HAMLET 2.1

A room in POLONIUS' house.

[Enter POLONIUS and REYNALDO]

LORD POLONIUS Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

REYNALDO I will, my lord.

LORD POLONIUS You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,

Before you visit him, to make inquire

Of his behavior. 5

REYNALDO My lord, I did intend it.

LORD POLONIUS Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir,

Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;

And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,

What company, at what expense; and finding

By this encompassment and drift of question 10

That they do know my son, come you more nearer

Than your particular demands will touch it:

Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him;

As thus, 'I know his father and his friends,

And in part him: ' do you mark this, Reynaldo? 15

REYNALDO Ay, very well, my lord.

LORD POLONIUS 'And in part him; but' you may say 'not well:

But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild;

Addicted so and so:' and there put on him

What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank 20

As may dishonour him; take heed of that;

But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips

As are companions noted and most known

To youth and liberty.

REYNALDO As gaming, my lord. 25

LORD POLONIUS Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,

Drabbing: you may go so far.

REYNALDO My lord, that would dishonour him.

LORD POLONIUS 'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge

You must not put another scandal on him, 30

That he is open to incontinency;

That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintly

That they may seem the taints of liberty,

The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,

A savageness in unreclaimed blood, 35

Of general assault.

REYNALDO But, my good lord,--

LORD POLONIUS Wherefore should you do this?

REYNALDO Ay, my lord,

I would know that. 40

LORD POLONIUS Marry, sir, here's my drift;

And I believe, it is a fetch of wit:

You laying these slight sullies on my son,

As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working, Mark you,

Your party in converse, him you would sound,

Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes 45

The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured

He closes with you in this consequence;

'Good sir,' or so, or 'friend,' or 'gentleman,'

According to the phrase or the addition

Of man and country. 50

REYNALDO Very good, my lord.

LORD POLONIUS And then, sir, does he this--he does--what was I

about to say? By the mass, I was about to say

something: where did I leave?

REYNALDO At 'closes in the consequence,' at 'friend or so,' 55

and 'gentleman.'

LORD POLONIUS At 'closes in the consequence,' ay, marry;

He closes thus: 'I know the gentleman;

I saw him yesterday, or t' other day,

Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say, 60

There was a' gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse;

There falling out at tennis:' or perchance,

'I saw him enter such a house of sale,'

Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.

See you now; 65

Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:

And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,

With windlasses and with assays of bias,

By indirections find directions out:

So by my former lecture and advice, 70

Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?

REYNALDO My lord, I have.

LORD POLONIUS God be wi' you; fare you well.

REYNALDO Good my lord!

LORD POLONIUS Observe his inclination in yourself.

REYNALDO I shall, my lord. 75

LORD POLONIUS And let him ply his music.

REYNALDO Well, my lord.

LORD POLONIUS Farewell!

[Exit REYNALDO]

[Enter OPHELIA]

How now, Ophelia! what's the matter?

OPHELIA O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted! 80

LORD POLONIUS With what, i' the name of God?

OPHELIA My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;

No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,

Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle; 85

Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;

And with a look so piteous in purport

As if he had been loosed out of hell

To speak of horrors,--he comes before me.

LORD POLONIUS Mad for thy love? 90

OPHELIA My lord, I do not know;

But truly, I do fear it.

LORD POLONIUS What said he?

OPHELIA He took me by the wrist and held me hard;

Then goes he to the length of all his arm;

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow, 95

He falls to such perusal of my face

As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so;

At last, a little shaking of mine arm

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He raised a sigh so piteous and profound 100

As it did seem to shatter all his bulk

And end his being: that done, he lets me go:

And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd,

He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;

For out o' doors he went without their helps, 105

And, to the last, bended their light on me.

LORD POLONIUS Come, go with me: I will go seek the king.

This is the very ecstasy of love,

Whose violent property fordoes itself

And leads the will to desperate undertakings 110

As oft as any passion under heaven

That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.

What, have you given him any hard words of late?

OPHELIA No, my good lord, but, as you did command,

I did repel his fetters and denied 115

His access to me.

LORD POLONIUS That hath made him mad.

