Enter GHOST and HAMLET.

      HAMLET 
  1   Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.

      GHOST 
  2   Mark me.

      HAMLET 
  2                         I will.

      GHOST 
  2                                         My
hour is almost come, 
  3   When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames 
  4   Must render up myself.

      HAMLET 
  4                                        Alas, poor Ghost!

      GHOST 
  5   Pityme not, but lend thy serious hearing 
  6   To what I shall unfold.

      HAMLET 
  6                                        Speak; I am bound to hear.

      GHOST 
  7   So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.

      HAMLET 
  8   What?

      GHOST 
  9   I am thy father's spirit, 
 10   Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, 
 11   And for the day confined to fast in fires, 
 12   Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature 
 13   Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid 
 14   To tell the secrets of my prison-house, 
 15   I could a tale unfold whose lightest word 
 16   Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, 
 17   Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, 
 18   Thy knotted and combined locks to part 
 19   And each particular hair to stand on end, 
 20   Like quills upon the fretful porpentine: 
 21   But this eternal blazon must not be 
 22   To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O, list! 
 23   If thou didst ever thy dear father love—

      HAMLET 
 24   O God!

      GHOST 
 25   Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

      HAMLET 
 26   Murder!

      GHOST 
 27   Murder most foul, as in the best it is; 
 28   But this most foul, strange and unnatural.

      HAMLET 
 29   Hasteme to know't, that I, with wings as swift 
 30   As meditation or the thoughts of love, 
 31   May sweep to my revenge.

      GHOST 
 31                                        I
find thee apt; 
 32   And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed 
 33   That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, 
 34   Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear: 
 35   'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, 
 36   A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark 
 37   Is by a forged process of my death 
 38   Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth, 
 39   The serpent that did sting thy father's life 
 40   Now wears his crown.

      HAMLET 
 40                                     O my prophetic soul! 
 41   My uncle?
      GHOST 
 42   Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, 
 43   With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts— 
 44   O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power 
 45   So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust 
 46   The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen: 
 47   O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there! 
 48   From me, whose love was of that dignity 
 49   That it went hand in hand even with the vow 
 50   I made to her in marriage, and to decline 
 51   Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor 
 52   To those of mine! 
 53   But virtue, as it never will be moved, 
 54   Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven, 
 55   So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd, 
 56   Will sate itself in a celestial bed, 
 57   And prey on garbage. 
 58   But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air; 
 59   Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard, 
 60   My custom always of the afternoon, 
 61   Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, 
 62   With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, 
 63   And in the porches of my ears did pour 
 64   The leperous distillment; whose effect 
 65   Holds such an enmity with blood of man 
 66   That swift as quicksilver it courses through 
 67   The natural gates and alleys of the body, 
 68   And with a sudden vigor doth posset 
 69   And curd, like eager droppings into milk, 
 70   The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine; 
 71   And a most instant tetter bark'd about, 
 72   Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust, 
 73   All my smooth body. 
 74   Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand 
 75   Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd: 
 76   Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin, 
 77   Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd, 
 78   No reckoning made, but sent to my account 
 79   With all my imperfections on my head: 
 80   O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible! 
 81   If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not; 
 82   Let not the royal bed of Denmark be 
 83   A couch for luxury and damned incest. 
 84   But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, 
 85   Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive 
 86   Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven 
 87   And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, 
 88   To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once! 
 89   The glow-worm shows the matin to be near, 
 90   And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire: 
 91   Adieu, adieu, adieu! Remember me.

           [Exit Ghost.]

      HAMLET 
 92   O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else? 
 93   And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart; 
 94   And you, my sinews, grow not instant old, 
 95   But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee! 
 96   Ay, thou poor Ghost, while memory holds a seat 
 97   In this distracted globe. Remember thee! 
 98   Yea, from the table of my memory 
 99   I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, 
100   All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, 
101   That youth and observation copied there; 
102   And thy commandment all alone shall live 
103   Within the book and volume of my brain, 
104   Unmix'd with baser matter: yes, by heaven! 
105   O most pernicious woman! 
106   O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! 
107   My tables—meet it is I set it down, 
108   That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; 
109   At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark:
Su
           [Writing.] mm
ary
110   So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word; 
111   It is 'Adieu, adieu! remember me.' 
112   I have sworn't.

      HORATIO [Within.] 
113   My lord, my lord—
      MARCELLUS [Within.] 
113                       Lord Hamlet—

           Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.

