Hamlet

[The throne room of Elsinore castle. King Claudius enters with his newly wed Queen, Hamlet's recently widowed mother. They are followed by the king's chief counselor Polonius, Polonius' son Laertes, his daugher Ophelia, and other nobles.]

Claudius 

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death,
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe;
Yet so far has discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
[The throne room of Elsinore castle. King Claudius enters with his newly wed Queen, Hamlet's recently widowed mother. They are followed by the king's chief counselor Polonius, Polonius' son Laertes, his daugher Ophelia, and other nobles.]

Claudius 

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death,
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe;
Yet so far has discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometimes sister, now our queen,
Th' imperial jointress of this warlike state,
Have we (as 'twere with a defeated joy,
With one auspicious and one dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole) 
Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred  
Your better wisdoms which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
Now follows that you know — young Fortinbras, 
Holding a weak supposal of our worth,
Or thinking by our late dear brother's death
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with the dream of his advantage,
He has not failed to pester us with messages,
Importing the surrender of those lands
Lost by his father with all bonds of law
To our most valiant brother. So much for him.
[Enter messengers]
Now for ourself and for this time of meeting. 
Thus much the business is: we have here writ
To Norway (uncle of young Fortinbras
Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose) to suppress
His further gait herein in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions are all made
Out of his subjects. And we here dispatch 
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand,
For bearing of this greeting to old Norway,
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the king more than the scope
Of these delated articles allow.
Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty. 

Bernardo

                                                                          Say,
What, is Horatio there?

Horatio

                                           A piece of him. 

Bernardo

Marcellus 

Bernardo

Marcellus

Horatio

Bernardo

Horatio

Bernardo

[Enter a ghostly figure dressed in splendid armor – see note, line 40]

Marcellus 

Bernardo 

Marcellus

Bernardo 

Horatio 

Bernardo

Marcellus

Horatio 

Marcellus

Bernardo

Horatio   

[Exit Ghost.]

Marcellus  

Bernardo

Horatio 

Marcellus

Horatio   

Marcellus 

Horatio 

Marcellus

Horatio

[Re-enter the ghost.]
[The ghost spreads its arms.]
[The cock crows.]

Marcellus 

Horatio 

[They strike at the Ghost but their spears seem to pass through it without any effect]

Bernardo

Horatio 

[Exit Ghost.]

Marcellus

Bernardo 

Horatio  

Marcellus 

Horatio 

Marcellus 

[Exit.]

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.

Bernardo

                                                  Sit down awhile,
And let us once again assail your ears,
That are so fortified against our story,
What we two nights have seen. 

Horatio

                                                        Well, sit we down,
And let us hear Bernardo speak of this.

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