Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1: Line-by-Line Modern English Translation

And can you, by no drift of circumstance,

Modern English: And can't you, by any indirect conversation,

Get from him why he puts on this confusion,

Modern English: find out from him why he acts so confused,

Grating so harshly all his days of quiet

Modern English: disrupting his peaceful days so harshly

With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?

Modern English: with violent and dangerous madness?

He does confess he feels himself distracted;

Modern English: He admits he feels himself distracted;

But from what cause he will by no means speak.

Modern English: but he will not say at all what the cause is.

Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,

Modern English: Nor do we find him willing to be questioned,

But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,

Modern English: but, with a clever madness, he stays distant

When we would bring him on to some confession

Modern English: whenever we try to lead him toward some confession

Of his true state.

Modern English: of his true condition.

Did he receive you well?

Modern English: Did he receive you well?

Most like a gentleman.

Modern English: Like a perfect gentleman.

But with much forcing of his disposition.

Modern English: But it seemed he was forcing himself to be polite.

Niggard of question; but, of our demands,

Modern English: He was stingy with questions; but, to our inquiries,

Most free in his reply.

Modern English: he was very open in his replies.

Did you assay him?

Modern English: Did you tempt him

To any pastime?

Modern English: to any entertainment?

Madam, it so fell out, that certain players

Modern English: Madam, it happened that we caught up with

We o'er-raught on the way: of these we told him;

Modern English: certain actors on the way: we told him about them;

And there did seem in him a kind of joy

Modern English: and there seemed to be a kind of joy in him

To hear of it: they are about the court,

Modern English: to hear of it: they are at the court,

And, as I think, they have already order

Modern English: and, I believe, they have already been ordered

This night to play before him.

Modern English: to perform before him tonight.

'Tis most true:

Modern English: It is quite true:

And he beseech'd me to entreat your majesties

Modern English: and he begged me to ask your majesties

To hear and see the matter.

Modern English: to hear and see the performance.

With all my heart; and it doth much content me

Modern English: With all my heart; and it pleases me greatly

To hear him so inclined.

Modern English: to hear he is so inclined.

Good gentlemen, give him a further edge,

Modern English: Good gentlemen, encourage him further,

And drive his purpose on to these delights.

Modern English: and push his interest toward these pleasures.

We shall, my lord.

Modern English: We shall, my lord.

Exeunt ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN

Modern English: ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN leave.

Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;

Modern English: Dear Gertrude, please leave us as well;

For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,

Modern English: for we have secretly sent for Hamlet to come here,

That he, as 'twere by accident, may here

Modern English: so that he might, as if by chance, encounter

Affront Ophelia:

Modern English: Ophelia in this place.

Her father and myself, lawful espials,

Modern English: Her father and I, acting as lawful spies,

Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing, unseen,

Modern English: will hide ourselves so that, seeing without being seen,

We may of their encounter frankly judge,

Modern English: we can judge their meeting freely,

And gather by him, as he is behaved,

Modern English: and determine from his behavior

If 't be the affliction of his love or no

Modern English: whether or not it is the pain of love

That thus he suffers for.

Modern English: that makes him suffer like this.

I shall obey you.

Modern English: I will obey you.

And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish

Modern English: And as for you, Ophelia, I hope

That your good beauties be the happy cause

Modern English: that your great beauty is the fortunate cause

Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues

Modern English: of Hamlet's erratic behavior; if so, I hope your virtues

Will bring him to his wonted way again,

Modern English: will lead him back to his normal self again,

To both your honours.

Modern English: for the sake of both your reputations.

Madam, I wish it may.

Modern English: Madam, I hope so too.

Exit QUEEN GERTRUDE

Modern English: QUEEN GERTRUDE leaves.

Ophelia, walk you here. Gracious, so please you,

Modern English: Ophelia, walk here. Your Majesty, if it pleases you,

We will bestow ourselves.

Modern English: we will go hide ourselves.

