thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise
men know well enough what monsters[b 1] you
make of them. To a nunnery, go; and 145
quickly too. Farewell.
Oph. O[a 1] heavenly powers, restore him!
Ham. I have heard of your paintings[a 2][b 2] too,[a 3] well
enough; God has[a 4] given you one face,[a 5] and
you make yourselves[a 6] another; you jig,[a 7] you 150
amble,[a 8] and you lisp,[a 9] and nickname[a 10][b 3] God's
creatures, and make your wantonness your
ignorance.[a 11] Go to, I'll no more on 't; it hath
made me mad. I say we will have no more
marriages;[a 12] those that are married already, all 155
but one,[b 4] shall live; the rest shall keep as they
are. To a nunnery, go.[Exit.
Oph. Oh, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!
The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's,[a 13][b 5] eye, tongue, sword;
The expectancy[a 14] and rose of the fair state, 160
- ↑ 147. O] F, omitted Q.
- ↑ 148. paintings] Q 1, Q; pratlings F; pratling Ff 2-4.
- ↑ 148. too] F, omitted Q.
- ↑ 149. has] F, hath Q.
- ↑ 149. face] Q 1, Q; pace F.
- ↑ 150. yourselves] Q, your selfe F.
- ↑ 150. jig] Q 1676, gig Q, gidge F, fig Q 1.
- ↑ 150, 151. you amble] F, and amble Q.
- ↑ 151. lisp] F, list Q.
- ↑ 151. and nickname] F, you nickname Q.
- ↑ 152, 153. your ignorance] Q 1, F; ignorance Q.
- ↑ 154, 155. no more marriages] Q 1, F; no mo marriage Q.
- ↑ 159. soldier's, scholar's] Q, F; scholler, souldier Q 1.
- ↑ 160. expectancy] F, expectation Q.
- ↑ 144. monsters] Delius refers to Othello, IV. i. 63: "a homed man's a monster." So Fletcher, Rule a Wife and have a Wife, II i: "Though he [a wronged husband] see himself become a monster." Hamlet reproaches Ophelia only through the general evil of womanhood.
- ↑ 148. paintings] The F "prattlings" and "pace" are possibly not misprints; "pace" referring to "jig" and "amble"; "prattlings" to "lisp" and "nickname."
- ↑ 151. nickname] call things by names of immodest suggestion, and profess childish ignorance. Compare Romeo And Juliet, II, i. 35: "that kind of fruit as maids call medlars when they laugh alone."
- ↑ 155, 156. all but one] a shaft meant to strike the eves-dropping King.
- ↑ 159. soldier's, scholar's] The order "scholar's, soldier's" corresponding to "tongue, sword" may be more rhetorically, but not therefore dramatically, correct.
