Hamlet; the Noir Adaption 2023 Act 4 Scene 5 Sub Scene 3

 Act Four

Act Four Scene Five

Sub Scene Three

Ophelia distress

The first sight of Laertes on his sister; the glamorous dressing yet simple in taste, and the gaily movements of joy was shattered by the emerging figure with the untidy dress, and shoeless, with the hair unkenpt, and made worse was she was singing lullabies that not understood by any.

“O heat, dry up my brains! Tears seven times salt Burnbout the sense and virtue of mine eye!” Laertes was stunned by the appearance. “By heaven, thy madness shall be paid with weight.”

It reminded him of the scane from King John, about Constance's grief.

I am not mad; I would to heaven I were,
For then ’tis like I should forget myself.
O, if I could, what grief should I forget!
(III.IV.49-51)

Laertes recited the words as if he was in a play.

“No, young Laertes. You shouldn’t.” Gertrude looked to the other. “She is ….”

“Till our scale turn the beam! O rose of May, dear maid, kind sister, sweet Ophelia!” Laertes approached his sister. Ophelia looked at him and smile.

“Hello, Laertes.” Ophelia recognized him then.

“O heavens, is ’t possible a young maid’s wits should be as mortal as an old man’s life? Nature is fine in love, and, where ’tis fine,I t sends some precious instance of itself after the thing it loves.” Laertes was in pain to see his sister having to face the death of their father all alone. He should have been there.

“They bore him barefaced on the bier, hey non-nonny, nonny, hey nonny, and in his grave rained many a tear. 
Fare you well, my dove.” Ophelia sang the words for her father.

“Hadst thou thy wits and didst persuade revenge,” Laertes had then resolved that her grief had strengthened his pain to avenge their father. “It could not move thus.”

“You must sing “A-down a-down”—and you “Call him a-down-a.”—O, how the wheel becomes 195
it! It is the false steward that stole his master’s daughter.”

It was Ophelia’s message that the event have turned, and the daughter was taken in by a pretender instead of the lord. It may be said to have been cheated or perhaps love may be deceiving.

“This nothing’s more than matter” Laertes was focused on the father...

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, and remember. And there are pansies, that’s for thoughts.” Ophelia approached her brother, and with the flowers given to him for him to share the remembrance of their father.

“There’s fennel for you with the columbines.” Ophelia handed the other stalks to Claudius. The fennel symbolizes flattery which the emperor adores as an actor. The columbines denote adultery which Claudius was accused of.

“There’s rue for you, and here’s some for me; we may call it herb of grace o’ Sundays. You must wear
your rue with a difference.” Ophelia handed that to Gertrude. Rue is bitter and the two ladies are on the bitter end; one is lost to her love, and the other is at a loss to her love.

“There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died. They say he made a good end.” Ophelia addressed the last like her father; lovely in bloom but having withered then.

“For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy.” Ophelia begins to sing once more.

“Thought and afflictions, passion, hell itself, she turns to favor and prettiness.” Laertes thought of his sister in grief and had leaned toward the flowers as her way of expressing them.

And will he not come again?
And will he not come again?
No, no, he is dead. 
Go to thy deathbed.
He never will come again.

His beard was as white as snow,
All flaxen was his poll.
He is gone, he is gone, 
And we cast away moan.
God ’a mercy on his soul.
And of all Christians’ souls, I pray to God. God be wi’ you.”

(References to the song can be dated back to 1586, in a letter from Sir Walter Raleigh to Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester saying "The Queen is in very good terms with you now, and, thanks be to God, will be pacified, and you are again her Sweet Robin."[)

“I leave now, my lord.” Ophelia danced her way out.

“Do you see this, O God?” Laertes was in pain to see his sister not her usual. “Is she… Hamlet inflicted I was told.”

“Laertes, I must commune with your grief, or you deny me right. Go but apart from her, make the choice of whom your wisest friends you will, and they shall hear and judge ’twixt you and me.” Claudius say to Laertes. He played his role as the fair one toward the grieving son.

“If by direct or by collateral hand they find us touched, we will our kingdom give, our crown, our life, and all that we call ours, to you in satisfaction.” Claudius was willing to give up everything if he was linked to his father’s death.

Gertrude was dismayed by Claudius' offer which was too generous, or cowardly. Or has madness overtaken his mind too?

“But if not, be you content to lend your patience to us, and we shall jointly labor with your soul to give it due content.” Claudius the actor clawed back.

“Let this be so. his means of death, his obscure funeral, No trophy, sword, nor hatchment o’er his bones, no noble rite nor formal ostentation,” Laertes sighed. His father's death was incomplete in the last rites. “Cry to be heard, as ’twere from heaven to earth, that I must call ’t in question.”

Laertes was not satiated with the answers.

“So you shall, where th’ offense is, let the great ax fall. I pray you, go with me.” Claudius pulled at Laertes’ arms. They exit.

“Do I sit and await their action? Or do I act on my own?” Gertrude asked of herself. “All these men do take me for an audience instead of another actor. I will not be sidelined.”

Gertrude took to leave then.