First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
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Enter King. | Enter the King and two or three attendants | | Ham IV.iii.1 | |
King. | KING | | | |
I haue sent to seeke him, and to find the bodie: | I have sent to seek him and to find the body. | | Ham IV.iii.1 | |
How dangerous is it that this man goes loose: | How dangerous is it that this man goes loose! | | Ham IV.iii.2 | |
Yet must not we put the strong Law on him: | Yet must not we put the strong law on him. | | Ham IV.iii.3 | |
Hee's loued of the distracted multitude, | He's loved of the distracted multitude, | distracted (adj.)irrational, foolish, unreasonable | Ham IV.iii.4 | |
Who like not in their iudgement, but their eyes: | Who like not in their judgement but their eyes; | like (v.)be impressed [by], make a choice | Ham IV.iii.5 | |
And where 'tis so, th'Offenders scourge is weigh'd | And where 'tis so, th' offender's scourge is weighed, | scourge (n.)punishment, retribution | Ham IV.iii.6 | |
But neerer the offence: to beare all smooth, and euen, | But never the offence. To bear all smooth and even, | bear (v.), past forms bore, bornecarry on, manage, conduct [an affair] | Ham IV.iii.7 | |
This sodaine sending him away, must seeme | This sudden sending him away must seem | | Ham IV.iii.8 | |
Deliberate pause, diseases desperate growne, | Deliberate pause. Diseases desperate grown | pause (n.)hesitation, delay | Ham IV.iii.9 | |
By desperate appliance are releeued, | By desperate appliance are relieved, | appliance (n.)remedy, cure, treatment | Ham IV.iii.10 | |
Or not at all. | Or not at all. | | Ham IV.iii.11.1 | |
Enter Rosincrane. | Enter Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and all the rest | | Ham IV.iii.11.1 | |
How now? What hath befalne? | How now? What hath befallen? | befall (v.), past forms befallen, befellhappen, occur, take place, turn out | Ham IV.iii.11.2 | |
Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
Where the dead body is bestow'd my Lord, | Where the dead body is bestowed, my lord, | bestow (v.)stow away, dispose of | Ham IV.iii.12 | |
We cannot get from him. | We cannot get from him. | | Ham IV.iii.13.1 | |
King. | KING | | | |
But where is he? | But where is he? | | Ham IV.iii.13.2 | |
Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
Without my Lord, guarded to know your pleasure. | Without, my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure. | | Ham IV.iii.14 | |
King. | KING | | | |
Bring him before vs. | Bring him before us. | | Ham IV.iii.15.1 | |
Rosin. | ROSENCRANTZ | | | |
Hoa, Guildensterne? Bring in my Lord. | Ho! Bring in the lord. | | Ham IV.iii.15.2 | |
Enter Hamlet and Guildensterne. | Enter attendants with Hamlet | | Ham IV.iii.16 | |
King. | KING | | | |
Now Hamlet, where's Polonius? | Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius? | | Ham IV.iii.16 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
At Supper. | At supper. | | Ham IV.iii.17 | |
King. | KING | | | |
At Supper? Where? | At supper? Where? | | Ham IV.iii.18 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
Not where he eats, but where he is eaten, a certaine | Not where he eats, but where 'a is eaten. A certain | | Ham IV.iii.19 | |
conuocation of wormes are e'ne at him. Your | convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your | even, e'en (adv.)just [now] | Ham IV.iii.20 | |
| | politic (adj.)crafty, wily, self-serving | | |
| | convocation (n.)assembly, gathering, parliament | | |
worm is your onely Emperor for diet. We fat all creatures | worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures | fat (v.)fatten, feed up, nourish | Ham IV.iii.21 | |
else to fat vs, and we fat our selfe for Magots. Your | else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your | | Ham IV.iii.22 | |
fat King, and your leane Begger is but variable seruice | fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service – | service (n.)course, order of dishes [of a meal] | Ham IV.iii.23 | |
| | variable (adj.)varied, diverse, different | | |
to dishes, but to one Table that's the end. | two dishes, but to one table. That's the end. | | Ham IV.iii.24 | |
| KING | | | |
| Alas, alas! | | Ham IV.iii.25 | |
| HAMLET | | | |
| A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a | | Ham IV.iii.26 | |
| king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. | | Ham IV.iii.27 | |
King. | KING | | | |
What dost thou meane by this? | What dost thou mean by this? | | Ham IV.iii.28 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
Nothing but to shew you how a King may go a | Nothing but to show you how a king may go a | | Ham IV.iii.29 | |
Progresse through the guts of a Begger. | progress through the guts of a beggar. | progress (n.)state passage, royal journey | Ham IV.iii.30 | |
King. | KING | | | |
Where is Polonius. | Where is Polonius? | | Ham IV.iii.31 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
In heauen, send thither to see. If your Messenger | In heaven. Send thither to see. If your messenger | | Ham IV.iii.32 | |
finde him not there, seeke him i'th other place | find him not there, seek him i'th' other place | | Ham IV.iii.33 | |
your selfe: but indeed, if you finde him not this | yourself. But if indeed you find him not within this | | Ham IV.iii.34 | |
