Hamlet: Act 1 Scene 2

The Play

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Hamlet – Act 1, Scene 2
A room of state in the castle.

Original Text	Modern English
Flourish. Enter CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark, GERTRUDE the Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, and his sister OPHELIA, lords, and attendants.	[Stage Direction] A fanfare of trumpets. CLAUDIUS, the King of Denmark, GERTRUDE the Queen, HAMLET, POLONIUS, LAERTES, and his sister OPHELIA, plus other lords and servants enter.
KING CLAUDIUS	KING CLAUDIUS
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him Together with remembrance of ourselves. Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, Th’imperial jointress to this warlike state, Have we (as ’twere with a defeated joy, With an auspicious and a dropping eye, With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole) Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barr’d Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone With this affair along. For all, our thanks. Now follows that you know, young Fortinbras, Holding a weak supposal of our worth, Or thinking by our late dear brother’s death Our state to be disjoint and out of frame, Colleagued with the dream of his advantage, He hath not fail’d to pester us with message Importing the surrender of those lands Lost by his father, with all bonds of law, To our most valiant brother. So much for him. Now for ourself and for this kingdom’s sake, What say you to’t, young Laertes?	Even though the memory of our dear brother Hamlet’s death is still fresh, and it would have been right for us to be grieving, and for our whole country to show a sad expression [contracted in grief] like a frown, my good judgment has fought against my natural feelings so that I can remember him with wise sadness, while also remembering my own responsibilities. So, my former sister-in-law, now my queen, the official co-ruler of this country ready for war, I have taken her in marriage (as if with a kind of sad happiness, with one eye that is hopeful and the other that is crying, with joy at a funeral and a sad song at a wedding, equally balancing happiness and sorrow) I have married her. And I haven’t forgotten to thank your good advice, which you have all freely given for this occasion. Thank you all for that. Now for the next thing you should know, young Fortinbras, believing that I am not very strong, or thinking that because of our late brother’s death our country is disorganised and in chaos, is imagining his own success, He has not failed to bother me with messages Demanding the return of those lands his father lost, which were taken legally, By our brave brother. So that’s enough about him. Now, on behalf of myself and this kingdom, What do you say to all of this, young Laertes?
LAERTES	LAERTES
My dread lord, Your leave and favour to return to France.	My respected lord, I ask for your permission and approval to go back to France.
KING CLAUDIUS	KING CLAUDIUS
And what would you, young Hamlet?	And what do you want, young Hamlet?
HAMLET	HAMLET
A little more than kin, and less than kind.	I am a little more than a close relative, but I feel less than friendly towards you.
KING CLAUDIUS	KING CLAUDIUS
How is it that the clouds still hang on you?	Why are you still so sad?
HAMLET	HAMLET
Not so, my lord. I am too much i’ the sun.	That’s not right, my lord. I am too much in the sun [a pun on ‘son’].
QUEEN GERTRUDE	QUEEN GERTRUDE
Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ’tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity.	My dear Hamlet, stop wearing those black clothes, and look at the Danish people in a friendly way. Don’t keep your eyes lowered forever searching for your noble father’s grave. You know it’s a natural thing; everything that lives must die, moving from this life to the next.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Ay, madam, it is common.	Yes, madam, it is a common thing.
QUEEN GERTRUDE	QUEEN GERTRUDE
If it be, Why seems it so particular with thee?	If that’s the case, why do you act as if you’re the only person this has happened to?
HAMLET	HAMLET
Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not ‘seems.’ ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected ‘haviour of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed seem, For they are actions that a man might play. But I have that within which passeth show; These but the trappings and the suits of woe.	You ask if it ‘seems’, madam? No, it ‘is’. I don’t pretend. It’s not just my black cloak, good mother, or the usual sombre black clothes, or my loud sighs from my pained breathing, and not the tears streaming from my eyes, or the sad look on my face, or all the other ways, feelings, and expressions of sadness, that can show what I truly feel. These things can pretend, because they are actions that a person could fake. But I have a grief inside me that can’t be shown; these are just the outward appearances and outfits of sorrow.
KING CLAUDIUS	KING CLAUDIUS
‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father. But you must know your father lost a father, That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To do obsequious sorrow. But to persever In obstinate condolement is a course Of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief. It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, A heart unfortified, a mind impatient, An understanding simple and unschool’d. For what we know must be, and is as common As any the most vulgar thing to sense, Why should we in our peevish opposition Take it to heart? Fie! ’tis a fault to heaven, A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, To reason most absurd, whose common theme Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried, From the first corse till he that died today, ‘This must be so.’ We pray you throw to earth This unprevailing woe, and think of us As of a father; for let the world take note, You are the most immediate to our throne, And with no less nobility of love Than that which dearest father bears his son Do I impart toward you. For your intent In going back to school in Wittenberg, It is most retrograde to our desire, And we beseech you bend you to remain Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye, Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son.	It is admirable and a good part of your personality, Hamlet, to show this respect and grief for your father. But you should know that your father lost his father, and that father lost his father, and the person left alive is expected by a son’s duty to mourn for a while, to perform that funeral sadness. But to continue to grieve stubbornly is an act of disrespectful stubbornness. It is an unmanly grief. It shows a mind that is against God’s will, a weak heart, an impatient mind, and a simple, uneducated understanding. Because what we know must happen, and is as common as the most obvious thing we can see, why should we in our annoying refusal take it so badly? Shame on you! it’s a sin against God, a sin against the dead, a sin against nature, and completely against reason, whose main lesson is that fathers die, and which has always taught, From the first body to the one who died today, ‘This has to happen.’ We ask you to stop this useless grief, and think of me as your father; because let the world know, You are the next in line for my throne, And I love you with just as much respect as a loving father has for his son I feel for you. And as for your plan to go back to university in Wittenberg, that is completely against what I want, And we beg you to agree to stay here In the happy and comfortable presence of my court, As my most important court official, my nephew, and my son.
QUEEN GERTRUDE	QUEEN GERTRUDE
Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee stay with us; go not to Wittenberg.	Don’t ignore your mother’s requests, Hamlet. Please stay with us; don’t go to Wittenberg.
HAMLET	HAMLET
I shall in all my best obey you, madam.	I will do my very best to obey you, madam.
KING CLAUDIUS	KING CLAUDIUS
Why, ’tis a loving and a fair reply. Be as ourself in Denmark. Madam, come. This gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet Sits smiling to my heart; in grace whereof, No jocund health that Denmark drinks today But the great cannon to the clouds shall tell, And the King’s rouse the heavens shall bruit again, Respeaking earthly thunder. Come away.	That’s a loving and good response. Be like me here in Denmark. My Queen, come. This kind and sincere agreement from Hamlet makes my heart happy; and because of that, No happy toast that Denmark drinks today will be drunk without the great cannons announcing it to the clouds, and the sound of the King’s toast will echo again in the heavens, as if it were an earthly thunder. Let’s go.
Flourish. Exeunt all but HAMLET.	[Stage Direction] A fanfare of trumpets. Everyone leaves except for HAMLET.
HAMLET	HAMLET
O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on ‘t! O fie, fie! ‘Tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead—nay, not so much, not two— So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth! Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on. And yet, within a month— Let me not think on ‘t. Frailty, thy name is woman!— A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she follow’d my poor father’s body, Like Niobe, all tears—why she, even she (O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourn’d longer), married with my uncle— My father’s brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules. Within a month— Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes— She married. O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.	Oh, I wish this body, which is too impure and dirty, would just melt, Thaw, and turn into a puddle of water, Or I wish that God had not created a law against killing myself! Oh God! God! How tired, boring, meaningless, and useless all the things in this world seem to me! Shame on it! Oh, shame! It’s like a garden full of weeds that has gone to seed; disgusting and ugly things have completely taken it over. I can’t believe it has come to this! But two months dead—no, not so much, not two— Such a great king, who was so different from this one like the sun god to a goat-man, so loving to my mother that he wouldn’t let the winds from heaven blow on her face too roughly. I can’t believe it! Do I have to remember? She used to cling to him as if her desire for him grew the more she was with him. And yet, in just a month— Let me not think about it. Weakness, your name is ‘woman’!