Hamlet, prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare

HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK by William Shakespeare

ACT1 SCENE1

The dead King comes back

It is dark. Francisco, a guard, is standing outside the King’s castle. He is looking around and listening.

Francisco: How cold and dark it is! I’m tired, and I want to go to bed.(He hears a noise)

What was that noise? Who’s there?

Bernardo:(Entering) Don’t worry, Francisco – it’s me, Bernardo. Is everything all right?

Francisco: Yes. It has been very quiet. What time is it?

Bernardo: It’s midnight. You can go to bed now. I can’t see anyone, but I can hear voices.

(Horatio and Marcellus enter) Stop! Who’s there? Is that you, Horatio?

Horatio: Yes, Francisco, it’s me.

Marcellus: And me. We have come to see Bernardo.

Francisco: He is here with me. Well, I’m going. Goodnight, everyone.(exits)

Bernardo: Horatio! Marcellus! It’s good to see you both.

Horatio: Bernardo, you know why we have come. Marcellus says that you have seen a ghost out here.

Marcellus: Yes, Sir. We have seen it twice, haven’t we, Bernardo?

Horatio: I don’t believe you! Ghosts are not real. You only find them in stories to frighten children and silly people.

Bernardo: The ghost is real, Horatio. Marcellus and I saw it last night, at about one o’clock,after midnight.

(The ghost enters)

Marcellus: Look! It’s come again! Look over there! Horatio: It’s the King! It’s the dead King! I can’t believe my eyes!

Bernardo: Speak to it, Horatio. You’re more clever than us. We don’t know what to say.

Horatio: Who are you? What are you? What do you want? Speak to us!

Marcellus: It’s moving away.

Horatio: Stop! Tell us why you have come! Is there something that we must do? Is there going to be trouble in Denmark?(The ghost leaves) Don’t go! Don’t go!

Bernardo: Shall we follow it?Marcellus: No. It’s gone. It won’t come back tonight.

Bernardo: It will be morning soon. They say that ghosts never walk during the day.

Horatio: Shall we tell the Prince Hamlet about this? It was the ghost of his dead father,the King. It didn’t speak to us, but it will speak to Hamlet, I’m sure.

Marcellus: Yes, let’s find Hamlet and tell him.

ACT 1 SCENE 2

Hamlet is thinking about his father

Inside the castle. King Claudius is talking. Gertrude is next to him, with their servants.Hamlet,

Polonius, and Laertes are listening. Hamlet is wearing black clothes.

Claudius: The death of my dear brother has made us all very sad, and everyone inDenmark will remember him for a long time.

Polonius: That is very true, my lord.

Claudius: But life must go on, and, as you all know, I have married my brother’s wife, Gertrude. Hamlet, you are now like a son to me

.Gertrude: Hamlet, your clothes are still black, like the sad night. Why do you still look so unhappy?

Hamlet: Do I look unhappy, mother? Perhaps I am unhappy. I can change my clothes, but I can’t change what I feel.

Gertrude: Try not to think about your father any more, Hamlet. Let your eye look on Claudius as a friend. Remember – all that lives must die.

Claudius: Don’t be sad, Hamlet. Your father lost a father, and that father lost his father too. Death is everywhere. Think of me as your father now.(He lets Hamlet) Come with me, everyone. We will drink to my new family!

They all leave but Hamlet stays back

Hamlet: Oh, God! I want to die! How empty life is! My father, the greatest man in Denmark, has gone. And now, the man who’s taken his place is no better than an animal. And my mother, oh mother! Why did you marry him? Break, break my heart!

Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo enter.

Horatio: My lord, we have some important news for you.

Hamlet: Horatio! How good to see you! You have been away, haven’t you?

Horatio: Yes, my lord. In fact, I came to Denmark for your father’s funeral.

Hamlet: Oh, or maybe for my mother’s wedding.

Horatio: I understand, sir. Maybe you think that the wedding came a little too quickly.

Hamlet: Oh, my dear friend. Only two months!!! In my father’s funeral they seemed to be cooking the meals for the wedding banquet. Horatio, in my mind’s eye I can still see my father...

Horatio: My lord... I saw him last night.

Hamlet: What! That is impossible!

Horatio: We saw a ghost last night, my lord, outside the gates of the castle.

Hamlet: Where was it? And what was it like?

Marcellus: It was outside the castle, my lord, near the walls at the gate.

Bernardo: It looked like the dead King, your father, my lord.

