. What is the matter?   (4.5.94-98) Claudius is barely remaining in control of himself, and again he turns to Gertrude with a vivid conceit: O my dear Gertrude, this, like to a […]

CLAUDIUS      Last, and as much containing as all these, Her brother is in secret come from France, Feeds on this wonder, keeps himself in clouds And wants not buzzers to infect his ear With pestilent speeches of his father’s death – Wherein necessity, of matter beggared, Will nothing stick our person to arraign In ear and ear.            (4.5.87-94) Last, and as much containing as all these—of equal weight and impact as all […]

 CLAUDIUS     … first, her father slain; Next, your son gone, and he most violent author Of his own just remove; the people muddied, Thick and unwholesome in thoughts and whispers For good Polonius’ death, and we have done but greenly In hugger-mugger to inter him; poor Ophelia Divided from herself and her fair judgement, Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts… (4.5.79-86) Claudius starts […]

CLAUDIUS      O, this is the poison of deep grief. It springs All from her father’s death, and now behold – O Gertrude, Gertrude, When sorrows come they come not single spies But in battalions…     (4.5.75-9) Claudius may be the play’s villain but again and again he gets speeches of penetrating psychological insight, and straightforward reasonableness; this is the beginning of a long outpouring of […]

CLAUDIUS      How long hath she been thus? OPHELIA        I hope all will be well. We must be patient. But I cannot choose but weep to think they would lay him i’th’ cold ground. My brother shall know of it. And so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Goodnight, ladies, goodnight. Sweet […]

CLAUDIUS      Pretty Ophelia – OPHELIA        Indeed, without an oath I’ll make an end on’t. [Sings.]         By Gis and by Saint Charity,         Alack and fie for shame,         Young men will do’t if they come to’t:         By Cock they are to blame.         Quoth she, ‘Before you tumbled me         You promised me to wed.’ He answers:         ‘So would I ha’ done by yonder sun         An thou hadst not come to my […]