An except from Act IV, Scene VII of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark where Laertes learns of his sister Ophelia's death.
King Claudius is speaking to Laertes about how they will kill Hamlet
when Queen Gertrude enters.
Enter Queen.
King:
How now, sweet queen?
Queen:
One woe doth tread upon another's heel,
So fast they follow. Your sister's drown'd, Laertes.
Laertes:
Drown'd! O, where?
Queen:
There is a willow grows aslant a brook,
That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.
There with fantastic garlands did she come
Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples,
That liberal shepherds give a grosser name,
But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them.
There on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds
Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke,
When down her weedy trophies and herself
Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide
And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up;
Which time she chaunted snatches of old tunes,
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and indued
Unto that element; but long it could not be
Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,
Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay
To muddy death.
Laertes:
Alas, then she is drown'd?
Queen:
Drown'd, drown'd.
Laertes:
Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,
And therefore I forbid my tears; but yet
It is our trick; nature her custom holds,
Let shame say what it will. When these are gone,
The woman will be out. Adieu, my lord.
I have a speech of fire, that fain would blaze
But that this folly douts it.
Exit.
King:
Let's follow, Gertrude:
How much I had to do to calm his rage!
Now fear I this will give it start again;
Therefore let's follow.
Exeunt
End of scene 7.
Exploring The Waste Land
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File date: Sunday, September 29, 2002