Polonius sends his servant Reynaldo to Paris to question Laertes’s acquaintances. Ophelia enters, deeply disturbed about a visit she has just had from an apparently mad Hamlet. Polonius decides that Hamlet has been made insane by Ophelia’s refusing to see him. Polonius rushes off to tell the king.
Enter old Polonius with his man ⟨ Reynaldo. ⟩
POLONIUS
0931 Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.
REYNALDO 0932 I will, my lord.
POLONIUS
0933 You shall do marvelous wisely, good Reynaldo,
0934 Before you visit him, to make inquire
0935 5 Of his behavior.
REYNALDO 0936 My lord, I did intend it.
POLONIUS
0937 Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir,
0938 Inquire me first what Danskers are in Paris;
0939 And how, and who, what means, and where they
0940 10 keep,
0941 What company, at what expense; and finding
0942 By this encompassment and drift of question
0943 That they do know my son, come you more nearer
0944 Than your particular demands will touch it.
0945 15 Take you, as ’twere, some distant knowledge of him,
0946 As thus: “I know his father and his friends
0947 And, in part, him.” Do you mark this, Reynaldo?
REYNALDO 0948 Ay, very well, my lord.
POLONIUS
0949 “And, in part, him, but,” you may say, “not well.
0950 20 But if ’t be he I mean, he’s very wild,
0951 Addicted so and so.” And there put on him
0952 What forgeries you please—marry, none so rank
0953 As may dishonor him, take heed of that,
0954 But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips
0955 25 As are companions noted and most known
0956 To youth and liberty.
REYNALDO 0957 As gaming, my lord.
POLONIUS 0958 Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing,
0959 Quarreling, drabbing—you may go so far.
REYNALDO 0960 30 My lord, that would dishonor him.
POLONIUS
0961 Faith, ⟨ no, ⟩ as you may season it in the charge.
0962 You must not put another scandal on him
0963 That he is open to incontinency;
0964 That’s not my meaning. But breathe his faults so
0965 35 quaintly
0966 That they may seem the taints of liberty,
0967 The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,
0968 A savageness in unreclaimèd blood,
0969 Of general assault.
REYNALDO 0970 40 But, my good lord—
POLONIUS 0971 Wherefore should you do this?
REYNALDO 0972 Ay, my lord, I would know that.
POLONIUS 0973 Marry, sir, here’s my drift,
0974 And I believe it is a fetch of wit.
0975 45 You, laying these slight sullies on my son,
0976 As ’twere a thing a little soiled ⟨ i’ th’ ⟩ working,
0977 Mark you, your party in converse, him you would
0978 sound,
0979 Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes
0980 50 The youth you breathe of guilty, be assured
0981 He closes with you in this consequence:
0982 “Good sir,” or so, or “friend,” or “gentleman,”
0983 According to the phrase or the addition
0984 Of man and country—
REYNALDO 0985 55 Very good, my lord.
POLONIUS 0986 And then, sir, does he this, he does—what
0987 was I about to say? By the Mass, I was about to say
0988 something. Where did I leave?
REYNALDO 0989 At “closes in the consequence,” ⟨ at “friend,
0990 60 or so,” and “gentleman.” ⟩
POLONIUS
0991 At “closes in the consequence”—ay, marry—
0992 He closes thus: “I know the gentleman.
0993 I saw him yesterday,” or “th’ other day”
0994 (Or then, or then, with such or such), “and as you
0995 65 say,
0996 There was he gaming, there ⟨ o’ertook ⟩ in ’s rouse,
0997 There falling out at tennis”; or perchance
0998 “I saw him enter such a house of sale”—
0999 Videlicet , a brothel—or so forth. See you now
1000 70 Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth;
1001 And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
1002 With windlasses and with assays of bias,
1003 By indirections find directions out.
1004 So by my former lecture and advice
1005 75 Shall you my son. You have me, have you not?
REYNALDO
1006 My lord, I have.
POLONIUS 1007 God be wi’ you. Fare you well.
REYNALDO 1008 Good my lord.
POLONIUS
1009 Observe his inclination in yourself.
REYNALDO 1010 80 I shall, my lord.
POLONIUS 1011 And let him ply his music.
REYNALDO 1012 Well, my lord.
POLONIUS
1013 Farewell. Reynaldo exits.
1014 How now, Ophelia, what’s the matter?
OPHELIA
1015 85 O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!
POLONIUS 1016 With what, i’ th’ name of God?
OPHELIA
1017 My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
1018 Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced,
1019 No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,
1020 90 Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle,
1021 Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
1022 And with a look so piteous in purport
1023 As if he had been loosèd out of hell
1024 To speak of horrors—he comes before me.
POLONIUS
1025 95 Mad for thy love?
OPHELIA 1026 My lord, I do not know,
1027 But truly I do fear it.
POLONIUS 1028 What said he?
OPHELIA
1029 He took me by the wrist and held me hard.
1030 100 Then goes he to the length of all his arm,
1031 And, with his other hand thus o’er his brow,
1032 He falls to such perusal of my face
1033 As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.
1034 At last, a little shaking of mine arm,
1035 105 And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
1036 He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
1037 As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
1038 And end his being. That done, he lets me go,
1039 And, with his head over his shoulder turned,
1040 110 He seemed to find his way without his eyes,
1041 For out o’ doors he went without their helps
1042 And to the last bended their light on me.
POLONIUS
1043 Come, go with me. I will go seek the King.
1044 This is the very ecstasy of love,
1045 115 Whose violent property fordoes itself
1046 And leads the will to desperate undertakings
1047 As oft as any passions under heaven
1048 That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.
1049 What, have you given him any hard words of late?
OPHELIA
1050 120 No, my good lord, but as you did command
1051 I did repel his letters and denied
1052 His access to me.
POLONIUS 1053 That hath made him mad.
1054 I am sorry that with better heed and judgment
1055 125 I had not coted him. I feared he did but trifle
1056 And meant to wrack thee. But beshrew my jealousy!
1057 By heaven, it is as proper to our age
1058 To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
1059 As it is common for the younger sort
1060 130 To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King.
1061 This must be known, which, being kept close, might
1062 move
1063 More grief to hide than hate to utter love.
1064 Come.
They exit.