Bernardo

Who's there?

Francisco

You answer me! Stay where you are and identify yourself.

Bernardo

Long live the king!

Francisco

Bernardo, is that you?

Bernardo

It’s me.

Francisco

You’re right on time to take over the watch.

Bernardo

The clock tower has already struck midnight. Get to bed.

Francisco

Thanks for relieving me. It’s bitter cold and my nerves are shot.

Bernardo

Have you had a quiet watch?

Francisco

Not a mouse stirring.

Bernardo

Well, good night. If you meet Horatio and Marcellus, who are going to stand watch with me, tell them to hurry up.

Francisco

I think I hear them coming. Stop! Who's there?

Horatio

Loyal Danes.

Marcellus

And soldiers of the king.

Francisco

Good evening.

Marcellus

Good evening. Who has relieved you?

Francisco

Bernardo has taken my place. Good night.

Marcellus

Hey, Bernardo!

Bernardo

Hello, Marcellus. Is Horatio with you?

Horatio

A piece of him.

Bernardo

Welcome, Horatio. Welcome, Marcellus.

Marcellus

Has this thing appeared again tonight?

Bernardo

I’ve seen nothing.

Marcellus

Horatio thinks we’re just imagining all this. He doesn’t believe that we’ve actually seen this strange thing twice now. So I’ve invited him to stand watch with us. If that figure appears again he’ll see it with his own eyes, and he can try to speak to it.

Horatio

Nah, it’s not going to appear.

Bernardo

Have a seat, and let us give you the whole story, which you find so hard to believe.

Horatio

Okay, let’s sit down and I’ll listen to Bernardo’s tale.

Bernardo

Do you see that star there, the one directly west of the North Star? Last night it was in that same position in the sky, so it must have been right about this time – the clock tower had just struck one – when Marcellus and I...

Marcellus

Quiet! Look, there it comes!

Bernardo

It looks exactly as last time, just like the dead king.

Marcellus

You’re educated, Horatio; speak to it.

Bernardo

Doesn’t it look just like the king? Watch it, Horatio.

Horatio

This is frightening and incredible.

Bernardo

It wants us to speak to it.

Marcellus

Question it, Horatio.

Horatio

[To the ghost] What are you? What right do you have to come at this time of night and to assume the majestic appearance of our dead king? In the name of God, I demand that you tell us what you are.

Marcellus

It’s offended.

Bernardo

See, it stalks away!

Horatio

Stay! Speak, speak! I order you, speak!

Marcellus

It’s gone; it’s not going to answer you.

Bernardo

What’s wrong, Horatio? You’re trembling and as pale as a sheet. Isn’t this more than our imagination? What do you think?

Horatio

I swear to God, I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.

Marcellus

Isn’t it just like the king?

Horatio

This ghost looks as much like King Hamlet as you look like yourself. The armor it’s wearing looks exactly like the armor King Hamlet wore when he fought the king of Norway. And it frowned just like King Hamlet did when he fought the Poles in that battle on the frozen lake [see note]. This is really weird.

Marcellus

That’s two times already we’ve seen this thing in the middle of the night march past us with that military stride.

Horatio

I have no idea what to make of this, but my gut feeling is that this means something bad is going to happen here in Denmark.

Marcellus

Sit down, and whoever knows what’s going on, please explain it to me. Why are we having to stand all these guard watches? Why are the forges casting more and more cannons every day? Why are we buying weapons abroad? And why are all the shipbuilders working in the dockyards day and night, even Sundays? Who can explain all this?

Horatio

I can – at least as the rumors have it. Our recently deceased King Hamlet, whose ghost it seems we’ve just seen, was challenged to a one-on-one fight by King Fortinbras of Norway, acting out of ego and envy. King Fortinbras, having legally wagered all his family’s lands on the fight, ended up losing not only his life but his family's royal estates as well.

Our King Hamlet had wagered an equivalent amount of land which would have gone to Fortinbras had he won, in accordance with that same agreement under which Fortinbras forfeited his lands to our king.

But now the slain king’s son, Prince Fortinbras, though untested as a ruler and warrior, has raised an army throughout Norway with the intention of invading Denmark and taking back the lands his father lost. As I understand it, that’s the reason behind the war preparations, why we have to stand these watches, and the cause of this commotion throughout Denmark.

Quiet! Look, there it comes again! I’ll confront it even if it attacks me. [To the ghost] If you can talk, speak to me. If there is anything which I can do to help you which would also reflect well on me, speak.

If you’re aware of some danger which, if we know about, we could avoid, tell us. If you have come back to guard stolen treasure which you buried during your lifetime – one reason, they say, you sprits roam the earth –  speak. Tell us why you’re come, stay here and tell us. Don’t let it go, Marcellus.

Marcellus

Should I hit it with my lance?

Horatio

Hit it, if it won’t stay.

Bernardo

It’s over here!

Horatio

No, here it is!

Marcellus

We shouldn’t be trying to harm it; it looks like royalty. Besides, it’s pointless to strike at it; our weapons just pass through it like air.

Bernardo

It was about to speak when the rooster crowed.

Horatio

It panicked like a criminal spotted by the police. I’ve heard it said that when the rooster crows in the morning, right before daybreak, all spirits rush back to wherever they come from – whether that’s in the sea, air, earth, or fire. This ghost’s behavior seems to prove that’s true.

Marcellus

It certainly took off when that rooster crowed. Some people say that at Christmas time, roosters crow all night long, which keeps evil spirits from coming out. This makes the nights completely safe during that holy time of the year – misaligned planets can’t do any harm, bad fairies can’t take anyone’s life, and witches have no power.

Horatio

I’ve heard that also, but I don’t completely believe it. Look over there where the sun is rising; those hills seem to be wearing a red cloak. Our watch is over now, and in my opinion, we owe it out of duty and friendship to tell Prince Hamlet what we’ve seen tonight. That ghost wouldn’t speak to us, but I’ll bet my life it’ll speak to him.

Marcellus

Let’s do that, and I know exactly where we can find Hamlet this morning.