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Modern Text |
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Enter HORATIO and a
SERVANT
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HORATIO and a
SERVANT enter.
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HORATIO What are they that would speak with me?
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HORATIO Who are the people who want to speak with me?
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SERVANT Seafaring men, sir. They say they have letters for you.
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SERVANT Sailors, sir. They say they have letters for you.
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HORATIO Let them come in.
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HORATIO Show them in.
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Exit SERVANT
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SERVANT exits.
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I do not know from what part of the world
5I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.
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I don’t know who else would send me a letter from
abroad except Hamlet.
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Enter SAILORS
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SAILORS enter.
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SAILOR God bless you, sir.
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SAILOR Hello, sir. God bless you.
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HORATIO Let him bless thee too.
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HORATIO May He bless you, too.
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SAILOR He shall, sir, an ’t please Him. There’s a
letter for you, sir—
it comes from the ambassador that was bound for
England—if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it
is. (gives HORATIO
a letter)
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SAILOR He will, sir, if He wants to. There’s a letter for you,
sir. It’s from the ambassador, Lord Hamlet, who was going
to England—if your name’s Horatio, as they
told me it is. (he hands HORATIO
a letter)
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HORATIO
(reads)
“Horatio,
When thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows
some means to the king. They have letters for
him. Ere we were two days old at sea, a pirate of very
warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding ourselves
too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valor, and in the
grapple I boarded them. On the instant, they got clear
of our ship, so I alone became their prisoner. They
have dealt with me like thieves of mercy, but they
knew what they did; I am to do a good turn for them.
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HORATIO
(reading the letter)
“Horatio,
When you’ve read this letter, find a way to
let these guys see the king. They have letters for him. Before we
were at sea for even two days, a pirate ship equipped for battle
pursued us. We were too slow to escape, so we were forced to stand
and fight. In the battle that followed I ended up on the pirate
ship. Just then they left our ship behind, so I became the only
prisoner on board. They’ve treated me quite mercifully
for thieves, but they knew what they were doing. They want me to do
a favor for them.
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