Read on this book;

Modern English: Read from this book;

That show of such an exercise may colour

Modern English: so that the appearance of such an activity may explain

Your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this,--

Modern English: why you are alone. We are often to blame for this—

'Tis too much proved--that with devotion's visage

Modern English: it is proven all too often—that with a look of devotion

And pious action we do sugar o'er

Modern English: and a religious act, we sugar-coat

The devil himself.

Modern English: the devil himself.

To OPHELIA

Modern English: To OPHELIA

[Aside] O, 'tis too true!

Modern English: Oh, that is too true!

How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!

Modern English: How sharply that speech lashes my conscience!

The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art,

Modern English: A prostitute's cheek, made beautiful with makeup,

Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it

Modern English: is not more repulsive compared to the paint that covers it

Than is my deed to my most painted word:

Modern English: than my own actions are compared to my disguised words.

O heavy burthen!

Modern English: Oh, what a heavy burden!

I hear him coming: let's withdraw, my lord.

Modern English: I hear him coming; let's hide, my lord.

Exeunt KING CLAUDIUS and POLONIUS

Modern English: KING CLAUDIUS and POLONIUS leave.

Enter HAMLET

Modern English: HAMLET enters.

To be, or not to be, that is the question,

Modern English: To live, or to die—that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

Modern English: whether it is nobler to stoically endure

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Modern English: the attacks and insults of cruel fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

Modern English: or to fight back against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;

Modern English: and end them by resisting? To die, to sleep—

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

Modern English: nothing more; and by sleeping, to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

Modern English: the heartache and the thousand natural pains

That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Modern English: that humans inherit; it is a conclusion

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

Modern English: earnestly to be desired. To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

Modern English: to sleep—perhaps to dream. Yes, that's the obstacle;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

Modern English: for in that sleep of death, what dreams might come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Modern English: after we have cast off this physical body,

Must give us pause: there's the respect

Modern English: must make us hesitate. That is the consideration

That makes calamity of so long life;

Modern English: that makes a miserable life last so long.

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

Modern English: For who would endure the insults and setbacks of time,

The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,

Modern English: the oppressor's injustice, the arrogant man's insults,

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

Modern English: the pain of unrequited love, the slowness of the law,

The insolence of office and the spurns

Modern English: the rudeness of people in power, and the rejections

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

Modern English: that patient, deserving people take from the unworthy,

When he himself might his quietus make

Modern English: when he could settle his own accounts

With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

Modern English: with a simple dagger? Who would carry these burdens,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

Modern English: groaning and sweating under a tiring life,

But that the dread of something after death,

Modern English: if it weren't for the fear of something after death—

The undiscover'd country from whose bourn

Modern English: that undiscovered country from whose borders

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

Modern English: no traveler returns—which confuses our will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Modern English: and makes us prefer to bear the familiar evils we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Modern English: rather than fly to others we know nothing about?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

Modern English: In this way, thinking too much makes cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Modern English: and thus the natural color of a bold decision

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

Modern English: is made sickly and pale by overthinking,

And enterprises of great pith and moment

Modern English: and important, significant projects

With this regard their currents turn awry,

Modern English: because of this hesitation, lose their momentum

And lose the name of action.--Soft you now!

Modern English: and fail to become actions. But wait now!

The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons

Modern English: The beautiful Ophelia! Goddess, in your prayers

Be all my sins remember'd.

Modern English: remember all my sins.

Good my lord,

Modern English: My dear lord,

How does your honour for this many a day?

Modern English: how have you been these many days?

I humbly thank you; well, well, well.

Modern English: I thank you humbly; well, well, well.

My lord, I have remembrances of yours,

Modern English: My lord, I have keepsakes of yours

That I have longed long to re-deliver;

Modern English: that I have wanted to return to you for a long time;

I pray you, now receive them.

Modern English: I beg you, please take them now.

No, not I;

Modern English: No, not I;

I never gave you aught.

Modern English: I never gave you anything.

