Hamlet (1,5) The Serpent That Did Sting

The spirit of Hamlet’s father lets out what has roused him from the grave.

_ _ _

Ghost:
Now, Hamlet, hear:
'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark
Is by a forged process of my death
Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father's life
Now wears his crown.

Ham:
O my prophetic soul! My uncle!

Ghost:
Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,
With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,--
O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power
So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust
The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen:

O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!
From me, whose love was of that dignity
That it went hand in hand even with the vow
I made to her in marriage, and to decline
Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor
To those of mine!
But virtue, as it never will be moved,
Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven,
So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd,
Will sate itself in a celestial bed,
And prey on garbage.

But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air;
Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard,
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebona in a vial,
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leperous distilment; whose effect
Holds such an enmity with blood of man
That swift as quicksilver it courses through
The natural gates and alleys of the body,
And with a sudden vigour doth posset
And curd, like eager droppings into milk,
The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine;
And a most instant tetter bark'd about,
Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust,
All my smooth body.
Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand
Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd:
Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd,
No reckoning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head:
O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.

But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
To prick and sting her.

Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me.

_ _ _

Hamlet’s father doth seem rather immodest, bordering on the comic. But how many humble kings have we known, in history or in fiction? More interesting is the reservation he has about his seeming-virtuous queen. One might think he would like to see daggers run through his cheating wife, but if he did, that would have made Hamlet’s position that much more untenable, since son and mother are obviously very close. Frailty, thy name is woman. Of course, we know that she will not get a pass, not in this tragedy, in which hardly anyone comes out alive, and none of the major players, with the possible exception of Horatio, and even he, an antique Roman in spirit, is a close call.

Hamlet (1,5) The Serpent That Did Sting

The spirit of Hamlet’s father lets out what has roused him from the grave.

_ _ _

Ghost:
Now, Hamlet, hear:
'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark
Is by a forged process of my death
Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father's life
Now wears his crown.

Ham:
O my prophetic soul! My uncle!

Ghost:
Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,
With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,--
O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power
So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust
The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen:

O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!
From me, whose love was of that dignity
That it went hand in hand even with the vow
I made to her in marriage, and to decline
Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor
To those of mine!
But virtue, as it never will be moved,
Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven,
So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd,
Will sate itself in a celestial bed,
And prey on garbage.

But, soft! methinks I scent the morning air;
Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard,
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebona in a vial,
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leperous distilment; whose effect
Holds such an enmity with blood of man
That swift as quicksilver it courses through
The natural gates and alleys of the body,
And with a sudden vigour doth posset
And curd, like eager droppings into milk,
The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine;
And a most instant tetter bark'd about,
Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust,
All my smooth body.
Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand
Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd:
Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd,
No reckoning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head:
O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!
If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;
Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.

But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,
Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive
Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven
And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,
To prick and sting her.

Fare thee well at once!
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire:
Adieu, adieu! Hamlet, remember me.

_ _ _

Hamlet’s father doth seem rather immodest, bordering on the comic. But how many humble kings have we known, in history or in fiction? More interesting is the reservation he has about his seeming-virtuous queen. One might think he would like to see daggers run through his cheating wife, but if he did, that would have made Hamlet’s position that much more untenable, since son and mother are obviously very close. Frailty, thy name is woman. Of course, we know that she will not get a pass, not in this tragedy, in which hardly anyone comes out alive, and none of the major players, with the possible exception of Horatio, and even he, an antique Roman in spirit, is a close call.

Ice Cream Cheeseburger

One of the newest hamburger creations in San Antonio tastes like a cheeseburger while taking a swig of a milkshake at the same time.

Except in this burger there is no milkshake, only a scoop of fried ice cream on top of a meat patty.

It's called the “Ice Cream Cheeseburger,” and it can be found at Fatty's Burgers & More— served with or without bacon.

-- San Antonio Express-News

I see my San Antonio is doing what it can keep from remaining the fattest city in the country. At least I can say that I find absolutely no temptation here. Though, I wouldn't mind a quarter-pounder with cheese at McDonald's, or a Whataburger and one of their homemade milkshakes.

Ice Cream Cheeseburger

One of the newest hamburger creations in San Antonio tastes like a cheeseburger while taking a swig of a milkshake at the same time.

Except in this burger there is no milkshake, only a scoop of fried ice cream on top of a meat patty.

It's called the “Ice Cream Cheeseburger,” and it can be found at Fatty's Burgers & More— served with or without bacon.

-- San Antonio Express-News

I see my San Antonio is doing what it can keep from remaining the fattest city in the country. At least I can say that I find absolutely no temptation here. Though, I wouldn't mind a quarter-pounder with cheese at McDonald's, or a Whataburger and one of their homemade milkshakes.

Sweet Sleep

A good sleep really does make life bearable, keeping madness off one's back.

Sweet Sleep

A good sleep really does make life bearable, keeping madness off one's back.