With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
Enter Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo
HORATIO
Hail to your lordship.
HAMLET
I am glad to see you well.
Horatio—or I do forget myself.
HORATIO
The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.
HAMLET
Sir, my good friend; I’ll change that name with you.
And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio?—
Marcellus.
MARCELLUS My good lord.
HAMLET
I am very glad to see you. (To Barnardo) Good even,
sir.—
But what in faith make you from Wittenberg?
HORATIO
A truant disposition, good my lord.
HAMLET
I would not have your enemy say so,
Nor shall you do mine ear that violence
To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself. I know you are no truant.
But what is your affair in Elsinore?
We’ll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.
HORATIO
My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.
HAMLET
I prithee do not mock me, fellow-student;
I think it was to see my mother’s wedding.
HORATIO
Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.
HAMLET
Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
Ere I had ever seen that day, Horatio.
My father—methinks I see my father.
HORATIO
O where, my lord?
HAMLET
In my mind’s eye, Horatio.
HORATIO
I saw him once. A was a goodly king.
HAMLET
A was a man. Take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again.
HORATIO
My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.
HAMLET Saw? Who?
HORATIO My lord, the King your father.
HAMLET The King my father?
HORATIO
Season your admiration for a while
With an attent ear till I may deliver,
Upon the witness of these gentlemen,
This marvel to you.
HAMLET
For God’s love let me hear!
HORATIO
Two nights together had these gentlemen,
Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch,
In the dead waste and middle of the night,
Been thus encountered. A figure like your father,
Armed at all points exactly, cap-à-pie,
Appears before them, and with solemn march
Goes slow and stately by them. Thrice he walked
By their oppressed and fear-surprised eyes
Within his truncheon’s length, whilst they distilled
Almost to jelly with the act of fear
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful secrecy impart they did,
And I with them the third night kept the watch,
Where, as they had delivered, both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes. I knew your father;
These hands are not more like.
HAMLET
But where was this?
MARCELLUS
My lord, upon the platform where we watched.
HAMLET
Did you not speak to it?
HORATIO
My lord, I did,
But answer made it none; yet once methought
It lifted up it head and did address
Itself to motion like as it would speak,
But even then the morning cock crew loud,
And at the sound it shrunk in haste away
And vanished from our sight.
HAMLET
’Tis very strange.
HORATIO
As I do live, my honoured lord, ’tis true,
And we did think it writ down in our duty
To let you know of it.
HAMLET
Indeed, indeed, sirs; but this troubles me.—
Hold you the watch tonight?
BARNARDO and MARCELLUS
We do, my lord.
HAMLET
Armed, say you?
BARNARDO and MARCELLUS Armed, my lord.
HAMLET
From top to toe?
BARNARDO and MARCELLUS
My lord, from head to foot.
HAMLET
Then saw you not his face.
HORATIO
O yes, my lord, he wore his beaver up.
HAMLET
What looked he? Frowningly?
HORATIO A countenance more
In sorrow than in anger.
HAMLET
Pale or red?
HORATIO
Nay, very pale.
HAMLET
And fixed his eyes upon you?
HORATIO Most constantly.
HAMLET I would I had been there.
HORATIO It would have much amazed you.
HAMLET
Very like, very like. Stayed it long?
HORATIO
While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.
BARNARDO and MARCELLUS Longer, longer.
HORATIO Not when I saw’t.
HAMLET His beard was grizzly, no?
HORATIO
It was as I have seen it in his life,
A sable silvered.
HAMLET
I’ll watch tonight. Perchance
‘Twill walk again.
HORATIO
I warrant you it will.
HAMLET
If it assume my noble father’s person
I’ll speak to it though hell itself should gape
And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all,
If you have hitherto concealed this sight,
Let it be treble in your silence still,
And whatsoever else shall hap tonight,
Give it an understanding but no tongue.
I will requite your loves. So fare ye well.
Upon the platform ’twixt eleven and twelve
I’ll visit you.
ALL THREE
Our duty to your honour.
HAMLET
Your love, as mine to you. Farewell.
Exeunt all but Hamlet
My father’s spirit in arms! All is not well.
I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come.
Till then, sit still, my soul. Foul deeds will rise,
Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s eyes.
Exit
1.3 Enter Laertes and Ophelia, his sister
LAERTES
My necessaries are inbarqued. Farewell.
And, sister, as the winds give benefit