My honour'd lord, you know right well you did;

Modern English: My honored lord, you know very well you did;

And, with them, words of so sweet breath composed

Modern English: and with them, you sent words so sweetly spoken

As made the things more rich: their perfume lost,

Modern English: that they made the gifts more precious. Now their scent is gone,

Take these again; for to the noble mind

Modern English: so take them back; for to a noble mind,

Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.

Modern English: rich gifts become worthless when the givers prove to be unkind.

There, my lord.

Modern English: There they are, my lord.

Ha, ha! are you honest?

Modern English: Ha, ha! Are you virtuous?

My lord?

Modern English: My lord?

Are you fair?

Modern English: Are you beautiful?

What means your lordship?

Modern English: What do you mean, my lord?

That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should

Modern English: That if you are virtuous and beautiful, your virtue should

admit no discourse to your beauty.

Modern English: not allow anyone to talk to your beauty.

Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than

Modern English: Could beauty, my lord, have any better company than

with honesty?

Modern English: virtue?

Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner

Modern English: Yes, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner

transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the

Modern English: turn virtue into a prostitute than the

force of honesty can translate beauty into his

Modern English: strength of virtue can change beauty into its own

likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the

Modern English: image. This used to be a strange idea, but now

time gives it proof. I did love you once.

Modern English: the present time proves it. I did love you once.

Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.

Modern English: Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.

You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot

Modern English: You should not have believed me; for virtue cannot

so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of

Modern English: be grafted onto our old sinful nature without us still

it: I loved you not.

Modern English: tasting of it. I did not love you.

I was the more deceived.

Modern English: I was all the more deceived.

Get thee to a nunnery: why wouldst thou be a

Modern English: Go to a convent. Why would you want to be a

breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest;

Modern English: a producer of sinners? I'm fairly decent myself,

but yet I could accuse me of such things that it

Modern English: but I could still charge myself with such faults that

were better my mother had not borne me: I am very

Modern English: it would have been better if my mother had never given birth to me. I am very

proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at

Modern English: arrogant, vengeful, and ambitious, with more sins waiting for

my beck than I have thoughts to put them in,

Modern English: my signal than I have thoughts to categorize them,

imagination to give them shape, or time to act them

Modern English: imagination to visualize them, or time to carry them

in. What should such fellows as I do crawling

Modern English: out. Why should guys like me be crawling around

between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves,

Modern English: between the earth and the sky? We are all complete scoundrels;

all; believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.

Modern English: don't believe any of us. Go your way to a convent.

Where's your father?

Modern English: Where is your father?

At home, my lord.

Modern English: At home, my lord.

Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the

Modern English: Lock the doors on him, so that he can only play the

fool no where but in's own house. Farewell.

Modern English: fool in his own house. Goodbye.

O, help him, you sweet heavens!

Modern English: Oh, help him, you kind heavens!

If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for

Modern English: If you do marry, I'll give you this curse for

thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as

Modern English: your wedding gift: even if you are as cold as ice and as pure as

snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a

Modern English: snow, you won't escape slander. Get yourself to a

nunnery, go: farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs

Modern English: convent, go; goodbye. Or, if you absolutely must

marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough

Modern English: marry, marry a fool; because wise men know well enough

what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go,

Modern English: what kind of monsters you make out of them. To a convent, go,

and quickly too. Farewell.

Modern English: and go quickly. Goodbye.

O heavenly powers, restore him!

Modern English: Oh, heavenly powers, heal him!

I have heard of your paintings too, well enough; God

Modern English: I've heard all about your makeup, too; God

has given you one face, and you make yourselves

Modern English: has given you one face, and you give yourselves

another: you jig, you amble, and you lisp, and

Modern English: another. You dance, you stroll, and you lisp;

nick-name God's creatures, and make your wantonness

Modern English: you give nicknames to God's creatures and act like your flirting

your ignorance. Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath

Modern English: is just innocence. Stop it; I won't have it anymore; it has

made me mad. I say, we will have no more marriages:

Modern English: driven me insane. I say we will have no more marriages.

those that are married already, all but one, shall

Modern English: Those who are already married—all but one—shall

live; the rest shall keep as they are. To a

Modern English: live; the rest shall stay as they are. To a

nunnery, go.