I am sorry that with better heed and judgment

I had not quoted him: I fear'd he did but trifle,

And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy!

By heaven, it is as proper to our age 120

To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions

As it is common for the younger sort

To lack discretion. Come, go we to the king:

This must be known; which, being kept close, might

move 125

More grief to hide than hate to utter love.

[Exeunt]

LORD POLONIUS	You shall do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,
	Before you visit him, to make inquire
	Of his behavior.	5

LORD POLONIUS	Marry, well said; very well said. Look you, sir,
	Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
	And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
	What company, at what expense; and finding
	By this encompassment and drift of question	10
	That they do know my son, come you more nearer
	Than your particular demands will touch it:
	Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him;
	As thus, 'I know his father and his friends,
	And in part him: ' do you mark this, Reynaldo?	15

LORD POLONIUS	'And in part him; but' you may say 'not well:
	But, if't be he I mean, he's very wild;
	Addicted so and so:' and there put on him
	What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank	20
	As may dishonour him; take heed of that;
	But, sir, such wanton, wild and usual slips
	As are companions noted and most known
	To youth and liberty.

LORD POLONIUS		Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,
		Drabbing: you may go so far.

LORD POLONIUS	'Faith, no; as you may season it in the charge
	You must not put another scandal on him,	30
	That he is open to incontinency;
	That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintly
	That they may seem the taints of liberty,
	The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,
	A savageness in unreclaimed blood,	35
	Of general assault.

LORD POLONIUS	Marry, sir, here's my drift;
	And I believe, it is a fetch of wit:
	You laying these slight sullies on my son,
	As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' the working, Mark you,
	Your party in converse, him you would sound,
	Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes	45
	The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured
	He closes with you in this consequence;
	'Good sir,' or so, or 'friend,' or 'gentleman,'
	According to the phrase or the addition
	Of man and country.	50

LORD POLONIUS		And then, sir, does he this--he does--what was I
		about to say? By the mass, I was about to say
		something: where did I leave?

REYNALDO		At 'closes in the consequence,' at 'friend or so,'	55
		and 'gentleman.'

LORD POLONIUS	At 'closes in the consequence,' ay, marry;
	He closes thus: 'I know the gentleman;
	I saw him yesterday, or t' other day,
	Or then, or then; with such, or such; and, as you say,	60
	There was a' gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse;
	There falling out at tennis:' or perchance,
	'I saw him enter such a house of sale,'
	Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.
	See you now;	65
	Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth:
	And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
	With windlasses and with assays of bias,
	By indirections find directions out:
	So by my former lecture and advice,	70
	Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?

LORD POLONIUS		Farewell!
		[Exit REYNALDO]
		[Enter OPHELIA]
		How now, Ophelia! what's the matter?

OPHELIA	My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
	Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;
	No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
	Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;	85
	Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
	And with a look so piteous in purport
	As if he had been loosed out of hell
	To speak of horrors,--he comes before me.

OPHELIA	He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
	Then goes he to the length of all his arm;
	And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,	95
	He falls to such perusal of my face
	As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so;
	At last, a little shaking of mine arm
	And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
	He raised a sigh so piteous and profound	100
	As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
	And end his being: that done, he lets me go:
	And, with his head over his shoulder turn'd,
	He seem'd to find his way without his eyes;
	For out o' doors he went without their helps,	105
	And, to the last, bended their light on me.

LORD POLONIUS	Come, go with me: I will go seek the king.
	This is the very ecstasy of love,
	Whose violent property fordoes itself
	And leads the will to desperate undertakings	110
	As oft as any passion under heaven
	That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.
	What, have you given him any hard words of late?

OPHELIA	No, my good lord, but, as you did command,
	I did repel his fetters and denied	115
	His access to me.

LORD POLONIUS	That hath made him mad.
	I am sorry that with better heed and judgment
	I had not quoted him: I fear'd he did but trifle,
	And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy!
	By heaven, it is as proper to our age	120
	To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
	As it is common for the younger sort
	To lack discretion. Come, go we to the king:
	This must be known; which, being kept close, might
	move	125
	More grief to hide than hate to utter love.
	[Exeunt]