Act 1

Scene 1

Bernardo: Who's there?
Francisco: No, stand and show yourself.
Bernardo: Long live the king!
Francisco: Bernardo?
Bernardo: Yes.
Francisco: You are right on time.
Bernardo: It's midnight; go to bed, Francisco.
Francisco: Thank you. Its very cold, and I'm upset.
Bernardo: Has it been quiet out?
Francisco: I have seen nothing.
Bernardo: Goodnight! If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, which come after my watch, tell them to hurry.
Francisco: I think I hear them. Stop! Who's there?
Horatio: I am a friend.
Marcellus: And royal to the Dane.
Francisco: I give you goodnight.
Marcellus: Goodbye, honest soldier. Who has relieved you?
Francisco: Bernardo takes my place. Goodnight.
Marcellus: Hello! Bernardo!
Bernardo: Say- Is Horatio there?
Horatio: Some of him.
Bernardo: Hello, Horatio. Hello, good Marcellus.
Marcellus: Has this thing appeared tonight?
Bernardo: I have seen nothing.
Marcellus: Horatio says it's not true. We've seen it twice, but he has not. He will stay and watch with us so he knows it's true.
Horatio: Be quiet. It won't appear.
Bernardo: Sit down a while, and let us scare you.
Horatio: Okay, let's sit down. Bernardo, tell us the story.
Bernardo: When the star west of the North Pole made it's way to that part of the sky, at 1 A.M.-
Marcellus: Look! It's here!
Bernardo: In the same figure as the dead king.
Marcellus: Speak to it, Horatio.
Bernardo: Does it look like the king, Horatio?
Horatio: Sort of. It torments me with fear and wonder.
Bernardo: Speak to it.
Marcellus: Question it, Horatio.
Horatio: What is it that wonders this time of night in the form of our last king of Denmark? Speak to me!
Marcellus: It is offended.
Bernardo: See, it walks away!
Horatio: Stay! Speak to me! I'm telling you to speak!
Marcellus: It is gone and will not answer.
Bernardo: Are you okay, Horatio? You tremble and look pale. What do you think of this?
Horatio: I wouldn't have believed this if it weren't in front of my own eyes.
Marcellus: Is it not like the king?
Horatio: He is the king as you are yourself. He wears the same armor as he did in the battle against the Polish.
Marcellus: He has gone by our watch twice before with that same military stride.
Horatio: In my opinion, there are some strange things in our state of Denmark.
Marcellus: Tell me, why are we out here twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week as if we are at war? We don't even get a Sunday break.
Horatio: I can. I know the gossip. Our last king was in combat with the king of Norway, Fortinbras. These two kings had a one-on-one combat, and our King Hamlet was victorious. Fortinbras paid with his life and his country. His son, Prince Fortinbras, was enraged by the outcome and raised an army of the homeless to fight us for his country back.
Bernardo: I agree!
Horatio: A speck of dust can trouble the mind's eye. When Julius Caesar was murdered, everything was ill; ghosts were not at rest and graves were restless, and- Stay, ghost! If you can speak, tell me. If I can help your restlessness, tell me. If you know the future, please speak! Tell me why you're here! Do you have buried treasure somewhere? Stop it, Marcellus.
Marcellus: Shall I try to kill?
Horatio: Yes, if it moves.
Bernardo: It's here!
Horatio: It's here!
Marcellus: It's gone! We are mocking it by using violence. It's invulnerable, like the air.
Bernardo: It was about to speak when the cock crew.
Horatio: At the cock's crew, the spirit disappeared. It will soon be morning.
Marcellus: No spirit walks if the cock crows all night.
Horatio: I've heard that before and I sure do believe it. Let's go now and tell young Hamlet about what we have seen. It is our duty.
Marcellus: I know exactly where to find him.