Hamlet

Act 3 Scene 4

Original Text	Modern Text
GERTRUDE Nay, then I’ll set those to you that can speak.	GERTRUDE In that case I’ll call in others who can still speak.
HAMLET Come, come, and sit you down. You shall not budge. You go not till I set you up a glass 20Where you may see the inmost part of you.	HAMLET No, sit down. You won’t budge until I hold a mirror up to you, where you will see what’s deep inside you.
GERTRUDE What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, help, ho!	GERTRUDE What are you going to do? You won’t kill me, will you? Help!
POLONIUS (from behind the arras) What, ho? Help, help, help!	POLONIUS (from behind the tapestry) Hey! Help, help, help!
HAMLET How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!	HAMLET What’s this, a rat? I’ll bet a buck he’s a dead rat now.
(stabs his sword through the arras and kills POLONIUS)	(he stabs his sword through the tapestry and kills POLONIUS)
POLONIUS 25 (from behind the arras) Oh, I am slain.	POLONIUS (from behind the tapestry) Oh, I’ve been killed!
GERTRUDE O me, what hast thou done?	GERTRUDE Oh my God, what have you done?
HAMLET Nay, I know not. Is it the king?	HAMLET I don’t know. Is it the king?
GERTRUDE Oh, what a rash and bloody deed is this!	GERTRUDE Oh, what a senseless, horrible act!
HAMLET A bloody deed? Almost as bad, good mother, 30As kill a king and marry with his brother.	HAMLET A horrible act—almost as bad, my good mother, as killing a king and marrying his brother.
GERTRUDE As kill a king?	GERTRUDE Killing a king?
HAMLET Ay, lady, ’twas my word.	HAMLET That’s what I said, my good woman.
(draws back the arras and discovers POLONIUS)	(he pulls back the tapestry and discovers POLONIUS)