ACT 1 SCENE 1

A castle battlement. Thunder and wind. two guards enter.

Bernardo Whos there?

Francisco No, who are you?

Bernardo Long live the king!

Francisco For this relief much thanks.Its bitterly cold out. And I am sick at heart.

Bernardo Has it been a quiet night?

Francisco Not even a mouse squeak.

Bernardo well tell you the story you dont want to believe, about what weve seen two
nights now. (to the audience)

Francisco Quiet, shut up! Its come again. ( he points off left)

Bernardo Looking just like the dead king.

Francisco By heaven, I order you to speak.

Bernardo (He points and looks left) tis here.

Francisco ( he looks centre) tis there.

Bernardo ( he looks right) tis gone.

Francisco But look, morning is breaking beyond that hill in the east, turning the sky red.

Bernardo Lets go tell young Hamlet what weve seen tonight.

They exit.
Act 1 scene 2
Enter KING CLAUDIUS, QUEEN GERTRUDE HAMLET, POLONIUS,
from stage right. KING CLAUDIUS stands stage center with Queen Gertrude to his right.
Hamlet stands stage right; Polonius stands stage left.

Claudius Although I still have fresh memories of my brother, and though it was proper to
mourn him throughout our kingdom, life still goes on. Therefore, Ive married my
former sister-in-law, the queen, with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness

King Claudius holds out his hand to Queen Gertrude. She takes
it, moving toward him.

Hamlet Its not true, sir. Your son is out in the sun.

Gertrude My dear Hamlet, stop wearing these black clothes, and be friendly to the king. You
cant spend your whole life with your eyes to the ground remembering your noble
father. It happens all the time, what lives must die eventually, passing to eternity.

Hamlet Yes, mother, it happens all the time.

Gertrude So why does it seem so particular to you?

Hamlet Seem, mother? No, it is.Neither my black clothes, nor my heavy sighs can show what
I really feel.. I have more real grief inside me that you could ever see on the surface.

Claudius Hamlet, you are so sweet and such a good son to mourn your father like this. But you
have to remember, that your father lost his father, who lost his father before him, and
every time, each son has had to mourn his father for a certain period

Gertrude Please answer my prayers, Hamlet, and stay with us. Dont go back to Wittenberg.

Hamlet Ill obey you as well as I can, ma'am.

Exit all with a flourish of trumpets, except for Hamlet who moves downstage center.

Hamlet Ah, I wish my dirty flesh could melt away.

My fathers only been dead for two monthsno, not even two. Such an excellent king,
as superior to my uncle as a god is to a beast, and so loving toward my mother that he
kept the wind from blowing too hard on her face.

Enter Horatio from stage right

 Horatio Hail to your lordship!

Hamlet steps toward Horatio and happily gives him a two handed handshake

Hamlet I am glad to see you well, Horatio.

Horatio My lord (pauses), I think I saw your father, the king, yesternight.

Hamlet For Gods sake, let me hear it.

Horatio After midnight, for two nights running, it was seen a figure that looked very much like
your father, in full armor. And he looked more sad than angry.

Horatio exit right

Hamlet My fathers ghostarmed! Somethings wrong.

Hamlet exit right

Castle Battlements at night. there is noise of carousing, cannon, fireworks. Horatio and Hamlet
appear on the parapet.

There is the sound of wind

Horatio Look my Lord, it comes (he points)

The Ghost enters

Hamlet Angels and ministers of grace defend us!

Whether you bring heavenly breezes or blasts of hellfire, I want to talk to you.
King, Father, Answer me!

Ghost I am your fathers spirit.

Revenge this immoral and unnatural murder

Hamlet Murder?

Ghost The Serpent that did sting me, now wears my crown

Ghost beckons Hamlet

Horatio Do not my Lord!

Hamlet There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy

Exit Ghost and hamlet stage left

Horatio Something is rotten in the state of Denmark

Horatio Exits

Act II Scene I
 Polonius Ophelia, Whats the matter?

Ophelia Oh my lord, I have just had such a scare

Polonius With what? in Gods name

Ophelia My lord, I was up in my room sewing when Hamlet came in with no hat on his head, his
shirt unbuttoned, and his stockings dirty. He looked so unwell as if he had just come back
from hell. He came up to me.

Polonius Crazy for your love?

Ophelia I am afraid he might be

Polonius I have found the very cause of Hamlets lunacy.

They exit

A traveling acting troupe arrives at Elsinore; Hamlet

decides to have the players act out his fathers
murder. (emphatically)

Hamlet Ill have the players

Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle: (sits on throne)
If he blenches I know my course (pauses; looks at the audience)
the play's the thing
where Ill catch the conscience of the king

ACT III Scene I

Ophelia My lord, I have memories of yours. I pray you, take them back

Hamlet I never gave you anything (turns away suddenly)

Ophelia You know very well you did, and wrote letters. Their perfume is gone now. (hurt)

Hamlet Get yourself to a nunnery (points at oPhelia; yells) begins exit stage right

Ophelia heavenly powers, please make him normal again.

hamlet turns around and comes back toward Ophelia

Hamlet God has given you a face and you made yourself another one.

A hall in the castle

Enter hamlet and horatio from stage right

Hamlet Horatio, the play is tonight before the king

Horatio well, my lord

Hamlet theyre coming, get you a place

Enter KiNG claudius, QueeN Gertrude, PoloNius, and oPhelia

from stage left. Both PoloNius and oPhelia carry chairs.

Gertrude Come here, my dear Hamlet, sit by me.

Hamlet No thanks, my good mother. Theres a nicer piece of work right here. (he sits down near
OPHELIA )

hamlet sits on the oor by oPhelias chair and nestles his head
in her lap; she is sti and uncomfortable, not knowing what to
make of this change in hamlets behavior

Claudius (agitated) What do you call the play?

Hamlet (dramatically) The mouse-trap

KiNG claudius is visibly upset; he stands. the music stops, hubbub noise

Ophelia the king is up

Gertrude My lord, how are you feeling?

Polonius Stop the play

Claudius Give me some light

all lights, lights, lights

The Queens closet

Hamlet confronts his mother, resulting in a bloody deed involving Ophelias father, Lord Polonius;
the Ghost returns.

Enter QueeN Gertrude and PoloNius from stage right.

Polonius Hell come right away. Tell him his pranks have caused too much trouble. Ill be right
here, silent. (gestures toward stage right pillar)

Hamlet (offstage) mother, mother, mother

Gertrude Dont worry, Ill do what you say. Now hide, I hear him coming.

PoloNius hides behind stage right pillar.

Enter hamlet from stage left

Hamlet Now mother, whats the matter

Gertrude Hamlet, you have offended your father

Hamlet Mom, you have offended my father

Getrude Come on, youre answering me foolishly.

Hamlet Go on, youre questioning me evilly.

lord PoloNius makes a coughing and rustling sound

Hamlet (draws a sword) What now? a rat? I bet its a dead rat now

hamlet finds PoloNius behind the pillar and stabs him with his sword.

Polonius OH!

PoloNius falls and dies, ending with his face away from hamlet.

Gertrude what have you done? what a senseless, horrible act!

hamlet turns the body over and discovers it is PoloNius; he is

shocked and dismayed.

Ghost Dont forget. Ive come to sharpen your somewhat dull appetite for revenge. But look,
your mother is in shock. Oh, keep her struggling soul from being overwhelmed by horrid
visions. The imagination works strongest in those with the weakest bodies. (points to
QueeN Gertrude) Talk to her, Hamlet.