Hamlet: Act 4, Scene 3
Enter KING and two or three.
KING
1 I have sent to seek him, and to find the body.
2 How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!
3 Yet must not we put the strong law on him:
4. distracted: unstable.
4 He's loved of the distracted multitude,
5. Who . . . eyes: i.e., who judge only by appearances. ...more 6. scourge: i.e., punishment. weigh'd: taken into consideration. 7. bear all: manage everything.
5 Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;
6 And where 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weigh'd,
7 But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,
8-9. must seem / Deliberate pause: i.e., must seem to be the result of a long deliberation. 9-11. diseases . . . all: diseases that are so far advanced that there seems little hope of a cure are cured by desperate means or not at all.
8 This sudden sending him away must seem
9 Deliberate pause: diseases desperate grown
10 By desperate appliance are relieved,
11 Or not at all.
Enter ROSENCRANTZ.
11 How now! what hath befall'n?
ROSENCRANTZ
12 Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,
13 We cannot get from him.
KING
13 But where is he?
ROSENCRANTZ
14. without: i.e., just outside the door.
14 Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure.
KING
15 Bring him before us.
ROSENCRANTZ
15 Ho, bring in the lord.
They [HAMLET, GUILDENSTERN,
and the Guards] enter.
KING
16 Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?
HAMLET
17 At supper.
KING
18 At supper! where?
HAMLET
19 Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a certain
20-21. politic: crafty, prying. Ironically, Polonius himself might be described as a "politic worm." e'en: even now. Your worm is your only emperor for diet: i.e., the common worm has the best diet of any creature in the world. ...more
20 convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your
21 worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all
22 creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for
23 maggots: your fat king and your lean beggar is but
24. variable service: different courses of the same meal.
24 variable service, two dishes, but to one table:
25. that's the end: 1) that's the goal (i.e., we all eat only so the worms can eat); 2) that's all there is to say about that.
25 that's the end.
KING
26 Alas, alas!
HAMLET
27 A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a
28 king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
KING
29 What dost thou mean by this?
HAMLET
30 Nothing but to show you how a king may go a
31. progress: royal journey of state. A royal progress was an important ceremonial occasion; local officials and noblemen conducted celebrations and arranged for elaborate entertainments. Hamlet insults the King by turning all of this upside down and saying that "a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar."
31 progress through the guts of a beggar.
KING
32 Where is Polonius?
HAMLET
33 In heaven; send thither to see: if your messenger
34-35. seek him i' the other place yourself: This is a humorous way of saying "You are going to hell!"
34 find him not there, seek him i' the other place
35 yourself. But indeed, if you find him not within
36. nose him: smell him.
36 this month, you shall nose him as you go up the
37 stairs into the lobby.
KING [To some Attendants.]
38 Go seek him there.
HAMLET
39. 'A will stay till you come: he will remain where he is until you arrive. I think that the attendants who are sent to find the body of Polonius are hurrying, and that Hamlet jokingly reminds them that there is no need to hurry, because Polonius is dead and will therefore wait patiently for them.
39 'A will stay till you come.
[Exeunt Attendants.]
KING
40 Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety—
41. tender: hold dear. dearly grieve: grieve sincerely and intensely.
41 Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve
42 For that which thou hast done—must send thee hence
43 With fiery quickness: therefore prepare thyself;
44. bark: sailing vessel. at help: favorable.
44 The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
45. Th' associates tend: your traveling companions [Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] await you. is bent: is eager and ready [for the journey].
45 Th' associates tend, and everything is bent
46 For England.
HAMLET
46 For England!
KING
46 Ay, Hamlet.
HAMLET
46 Good.
KING
47 So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes.
HAMLET
48. I see a cherub that sees them: i.e., heaven sees them. Cherubs are angels.
48 I see a cherub that sees them. But, come; for
49 England! Farewell, dear mother.
KING
50 Thy loving father, Hamlet.
HAMLET
51 My mother: father and mother is man and wife;
52 man and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother.
53 Come, for England! Exit.
KING
54. at foot: at his heels, close behind. tempt him with speed aboard: encourage him to board quickly.
54 Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard;
55 Delay it not; I'll have him hence tonight:
56 Away! for every thing is seal'd and done
57. leans on: relates to.
57 That else leans on the affair: pray you, make haste.
[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN.]
58-59. England: i.e., King of England. if . . . sense: i.e., if my good will is worth anything to you, as my power over you should make you sense that it is. 60. cicatrice: scar. ...more
58 And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught—
59 As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
60 Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
61. free awe: unforced respect.
61 After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
62-63. thou . . . process: you are not permitted to coldly disregard my royal command. 63. which imports at full: which clearly demands. 64. congruing to: in accord with. effect: outcome. 65. present: immediate.
62 Pays homage to us—thou mayst not coldly set
63 Our sovereign process; which imports at full,
64 By letters congruing to that effect,
65 The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England;
66. hectic: continuous fever.
66 For like the hectic in my blood he rages,
67-68. till I know 'tis done, / Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun: i.e., until I know it has been done, no matter what else may happen to me, I will never be happy.
67 And thou must cure me: till I know 'tis done,
68 Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun.
Exit.