Act Four
Act
Four Scene Five
Sub
Scene Two
Laertes
storms the castle
“O,
this is the poison of deep grief. It springs all from us, the King’s
death. And then her father’s death, and now behold!” Gertrude moans her pain. “All
that had happened comes around.”
“O
Gertrude, Gertrude,” Claudius sighed at the lady’s emotion. “Let me arrange the
facts. When sorrows arrived, they come not single spies, but in battalions. But
in time, we will resolve it, and all will be well.”
Bad
things may come in a stack at times; or was it Murphy who came visiting, and
all went wrong at the same time?
“First,
her father was slain.” Claudius did not mention the King.
“Next,
your son is gone, and he most violent author of his own just remove; the
people muddied, thick, and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers for good
Polonius’ death, and we have done but greenly in hugger-mugger to inter
him.”
“We
did not inter him. How could we when he was not to be found? We had searched
for him but he was not to be found. The one who did him refuses to tell. How
could we be …… I don’t care what the others may say, we know not of his body…as
yet.” Gertrude snapped back. Claudius saw the pressure issues had taken their
toll on Gertrude. He turns to look at Ophelia.
“Poor
Ophelia. She is divided from herself and her fair judgment, without the which
we are pictures or mere beasts.” Claudius sensed the lady was lost in her mind.
“Last, and as much containing as all these, her brother is in secret come from
France.”
Claudius
had news of Laertes returning to seek the answer to his father’s whereabouts.
“Feeds
on his wonder keeps himself in clouds,” Laertes had kept silent of his return.
“And wants not buzzers to infect his ear with pestilent speeches of his
father’s death, wherein necessity, of matter, beggared, will nothing stick our
person to arraign.”
“In-ear
and ear. O, my dear Gertrude, this, like to a murdering piece, in many places gives
me superfluous death.” Rumors abound on the cause of death, but it pains
Claudius, that he will much prefer death himself to stop it.
It
was then the noise was heard from the courtyard.
“Alack,
what noise is this?” Gertrude called out in distress. “Have we no peace
anymore?”
“Where
are my guards? Let them guard the door.” Claudius called out.
“My
lord, we have some commotions at the courtyard. Do not worry. The guards are
attending to it.” A loyal elderly servant rushed in and reported to the
Emperor.
“It’s
young Laertes, in a riotous head, challenging your officers. Laertes was with rabble
who call him “lord,” of some were our own who turn to the other side. Not the
servants of young but of old, who had served with the Great Chamberlain’ they
leaned to know of the old man’s fate.”
“Alas,
I am of their age, but won’t do such acts that will demean my loyalty here.
Such as the world were now but to begin,” The servant who served the King and
then the Emperor, lament on the attitude of the others.
“Antiquity
forgot, custom not known, the ratifiers and props of every word, they cry
“Choose we, Laertes shall be king!”. They care not for the tradition.”
“How
cheerfully on the false trail they cry. This is counter, you false dogs! There
is no fox here but a pair of hares.” Gertrude cried out. “If the King was
…”
It
was then Laertes walked in. He was followed by the loyal guards battling to
hold the others not of the castle to come in. Laertes saw Claudius and then
turned to his rabble.
“I
pray you, give me leave. I am to speak to the Emperor and madam ….alone.”
“What
of the Great Chamberlain? We need to bury him properly.” An old ally of the
Great Chamberlain called out.
“We
will, we will.” The others echoed the call.
“I
thank you. I will seek the answer you want, as well as for me. Please keep to
the door.” Laertes addressed the rabble.
The
rabble exited followed by the guards who closed the door.
“We
are alone now, my Emperor,” Laertes addressed Claudius by his status. “O, give
me my father!”
“Calmly,
good Laertes.” Gertrude addressed the young man. “He is…”
“I
held not the drop of blood that’s calm proclaims me bastard, cries
“cuckold” to my father, brands the harlot
Even here between the chaste unsmirchèd brow of my true mother.” Laertes spoke
for he is the true son of the man whose body had not been seen as yet. Not a
harlot born.
It
was a stinging insult to Gertrude that Hamlet may be of one.
“What
is the cause, Laertes, thy rebellion looks so giant-like?—” Claudius was
upset. “Bringing in my servants in tow.”
“Spare
him, Claudius. He is …” Gertrude tried to calm things down. “Your friends I had
known. They were your father’s.”
Gertrude,
approached Laertes to hold his arms lest he strikes at Claudius.
“Let
him go, Gertrude. Do not fear our person. There’s such divinity doth hedge a
king. That treason can but peep to what it would, Acts little of his will.”
Claudius dismissed the lady of her concern. He is the Emperor, and will not be
challenged by the others on his standing unless it’s a treason act
“Tell
me, Laertes, why thou art thus incensed?” Claudius asked again before he looked
at Gertrude. “Let him go, Gertrude. Now speak, man?”.
“Where
is my father?” Laertes asked.
“Dead,”
Claudius replied.
“But
not by him, ” Gertrude said to Laertes. “He did not do it.”
“Let
him demand his fill.” Claudius stood there defiantly.
“How
came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with. To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the
blackest devil!
Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this
point, I stand, That both the worlds I give to negligence, Let come what comes,
only I’ll be avenged most thoroughly for my father.”
“Who
shall stay you? Those…rabble out there?” Claudius asked.
“My
will, not all the world. And for my means, I’ll husband them so well. They
shall go far with little.” Laertes claimed his support from the loyal friends
of his father. They will side with him for vengeance.
“Good
Laertes,” Claudius looked to the door. “If you desire to know the
certainty of your dear father, is ’t writ in your revenge. You will draw
both friend and foe, winner and loser. There are sides to consider.”
“None
but his enemies, my lord,” Laertes said. He cares not who is there, for he only
wants the killer of his father.
“Will
you know them, then?” Claudius asked.
“To
his good friends thus wide I’ll open my arms and, like the kind life-rendering
pelican, repast them with my blood.” Laertes had listened to the friends of his
father and told him of the words they heard. He will believe them.
“Why,
now you speak like a good child and a true gentleman, Laertes.” Claudius
smiled at the young man. “I am your father’s friend too. Let me tell you that I
am guiltless of your father’s death and am most sensibly in grief for it.”
A
noise within: “Let her come in!”
“ How
now, what noise is that?” Laertes turned to look at the door.
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