— A little month, or before the shoes were old with which she wore following my poor father’s body, crying like the goddess Niobe—she, even she (Oh God! even an animal that can’t think logically would have mourned for longer), married my uncle— My father’s brother, but no more like my father Than I am like the hero Hercules. In a month— Before the salt from her fake tears had disappeared from her red eyes— She got married. Oh, what a terrible rush, to rush with such quickness to a bed that is incestuous! This is not, and cannot possibly lead to anything good. But my heart can break, because I have to stay silent.
Enter HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BARNARDO.	[Stage Direction] HORATIO, MARCELLUS, and BARNARDO enter.
HORATIO	HORATIO
Hail to your lordship!	Hello, my lord!
HAMLET	HAMLET
I am glad to see you well. Horatio!—or I do forget myself.	I’m happy to see you well. Horatio!—or am I forgetting who I am?
HORATIO	HORATIO
The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.	It is me, my lord, and I will always be your humble servant.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Sir, my good friend, I’ll change that name with you. And what makes you from Wittenberg, Horatio? Marcellus?	Sir, my good friend, I will call you my friend instead of servant. So, what brings you here from Wittenberg, Horatio? Marcellus?
MARCELLUS	MARCELLUS
My good lord—	My good lord—
HAMLET	HAMLET
I am very glad to see you. [To Barnardo] Good even, sir.— But what, in faith, make you from Wittenberg?	I’m very happy to see you. [To Barnardo] Good evening, sir.— But honestly, what are you doing here instead of at Wittenberg?
HORATIO	HORATIO
A truant disposition, good my lord.	A desire to skip school, my good lord.
HAMLET	HAMLET
I would not hear your enemy say so, Nor shall you do my ear that violence To make it truster of your own report Against yourself. I know you are no truant. But what is your affair in Elsinore? We’ll teach you to drink deep ere you depart.	I wouldn’t want to hear your enemy say that, And you shouldn’t be so mean to me as to make me believe your own report against yourself. I know you are not a slacker. But what are you doing here in Elsinore? We’ll teach you how to drink a lot of alcohol before you leave.
HORATIO	HORATIO
My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.	My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.
HAMLET	HAMLET
I pray thee do not mock me, fellow student. I think it was to see my mother’s wedding.	Please don’t make fun of me, fellow student. I think you came to see my mother’s wedding.
HORATIO	HORATIO
Indeed, my lord, it followed hard upon.	Yes, my lord, it happened very soon after.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables. Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio! My father—methinks I see my father.	Saving money, Horatio! The meat pies from the funeral Were just served cold at the wedding tables. I wish I had met my worst enemy in heaven before I had ever seen that day, Horatio! My father—I think I see my father.
HORATIO	HORATIO
Where, my lord?	Where, my lord?
HAMLET	HAMLET
In my mind’s eye, Horatio.	In my mind’s imagination, Horatio.
HORATIO	HORATIO
I saw him once; he was a goodly king.	I saw him once; he was a good king.
HAMLET	HAMLET
He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.	He was a man, and when you consider everything, I will never see another man like him.
HORATIO	HORATIO
My lord, I think I saw him yesternight.	My lord, I think I saw him last night.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Saw who?	Saw who?
HORATIO	HORATIO
The King, your father.	The King, your father.
HAMLET	HAMLET
The King, my father?	The King, my father?
HORATIO	HORATIO
Season your admiration for a while With an attent ear, till I may deliver Upon the witness of these gentlemen, This marvel to you.	Control your surprise for a bit And listen carefully, until I can tell you Based on what these gentlemen saw, This amazing story.
HAMLET	HAMLET
For God’s love, let me hear.	For God’s sake, let me hear it.
HORATIO	HORATIO
Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch, In the dead vast and middle of the night, Been thus encounter’d. A figure like your father, Arm’d at all points exactly, cap-a-pe, Appears before them, and with solemn march Goes slow and stately by them; thrice he walk’d By their oppress’d and fear-surprised eyes Within his truncheon’s length, whilst they, distill’d Almost to jelly with the act of fear, Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me In dreadful secrecy impart they did, And I with them the third night kept the watch, Where, as they had deliver’d, both in time, Form of the thing, each word made true and good, The apparition comes. I knew your father; These hands are not more like.	For two nights in a row, these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, while on guard duty, In the dead silence and middle of the night, Have been met by a figure that looks like your father, Dressed in armour from head to toe, Appears in front of them, and with a serious walk Passes by them slowly and nobly; he walked past three times in front of their shocked and frightened eyes, and stayed within a spear’s length of them, while they, scared stiff almost to jelly by the fear, Stood silent and didn’t speak to him. This was told to me as a terrifying secret, And I kept watch with them on the third night, Where, just as they had described, both in terms of the time, The form of the ghost, and every word they said was proven true and correct, The ghost appeared. I knew your father; My own hands don’t look more alike to each other than he did.
