William Shakespeare - William Shakespeare - Complete Works

I will yet do you service.

LUCIUS. Happy be you!

CYMBELINE. The forlorn soldier, that so nobly fought,

He would have well becom'd this place and grac'd

The thankings of a king.

POSTHUMUS. I am, sir,

The soldier that did company these three

In poor beseeming; 'twas a fitment for

The purpose I then follow'd. That I was he,

Speak, Iachimo. I had you down, and might

Have made you finish.

IACHIMO. [Kneeling] I am down again;

But now my heavy conscience sinks my knee,

As then your force did. Take that life, beseech you,

Which I so often owe; but your ring first,

And here the bracelet of the truest princess

That ever swore her faith.

POSTHUMUS. Kneel not to me.

The pow'r that I have on you is to spare you;

The malice towards you to forgive you. Live,

And deal with others better.

CYMBELINE. Nobly doom'd!

We'll learn our freeness of a son-in-law;

Pardon's the word to all.

ARVIRAGUS. You holp us, sir,

As you did mean indeed to be our brother;

Joy'd are we that you are.

POSTHUMUS. Your servant, Princes. Good my lord of Rome,

Call forth your soothsayer. As I slept, methought

Great Jupiter, upon his eagle back'd,

Appear'd to me, with other spritely shows

Of mine own kindred. When I wak'd, I found

This label on my bosom; whose containing

Is so from sense in hardness that I can

Make no collection of it. Let him show

His skill in the construction.

LUCIUS. Philarmonus!

SOOTHSAYER. Here, my good lord.

LUCIUS. Read, and declare the meaning.

SOOTHSAYER. [Reads] 'When as a lion's whelp shall, to himself

unknown, without seeking find, and be embrac'd by

a piece of tender air; and when from a stately cedar shall

be lopp'd branches which, being dead many years, shall

after revive, be jointed to the old stock, and freshly grow;

then shall Posthumus end his miseries, Britain be fortunate

and flourish in peace and plenty.'

Thou, Leonatus, art the lion's whelp;

The fit and apt construction of thy name,

Being Leo-natus, doth import so much.

[To CYMBELINE] The piece of tender air, thy virtuous daughter,

Which we call 'mollis aer,' and 'mollis aer'

We term it 'mulier'; which 'mulier' I divine

Is this most constant wife, who even now

Answering the letter of the oracle,

Unknown to you, unsought, were clipp'd about

With this most tender air.

CYMBELINE. This hath some seeming.

SOOTHSAYER. The lofty cedar, royal Cymbeline,

Personates thee; and thy lopp'd branches point

Thy two sons forth, who, by Belarius stol'n,

For many years thought dead, are now reviv'd,

To the majestic cedar join'd, whose issue

Promises Britain peace and plenty.

CYMBELINE. Well,

My peace we will begin. And, Caius Lucius,

Although the victor, we submit to Caesar

And to the Roman empire, promising

To pay our wonted tribute, from the which

We were dissuaded by our wicked queen,

Whom heavens in justice, both on her and hers,

Have laid most heavy hand.

SOOTHSAYER. The fingers of the pow'rs above do tune

The harmony of this peace. The vision

Which I made known to Lucius ere the stroke

Of yet this scarce-cold battle, at this instant

Is full accomplish'd; for the Roman eagle,

From south to west on wing soaring aloft,

Lessen'd herself and in the beams o' th' sun

So vanish'd; which foreshow'd our princely eagle,

Th'imperial Caesar, Caesar, should again unite

His favour with the radiant Cymbeline,

Which shines here in the west.

CYMBELINE. Laud we the gods;

And let our crooked smokes climb to their nostrils

From our bless'd altars. Publish we this peace

To all our subjects. Set we forward; let

A Roman and a British ensign wave

Friendly together. So through Lud's Town march;

And in the temple of great Jupiter

Our peace we'll ratify; seal it with feasts.

Set on there! Never was a war did cease,

Ere bloody hands were wash'd, with such a peace. Exeunt

1604

by William Shakespeare

Contents

ACT I

Scene I. Elsinore. A platform before the Castle.

Scene II. Elsinore. A room of state in the Castle

Scene III. A room in Polonius’s house.

Scene IV. The platform.

Scene V. A more remote part of the Castle.

ACT II

Scene I. A room in Polonius’s house.

Scene II. A room in the Castle.

ACT III

Scene I. A room in the Castle.

Scene II. A hall in the Castle.

Scene III. A room in the Castle.

Scene IV. Another room in the Castle.

ACT IV

Scene I. A room in the Castle.

Scene II. Another room in the Castle.

Scene III. Another room in the Castle.

Scene IV. A plain in Denmark.

Scene V. Elsinore. A room in the Castle.

Scene VI. Another room in the Castle.

Scene VII. Another room in the Castle.

ACT V

Scene I. A churchyard.

Scene II. A hall in the Castle.

Dramatis Personæ

HAMLET, Prince of Denmark.

CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle.

The GHOST of the late king, Hamlet’s father.

GERTRUDE, the Queen, Hamlet’s mother, now wife of Claudius.

POLONIUS, Lord Chamberlain.

LAERTES, Son to Polonius.

OPHELIA, Daughter to Polonius.

HORATIO, Friend to Hamlet.

FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway.

VOLTEMAND, Courtier.

CORNELIUS, Courtier.

ROSENCRANTZ, Courtier.

GUILDENSTERN, Courtier.

MARCELLUS, Officer.

BARNARDO, Officer.

FRANCISCO, a Soldier

OSRIC, Courtier.

REYNALDO, Servant to Polonius.

Players.

A Gentleman, Courtier.

A Priest.

Two Clowns, Grave-diggers.

A Captain.

English Ambassadors.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and Attendants.

ACT I

Enter FRANCISCO and BARNARDO, two sentinels.

BARNARDO.

Who’s there?

FRANCISCO.

Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself.

BARNARDO.

Long live the King!

FRANCISCO.

Barnardo?

BARNARDO.

He.

FRANCISCO.

You come most carefully upon your hour.

BARNARDO.

’Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed, Francisco.

FRANCISCO.

For this relief much thanks. ’Tis bitter cold,

And I am sick at heart.

BARNARDO.

Have you had quiet guard?

FRANCISCO.

Not a mouse stirring.

BARNARDO.

Well, good night.

If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,

The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.

Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.

FRANCISCO.

I think I hear them. Stand, ho! Who is there?

HORATIO.

Friends to this ground.

MARCELLUS.

And liegemen to the Dane.

FRANCISCO.

Give you good night.

MARCELLUS.

O, farewell, honest soldier, who hath reliev’d you?

FRANCISCO.

Barnardo has my place. Give you good-night.

[ Exit. ]

MARCELLUS.

Holla, Barnardo!

BARNARDO.

Say, what, is Horatio there?

HORATIO.

A piece of him.

BARNARDO.

Welcome, Horatio. Welcome, good Marcellus.

MARCELLUS.

What, has this thing appear’d again tonight?

BARNARDO.

I have seen nothing.

MARCELLUS.

Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy,

And will not let belief take hold of him

Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us.

Therefore I have entreated him along