Hamlet: Act 4, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 4, Scene 1 of Hamlet from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter King and Queen, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. KING There’s matter in these sighs; these profound heaves You must translate; ’tis fit we understand them. Where is your son? QUEEN Bestow this place on us a little while. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit. Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen tonight! 5 KING What, Gertrude? How does Hamlet? QUEEN Mad as the sea and wind when both contend Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit, Behind the arras hearing something stir, Whips out his rapier, cries “A rat, a rat,” 10 And in this brainish apprehension kills The unseen good old man.	Claudius can see that Gertrude is upset, so he asks her what's up, and where's Hamlet? She asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to give them a minute, and then she tells Claudius that her son is definitely insane and has murdered Polonius. (She keeps quiet, as instructed by Hamlet, about the fact that his madness is an act. Nice work, Gertrude.)
KING O heavy deed! It had been so with us, had we been there. His liberty is full of threats to all— 15 To you yourself, to us, to everyone. Alas, how shall this bloody deed be answered? It will be laid to us, whose providence Should have kept short, restrained, and out of haunt This mad young man. But so much was our love, 20 We would not understand what was most fit, But, like the owner of a foul disease, To keep it from divulging, let it feed Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone?	Oh boy, says Claudius. We really blew it. We should have kept Hamlet on a shorter leash, but alas, we were acting out of love, just trying to help him. Where is he now?
QUEEN To draw apart the body he hath killed, 25 O’er whom his very madness, like some ore Among a mineral of metals base, Shows itself pure: he weeps for what is done.	He's disposing of the body, obviously. But, Gertrude adds, she did notice that Hamlet is now inspired to cry a little, so maybe the murder of Polonius has done some good by getting Hamlet in touch with his feelings.
KING O Gertrude, come away! The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch 30 But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed We must with all our majesty and skill Both countenance and excuse.—Ho, Guildenstern! Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Friends both, go join you with some further aid. Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain, 35 And from his mother’s closet hath he dragged him. Go seek him out, speak fair, and bring the body Into the chapel. I pray you, haste in this. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exit. Come, Gertrude, we’ll call up our wisest friends And let them know both what we mean to do 40 And what’s untimely done. … Whose whisper o’er the world’s diameter, As level as the cannon to his blank Transports his poisoned shot, may miss our name And hit the woundless air. O, come away! 45 My soul is full of discord and dismay. They exit.	Enough of that, Gertrude, the King tells his wife. It's definitely time to ship young Hamlet away. Once he's gone, we'll find a way to smooth over what he's done. Claudius calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern back and sends them to find Polonius's body and bring it into the chapel. Then he tells Gertrude they'll call their friends together and figure out how to handle this little...blunder. Egads.