My belongings are on the ship already. Good-bye. And, my dear
sister, as long as the winds are blowing and ships are sailing, let
me hear from you—write.
OPHELIA
Do you doubt
that?
OPHELIA
Do you doubt I'll write?
LAERTES
5
For Hamlet and the trifling of his favor,
Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,
A violet in the youth of primy nature,
Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,
The perfume and suppliance of a minute.
10
No more.
LAERTES
As for Hamlet and his attentions to you, just consider it a big
flirtation, the temporary phase of a hot-blooded youth. It
won't last. It's sweet, but his affection will
fade after a minute. Not a second more.
OPHELIA
No more but so?
OPHELIA
No more than a minute?
LAERTES
Think it no more.
For nature, crescent, does not grow alone
In thews and bulk, but, as this temple waxes,
The inward service of the mind and soul
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,
15
And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
The virtue of his will, but you must fear.
His greatness weighed, his will is not his own,
For he himself is subject to his birth.
He may not, as unvalued persons do,
20
Carve for himself, for on his choice depends
The safety and health of this whole state.
And therefore must his choice be circumscribed
Unto the voice and yielding of that body
Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you,
LAERTES
Try to think of it like that, anyway. When a youth grows into a
man, he doesn't just get bigger in his
body—his responsibilities grow too. He may love you now,
and may have only the best intentions, but you have to be on your
guard. Remember that he belongs to the royal family, and his
intentions don't matter that
much—he's a slave to his family obligations.
He can't simply make personal choices for himself the way
common people can, since the whole country depends on what he does.
His choice has to agree with what the nation wants.
