And I hope he's studying his music like he's
supposed to.
REYNALDO
Well, my lord.
REYNALDO
Got it, sir.
POLONIUS
Farewell.
POLONIUS
Good-bye.
Exit REYNALDO
REYNALDO exits.
Enter OPHELIA
OPHELIA enters.
How now, Ophelia? What's the matter?
Ophelia, what's the matter?
OPHELIA
75
O my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!
OPHELIA
Oh, father, father, I've just had such a scare!
POLONIUS
With what, i' th' name of God?
POLONIUS
From what, in God's name?
OPHELIA
My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;
No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled,
80
Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosèd out of hell
To speak of horrors—he comes before me.
OPHELIA
Father, I was up in my room sewing when Hamlet came in with no hat
on his head, his shirt unbuttoned, and his stockings dirty, undone,
and down around his ankles. He was pale as his undershirt, and his
knees were knocking together. He looked so out of sorts, as if
he'd just come back from hell. He came up to me.
POLONIUS
85
Mad for thy love?
POLONIUS
Is he crazy with love for you?
OPHELIA
My lord, I do not know.
But truly, I do fear it.
OPHELIA
I'm not sure, but I'm afraid he might
be.
POLONIUS
What said he?
POLONIUS
What did he say?
OPHELIA
He took me by the wrist and held me hard.
Then goes he to the length of all his arm,
And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,
90
He falls to such perusal of my face
As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.
OPHELIA
He grabbed me by the wrist and held me hard, then backed away an
arm's length and just looked at me, staring at me like an
artist about to paint my picture. He stayed like that a long
time.
