Act Four
Act
Four Scene Three
Sub
Scene One
The
hall of justice assembled
Claudius
held the conference with his close aides, invited to the castle. Gertrude sat
by the side, with her head bowed and wishing things could have been different,
she would not have to be sad.
“Fellows
of Norway, I bid you all to judge.” Claudius had addressed the leaders of
Norway. They were business associates and trustees of the alliance.
“The
King had died not long, and I grief for him. He was so inspiring and yet life
was taken from him at the peak of his career. Hail the King!”
“Hail
the King!’ The ones assembled there echoed the call.
“Today,
I am holding administration of the King’s estate, and by oath, wedded his
widow, and thus adopted his son as mine. I rejoice in that, and will carry on
the King’s works not as King but in my humble rank as Emperor.”
“I
came, I saw and I carried on his legacy.” Claudius quoted Caesar with a twist.
“King Hamlet’s works will be remembered forever.”
“Humble
as I am, I bear sad news.” Claudius looked to the assembled. “His son, Hamlet,
and now our son, the great heir to the King, has this gone …. Mad.”
“Mad….”
Claudius echoed his words. The assembled gasped in disbelief. “I don’t know
what happened, but on his return, late to the delayed funeral; held back by his
mother on request, Hamlet did return but he is not longer the lad we knew. He
had changed for … his years away had eroded his …values.”
Gertrude
burst into tears and drew the sympathy of the assembled. Claudius approached
the lady and touched her face.
“No
mother would bear to see her children stricken with illness …more so
madness…but it’s the will of God, what we will have to ail with. Hamlet is with
the worse, and we pray for him.” Claudius looked to the assembled. It was a
dramatic speech, and if the Romans were there, they would have thought of Brutus
who was the one who spoke then.
“His
madness undisclosed but had to be now. He is truly mad. He had killed the Great
Chamberlain.” That last line drew alarm on the assembled. Most of them have
known Polonius long, shared their wine, and laughed at each other’s jokes.
“The
Great Chamberlain was killed by Hamlet.” Claudius selected his words. “Killed
with a dagger…. Unfortunately… but unforgiven an act of madness. The
Chamberlain's body undeclared by Hamlet.”
“I
have sent to seek him and to find the body.” Claudius looked at the leaders.
“I
know many of you may ask, how dangerous is it that this man goes loose? Yet
must not we put the strong law on him.” Claudius looked to explain why Hamlet
is not restrained.
“He’s
loved of the distracted multitude, who like not in their judgment, and, where
’tis so, the offender’s scourge is weighed.” Claudius knew that Hamlet was
liked by many by appearance; the ones in the castle but they hardly know him as
he was away for a long time. They may judge him as a murderer of the Great
Chamberlain without understanding the motives.
“Let
us speak to him first. Hear him out. Don’t judge by the cover of the book, but
most times, we may do.” Claudius drew on the rationale in the perception. “I
may not know him well, but as my son now, I will give him the benefit of the
doubt regarding his character.”
“He
is after all the son and held the qualities of the King in acting. On his
verdict, we can’t be alone but with the consent of all, the action may be seen
better. We cannot however sanction the offense without retribution. It's like
diseases desperate grown by desperate appliances are relieved or not at
all. Cured or removed, the solution is either.”
His
first attendant soon came calling.
Rosencrantz stood by the doorway, afraid to intrude but was called on by
Claudius.
“Rosencrantz.
Meet the leaders of Norway, please. Rosencrantz is a friend of Hamlet for
years. He was here to assist Hamlet in this trying period.” Claudius looked at
the other.” Hamlet, how now, what hath befallen?”
“Where
the dead body is bestowed, my lord, we cannot get from him.” Rosencrantz bowed
his head.
“But
where is he?” Claudius asked.
“Without,
my lord; guarded, to know your pleasure,” Rosencrantz replied.
“Bring
him before us,” Claudius called out.
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