Hamlet

by: William Shakespeare

Act 4 Scene 4

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Original Text	Modern Text
Enter FORTINBRAS with his army and a CAPTAIN	FORTINBRAS enters with his army and a CAPTAIN.
FORTINBRAS Go, Captain, from me greet the Danish king Tell him that, by his license, Fortinbras Craves the conveyance of a promised march Over his kingdom. You know the rendezvous. 5If that his majesty would aught with us, We shall express our duty in his eye, And let him know so.	FORTINBRAS Go, Captain, and give the Danish king my greetings. Tell him that Fortinbras asks permission to move his troops across Denmark. You know the meeting place we’ve arranged. If His Majesty wants us to do any favor for him, tell him his wish is my command.
CAPTAIN I will do ’t, my lord.	CAPTAIN I’ll tell him, my lord.
FORTINBRAS Go softly on.	FORTINBRAS Go ahead, then.
Exeunt all except the CAPTAIN	Everyone except the CAPTAIN exits.
Enter HAMLET, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and others	HAMLET, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDENSTERN, and others enter.
HAMLET 10Good sir, whose powers are these?	HAMLET Sir, whose troops are these?
CAPTAIN They are of Norway, sir.	CAPTAIN The king of Norway’s, sir.
HAMLET How purposed, sir, I pray you?	HAMLET What are they doing here, sir?
CAPTAIN Against some part of Poland.	CAPTAIN They’re on their way to invade some part of Poland.
HAMLET Who commands them, sir?	HAMLET Who’s commanding them, sir?
CAPTAIN The nephew to old Norway, Fortinbras.	CAPTAIN The nephew of the old king of Norway, Fortinbras.
HAMLET Goes it against the main of Poland, sir, 15Or for some frontier?	HAMLET Is he attacking the heartland of Poland or some frontier?

Read the Summary of Act IV, scenes iii–iv

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