Hamlet: Act 4, Scene 1
Enter KING and QUEEN with ROSENCRANTZ
and GUILDENSTERN.
KING
1 There's matter in these sighs, these profound heaves:
1. matter: meaning. profound heaves: heavy, gasping breaths.
2 You must translate: 'tis fit we understand them.
3 Where is your son?
QUEEN
4 Bestow this place on us a little while.
4. Bestow this place on us a little while: The Queen is politely asking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to leave and give her and the King privacy.
[Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.]
5 Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen tonight!
KING
6 What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet?
QUEEN
7 Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend
8 Which is the mightier: in his lawless fit,
8. lawless: unrestrained.
9 Behind the arras hearing something stir,
10 Whips out his rapier, cries, "A rat, a rat!"
11 And, in this brainish apprehension, kills
11. brainish apprehension: crazy notion.
12 The unseen good old man.
KING
O heavy deed!
13 It had been so with us, had we been there:
13. It . . . there: i.e., I would have been the one killed, if I had been there.
14 His liberty is full of threats to all—
14. liberty: being on the loose.
15 To you yourself, to us, to everyone.
16 Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answer'd?
16. answer'd: i.e., satisfactorily accounted for.
17 It will be laid to us, whose providence
17. It will be laid to us: i.e., I will be blamed for it. providence: foresight.
18 Should have kept short, restrain'd and out of haunt,
18. short: on a short leash. out of haunt: away from others.
19 This mad young man; but so much was our love,
20 We would not understand what was most fit;
20. We . . . fit: i.e., I failed to understand what was the best thing to do.
21 But, like the owner of a foul disease,
21. owner: i.e., victim.
22 To keep it from divulging, let it feed
22. To keep it from divulging: to prevent it from being revealed.
23 Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone?
QUEEN
24 To draw apart the body he hath kill'd:
25 O'er whom his very madness, like some ore
25. ore: vein of gold.
26 Among a mineral of metals base,
26. Among . . . base: within a mine of base metals.
27 Shows itself pure: 'a weeps for what is done.
27. 'a weeps for what is done: he weeps for what he has done. — I think she is either fooling herself or lying. Look at Hamlet's last words of the previous scene.
KING
28 O Gertrude, come away!
29 The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch,
30 But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed
31 We must, with all our majesty and skill,
31. our majesty: i.e., my political capital as king.
32 Both countenance and excuse. Ho, Guildenstern!
32. countenance: tolerate.
Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN.
33 Friends both, go join you with some further aid:
33. go join you with some further aid: i.e., go and get some others to help you. ...more
34 Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain,
35 And from his mother's closet hath he dragg'd him:
35. closet: private room, for sewing, reading, etc.
36 Go seek him out; speak fair, and bring the body
36. fair: courteously.
37 Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this.
Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN.
38 Come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends;
39 And let them know, both what we mean to do,
40 And what's untimely done [for, haply, slander]
40. [for, haply, slander]: because, by chance, slander. ...more
41 Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter,
41. diameter: extent from side to side.
42 As level as the cannon to his blank,
42. As level: with aim as good. his blank: its target.
43 Transports his poison'd shot, may miss our name,
44 And hit the woundless air. O, come away!
44. woundless: incapable of being hurt.
45 My soul is full of discord and dismay.
Exeunt.