HAMLET	HAMLET
But where was this?	But where was this?
MARCELLUS	MARCELLUS
My lord, upon the platform where we watch’d.	My lord, on the platform where we were on guard.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Did you not speak to it?	Did you not speak to it?
HORATIO	HORATIO
My lord, I did, But answer made it none. Yet once methought it lifted up its head, And did address itself to motion, like As it would speak; but even then the morning cock Crew loud, and at the sound it shrunk in haste Away; and vanish’d from our sight.	My lord, I did, but it didn’t answer. But I thought it once lifted up its head, And looked as if it was about to move, as if it was going to speak; but just then the morning rooster Crowed loudly, and at the sound it quickly disappeared Away; and vanished from our sight.
HAMLET	HAMLET
‘Tis very strange.	That’s very strange.
HORATIO	HORATIO
As I do live, my honour’d lord, ’tis true, And we did think it writ down in our duty To let you know of it.	As I live, my respected lord, it’s true, And we thought it was our duty To tell you about it.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me. Hold you the watch tonight?	Yes, yes, gentlemen, but this is bothering me. Are you on guard duty tonight?
ALL	ALL
We do, my lord.	Yes, my lord.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Arm’d, say you?	Did you say he was in armour?
ALL	ALL
Arm’d, my lord.	Yes, my lord.
HAMLET	HAMLET
From top to toe?	From head to toe?
ALL	ALL
My lord, from head to foot.	My lord, from head to foot.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Then saw you not his face?	So you didn’t see his face then?
HORATIO	HORATIO
O, yes, my lord; he wore his beaver up.	Oh, yes, my lord; the helmet visor was up.
HAMLET	HAMLET
What, looked he frowningly?	What, did he look angry?
HORATIO	HORATIO
A countenance more in sorrow than in anger.	An expression that was more sad than angry.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Pale or red?	Pale or red?
HORATIO	HORATIO
Nay, very pale.	No, very pale.
HAMLET	HAMLET
And fix’d his eyes upon you?	And did he stare at you?
HORATIO	HORATIO
Most constantly.	Very constantly.
HAMLET	HAMLET
I would I had been there.	I wish I had been there.
HORATIO	HORATIO
It would have much amaz’d you.	It would have completely shocked you.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Very like, very like. Stay’d it long?	Very likely, very likely. Did it stay long?
HORATIO	HORATIO
While one with moderate haste might tell a hundred.	As long as it would take a person to count to a hundred at a normal pace.
BARNARDO	BARNARDO
Longer, longer.	Longer, longer.
HORATIO	HORATIO
Not when I saw’t.	Not when I saw it.
HAMLET	HAMLET
His beard was grizzled—no?	His beard was greyish—no?
HORATIO	HORATIO
It was, as I have seen it in his life, A sable silver’d.	It was, just as I saw it when he was alive, Black mixed with silver.
HAMLET	HAMLET
I will watch tonight. Perchance ’twill walk again.	I will stand guard tonight. Maybe it will walk again.
HORATIO	HORATIO
I warrant it will.	I promise you it will.
HAMLET	HAMLET
If it assume my noble father’s person, I’ll speak to it though hell itself should gape And bid me hold my peace. I pray you all, If you have hitherto conceal’d this sight, Let it be tenable in your silence still; And whatsoever else shall hap tonight, Give it an understanding but no tongue. I will requite your loves. So, fare you well. Upon the platform, ‘twixt eleven and twelve, I’ll visit you.	If it takes on the appearance of my noble father, I’ll speak to it even if hell itself opens up And tells me to be quiet. I ask you all, Since you have kept this sight a secret so far, continue to keep it a secret; And whatever else happens tonight, Just understand it but don’t say anything. I will repay your loyalty. So, goodbye. I’ll be on the platform, between eleven and twelve, I’ll come see you.
ALL	ALL
Our duty to your honour.	We are honoured to serve you.
HAMLET	HAMLET
Your loves, as mine to you. Farewell.	Your loyalty, like mine to you. Goodbye.
Exeunt all but HAMLET.	[Stage Direction] Everyone leaves except for HAMLET.
HAMLET	HAMLET
My father’s spirit—in arms! All is not well. I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come! Till then sit still, my soul. Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s eyes.	My father’s ghost—in armour! Something is not right. I suspect something terrible has happened. I wish the night would come! Until then, my soul, be patient. Evil actions will come to light, Even if all the earth tries to cover them, so men can see them.
Exit.	[Stage Direction] He leaves.

