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 He's loved of the distracted multitude,
4. distracted: unstable.
5 Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes;
5. Who . . . eyes: i.e., who judge only by appearances.
6 And where 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weigh'd,
6. scourge: i.e., punishment. weigh'd: taken into consideration.
7 But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even,
7. bear all: manage everything.
8 This sudden sending him away must seem
9 Deliberate pause: diseases desperate grown
8-9. must seem / Deliberate pause: i.e., must seem to be the result of a long deliberation.
10 By desperate appliance are relieved,
11 Or not at all.
9-11. diseases . . . all: diseases that are so far advanced that there seems little hope are cured by desperate means or not at all.
Enter ROSENCRANTZ.
How now! what hath befall'n?
ROSENCRANTZ
12 Where the dead body is bestow'd, my lord,
13 We cannot get from him.
KING
But where is he?
ROSENCRANTZ
14 Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure.
14. without: i.e., just outside the door. guarded: i.e., surrounded by guards so he won't run away again.
KING
15 Bring him before us.
ROSENCRANTZ
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 convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your
21 worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all
20-21. politic: crafty, plotting. Hamlet is perhaps making a punning reference to the Diet of Worms. e'en: even now. Your worm . . . diet: i.e., the common worm has the best diet of any creature in the world.
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, two dishes, but to one table:
24. variable service: different courses of the same meal.
25 that's the end.
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.
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 through the guts of a beggar.
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."
KING
32 Where is Polonius?
HAMLET
33 In heaven; send thither to see: if your messenger
34 find him not there, seek him i' the other place
35 yourself. But indeed, if you find him not within
34-35. seek him i' the other place yourself: This is a humorous way of saying "You are going to hell!"
36 this month, you shall nose him as you go up the
36. nose him: smell him.
37 stairs into the lobby.
KING [To some Attendants.]
38 Go seek him there.
HAMLET
39 'A will stay till you come.
39. 'A will stay till you come: he will remain where he is until you arrive. I think that those who are sent to find the body of Polonius are in a great hurry, and that Hamlet is mocking them.
[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. But, come; for
48. I see a cherub that sees them: i.e., heaven sees them. Cherubs are angels.
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 Follow him at foot; tempt him with speed aboard;
54. at foot: at his heels, close behind. tempt him with speed aboard: encourage him to board quickly.
55 Delay it not; I'll have him hence tonight:
56 Away! for every thing is seal'd and done
57 That else leans on the affair: pray you, make haste.
57. leans on: relates to.
[Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN.]
58 And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught—
59 As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
58-59. 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 Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
60. cicatrice: scar (got in a losing battle with Denmark.)
61 After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
61. free awe: unforced respect.
62 Pays homage to us—thou mayst not coldly set
63 Our sovereign process; which imports at full,
62-63. thou . . . process: you cannot coldly disregard my royal command. which . . . full: which clearly demands.
64 By letters congruing to that effect,
64. congruing to: in accord with. effect: outcome.
65 The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England;
65. present: immediate.
66 For like the hectic in my blood he rages,
66. hectic: continuous fever.
67 And thou must cure me: till I know 'tis done,
68 Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun.
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.
Exit.