Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 5
Enter GHOST and HAMLET.
HAMLET
1 Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.
GHOST
2 Mark me.
HAMLET
I will.
GHOST
My hour is almost come,
2. My hour is almost come: As in the first scene of the play, the "hour" when the Ghost must cease to "walk the night" is at cock crow, the first light of dawn. (See 1.1.138.)
3 When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames
4 Must render up myself.
HAMLET
Alas, poor Ghost!
GHOST
5 Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing
6 To what I shall unfold.
HAMLET
Speak; I am bound to hear.
GHOST
7 So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.
HAMLET
8 What?
GHOST
9 I am thy father's spirit,
10 Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,
11 And for the day confined to fast in fires,
11. fast: do penance.
12 Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature
12. crimes: sins. days of nature: i.e., life on earth.
13 Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid
13. But that: were it not that.
14 To tell the secrets of my prison-house,
15 I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
16 Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
16. harrow up: shred, torment.
17 Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
17. Make . . . spheres: make your two eyes—as unnaturally as stars leaving their orbits—burst out of their eye-sockets
18 Thy knotted and combined locks to part
18. knotted and combined locks: i.e., hair neatly arranged. part: separate.
19 And each particular hair to stand on end,
20 Like quills upon the fretful porpentine:
20. fretful porpentine: ill-tempered porcupine. ...more
21 But this eternal blazon must not be
21. eternal blazon: revelation of eternal things.
22 To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list!
22. List: listen.
23 If thou didst ever thy dear father love—
HAMLET
24 O God!
GHOST
25 Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.
HAMLET
26 Murder!
GHOST
27 Murder most foul, as in the best it is;
28 But this most foul, strange and unnatural.
27-28. Murder . . . unnatural: All murder is "foul" (dirty, criminal), but the murder of King Hamlet by his brother is "most foul" because it was done in a "strange," sneaky, and cowardly way; Claudius killed his brother by pouring poison in King Hamlet's ear when he was taking a nap in his garden. And the murder is "unnatural" because by nature, Claudius should love his brother, not kill him.
HAMLET
29 Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift
30 As meditation or the thoughts of love,
31 May sweep to my revenge.
GHOST
I find thee apt;
32 And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed
33 That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf,
33. Lethe: river of Hades, the water of which made the drinker forget the past. wharf: bank.
34 Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear:
34. stir in this: take action on this cause.
35 'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
35. orchard: garden.
36 A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark
37 Is by a forged process of my death
37. forged process: false account.
38 Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth,
38. abus'd: deceived.
39 The serpent that did sting thy father's life
40 Now wears his crown.
HAMLET
O my prophetic soul!
41 My uncle?
GHOST
42 Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,
42. adulterate: adulterous.
43 With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts—
44 O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power
45 So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust
46 The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen:
47 O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!
48 From me, whose love was of that dignity
49 That it went hand in hand even with the vow
49. went hand in hand even: went exactly hand in hand.
50 I made to her in marriage, and to decline
51 Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor
52 To those of mine!
53 But virtue, as it never will be moved,
54 Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven,
54. shape of heaven: heavenly form.
55 So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd,
56 Will sate itself in a celestial bed,
56. sate: satiate.
57 And prey on garbage.
58 But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air;
59 Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard,
60 My custom always of the afternoon,
61 Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
61. secure hour: i.e., a time when I felt secure from all danger.
62 With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
62. hebenon: a deadly poison.
63 And in the porches of my ears did pour
64 The leperous distillment; whose effect
64. leperous distillment: a distilled (and therefore potent) liquid which produces the disfigurement of leprosy.
65 Holds such an enmity with blood of man
66 That swift as quicksilver it courses through
66. quicksilver: mercury.
67 The natural gates and alleys of the body,
68 And with a sudden vigor doth posset
69 And curd, like eager droppings into milk,
68-69. posset . . . curd: —Both words mean "make into curd." eager droppings: i.e., drops of acid, such as vinegar.
70 The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine;
71 And a most instant tetter bark'd about,
71. tetter: scabby eruption. bark'd: formed a rough covering, like bark on a tree.
72 Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust,
72. lazar-like: leper-like.
73 All my smooth body.
74 Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand
75 Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd:
75. at once: all at the same time. dispatch'd: suddenly deprived.
76 Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
77 Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd,
77. Unhous'led: without having received the sacrament. disappointed: without (spiritual) preparation. unanel'd: unanointed, without extreme unction.
78 No reckoning made, but sent to my account
79 With all my imperfections on my head:
80 O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!
81 If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
81. nature: natural feelings [of a son for his father].
82 Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
83 A couch for luxury and damned incest.
83. luxury: lust.
84 But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,
84. pursuest this act: i.e., plan and take a course of action leading to revenge for King Hamlet's murder.
85 Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
86 Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven
87 And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
88 To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once!
89 The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
89. matin: morning.
90 And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
90. And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire: and his cold fire begins to grow pale.
91 Adieu, adieu, adieu! Remember me.
"Adieu, adieu, adieu! Remember me."
[Exit Ghost.]
HAMLET
92 O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else?
93 And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart;
93. couple: add.
94 And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
95 But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee!
96 Ay, thou poor Ghost, while memory holds a seat
97 In this distracted globe. Remember thee!
97. globe: head.
98 Yea, from the table of my memory
98. table: writing tablet.
99 I'll wipe away all trivial fond records,
99. fond: foolish.
100 All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,
100. saws: wise sayings. forms: shapes, images. pressures: impressions.
101 That youth and observation copied there;
102 And thy commandment all alone shall live
103 Within the book and volume of my brain,
104 Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven!
