Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 6

Hamlet
Act IV, Scene 6

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Shakespeare
for Scholars: Shakespeare
for Everyone Else:

Another room in the castle.
Enter HORATIO and a Servant

HORATIO
Horatio, Hamlet’s good friend, is in another room in the castle.

What are they that would speak with me?

SERVANT
Sailors, sir: they say they have letters for you.

HORATIO
Let them come in.
Exit Servant

I do not know from what part of the world
I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.

Horatio asks a servant who it is who wants to speak to him. The servant explains that it is some sailors.

Enter Sailors

FIRST SAILOR
God bless you, sir.

HORATIO
Let him bless thee too.

FIRST SAILOR

Some sailors come in.

He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for
you, sir; it comes from the ambassador that was
bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am
let to know it is.

HORATIO

After some customary greetings, the First Sailor hands Horatio a letter.

[Reads]

Horatio opens it, and reads it aloud.

'Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked
this, give these fellows some means to the king:
they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old
The letter is from Hamlet, and it tells a rather incredible tale.

at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us
chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on
a compelled valour, and in the grapple I boarded
them: on the instant they got clear of our ship; so
On board the ship, Hamlet was somehow captured by a friendly group of cut-throat pirates.

I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with
me like thieves of mercy: but they knew what they
did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the king
have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me
with as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I
have words to speak in thine ear will make thee
dumb; yet are they much too light for the bore of Hamlet became their prisoner. Fortunately, they treated him with "mercy," he says.

the matter. These good fellows will bring thee
The note says that the Sailors will bring Horatio to where Hamlet is hiding.

where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their
course for England: of them I have much to tell
thee. Farewell.
'He that thou knowest thine, HAMLET.'

Come, I will make you way for these your letters;
And do't the speedier, that you may direct me
To him from whom you brought them.

Meanwhile, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are still on board the ship, headed for England.

Exeunt
The scene ends quickly, before the audience can think about the likelihood of that plot development.

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	You can listen to some music as you read. Click on the icon above. (You can also shut if off, if you find it annoying.)

Shakespeare for Scholars:	Shakespeare for Everyone Else:
Another room in the castle. Enter HORATIO and a Servant HORATIO	Horatio, Hamlet’s good friend, is in another room in the castle.
What are they that would speak with me? SERVANT Sailors, sir: they say they have letters for you. HORATIO Let them come in. Exit Servant I do not know from what part of the world I should be greeted, if not from Lord Hamlet.	Horatio asks a servant who it is who wants to speak to him. The servant explains that it is some sailors.
Enter Sailors FIRST SAILOR God bless you, sir. HORATIO Let him bless thee too. FIRST SAILOR	Some sailors come in.
He shall, sir, an't please him. There's a letter for you, sir; it comes from the ambassador that was bound for England; if your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is. HORATIO	After some customary greetings, the First Sailor hands Horatio a letter.
[Reads]	Horatio opens it, and reads it aloud.
'Horatio, when thou shalt have overlooked this, give these fellows some means to the king: they have letters for him. Ere we were two days old	The letter is from Hamlet, and it tells a rather incredible tale.
at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment gave us chase. Finding ourselves too slow of sail, we put on a compelled valour, and in the grapple I boarded them: on the instant they got clear of our ship; so	On board the ship, Hamlet was somehow captured by a friendly group of cut-throat pirates.
I alone became their prisoner. They have dealt with me like thieves of mercy: but they knew what they did; I am to do a good turn for them. Let the king have the letters I have sent; and repair thou to me with as much speed as thou wouldst fly death. I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb; yet are they much too light for the bore of	Hamlet became their prisoner. Fortunately, they treated him with "mercy," he says.
the matter. These good fellows will bring thee	The note says that the Sailors will bring Horatio to where Hamlet is hiding.
where I am. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hold their course for England: of them I have much to tell thee. Farewell. 'He that thou knowest thine, HAMLET.' Come, I will make you way for these your letters; And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them.	Meanwhile, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are still on board the ship, headed for England.
Exeunt	The scene ends quickly, before the audience can think about the likelihood of that plot development.