Hamlet

Henning Lundkvist


enter barnardo and francisco, two sentinels enter horatio and marcellus francisco exits to horatio ghost exits enter ghost it spreads its arms the cock crows ghost exits they exit flourish. enter claudius, king of denmark, gertrude the queen, the council, as polonius, and his son laertes, hamlet, with others, among them voltemand and cornelius giving them a paper voltemand and cornelius exit aside flourish. all but hamlet exit enter horatio, marcellus, and barnardo to barnardo all but hamlet exit he exits enter laertes and ophelia, his sister enter polonius laertes exits they exit enter hamlet, horatio, and marcellus a flourish of trumpets and two pieces goes off enter ghost ghost beckons they hold back hamlet ghost and hamlet exit they exit enter ghost and hamlet he exits he writes enter horatio and marcellus cries under the stage beneath beneath beneath they exit enter old polonius with his man (reynaldo) reynaldo exits enter ophelia they exit flourish. enter king and queen, rosencrantz and guildenstern and attendants rosencrantz and guildenstern exit (with some attendants) enter polonius polonius exits enter ambassadors (voltemand and cornelius with polonius) he gives a paper voltemand and cornelius exit he reads he reads he reads the letter to queen enter hamlet (reading a book) king and queen exit, with attendants aside aside aside enter guildenstern and rosencrantz to polonius polonius exits to guildenstern aside a flourish (for the players) enter polonius aside enter the players as poloinus and players exit. hamlet speaks to the first player first player exits rosencrantz and guildenstern exit he exits enter king, queen polonius, ophelia, rosencrantz, guildenstern, and lords rosencrantz and guildenstern and lords exit queen exits to ophelia aside they withdraw enter hamlet advancing with polonius they exit enter hamlet and three of the players players exit enter polonius, guildenstern, and rosencrantz they exit enter horatio sound a flourish enter trumpets and kettle drums. enter king, queen, polonius, ophelia, rosencrantz, guildenstern, and other lords attendant with the king’s guard carrying tourches to polonius hamlet takes a place near ophelia to the king the trumpets sounds. dumb show follows enter a king and a queen, (very lovingly,) 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 of his crown, kisses it, pours poison in the sleeper’s ears, leaves him. the queen returns, finds the king dead, makes passionate action. the poisoner with three or four come in again, seem to condole with her. the dead body is carried away. the poisoner woos the queen with gifts. she seems harsh awhile but in the end accepts (his) love. players exit enter prologue he exits enter the player king and queen sleeps player queen exits enter lucianus pours the poison in his ears claudius rises all but hamlet and horatio exit enter rosencrantz and guildenstern enter the players with recorders he takes a recorder and turns to guildenstern enter polonius all but hamlet exit he exits enter king, rosencrantz and guildenstern rosencrantz and guildenstern exit enter polonius polonius exits he kneels enter hamlet he draws his sword he sheathes his sword hamlet exits rising he exits enter queen and polonius within polonius hides behind the arras enter hamlet he kills polonius by thrusting a rapier through the arras behind the arras he pulls polonius’ body from behind the arras to queen enter ghost to the ghost ghost exits pointing to polonius they exit, hamlet tugging in polonius enter king and queen, with rosencrantz and guildenstern rosencrantz and guildenstern exit enter rosencrantz and guildenstern rosencrantz and guildenstern exit they exit enter hamlet within enter rosencrantz, guildenstern, and others enter king and two or three enter rosencrantz they enter with hamlet to attendants attendants exit he exits all but the king exit he exits enter fortinbras with his army over the stage all but the captain exit enter hamlet, rosencrantz, guildenstern, and others he exits all but hamlet exit he exits enter horatio, queen, and a gentleman gentleman exits aside enter ophelia distracted sings sings sings sings sings sings she exits horatio exits a noise within enter a messenger a noise within enter laertes with others followers exit a noise within enter ophelia sings sings sings she exits they exit enter horatio and others gentleman exits enter sailors he hands horatio a letter reads the letter they exit enter king and laertes enter a messenger with letters messenger exits reads enter queen he exits they exit enter gravedigger and another enter hamlet and horatio afar off the other man exits and the gravedigger digs and sings sings he digs up a skull sings he digs up more skulls sings taking the skull he puts the skull down enter king, laertes, lords attendant, and the corpse of ophelia, with a doctor of divinity they step aside to horatio she scatters flowers leaps in the grave advancing coming out of the grave they grapple hamlet and laertes are separated hamlet exits horatio exits to laertes they exit enter hamlet and horatio handing him a paper enter osric, a courtier aside to hamlet aside to horatio he motions to osric to put on his hat aside to hamlet to osric aside aside to hamlet osric exits enter a lord lord exits a table prepared. enter trumpets, drums, and officers with cushions, king, queen, orsic, and all the state, foils, daggers, flagons of wine, and laertes he puts laertes’ hand into hamlet’s to laertes prepare to play trumpets the while they play he drinks and then drops the pearl in the cup. drum, trumpets, a shot they play she lifts the cup she drinks aside to claudius aside laertes wounds hamlet. then (in scuffling they change rapiers,) and hamlet wounds laertes the queen falls he falls she dies osric exits hurts the king forcing him to drink the poison king dies dies he picks up the cup a march afar off and shot within enter osric dies march within enter fortinbras with the english ambassadors (with drum, colors, and attendants) they exit, (marching, after the which, a peal of ordnance are shot off)