105 O most pernicious woman!
106 O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
107 My tables—meet it is I set it down,
107. tables: i.e., notebook.
108 That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
109 At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark:
[Writing.]
110 So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word;
110. So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word: It appears to me that Hamlet is writing in a notebook. After he is finished writing that "one may smile, and smile, and be a villain," he says, "So, uncle, there you are," meaning "So much for you"; he then writes down a reminder of his "word," his promise to remember the Ghost.
111 It is 'Adieu, adieu! remember me.'
112 I have sworn't.
HORATIO [Within.]
113 My lord, my lord—
MARCELLUS [Within.]
Lord Hamlet—
Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.
HORATIO
Heavens secure him!
HAMLET
114 So be it!
114. So be it!: I think that Hamlet has finished writing in his notebook, and is once again promising to remember the Ghost.
MARCELLUS
115 Illo, ho, ho, my lord!
HAMLET
116 Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come.
116. Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come: Hamlet answers Marcellus' halloo with a falconer's cry.
MARCELLUS
117 How is't, my noble lord?
HORATIO
What news, my lord?
HAMLET
118 O, wonderful!
HORATIO
Good my lord, tell it.
HAMLET
119 No; you'll reveal it.
HORATIO
120 Not I, my lord, by heaven.
MARCELLUS
Nor I, my lord.
HAMLET
121 How say you, then; would heart of man once think it?
122 But you'll be secret?
HORATIO and MARCELLUS
Ay, by heaven, my lord.
HAMLET
123 There's never a villain dwelling in all Denmark
124 But he's an arrant knave.
124. arrant: complete.
HORATIO
125 There needs no Ghost, my lord, come from the grave
126 To tell us this.
HAMLET
Why, right; you are i' the right;
127 And so, without more circumstance at all,
127. circumstance: ceremony.
128 I hold it fit that we shake hands and part:
129 You, as your business and desire shall point you;
130 For every man has business and desire,
131 Such as it is; and for mine own poor part,
132 Look you, I'll go pray.
HORATIO
133 These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.
HAMLET
134 I'm sorry they offend you, heartily;
135 Yes, 'faith heartily.
HORATIO
There's no offence, my lord.
HAMLET
136 Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,
136. Saint Patrick: The keeper of Purgatory (where the Ghost abides during the day); St. Patrick was also the patron saint of blunders and confusion.
137 And much offence too. Touching this vision here,
138 It is an honest Ghost, that let me tell you:
138. honest: genuine; truth-telling.
139 For your desire to know what is between us,
140 O'ermaster 't as you may. And now, good friends,
141 As you are friends, scholars and soldiers,
142 Give me one poor request.
HORATIO
143 What is't, my lord? we will.
HAMLET
144 Never make known what you have seen tonight.
HORATIO and MARCELLUS
145 My lord, we will not.
HAMLET
Nay, but swear't.
HORATIO
In faith,
146 My lord, not I.
"Indeed, upon my sword, indeed"
MARCELLUS
Nor I, my lord, in faith.
HAMLET
147 Upon my sword.
MARCELLUS
We have sworn, my lord, already.
HAMLET
148 Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.
Ghost cries under the stage.
GHOST
149 Swear.
HAMLET
150 Ah, ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, truepenny?
150. truepenny: trusty fellow.
151 Come on—you hear this fellow in the cellarage—
152 Consent to swear.
HORATIO
Propose the oath, my lord.
HAMLET
153 Never to speak of this that you have seen,
154 Swear by my sword.
GHOST [Beneath.]
155 Swear.
HAMLET
156. Hic et ubique: here and everywhere. (Latin.)
156 Hic et ubique? Then we'll shift our ground.
157 Come hither, gentlemen,
158 And lay your hands again upon my sword:
159 Swear by my sword
160 Never to speak of this that you have heard,
GHOST [Beneath.]
161 Swear by his sword.
HAMLET
162 Well said, old mole! canst work i' the earth so fast?
163 A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends.
163. pioner: digger, miner.
HORATIO
164 O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!
HAMLET
165 And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
165. as a stranger give it welcome: give it the welcome due in courtesy to strangers.
166 There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
167 Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
167. your philosophy: the natural philosophy [i.e., science] that everyone talks about.
168 But come—
169 Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
170 How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,
171 As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
172 To put an antic disposition on,
172. antic disposition: weird mannerisms.
173 That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,
174 With arms encumber'd thus, or this headshake,
174. arms encumber'd thus: crossed this way. ...more
175 Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
175. doubtful: ambiguous.
176 As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, an if we would,"
176. We . . . would: i.e., we could explain, if we chose to.
177 Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an if they might,"
177. list to: were inclined to. There . . . might: i.e., there are those who could explain all, if given a chance.
178 Or such ambiguous giving out, to note
178. to note: to give a sign
179 That you know aught of me—this not to do,
179. know aught of me: i.e., know anything about my state of mind.
180 So grace and mercy at your most need help you, Swear.
GHOST [Beneath.]
181 Swear.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
[They swear.]
HAMLET
182 Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! So, gentlemen,
183 With all my love I do commend me to you:
184 And what so poor a man as Hamlet is
185 May do, to express his love and friending to you,
186 God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together;
187. still: always.
187 And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
188 The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
189 That ever I was born to set it right!
190. Nay, come, let's go together: It appears to me that Marcellus and Horatio are so confounded by Hamlet's "wild and whirling words" that they can't move until Hamlet invites them to go with him.
190 Nay, come, let's go together.
Exeunt.