The Best of Shakespeare:. William Shakespeare

I would not hear your enemy say so;

       Nor shall you do my 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.

       Hor.

       My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.

       Ham.

       I prithee do not mock me, fellow-student.

       I think it was to see my mother’s wedding.

       Hor.

       Indeed, my lord, it follow’d hard upon.

       Ham.

       Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bak’d meats

       Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.

       Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven

       Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!—

       My father,—methinks I see my father.

       Hor.

       Where, my lord?

       Ham.

       In my mind’s eye, Horatio.

       Hor.

       I saw him once; he was a goodly king.

       Ham.

       He was a man, take him for all in all,

       I shall not look upon his like again.

       Hor.

       My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.

       Ham.

       Saw who?

       Hor.

       My lord, the king your father.

       Ham.

       The King my father!

       Hor.

       Season your admiration for awhile

       With an attent ear, till I may deliver,

       Upon the witness of these gentlemen,

       This marvel to you.

       Ham.

       For God’s love let me hear.

       Hor.

       Two nights together had these gentlemen,

       Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch

       In the dead vast and middle of the night,

       Been thus encounter’d. A figure like your father,

       Armed at point exactly, cap-a-pe,

       Appears before them and with solemn march

       Goes slow and stately by them: thrice he walk’d

       By their oppress’d and fear-surprised eyes,

       Within his truncheon’s length; whilst they, distill’d

       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 deliver’d, 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.

       Ham.

       But where was this?

       Mar.

       My lord, upon the platform where we watch’d.

       Ham.

       Did you not speak to it?

       Hor.

       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 vanish’d from our sight.

       Ham.

       ‘Tis very strange.

       Hor.

       As I do live, my honour’d lord, ‘tis true;

       And we did think it writ down in our duty

       To let you know of it.

       Ham.

       Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me.

       Hold you the watch tonight?

       Mar. and Ber.

       We do, my lord.

       Ham.

       Arm’d, say you?

       Both.

       Arm’d, my lord.

       Ham.

       From top to toe?

       Both.

       My lord, from head to foot.

       Ham.

       Then saw you not his face?

       Hor.

       O, yes, my lord: he wore his beaver up.

       Ham.

       What, look’d he frowningly?

       Hor.

       A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.

       Ham.

       Pale or red?

       Hor.

       Nay, very pale.

       Ham.

       And fix’d his eyes upon you?

       Hor.

       Most constantly.

       Ham.

       I would I had been there.

       Hor.

       It would have much amaz’d you.

       Ham.

       Very like, very like. Stay’d it long?

       Hor.

       While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.

       Mar. and Ber.

       Longer, longer.

       Hor.

       Not when I saw’t.

       Ham.

       His beard was grizzled,—no?

       Hor.

       It was, as I have seen it in his life,

       A sable silver’d.

       Ham.

       I will watch tonight;

       Perchance ‘twill walk again.

       Hor.

       I warr’nt it will.

       Ham.

       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 conceal’d this sight,

       Let it be tenable 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.

       Our duty to your honour.