Hamlet act ii pdf

Elsinore. A room in the house of Polonius.

• Polonius. Give him this money and these notes, Reynaldo.

• Reynaldo. I will, my lord.

• Polonius. You shall do marvell's wisely, good Reynaldo, 950
  Before You visit him, to make inquire
  Of his behaviour.

• Reynaldo. My lord, I did intend it.

• Polonius. Marry, well said, very well said. Look you, sir,
  Enquire me first what Danskers are in Paris; 955
  And how, and who, what means, and where they keep,
  What company, at what expense; and finding
  By this encompassment and drift of question
  That they do know my son, come you more nearer
  Than your particular demands will touch it. 960
  Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him;
  As thus, 'I know his father and his friends,
  And in part him.' Do you mark this, Reynaldo?

• Reynaldo. Ay, very well, my lord.

• Polonius. 'And in part him, but,' you may say, 'not well. 965
  But if't be he I mean, he's very wild
  Addicted so and so'; and there put on him
  What forgeries you please; marry, none so rank
  As may dishonour him- take heed of that;
  But, sir, such wanton, wild, and usual slips 970
  As are companions noted and most known
  To youth and liberty.

• Reynaldo. As gaming, my lord.

• Polonius. Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,
  Drabbing. You may go so far. 975

• Reynaldo. My lord, that would dishonour him.

• Polonius. Faith, no, as you may season it in the charge.
  You must not put another scandal on him,
  That he is open to incontinency.
  That's not my meaning. But breathe his faults so quaintly 980
  That they may seem the taints of liberty,
  The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,
  A savageness in unreclaimed blood,
  Of general assault.

• Reynaldo. But, my good lord- 985

• Polonius. Wherefore should you do this?

• Reynaldo. Ay, my lord,
  I would know that.

• Polonius. Marry, sir, here's my drift,
  And I believe it is a fetch of warrant. 990
  You laying these slight sullies on my son
  As 'twere a thing a little soil'd i' th' working,
  Mark you,
  Your party in converse, him you would sound,
  Having ever seen in the prenominate crimes 995
  The youth you breathe of guilty, be assur'd
  He closes with you in this consequence:
  'Good sir,' or so, or 'friend,' or 'gentleman'-
  According to the phrase or the addition
  Of man and country- 1000

• Reynaldo. Very good, my lord.

• Polonius. And then, sir, does 'a this- 'a does- What was I about to say?
  By the mass, I was about to say something! Where did I leave?

• Reynaldo. At 'closes in the consequence,' at 'friend or so,' and
  gentleman.' 1005

• Polonius. At 'closes in the consequence'- Ay, marry!
  He closes thus: 'I know the gentleman.
  I saw him yesterday, or t'other day,
  Or then, or then, with such or such; and, as you say,
  There was 'a gaming; there o'ertook in's rouse; 1010
  There falling out at tennis'; or perchance,
  'I saw him enter such a house of sale,'
  Videlicet, a brothel, or so forth.
  See you now-
  Your bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth; 1015
  And thus do we of wisdom and of reach,
  With windlasses and with assays of bias,
  By indirections find directions out.
  So, by my former lecture and advice,
  Shall you my son. You have me, have you not? 1020

• Reynaldo. My lord, I have.

• Polonius. God b' wi' ye, fare ye well!

• Reynaldo. Good my lord! [Going.]

• Polonius. Observe his inclination in yourself.

• Reynaldo. I shall, my lord. 1025

• Polonius. And let him ply his music.

• Reynaldo. Well, my lord.

• Polonius. Farewell!
  [Exit Reynaldo.]
  [Enter Ophelia.] 1030
  How now, Ophelia? What's the matter?

• Ophelia. O my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!

• Polonius. With what, i' th' name of God?

• Ophelia. My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
  Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd, 1035
  No hat upon his head, his stockings foul'd,
  Ungart'red, and down-gyved to his ankle;
  Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other,
  And with a look so piteous in purport
  As if he had been loosed out of hell 1040
  To speak of horrors- he comes before me.

• Polonius. Mad for thy love?

• Ophelia. My lord, I do not know,
  But truly I do fear it.

• Polonius. What said he? 1045

• Ophelia. He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
  Then goes he to the length of all his arm,
  And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,
  He falls to such perusal of my face
  As he would draw it. Long stay'd he so. 1050
  At last, a little shaking of mine arm,
  And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
  He rais'd a sigh so piteous and profound
  As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
  And end his being. That done, he lets me go, 1055
  And with his head over his shoulder turn'd
  He seem'd to find his way without his eyes,
  For out o' doors he went without their help
  And to the last bended their light on me.

• Polonius. Come, go with me. I will go seek the King. 1060
  This is the very ecstasy of love,
  Whose violent property fordoes itself
  And leads the will to desperate undertakings
  As oft as any passion under heaven
  That does afflict our natures. I am sorry. 1065
  What, have you given him any hard words of late?

• Ophelia. No, my good lord; but, as you did command,
  I did repel his letters and denied
  His access to me.

• Polonius. That hath made him mad. 1070
  I am sorry that with better heed and judgment
  I had not quoted him. I fear'd he did but trifle
  And meant to wrack thee; but beshrew my jealousy!
  By heaven, it is as proper to our age
  To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions 1075
  As it is common for the younger sort
  To lack discretion. Come, go we to the King.
  This must be known; which, being kept close, might move
  More grief to hide than hate to utter love.
  Come. 1080

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