Audio Version

Introductory Notes

Following the ominous, supernatural opening of the play, Act I, Scene 2 transports the audience into the bustling yet deeply unsettling world of the Danish court. The scene sharply contrasts the foreboding darkness of the battlements with the seemingly celebratory atmosphere inside Elsinore Castle. This is not a setting for quiet reflection but one of public spectacle and political manoeuvring, where the new king, Claudius, delivers his inaugural address.

Claudius’s speech is a masterclass in rhetorical control. He seeks to project stability by mourning his brother’s death while simultaneously celebrating his marriage to Queen Gertrude, claiming a fragile equilibrium: ‘With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, / In equal scale weighing delight and dole.’ However, his language is riddled with contradictions, hinting at the corruption beneath the court’s polished surface. This scene immediately establishes a central conflict of the play: the public image of a thriving state versus the private reality of a kingdom that is ‘disjoint and out of frame.’

Beyond the political tension, the scene brings the principal characters to the forefront. Claudius emerges as a cunning and guarded antagonist. Queen Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, appears conflicted and emotionally compromised. Most significantly, we meet Prince Hamlet, the only character unwilling to participate in the court’s performance. His ‘unmanly grief’ stands in stark contrast to the enforced cheerfulness around him, revealing the depth of his inner turmoil. The scene culminates in Hamlet’s first soliloquy—a searing reflection on his despair and disillusionment with a world he describes as an ‘unweeded garden.’ It is here that the play’s core themes of revenge and madness begin to take root, just as Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo arrive to inform Hamlet of the Ghost’s appearance.

Claudius and the Court: The Art of Manipulation

The transition from the bleak battlements to the lavish royal court is both abrupt and deliberate. In his opening speech, Claudius aims to present an image of confidence, stability, and unity. He frames his swift marriage as a practical act of governance, a necessary measure to ‘weigh delight and dole’ during a time of national mourning. Yet, the language he employs—laden with oxymorons like ‘defeated joy’ and phrases such as ‘with an auspicious and a dropping eye’—betrays the unnaturalness of his actions. His cheerful demeanour is a calculated attempt to maintain an illusion of normalcy. Claudius’s speech, along with his interactions with Laertes and Hamlet, establishes him as a persuasive orator who uses public performance to obscure his moral failings. Analysing his rhetoric allows us to look beyond his words and uncover the underlying deceit.

Hamlet’s First Appearance and Soliloquy: The Price of Honesty

Hamlet’s entrance provides a striking visual contrast to the court’s festive appearance. While others wear celebratory colours, he remains in his ‘inky cloaks,’ a visible expression of his profound grief. When Queen Gertrude urges him to move past his mourning, Hamlet firmly rejects the court’s superficiality. He asserts that his sorrow is not a performance but a genuine emotional state that ‘passes show.’ This response immediately marks him as a figure of sincerity in a world dominated by pretence.

His first soliloquy offers a raw glimpse into his internal conflict. He is devastated by his mother’s hasty remarriage, which he sees as a profound betrayal of her love for his father. He likens the world to an ‘unweeded garden,’ overrun with moral decay where ‘things rank and gross in nature’ prevail. His contemplation of suicide—‘O, that this too too solid flesh would melt’—underscores the intensity of his despair, a theme that remains central throughout the play. This speech is essential to understanding Hamlet’s character; his anguish stems not only from personal loss but also from a deep disenchantment with humanity itself.

Horatio’s Revelation: From Doubt to Certainty

The final section of the scene marks a crucial turning point, as Horatio and the guards reveal the appearance of the Ghost. Horatio, the rational sceptic from Act I, Scene 1, describes the encounter with precise and credible detail, noting the Ghost was ‘arm’d… from top to toe.’ Hamlet’s immediate belief in their account is telling—he shows no hesitation. His grief swiftly galvanises into suspicion as he declares, ‘I doubt some foul play.’

This moment officially initiates the revenge narrative. Hamlet’s internal anguish is now linked to a potential external cause. The Ghost’s appearance transforms his sorrow into a moral obligation, setting the course for the tragedy to follow. This part of the scene expertly bridges Hamlet’s introspective grief with the broader plot of vengeance.

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