Horatio: I knew your father, my lord. I met him in some occasions and... it was him!

Hamlet: What did it do? What did it say?

Marcellus: It came near to us and looked at us, but it didn’t speak.

Hamlet: If it is the ghost of my father, perhaps it will speak to me. I must see this ghost.

Bernardo: Marcellus and I have seen it three times, my lord, at midnight or later.

Horatio: Perhaps it will walk again tonight, my lord.

Hamlet: I’ll meet you all tonight at midnight, outside the castle. Don’t tell anyone what you have seen!

ACT 1 SCENE 3

Ophelia makes a promise

Laertes is in his room with his sister Ophelia. He is packing his bags for a journey.

Laertes: Well, Ophelia, I am ready to go. You will write to me while I am studying in France, won’t you?

Ophelia: Of course I will, Laertes.

Laertes: Before I go, I must talk to you about Hamlet. Tell me the truth: he has told you that he loves you?

Ophelia: He is very friendly to me. He has given me presents, and...

Laertes: Don’t believe him, Ophelia! He uses beautiful words, and perhaps he likes you now, but he doesn’t really love you.

Ophelia: Doesn’t he? But ... Polonius enters

Polonius: Hurry, Laertes! Your ship is ready to leave!

Laertes: I am ready, father.

Polonius: Before you go, I want to tell you a few things, because you haven’t been away from home before. You must be very careful. Don’t make friends too quickly; take your time. Don’t get into fights too easily.

Laertes: I will be careful, my lord.

Polonius: Give every man your ear, but to few men give your voice.

Laertes: I will remember what you say, father. Now, I am ready to leave, so ...

Polonius: Do not a borrower nor a lender be, you will lose either your money or your friend, or maybe both. Above all, be true to yourself; it must follow, as the night follows the day, that you cannot be untrue to other people. Now, hurry!

Laertes: Goodbye, father. Goodbye, Ophelia – and remember what I told you!

(exits)

Polonius: What did he mean, Ophelia?

Ophelia: We were talking about Hamlet before you came in, my lord.

Polonius: Ah! I have been worried about this. You spend too much time alone with him,my dear daughter.

Ophelia: But he is very kind to me, father.

Polonius: Kind? Surely you do not think that he loves you?

Ophelia: I do not know what to think, my lord.

Polonius: Ophelia, Hamlet is a prince. One day he will marry someone important. His fine words mean nothing. I want you to stay away from him. Don’t talk to him anymore! Do you understand?

Ophelia: Yes, father. I won’t see him again, I promise.

ACT 1 SCENE 4

The ghost speaks

Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo are outside the castle. It is dark.

Hamlet: How cold it is! Is it midnight yet, Horatio?

Horatio: Yes, my lord. Perhaps we will see the ghost soon.

(There is a noise inside the castle)

What was that?

Hamlet: Claudius is drinking with his friends, as usual. They are all shouting and dancing. Sometimes he drinks all night, Horatio.

The ghost enters

Horatio: Look, my lord! Look, here it comes again!

Hamlet:(To the ghost)Are you good or bad? I don’t know, but I will speak to you. King, father, answer me! Why have you come back from the grave?(The ghost moves away and looks back at Hamlet)He wants me to follow...

Horatio: My lord, for God’s sake, don’t follow him!

Marcellus: It’s dark and dangerous out here, my lord!

Bernardo: You will have an accident, Prince Hamlet!

Hamlet: I am going to follow him. I am not afraid. It doesn’t matter if I die.(The others try to stop him) Leave me alone!!! (He pulls out his sword) I will make a ghost of you, of anyone who tries to stop me!

Hamlet follows the ghost. The others try to follow, but they go the wrong way. Hamlet is alone with the ghost.

Hamlet: Speak to me, and I will listen.

Ghost: Hamlet, I am the ghost of your dead father. There is something that you must do. If you loved your father...

Hamlet: Oh, I did, I did! I loved you father...

Ghost: Hamlet ...... You must take revenge ......

Hamlet: Revenge!(To himself)

Ghost: ....... for this terrible murder!

Hamlet: Murder!!! Oh, tell me who murdered my father, and I will kill him!

Ghost: Everyone thinks that a snake bit me, and me killed me. But it is not true. The snake that killed me is now wearing my crown.

Hamlet: What! So the murderer was Claudius!

Ghost: Yes – my brother! While I was sleeping in the garden, he put poison in my ear. He took my life, my crown, and my wife.

Hamlet: My mother

...