GERTRUDE I shall obey you.--
And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of Hamlet's wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.
OPHELIA Madam, I wish it may.
[Exit Gertrude]
To Ophelia
POLONIUS Ophelia, walk you here.-- Gracious48, so please you,
We will bestow ourselves.-- Read on this book,
Gives a book
That show of such an exercise may colour50
Your loneliness. We are oft to blame in this --
'Tis too much proved -- that with devotion's visage52
And pious action we do sugar o'er
The devil himself.
Aside
KING O, 'tis true!
How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience!
The harlot's cheek, beautied with plast'ring art57,
Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it58
Than is my deed to my most painted word.
O, heavy burden!
POLONIUS I hear him coming: let's withdraw, my lord.
Exeunt [King and Polonius]
To a place from where they eavesdrop, while Ophelia pretends to read
Enter Hamlet
HAMLET To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer