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No Fear Translations

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No Fear Audio

Original Text

Modern Text

Enter HAMLET , HORATIO , and MARCELLUS
Enter HAMLET , HORATIO , and MARCELLUS

HAMLET

The air bites shrewdly. It is very cold.

HAMLET

The air bites shrewdly. It is very cold.

HORATIO

It is a nipping and an eager air.

HORATIO

It is a nipping and an eager air.

HAMLET

What hour now?

HAMLET

What hour now?

HORATIO

I think it lacks of twelve.

HORATIO

I think it lacks of twelve.

MARCELLUS

5 No, it is struck.

MARCELLUS

No, it is struck.

HORATIO

Indeed? I heard it not. It then draws near the season
Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk.

HORATIO

Indeed? I heard it not. It then draws near the season
Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk.
A flourish of trumpets and two pieces of ordnance goes off
A flourish of trumpets and two pieces of ordnance goes off
What does this mean, my lord?
What does this mean, my lord?

HAMLET

The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse,
10 Keeps wassail and the swaggering upspring reels,
And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down,
The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out
The triumph of his pledge.

HAMLET

The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse,
Keeps wassail and the swaggering upspring reels,
And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down,
The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out
The triumph of his pledge.

HORATIO

Is it a custom?

HORATIO

Is it a custom?

HAMLET

15 Ay, marry, is ’t.
But to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
20 Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.

HAMLET

Ay, marry, is ’t.
But to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.
They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. And indeed it takes
From our achievements, though performed at height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
25 So oft it chances in particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them—
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the o'ergrowth of some complexion,
30 Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason,
Or by some habit that too much o'erleavens
The form of plausive manners—that these men,
Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being nature’s livery or fortune’s star,
35 Their virtues else (be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo)
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault. The dram of evil
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
40 To his own scandal.
They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. And indeed it takes
From our achievements, though performed at height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
So oft it chances in particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them—
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the o'ergrowth of some complexion,
Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason,
Or by some habit that too much o'erleavens
The form of plausive manners—that these men,
Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being nature’s livery or fortune’s star,
Their virtues else (be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo)
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault. The dram of evil
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
To his own scandal.
Enter GHOST
Enter GHOST

HORATIO

Look, my lord, it comes!

HORATIO

Look, my lord, it comes!

HAMLET

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
45 Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee “Hamlet,”
“King,” “Father,” “royal Dane.” O, answer me!
Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell
50 Why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death,
Have burst their cerements; why the sepulcher,

HAMLET

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee “Hamlet,”
“King,” “Father,” “royal Dane.” O, answer me!
Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell
Why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death,
Have burst their cerements; why the sepulcher,
Wherein we saw thee quietly interred,
Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws
To cast thee up again. What may this mean,
55 That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel
Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon,
Making night hideous and we fools of nature,
So horridly to shake our disposition
With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?
60 Say why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?
Wherein we saw thee quietly interred,
Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws
To cast thee up again. What may this mean,
That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel
Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon,
Making night hideous and we fools of nature,
So horridly to shake our disposition
With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?
Say why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?
GHOST beckons HAMLET
GHOST beckons HAMLET

HORATIO

It beckons you to go away with it,
As if it some impartment did desire
To you alone.

HORATIO

It beckons you to go away with it,
As if it some impartment did desire
To you alone.

MARCELLUS

Look, with what courteous action
It waves you to a more removèd ground.
65 But do not go with it.

MARCELLUS

Look, with what courteous action
It waves you to a more removèd ground.
But do not go with it.

HORATIO

No, by no means.

HORATIO

No, by no means.

HAMLET

It will not speak. Then I will follow it.

HAMLET

It will not speak. Then I will follow it.

HORATIO

Do not, my lord.

HORATIO

Do not, my lord.

HAMLET

Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,
And for my soul—what can it do to that,
70 Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

HAMLET

Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,
And for my soul—what can it do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

HORATIO

What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,
Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff
That beetles o'er his base into the sea,

HORATIO

What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,
Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff
That beetles o'er his base into the sea,
75 And there assume some other horrible form,
Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason
And draw you into madness? Think of it.
The very place puts toys of desperation,
Without more motive, into every brain
80 That looks so many fathoms to the sea
And hears it roar beneath.
And there assume some other horrible form,
Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason
And draw you into madness? Think of it.
The very place puts toys of desperation,
Without more motive, into every brain
That looks so many fathoms to the sea
And hears it roar beneath.

HAMLET

It waves me still.
—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

HAMLET

It waves me still.
—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

MARCELLUS

You shall not go, my lord.

MARCELLUS

You shall not go, my lord.
MARCELLUS and HORATIO try to hold HAMLET back
MARCELLUS and HORATIO try to hold HAMLET back

HAMLET

Hold off your hands.

HAMLET

Hold off your hands.

HORATIO

85 Be ruled. You shall not go.

HORATIO

Be ruled. You shall not go.

HAMLET

My fate cries out
And makes each petty artery in this body
As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.
Still am I called.—Unhand me, gentlemen.
(draws his sword)
90 By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me.
I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

HAMLET

My fate cries out
And makes each petty artery in this body
As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.
Still am I called.—Unhand me, gentlemen.
(draws his sword)
By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me.
I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee.
Exeunt GHOST and HAMLET
Exeunt GHOST and HAMLET

HORATIO

He waxes desperate with imagination.

HORATIO

He waxes desperate with imagination.

MARCELLUS

Let’s follow. 'Tis not fit thus to obey him.

MARCELLUS

Let’s follow. 'Tis not fit thus to obey him.

HORATIO

Have after. To what issue will this come?

HORATIO

Have after. To what issue will this come?

MARCELLUS

95 Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

MARCELLUS

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

HORATIO

Heaven will direct it.

HORATIO

Heaven will direct it.

MARCELLUS

Nay, let’s follow him.

MARCELLUS

Nay, let’s follow him.
Exeunt
Exeunt

Original Text

Modern Text

Enter HAMLET , HORATIO , and MARCELLUS
Enter HAMLET , HORATIO , and MARCELLUS

HAMLET

The air bites shrewdly. It is very cold.

HAMLET

The air bites shrewdly. It is very cold.

HORATIO

It is a nipping and an eager air.

HORATIO

It is a nipping and an eager air.

HAMLET

What hour now?

HAMLET

What hour now?

HORATIO

I think it lacks of twelve.

HORATIO

I think it lacks of twelve.

MARCELLUS

5 No, it is struck.

MARCELLUS

No, it is struck.

HORATIO

Indeed? I heard it not. It then draws near the season
Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk.

HORATIO

Indeed? I heard it not. It then draws near the season
Wherein the spirit held his wont to walk.
A flourish of trumpets and two pieces of ordnance goes off
A flourish of trumpets and two pieces of ordnance goes off
What does this mean, my lord?
What does this mean, my lord?

HAMLET

The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse,
10 Keeps wassail and the swaggering upspring reels,
And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down,
The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out
The triumph of his pledge.

HAMLET

The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse,
Keeps wassail and the swaggering upspring reels,
And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down,
The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out
The triumph of his pledge.

HORATIO

Is it a custom?

HORATIO

Is it a custom?

HAMLET

15 Ay, marry, is ’t.
But to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
20 Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.

HAMLET

Ay, marry, is ’t.
But to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.
They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. And indeed it takes
From our achievements, though performed at height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
25 So oft it chances in particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them—
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the o'ergrowth of some complexion,
30 Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason,
Or by some habit that too much o'erleavens
The form of plausive manners—that these men,
Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being nature’s livery or fortune’s star,
35 Their virtues else (be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo)
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault. The dram of evil
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
40 To his own scandal.
They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. And indeed it takes
From our achievements, though performed at height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
So oft it chances in particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them—
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the o'ergrowth of some complexion,
Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason,
Or by some habit that too much o'erleavens
The form of plausive manners—that these men,
Carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being nature’s livery or fortune’s star,
Their virtues else (be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo)
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault. The dram of evil
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
To his own scandal.
Enter GHOST
Enter GHOST

HORATIO

Look, my lord, it comes!

HORATIO

Look, my lord, it comes!

HAMLET

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
45 Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee “Hamlet,”
“King,” “Father,” “royal Dane.” O, answer me!
Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell
50 Why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death,
Have burst their cerements; why the sepulcher,

HAMLET

Angels and ministers of grace defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee “Hamlet,”
“King,” “Father,” “royal Dane.” O, answer me!
Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell
Why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death,
Have burst their cerements; why the sepulcher,
Wherein we saw thee quietly interred,
Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws
To cast thee up again. What may this mean,
55 That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel
Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon,
Making night hideous and we fools of nature,
So horridly to shake our disposition
With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?
60 Say why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?
Wherein we saw thee quietly interred,
Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws
To cast thee up again. What may this mean,
That thou, dead corse, again in complete steel
Revisits thus the glimpses of the moon,
Making night hideous and we fools of nature,
So horridly to shake our disposition
With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?
Say why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?
GHOST beckons HAMLET
GHOST beckons HAMLET

HORATIO

It beckons you to go away with it,
As if it some impartment did desire
To you alone.

HORATIO

It beckons you to go away with it,
As if it some impartment did desire
To you alone.

MARCELLUS

Look, with what courteous action
It waves you to a more removèd ground.
65 But do not go with it.

MARCELLUS

Look, with what courteous action
It waves you to a more removèd ground.
But do not go with it.

HORATIO

No, by no means.

HORATIO

No, by no means.

HAMLET

It will not speak. Then I will follow it.

HAMLET

It will not speak. Then I will follow it.

HORATIO

Do not, my lord.

HORATIO

Do not, my lord.

HAMLET

Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,
And for my soul—what can it do to that,
70 Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

HAMLET

Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life in a pin’s fee,
And for my soul—what can it do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again. I’ll follow it.

HORATIO

What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,
Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff
That beetles o'er his base into the sea,

HORATIO

What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,
Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff
That beetles o'er his base into the sea,
75 And there assume some other horrible form,
Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason
And draw you into madness? Think of it.
The very place puts toys of desperation,
Without more motive, into every brain
80 That looks so many fathoms to the sea
And hears it roar beneath.
And there assume some other horrible form,
Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason
And draw you into madness? Think of it.
The very place puts toys of desperation,
Without more motive, into every brain
That looks so many fathoms to the sea
And hears it roar beneath.

HAMLET

It waves me still.
—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

HAMLET

It waves me still.
—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

MARCELLUS

You shall not go, my lord.

MARCELLUS

You shall not go, my lord.
MARCELLUS and HORATIO try to hold HAMLET back
MARCELLUS and HORATIO try to hold HAMLET back

HAMLET

Hold off your hands.

HAMLET

Hold off your hands.

HORATIO

85 Be ruled. You shall not go.

HORATIO

Be ruled. You shall not go.

HAMLET

My fate cries out
And makes each petty artery in this body
As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.
Still am I called.—Unhand me, gentlemen.
(draws his sword)
90 By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me.
I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee.

HAMLET

My fate cries out
And makes each petty artery in this body
As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve.
Still am I called.—Unhand me, gentlemen.
(draws his sword)
By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me.
I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee.
Exeunt GHOST and HAMLET
Exeunt GHOST and HAMLET

HORATIO

He waxes desperate with imagination.

HORATIO

He waxes desperate with imagination.

MARCELLUS

Let’s follow. 'Tis not fit thus to obey him.

MARCELLUS

Let’s follow. 'Tis not fit thus to obey him.

HORATIO

Have after. To what issue will this come?

HORATIO

Have after. To what issue will this come?

MARCELLUS

95 Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

MARCELLUS

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

HORATIO

Heaven will direct it.

HORATIO

Heaven will direct it.

MARCELLUS

Nay, let’s follow him.

MARCELLUS

Nay, let’s follow him.
Exeunt
Exeunt