First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
| Enter Horatio, with an Attendant. | Enter Horatio and a Gentleman | | Ham IV.vi.1 | |
| Hora. | HORATIO | | | |
| What are they that would speake with me? | What are they that would speak with me? | | Ham IV.vi.1 | |
| Ser. | GENTLEMAN | | | |
| Saylors sir, they say they haue | Seafaring men, sir. They say they have | | Ham IV.vi.2 | |
| Letters for you. | letters for you. | | Ham IV.vi.3 | |
| Hor. | HORATIO | | | |
| Let them come in, | Let them come in. | | Ham IV.vi.4 | |
| Exit the Gentleman | | Ham IV.vi.5 | |
| I do not know from what part of the world | I do not know from what part of the world | | Ham IV.vi.5 | |
| I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet. | I should be greeted if not from Lord Hamlet. | greet (v.) address, offer a salutation, acknowledge in words | Ham IV.vi.6 | |
| Enter Saylor. | Enter Sailors | | Ham IV.vi.7 | |
| Say. | SAILOR | | | |
| God blesse you Sir. | God bless you, sir. | | Ham IV.vi.7 | |
| Hor. | HORATIO | | | |
| Let him blesse thee too. | Let him bless thee, too. | | Ham IV.vi.8 | |
| Say. | SAILOR | | | |
| Hee shall Sir, and't please him. There's a Letter for | 'A shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for | | Ham IV.vi.9 | |
| you Sir: It comes from th' Ambassadours that was bound | you, sir – it comes from th' ambassador that was bound | | Ham IV.vi.10 | |
| for England, if your name be Horatio, as I am let to | for England – if your name be Horatio, as I am let to | | Ham IV.vi.11 | |
| know it is. | know it is. | | Ham IV.vi.12 | |
| HORATIO | | | |
| Reads the Letter. HOratio, When thou shalt haue | (reads the letter) Horatio, when thou shalt have | | Ham IV.vi.13 | |
| ouerlook'd this, giue these Fellowes some meanes to the King: | overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the King. | overlook (v.)look over, peruse, read through | Ham IV.vi.14 | |
| | mean (n.)means of access, passage | | |
| They haue Letters for him. Ere we were two dayes old at Sea, | They have letters for him. Ere we were two days old at sea, | | Ham IV.vi.15 | |
| a Pyrate of very Warlicke appointment gaue vs Chace. Finding | a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding | pirate (n.)pirate-ship | Ham IV.vi.16 | |
| | appointment (n.)equipment, effects, weaponry | | |
| our selues tooslow of Saile, we put on a compelled Valour. | ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour, | | Ham IV.vi.17 | |
| In the Grapple, I boorded them: On the instant they got | and in the grapple I boarded them. On the instant they got | | Ham IV.vi.18 | |
| cleare of our Shippe, so I alone became their Prisoner. They | clear of our ship. So I alone became their prisoner. They | | Ham IV.vi.19 | |
| haue dealt with mee, likeTheeues of Mercy, but they knew | have dealt with me like thieves of mercy. But they knew | | Ham IV.vi.20 | |
| what they did. I am to doea good turne for them. Let the | what they did. I am to do a good turn for them. Let the | | Ham IV.vi.21 | |
| King haue the Letters I hauesent, and repaire thou to me | King have the letters I have sent, and repair thou to me | repair (v.)come, go, make one's way | Ham IV.vi.22 | |
| with as much hast as thou wouldestflye death. I haue words | with as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I have words | | Ham IV.vi.23 | |
| to speake in your eare, will make thee dumbe, yet are they | to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb. Yet are they | | Ham IV.vi.24 | |
| much too light for the bore of the Matter. These good Fellowes | much too light for the bore of the matter. These good fellows | light (adj.)minor, slight, of little value | Ham IV.vi.25 | |
| | bore (n.)calibre, size [of a gun] | | |
| will bring thee where I am. Rosincrance and Guildensterne, | will bring thee where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern | | Ham IV.vi.26 | |
| hold their course for England. Of them I haue much | hold their course for England. Of them I have much | | Ham IV.vi.27 | |
| to tell thee, Farewell. | to tell thee. Farewell. | | Ham IV.vi.28 | |
| He that thou knowest thine, | He that thou knowest thine, | | Ham IV.vi.29 | |
| Hamlet. | Hamlet | | Ham IV.vi.30 | |
| Come, I will giue you way for these your Letters, | Come, I will give you way for these your letters, | | Ham IV.vi.31 | |
| And do't the speedier, that you may direct me | And do't the speedier that you may direct me | | Ham IV.vi.32 | |
| To him from whom you brought them. | To him from whom you brought them. | | Ham IV.vi.33 | |
| Exit. | Exeunt | | Ham IV.vi.33 | |