Act
Two
Act
Two Scene Two
Sub
Scene Three
The
dis-placed outlaw father.
Polonius
looked to the departing duo before he took on his role as an adviser or the
Great Chamberlain.
“This
business is well ended, my liege, and madam, to expostulate,” Polonius picked
his words then.
“What
majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is the day, night night, and time is
time?” Polonius paused in his words, to catch his breath. “I am not getting
younger at this.”
“Were
nothing but to waste night, day, and time.” Polonius shook his head as it was
time-wasting. “Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the
limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief.”
Gertrude
had on the expression of ‘were you not?’ but Claudius was keen to hear it all.
She frowned deeply when the so-named Great Chamberlain looked at her.
“Your
noble son is mad.” A stinging accusation that was delivered with no remorse
like the healer telling you your health will fail in hours.
“Mad”
calls it to define true madness.” Polonius drew on the staunch voice of the
father like there.
“What
is it but to be nothing else but mad?” Polonius went into a stately round of
‘how should I tell you now?’
“But
let that go…..” Polonius added but was cut off by the mother of the said child.
“More
matter with less art, please. It’s my son we are talking about.” Gertrude was
upset.
“Madam,
I swear I use no art at all.” Polonius placed his ‘playwright’ expression as if
he did it there in the words.
“That
he’s mad, ’tis true; ’tis true ’tis pity, and pity’s true—a foolish
figure, but farewell it, for I will use no art.” Polonius looked away from the
mother. An aversion of guilt or perhaps the glare of a woman scorned on being
accused of having a mad son.
“Mad
let us grant him then, and now remains that we find out the cause of this
effect, 0r, rather say, the cause of this defect.” Polonius looked to the
mother “No disrespect, madam. For this effect, defective comes by cause. thus
it remains, and the remainder thus.”
“I
share with you, madam. I have a daughter; have while she is still mine, who, in
her duty and obedience, mark,
hath given me this.” Polonius pulled the letters he had gotten from Ophelia.
“Now
gather and surmise.” Polonius put on his voice to read the contents.
"To
the celestial, and my soul’s idol, the most beautified Ophelia…” Polonius
looked from the letter to ther mother. “That’s an ill phrase, a vile phrase;
“beautified” is a … that’s an ill phrase, a vile phrase; “beautified” is a vile
phrase.”
“But
you shall hear thus now, as read.” Polonius looked at the letter to its
content. “In her excellent white bosom, these, etc.—"
“Come,
come, my dear Polonius. Could that come this from Hamlet to her?”
“Good
madam, stay awhile. I will be faithful.” Polonius looked back at the letter. “Doubt
thou the stars are fire,
doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I
love.”
“Hamlet
claims so?” Gertrude smiled.
“O
dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers. I have not art to reckon my groans,
but that I love thee best.” Polonius sneered his expression. “Love has he
concurred himself.
“O
best, believe it. Adieu.” Polonius ended his reading.
“Thine
evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet. This, in
obedience, hath my daughter has shown me, and more above, hath his solicitings,
as they fell out by time, by means, and place.”
“Your
daughter in love by Hamlet?” Gertrude sounded most pleasing. “I would have
never known. There were said to be loving doves, but the sending of the boy
away; they did meet on occasions but never in my sight though I was told that
they were close. Maybe like doves, they may be loving but to ….”
“All
given to mine ear.” Polonius turned from the mother to the adopted father who
gave him his reply.
“But
how hath she received his love? As loving doves do?”
“What
do you think of me?” Polonius held a painful expression then.
“As
of a man faithful and honorable.” Claudius looked to the Great Chamberlain.
“I
would fain prove so. But what might you think, when I had seen this hot love on
the wing.” Polonius looked to the mother as if to see her reaction. He found
none that he liked.
“As
I perceived it, I must tell you that, before my daughter told me, what might
you, or my dear Majesty your queen here, think if I had played the desk or
table book or given my heart a
winking, mute and dumb….”
“Tell
us, did she receive his love?” Claudius was impatient to hear the verdict.
“Or
given my heart a winking, mute and dumb,’ The playwright lamented. “Or looked
upon this love with idle sight?”
“What
might you think?” Gertrude asked.
“No,
I went around to work, and my young mistress thus I did bespeak: Young Hamlet
is a prince, out of thy star. This must not be. And then I prescripts gave her,
that she should lock herself from his resort, allowed no messengers, receive no
tokens.”
“Why?”
Claudius asked but the Great Chamberlain ignored him. “She is with us for
years. I know her well. Why deny their love, if it’s there?”
“Which
done, she took the fruits of my advice, and he, repelled.” Polonius ignored the
Emperor’s pleas. He cut the tale to conclude. “Fell into sadness then into a
fast,”
“Did
Hamlet repel her? I hear he does not eat of late?” Claudius asked.
“I
hear only nectar and wine. His appetite may had moved.” Gertrude replied. Her
thoughts went to the dead King, her husband and yet no more then for she was
wedded to Claudius.
“If
my appetite had moved, so will he…I think.” Gertrude thought of the
possibilities.
“Ahem….”
Polonius drew the audience back. “thence to a watch, thence into a weakness, thence
to a lightness, and, by this declension, into the madness wherein now he raves
….with madness and all we mourn for.”
“Do
you think ’tis this?” Gertrude looked at Claudius. “He’s mad?”
“It
may be, very like,” Claudius replied. “Love is potent .”
“Hath
there been such a time (I would fain know that) that I have positively said
“’Tis so,” Where it proved otherwise?” Polonius drew attention to himself
to drive forth his claim.
“Not
that I know.” Claudius looked at Polonius. “I found my love to keep.”
“Take
this from this, if this is otherwise. If circumstances lead me, I will find where
truth is hidden, though it were hidden, indeed, within the center.”
“How
may we try it further?
“Which?
The unrequited love or the madness? You know sometimes he walks for four hours
together here in the corridors.”
“So
he does indeed.” Gertrude nodded. “He speaks to himself. Maybe he is reading a
new script.”
“At
such a time I’ll lose my daughter to him.” Polonius ignored the last remarks of
the mother. Actors do recite their lines anywhere and anytime to get into the
character. Does madness do that to the mind?
“To
the King. Be you and I behind an arras then.” Polonius looked at Claudius
as if the other had any children. “Mark the encounter. If he loves her not, and
be not from his reason fallen thereon, let me be no assistant for a
state, but keep a farm and carters.”
But
keep a farm and carters in none-playwright terms meant to let me not be an
important counselor in matters of state, but run a farm and employ common
laborers. In layman's terms, he takes no responsibility although he held
ownership.
“We
will try it.” Claudius sighed while reaching out to Gertrude’s hand.
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