Modern English: convent, go.

Exit

Modern English: The character leaves.

O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!

Modern English: Oh, what a noble mind has been destroyed here!

The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword;

Modern English: He had the courtier's eye, the scholar's tongue, the soldier's sword;

The expectancy and rose of the fair state,

Modern English: the hope and the flower of our beautiful state,

The glass of fashion and the mould of form,

Modern English: the model of fashion and the pattern of behavior,

The observed of all observers, quite, quite down!

Modern English: the one everyone looked up to, is now completely ruined!

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,

Modern English: And I, the most miserable and dejected of women,

That suck'd the honey of his music vows,

Modern English: who drank in the sweetness of his musical vows,

Now see that noble and most sovereign reason,

Modern English: now see that noble and supreme intellect

Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;

Modern English: sounding like cracked bells, out of tune and harsh;

That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth

Modern English: that unmatched physique and the features of youth in full bloom

Blasted with ecstasy: O, woe is me,

Modern English: shattered by madness. Oh, how miserable I am,

To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!

Modern English: to have seen what I have seen, and to see what I see now!

Re-enter KING CLAUDIUS and POLONIUS

Modern English: KING CLAUDIUS and POLONIUS return.

Love! his affections do not that way tend;

Modern English: Love? His feelings aren't moving in that direction;

Nor what he spake, though it lack'd form a little,

Modern English: and what he said, even if it was a bit disorganized,

Was not like madness. There's something in his soul,

Modern English: didn't sound like insanity. There is something in his soul

O'er which his melancholy sits on brood;

Modern English: that his sadness is sitting on like a brooding bird;

And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose

Modern English: and I suspect that whatever hatches and emerges

Will be some danger: which for to prevent,

Modern English: will be dangerous. To prevent that,

I have in quick determination

Modern English: I have quickly decided

Thus set it down: he shall with speed to England,

Modern English: on this plan: he will go to England immediately

For the demand of our neglected tribute

Modern English: to collect the tribute money they owe us.

Haply the seas and countries different

Modern English: Perhaps the sea and the different scenery

With variable objects shall expel

Modern English: with various new sights will drive out

This something-settled matter in his heart,

Modern English: this deep-seated trouble in his heart,

Whereon his brains still beating puts him thus

Modern English: which his brain keeps obsessing over, making him

From fashion of himself. What think you on't?

Modern English: act so unlike himself. What do you think of it?

It shall do well: but yet do I believe

Modern English: It should work well. But I still believe

The origin and commencement of his grief

Modern English: the source and beginning of his sorrow

Sprung from neglected love. How now, Ophelia!

Modern English: comes from unrequited love. Hello there, Ophelia!

You need not tell us what Lord Hamlet said;

Modern English: You don't need to tell us what Lord Hamlet said;

We heard it all. My lord, do as you please;

Modern English: we heard everything. My lord, do as you wish;

But, if you hold it fit, after the play

Modern English: but, if you think it's appropriate, after the play

Let his queen mother all alone entreat him

Modern English: let his mother the Queen talk to him alone and beg him

To show his grief: let her be round with him;

Modern English: to reveal his grief. Let her be blunt with him,

And I'll be placed, so please you, in the ear

Modern English: and I'll hide myself, if you agree, within earshot

Of all their conference. If she find him not,

Modern English: of their entire conversation. If she can't figure him out,

To England send him, or confine him where

Modern English: send him to England, or lock him up wherever

Your wisdom best shall think.

Modern English: your wisdom thinks is best.

It shall be so:

Modern English: That is how it will be:

Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go.

Modern English: Madness in important people must be closely watched.

Exeunt

Modern English: They leave.