Hamlet

Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a publication of the Pennsylvania State University. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania StateUniversity assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the Pennsylvania State University, Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18201-1291 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing student publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to freeand easy access of those wishing to make use of them, and as such is a part of the Pennsylvania State University’s Electronic Classics Series. Cover design: Jim Manis; art work: Henry Fuseli. Hamlet and the Ghost, 1789. Plate XLIV from Volume II of
Boydell’s Shakespeare Prints; the illustration in Boydell is based on the original painting of 1789. The text accompanying the engraving: “Hamlet.Act I. Scene IV. A platform before the Castle of Elsineur. Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus, and the Ghost. Painted by H. Fuseli, R. A. Engraved by R. Thew.”

Copyright © 1998 The Pennsylvania State University

The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity University.

HAMLET
By

DRAMATIS PERSONAE CLAUDIUS: king of Denmark. (KING CLAUDIUS:) HAMLET: son to the late, and nephew to thepresent king.

William Shakespeare
(written about 1602)

POLONIUS: lord chamberlain. (LORD POLONIUS:) HORATIO: friend to Hamlet. LAERTES: son to Polonius. LUCIANUS: nephew to the king. VOLTIMAND, CORNELIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN & OSRIC: courtiers. A Gentleman, (Gentlemen:) A Priest. (First Priest:) MARCELLUS & BERNARDO: officers. FRANCISCO: a soldier.

Eugène Delacroix from a series ofthirteen lithographs based on Hamlet — 1843 (“Alas, poor Yorick!”) 3

REYNALDO: servant to Polonius.

Hamlet, Act I, scene i

Players. (First Player:) (Player King:) (Player Queen:) Two Clowns, grave-diggers. (First Clown:) (Second Clown:) FORTINBRAS: prince of Norway. (PRINCE FORTINBRAS:) A Captain. English Ambassadors. (First Ambassador:) GERTRUDE: queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet.(QUEEN GERTRUDE:) OPHELIA: daughter to Polonius. Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants. (Lord:) (First Sailor:) (Messenger:) Ghost of Hamlet’s Father. (Ghost:)

HAMLET ACT I
SCENE I: Elsinore. A platform before the castle.
[FRANCISCO at his post. Enter to him BERNARDO.] BERNARDO: Who’s there? FRANCISCO: Nay, answer me: stand, and unfold yourself.BERNARDO: Long live the king! FRANCISCO: Bernardo? BERNARDO: He. FRANCISCO: You come most carefully upon your hour. BERNARDO: ’Tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, Francisco.

SCENE: Denmark.

FRANCISCO: For this relief much thanks: ’tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart. BERNARDO: Have you had quiet guard? 4

Hamlet, Act I, scene i

FRANCISCO:

Not a mouse stirring.

What, is Horatiothere? HORATIO: A piece of him.

BERNARDO: Well, good night. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste. FRANCISCO: I think I hear them. Stand, ho! Who’s there? [Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.] HORATIO: Friends to this ground. MARCELLUS: And liegemen to the Dane.

BERNARDO: Welcome, Horatio: welcome, good Marcellus. MARCELLUS: What, has this thing appear’dagain to-night? BERNARDO: I have seen nothing. 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.

FRANCISCO: Give...