moneth, you shall nose him as you go vp the staires into | month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into | nose (v.)smell | Ham IV.iii.35 | |
the Lobby. | the lobby. | | Ham IV.iii.36 | |
King. | KING | | | |
Go seeke him there. | (to attendants) Go seek him there. | | Ham IV.iii.37 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
He will stay till ye come. | 'A will stay till you come. | | Ham IV.iii.38 | |
| Exeunt attendants | | Ham IV.iii.38 | |
K. | KING | | | |
Hamlet, this deed of thine, for thine especial safety | Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety, | | Ham IV.iii.39 | |
Which we do tender, as we deerely greeue | Which we do tender as we dearly grieve | tender (v.)feel concern for, hold dear, care for | Ham IV.iii.40 | |
| | dearly (adv.)keenly, deeply, intensely | | |
For that which thou hast done, must send thee hence | For that which thou hast done, must send thee hence | | Ham IV.iii.41 | |
With fierie Quicknesse. Therefore prepare thy selfe, | With fiery quickness. Therefore prepare thyself. | fiery (adj.)spreading like fire | Ham IV.iii.42 | |
The Barke is readie, and the winde at helpe, | The bark is ready and the wind at help, | help, atin our favour, ready to help | Ham IV.iii.43 | |
| | bark, barque (n.)ship, vessel | | |
Th'Associates tend, and euery thing at bent | Th' associates tend, and everything is bent | tend (v.)await, wait in expectation | Ham IV.iii.44 | |
| | associate (n.)companion, fellow-traveller | | |
| | bent (adj.)determined, intent, resolved | | |
For England. | For England. | | Ham IV.iii.45 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
For England? | For England? | | Ham IV.iii.46 | |
King. | KING | | | |
I Hamlet. | Ay, Hamlet. | | Ham IV.iii.47 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
Good. | Good. | | Ham IV.iii.48 | |
King. | KING | | | |
So is it, if thou knew'st our purposes. | So is it, if thou knewest our purposes. | purpose (n.)intention, aim, plan | Ham IV.iii.49 | |
Ham. | HAMLET | | | |
I see a Cherube that see's him: but come, for | I see a cherub that sees them. But come, for | | Ham IV.iii.50 | |
England. Farewell deere Mother. | England! Farewell, dear mother. | | Ham IV.iii.51 | |
King. | KING | | | |
Thy louing Father Hamlet. | Thy loving father, Hamlet. | | Ham IV.iii.52 | |
Hamlet. | HAMLET | | | |
My Mother: Father and Mother is man and wife: | My mother. Father and mother is man and wife; | | Ham IV.iii.53 | |
man & wife is one flesh, and so my mother. Come, | man and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother. Come, | | Ham IV.iii.54 | |
for England. | for England! | | Ham IV.iii.55 | |
Exit | Exit | | Ham IV.iii.55 | |
King. | KING | | | |
Follow him at foote, / Tempt him with speed aboord: | Follow him at foot. Tempt him with speed aboard. | foot, atclose behind, closely | Ham IV.iii.56 | |
Delay it not, Ile haue him hence to night. | Delay it not. I'll have him hence tonight. | hence (adv.)away from here, from this place | Ham IV.iii.57 | |
Away, for euery thing is Seal'd and done | Away! for everything is sealed and done | seal (v.)make final arrangements, come to an agreement | Ham IV.iii.58 | |
That else leanes on th'Affaire, pray you make hast. | That else leans on the affair. Pray you make haste. | else (adv.)otherwise | Ham IV.iii.59 | |
| | lean (v.)depend, appertain [to], relate [to] | | |
| Exeunt all but the King | | Ham IV.iii.59 | |
And England, if my loue thou holdst at ought, | And, England, if my love thou holdest at aught – | aught (n.)anything, [with negative word] nothing | Ham IV.iii.60 | |
As my great power thereof may giue thee sense, | As my great power thereof may give thee sense, | power (n.)force, strength, might | Ham IV.iii.61 | |
| | sense (n.)perception, awareness, discernment, appreciation | | |
Since yet thy Cicatrice lookes raw and red | Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red | cicatrice (n.)scar, scar-like mark | Ham IV.iii.62 | |
After the Danish Sword, and thy free awe | After the Danish sword, and thy free awe | free (adj.)freely given, willing, unconstrained | Ham IV.iii.63 | |
Payes homage to vs; thou maist not coldly set | Pays homage to us – thou mayst not coldly set | set (v.)value, rate, esteem | Ham IV.iii.64 | |
| | coldly (adv.)lightly, with indifference, unenthusiastically | | |
Our Soueraigne Processe, which imports at full | Our sovereign process, which imports at full, | import (v.)signify, mean, suggest | Ham IV.iii.65 | |
| | process (n.)command, mandate, instructions | | |
| | full, atin detail, at full length | | |
By Letters coniuring to that effect | By letters congruing to that effect, | congrue (v.)agree, accord, concur | Ham IV.iii.66 | |
The present death of Hamlet. Do it England, | The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England. | | Ham IV.iii.67 | |
For like the Hecticke in my blood he rages, | For like the hectic in my blood he rages, | hectic (n.)wasting fever, persistent fever | Ham IV.iii.68 | |
And thou must cure me: Till I know 'tis done, | And thou must cure me. Till I know 'tis done, | | Ham IV.iii.69 | |
How ere my happes, my ioyes were ne're begun. | Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun. | hap (n.)fortune, lot, fate | Ham IV.iii.70 | |
| | however, howe'er (adv.)whatever; although, however much | | |
Exit | Exit | | Ham IV.iii.70 | |