Act Five
Act
Five Scene Two
Sub
Scene Two
The
wager
The
figure stepped into the humble abode of Horatio. He looked like a distinguished
gentleman in the dark suit, except he held a tray in his right hand. That made
him an apprentice of the butler staff. It’s the norm of the castle household to
assign the staff following their rank of certain peripherals.
“Your
Lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. My name is Osric of Elsinore
Castle.” The apprentice stood there with his hat still on. He glanced at the
surroundings and frowned at the untidy condition.
“I
humbly thank you, sir.” Hamlet smiled. He then looked to Horatio. “Dost know
this water fly?”
“No,
my good lord. I have not been to the pond of late.” Horatio smiled. He knew
they were making of the new arrival.
“Thy
state is the more gracious, for ’tis a vice to know him. He hath much to learn
of the land, and fertile.” Hamlet mocked the young apprentice. “Be him a beast or
be lord of beasts and his crib shall stand at the king’s mess, chomping there
with the Emperor as equal.”
“Sweet
lord, if your Lordship were at leisure, I should impart a thing to you from his
Majesty. Never!” Osric denied such ambition. “I am content to be the servant.”
“
I will receive it, sir, with all diligence of spirit. Put your bonnet to his
right use: ’tis for the head.” Hamlet told the other to remove his hat.
“I
thank your Lordship; it is very hot.” Osric smiled and removed his hat.
“No,
believe me, ’tis very cold; the wind is northerly.” Hamlet jest with the other.
“If
you say so, my lord. It is indifferent cold, my lord, indeed.” Osric is
uncertain about what to make of the weather.
“But
yet methinks it is very sultry and hot for my complexion” Hamlet sighed.
“Exceedingly,
my lord; it is very sultry, as ’twere—I cannot tell how.” Osric felt the fault
was at the abode. “My lord, his Majesty bade me signify to you that he has laid
a great wager on your head. Sir, this is the matter—"
“I
beseech you, remember. It's cold.” Hamlet motions to Osric put on his hat.
“Nay,
good my lord, for my ease, in good faith.” Osric wanted to get the message out.
“Sir,
here is newly come to court Laertes—believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of the
most excellent differences, of very soft society and great showing.” Osric
paused, as he felt he was out of line. “May I speak, my lord?”
Without
waiting for the reply, Osric continued.
“Indeed,
to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or calendar of the gentry, for you
shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would see.” Osric
smiled.
“And
I do.” Hamlet nodded. “Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you,
though I know to divide him inventorially would dozy th’ arithmetic of memory,
and yet but yaw neither, in respect of his quick sail. But, in the the verity
of extolment,”
“Huh?”
Osric felt lost there.
“I
take him to be a soul of great article, and his infusion of such dearth and rareness as
to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirror, and who else would
trace him, his umbrage, nothing more.” Hamlet turns to continue.
“Your
Lordship speaks most infallibly of him.” Osric laid praise on Hamlet although
he undertstand nothing then.
“The
concernancy, sir? Why do we wrap the gentleman in our rawer breath?”
Hamlet asked.
“Sir?”
Osric was uneasy then.
“Perhaps,
it’s not possible to understand in another tongue? You will to ’t, sir?”
Horatio came to the rescue.
“What
imports the nomination of this gentleman?” Hamlet asked Osric.
“Of
Laertes?” Osric remained baffled.
“His
purse is empty already; all ’s golden words are spent.”
“Of
him, sir.’ Hamlet referred to Laertes. “He may be short of ducats.”
“I
know you are not ignorant—” Osric spoke out of turn.
“ I
would you did, sir. Yet, in faith, if you did, it would not much approve me.
Well, sir?”
“You
are not ignorant of what excellence Laertes is—” Osric remained praising
Laertes.
“I
dare not confess that, lest I should compare with him in excellence. But to
know a man well
were to know himself.” Hamlet sighed.
“I
mean, sir, for his weapon.” Osric felt the topic had gone off tangent. “But in
the imputation
laid on him by them, in his meed, he’s unfellowed.”
“What’s
of his weapon?” Hamlet was curious.
“Foils
and dagger.”
“That’s
two of his weapons. But, well—” Hamlet looked at Horatio. He was trained in
both but his excellence remains to be tested.
“The
Majesty, the sir, hath wagered with him six Barbary horses, against the
which he has impawned, as I
take it, six French foils and poniards, with their assigns, as girdles,
hangers, and so. Three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to fancy, very
responsive to the hilts, most delicate carriages, and of very liberal
conceit.”
“His
Emperor’ or as if of Norway?” Hamlet felt that Claudius may be overextending his
possession to that of the old King.
“I…Norway,
I think.” Osric caught off the footing again.
“What
call you the “carriages”?”
“The
carriages, sir, are the hangers, my lord.”
“And
horses fly…indeed.” Hamlet smiled.
“Six
Barbary horses against six French swords, their assigns, and three
liberal-conceited carriages—” Hamlet did the mental calculations. “ That’s the
French bet against Norway. Why is this all “impawned,” as you call it?”
“The
Emperor, sir, that Laertes hath laid, sir, that in a dozen passes between
yourself and him, he shall not exceed you three hits. He hath laid on twelve
for nine, and it would come to immediate trial if your Lordship would
vouchsafe the answer.”
“How
if I answer no?” Hamlet skewed the question to Osric.
“I
mean, my lord, the opposition of your person in trial.” Osric was sweating
beneath his collar then. “You are the trial, my Lord.”
“Sir,
I will walk here in the hall.” Hamlet saw Horatio's pained expression. He
smiled. “I will be fine.”
“If
it please his …Emperor, generous is the offerings. It will be the breathing
time of day with me. Let
the foils are brought, the gentleman willing, and the King holds his purpose, I
will win for him, and I can.
If not, I will gain nothing but my shame and the odd hits.”
“Shall
I deliver you e’en so?” Osric smiled. “Can I leave now please?”
“To
this effect, sir, after what flourishes your nature will.” Hamlet nodded.
“I
commend my duty to your Lordship.” Osric exits.
“He
does well to commend it himself. There are no tongues else for ’s turn.” Hamlet
smiled at the departing servant. “Give him time, he may replace the
Chamberlain.”
“Oh,
did I tell you that Ophelia is now mine? We took our commitments just before I
left for England.” Hamlet smiled. “Finally, I dared to say yes. I need to sleep
now.”
No comments:
Post a Comment