      HORATIO 
113                                          Heavens secure him!

      HAMLET 
114   So be it!

      MARCELLUS 
115   Illo, ho, ho, my lord!

      HAMLET 
116   Hillo, ho, ho, boy! come, bird, come.

      MARCELLUS 
117   How is't, my noble lord?

      HORATIO 
117                                         What news, my lord?

      HAMLET 
118   O, wonderful!

      HORATIO 
118                             Good my lord, tell it.

      HAMLET 
119   No; you'll reveal it.

      HORATIO 
120   Not I, my lord, by heaven.

      MARCELLUS 
120                                          Nor I, my lord.

      HAMLET 
121   How say you, then; would heart of man once think it? 
122   But you'll be secret?
      HORATIO and MARCELLUS 
122                                    Ay, by heaven, my lord.

      HAMLET 
123   There's never a villain dwelling in all Denmark 
124   But he's an arrant knave.

      HORATIO 
125   There needs no Ghost, my lord, come from the grave 
126   To tell us this.

      HAMLET 
126                                 Why,
right; you are i' the right; 
127   And so, without more circumstance at all, 
128   I hold it fit that we shake hands and part: 
129   You, as your business and desire shall point you; 
130   For every man has business and desire, 
131   Such as it is; and for mine own poor part, 
132   Look you, I'll go pray.

      HORATIO 
133   These are but wild and whirling words, my lord.

      HAMLET 
134   I'm sorry they offend you, heartily; 
135   Yes, 'faith heartily.

      HORATIO 
135                                   There's no offence, my lord.

      HAMLET 
136   Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio, 
137   And much offence too. Touching this vision here, 
138   It is an honest Ghost, that let me tell you: 
139   For your desire to know what is between us, 
140   O'ermaster 't as you may. And now, good friends, 
141   As you are friends, scholars and soldiers, 
142   Give me one poor request.

      HORATIO 
143   What is't, my lord? we will.
      HAMLET 
144   Never make known what you have seen tonight.

      HORATIO and MARCELLUS 

145   My lord, we will not.

      HAMLET 
145                                      Nay, but swear't.

      HORATIO 
145                                                                 In faith, 
146   My lord, not I.

      MARCELLUS 
146                                Nor I, my lord, in faith.

      HAMLET 
147   Upon my sword.

      MARCELLUS 
147                               We have sworn, my lord, already.

      HAMLET 
148   Indeed, upon my sword, indeed.

           Ghost cries under the stage.

      GHOST 
149   Swear.

      HAMLET 
150   Ah,ha, boy! say'st thou so? art thou there, truepenny? 
151   Come on—you hear this fellow in the cellarage— 
152   Consent to swear.

      HORATIO 
152                                  Propose the oath, my lord.

      HAMLET 
153   Never to speak of this that you have seen, 
154   Swear by my sword.
      GHOST [Beneath.] 
155   Swear.

      HAMLET 
156   Hicet ubique? Then we'll shift our ground. 
157   Come hither, gentlemen, 
158   And lay your hands again upon my sword: 
159   Swear by my sword 
160   Never to speak of this that you have heard,

      GHOST [Beneath.] 
161   Swear by his sword.

      HAMLET 
162   Wellsaid, old mole! canst work i' the earth so fast? 
163   A worthy pioner! Once more remove, good friends.

      HORATIO 
164   O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!

      HAMLET 
165   And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. 
166   There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 
167   Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. 
168   But come— 
169   Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, 
170   How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, 
171   As I perchance hereafter shall think meet 
172   To put an antic disposition on, 
173   That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, 
174   With arms encumber'd thus, or this headshake, 
175   Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, 
176   As "Well, well, we know," or "We could, an if we would," 
177   Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an if they might," 
178   Or such ambiguous giving out, to note 
179   That you know aught of me—this not to do, 
180   So grace and mercy at your most need help you, Swear.

      GHOST [Beneath.] 
181   Swear.

           [They swear.]

      HAMLET 
182   Rest, rest, perturbed spirit! So, gentlemen, 
183   With all my love I do commend me to you: 
184   And what so poor a man as Hamlet is 
185   May do, to express his love and friending to you, 
186   God willing, shall not lack. Let us go in together; 
187   And still your fingers on your lips, I pray. 
188   The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, 
189   That ever I was born to set it right! 
190   Nay, come, let's go together.