Act One Scene Two
Sub-Scene
Four
The
Widow
“Dearest
Hamlet, stop wearing these black clothes.” Gertrude had intruded upon the
table. She was dressed in a white high-necked gown and held a half-faced veil
over her eyes.
“Mother,”
Hamlet leaned over to lay a kiss on the lady.
“I
have been looking for you and once I glanced at you, you moved away.” Gertrude
frowned at the man’s dressing. “I left you a fine set of white on the bedding
for you. Why are you not dressed in that?”
“The
virginal white? It does not suit me. I am into black and it’s the trend of
society today.” Hamlet smiled. “The white suits you well, Mother. A renewed
chastity would be my impression.”
“My
chastity was preserved well for your father, mind you, and will be for whoever
I am to provide the key.” Gertrude defended her honor.
“I
believe you so, Mother.” Hamlet smiled.
“Hamlet,
the new Emperor is the King of Denmark now.” Gertrude moved the subject back to
Hamlet. “You can’t spend your whole life with your eyes aimed down at the
ground, looking for your noble father in the dust. You know it’s common.
Everything that lives must die, passing from nature to heaven.”
“Yes,
mother. It’s common.” Hamlet shrugged his shoulders as if it was another
standing ovation for his act.
“If
that’s so, why does it seems like such an issue to you?” Gertrude stared at her
son. “It’s also my wedding.”
“Seem,”
mother? No, it is. I don’t know the meaning of “seems.”. My dressing,
Mother.” Hamlet pulled at the lapel of his coat. “Good mother, the black
clothes I wear each day, my heavy sighs, the tears from my eyes, the sadness
visible in my face, or any other show of grief cannot capture what I feel.”
“Tragic
are my scenes this season. I have to draw on ….grief and ….. anger. All
these things “seem” like madness, since they’re just what a person would do to
act like they were grieving in a play.” Hamlet was immersed in his act then.
“But inside of me, I have real grief, of which these clothes and displays of
grief are just an outward representation.”
“Can
I share it, Hamlet?” It was Claudius who asked.
“I…”
Hamlet looked at the man who will be his mother’s bedside. “My keys are still
with me alone.”
“Keys?”
Claudius was confused. “Hamlet, it is sweet and good that you mourn like this
for your father. But you must also remember that your father lost his father,
who in turn lost his father, and each time the son had a duty to mourn for his
father for a certain time.”
Hamlet
looked from Claudius then to Gertrude. He was to step away when Claudius added.
“But
to continue to mourn out of sheer stubbornness is blasphemous. It isn’t manly.
It does not fit with God’s desires, and it indicates a too-soft heart, an
undisciplined mind, and a general lack of knowledge. When we know that
something must eventually happen—and that it happens to everyone—why should we
get it into our heads to oppose it?” Claudius looked at his wedded partner.
“Indeed!
It ends.” Claudius looked back at Hamlet. “We must embrace the new beginning.
Acting this way is a crime against heaven, a crime against the dead, and a
crime against nature.”
“To
a reasonable mind, it is absurd, since the death of fathers—from the first
corpse until the most recent—is an inescapable theme of life.” Claudius looked
at Polonius. “Great Chamberlain, I ask you, to give up your ceaseless mourning,
and think of me as your new father… the new King. The Emperor.”
“Let
the world understand: you are the next in line for the throne, and I feel as
much love for you as any father feels for his son. As for your desire to
return to wherever you called abode, Wittenberg, it’s not what I would want. So
I beg you, please give in to my request and remain here, where you can bring
joy and comfort—as the highest-ranking member of my court, my nephew, and now
my son.”
The
audience in the hall clapped and gave the Emperor a standing ovation. The
Emperor took his bow.
No
one took notice of Laertes's departure by the side door.
“I
shall, Mither.” Hamlet bows toward the Emperor.
“My
dear wife, come. Hamlet’s easy willingness to stay has made me glad, and in
honor of it, every happy toast I’ll drink today will sound like cannons up
to the clouds above. My drinking will echo against the heavens like
thunder. Come on.” The Emperor motioned to the musicians to play “Ain’t
Misbehaving” by Fats Waller.
I don't stay out late
Don't care to go
I'm home at about eight
Just me and my radio
Ain't misbehavin'
I'm savin' my love for you
Ain't
Misbehavin' lyrics – Fats Waller. 1929
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