Page 285 - Shakespeare - Vol. 3

HAMLET

Nothing.

OPHELIA
You are merry, my lord. [120]

HAMLET
Who, I?

OPHELIA
Ay, my lord.

HAMLET
O God, your only jig-maker. What should a man do but be merry? For look

you how cheerfully my mother looks and my father died within’s two [125]
hours.

OPHELIA
Nay, ’tis twice two months, my lord.

HAMLET
So long? Nay then, let the devil wear black, for I’ll have a suit of sables. O
heavens, die two months ago and not forgotten yet! Then there’s hope a
great man’s memory may outlive his life half a year. [130] But by’r lady a

must build churches then, or else shall a suffer not thinking on, with the
hobby-horse, whose epitaph is ‘For O, for O, the hobby-horse is forgot’.

The trumpets sound. A dumb-show follows.
Enter a King and a Queen, the Queen embracing him and he her. She kneels,

and makes show of protestation unto him. He takes her up, and declines his
head upon her neck. He lies him down upon a bank of flowers. She, seeing
him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in another Man, takes off his crown,
kisses it, pours poison in the sleeper’s ears, and leaves him. The Queen

returns, finds the King dead, makes passionate action. The Poisoner with
some Three or Four comes in again. They seem to condole with her. The
dead body is carried away. The Poisoner woos the Queen with gifs. She
seems harsh awhile, but in the end accepts his love.

Exeunt.