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Text 06 of 23

SCENE IV.--THE PLATFORM. NIGHT.

Hamlet

William Shakespeare · 2009

Contents

Text 06 of 23

  1. 01Front matter
  2. 02ACT I.
  3. 03SCENE I.--ELSINORE. A PLATFORM BEFORE THE CASTLE. NIGHT.
  4. 04SCENE II.--A ROOM OF STATE IN THE PALACE.
  5. 05SCENE III.--A ROOM IN POLONIUS'S HOUSE.
  6. 06SCENE IV.--THE PLATFORM. NIGHT.
  7. 07SCENE V.--A MORE REMOTE PART OF THE PLATFORM. NIGHT.
  8. 08Act I
  9. 09ACT II.
  10. 10SCENE I.--A ROOM IN POLONIUS'S HOUSE.
  11. 11SCENE II.--A ROOM IN THE CASTLE.
  12. 12Act II
  13. 13ACT III.
  14. 14SCENE II.--A ROOM IN THE SAME.
  15. 15SCENE III.--THE QUEEN'S CHAMBER.
  16. 16Act III
  17. 17ACT IV.
  18. 18Act IV
  19. 19ACT V.
  20. 20SCENE I.--A CHURCH YARD.
  21. 21SCENE II.--HALL IN THE CASTLE.
  22. 22SCENE III.--ROOM IN THE CASTLE.
  23. 23Act V
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Text 6 of 23

SCENE IV.--THE PLATFORM. NIGHT.

William Shakespeare · about 3 minutes

Original source ↗

SCENE IV.--THE PLATFORM. NIGHT.

_Enter_ HAMLET, HORATIO, _and_ MARCELLUS (L.H.U.E.)

Ham. The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold.

Hor. It is a nipping and an eager air.[86]

Ham. What hour now?

Hor. I think it lacks of twelve.

Mar. No, it is struck.

Hor. (R.C.) Indeed? I heard it not: then it draws near the season, Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk.

[_A Flourish of Trumpets, and Ordnance shot off without._]

What does this mean, my lord?

Ham. (L.C.) The king doth wake to-night,[87] and takes his rouse,[88] And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge.

Hor. Is it a custom?

Ham. Ay, marry, is't:

[_Crosses to_ HORATIO.]

But to my mind,--though I am native here, And to the manner born,--it is a custom More honour'd in the breach than the observance.

_Enter_ Ghost (L.H.)

Hor. (R.H.) Look, my lord, it comes!

Ham. (C.) Angels and ministers of grace defend us!-- Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou com'st in such a questionable shape,[89] That I will speak to thee: I'll call thee--Hamlet, King, father: Royal Dane: O, answer me! Let me not burst in ignorance; but tell Why thy canoniz'd bones, hearsed in death,[90] Have burst their cerements;[91] why the sepulchre, Wherein we saw thee quietly in-urn'd, Hath op'd his ponderous and marble jaws, To cast thee up again! What may this mean, That thou, dead corse, again, in cómplete steel, Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon, Making night hideous; and we fools of nature[92] So horridly to shake our disposition[93] With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? Say, why is this? wherefore? what should we do?

[Ghost _beckons._]

Hor. It beckons you to go away with it, As if it some impartment did desire To you alone.

[Ghost _beckons again._]

Mar. Look, with what courteous action It waves you to a more removèd ground:[94] But do not go with it.

Hor. No, by no means.

Ham. It will not speak; then I will follow it.

Hor. Do not, my lord.

Ham. Why, what should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin's fee;[95] And for my soul, what can it do to that, Being a thing immortal as itself?

[Ghost _beckons._]

It waves me forth again;--I'll follow it.

Hor. What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,[96] Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his base into the sea,[97] And there assume some other horrible form, And draw you into madness?

[Ghost _beckons._]

Ham. It waves me still.-- Go on; I'll follow thee.

Mar. You shall not go, my lord.

Ham. Hold off your hands.

Hor. Be rul'd; you shall not go.

Ham. My fate cries out, And makes each petty artery in this body As hardy as the Némean lion's nerve.[98]

[Ghost _beckons_]

Still am I call'd:--unhand me, gentlemen;

[_Breaking from them._]

By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me:--[99] I say, away!--Go on; I'll follow thee.

[_Exeunt_ Ghost _and_ HAMLET, L.H., _followed at a distance by_
  HORATIO _and_ MARCELLUS.]