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Home | Hamlet: Characters and relationships | Gertrude

Characters and relationships

Hamlet
Claudius
Gertrude
Ophelia

The text of the Quarto scene

ACT IV, SCENE 6
Enter HORATIO and the QUEEN

HORATIO: Madam, your son is safe arrived in Denmark.
This letter I even now received of him,
Where in he writes how he escaped the danger
And subtle treason that the king had plotted.
He found the packet sent to the king of England,
Wherein he saw himself betrayed to death,
As at his next conversing with your grace
He will relate the circumstance at full.

QUEEN: Then I perceive there's treason in his looks
Which seemed to sugar o'er his villainy.
But know not you, Horatio, where Hamlet is?

HORATIO: Yes, madam, and he has appointed me
To meet him.

QUEEN: O fail not, good Horatio,
And withal, commend me a mother's care to him.
Bid him a while be wary of his presence,
Lest that he fail in that he goes about.

HORATIO: Madam, never make doubt of that, I think by this
The news be come to court he is arrived.
Observe the king and you shall quickly find
Hamlet being here, things fall not to his mind.

GERTRUDE: But what became of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz?

HORATIO: They went for England.
And in the packet he writ down that doom
'Pointed for him to be performed on them.
And by great chance he had his father's seal,
So all was down without discovery.

GERTRUDE: Thanks be to heaven for blessing of the prince.
Horatio, once again I take my leave
With thousand mother's blessing to my son.

HORATIO: Madam, adieu.

Exeunt

ACT IV, SCENE 7.

Enter KING CLAUDIUS and LAERTES

KING: Hamlet from England! Is it possible?
What chance is this? They are gone and he come home.

(THE SCENE THEN CONTINUES AS USUAL…)

LAERTES: I am lost in it, my lord. But let him come.
It warms the very sickness in my heart
That I shall live and tell him to his teeth
'Thus diest thou.'

KING: If it be so, Laertes -
As how should it be so? How otherwise? -
Will you be ruled by me?

LAERTES: Ay, my lord,
So you will not o'errule me to a peace.

Gertrude

An explanation of the extra scene
The text of the Quarto scene
The women in Hamlet's life:
confused emotions
The final scene: the end for Gertrude
Gertrude's choice
The closet scene in rehearsal
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