[Indicating Ophelia] No, good mother, here's metal more attractive.
[Aside to the King] Oh, ho, do you mark that?
[To Ophelia] Lady, shall I lie in your lap?
No, my lord!
I mean, my head upon your lap.
Ay, my lord.
Do you think I meant country matters?
I think nothing, my lord.
That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs.
What is, my lord?
You are merry, my lord.
Ay, my lord.
Oh, God, your only jig-maker . What should a man do
but be merry? For look you how cheerfully my mother
looks, and my father died within's two hours.
Nay, 'tis twice two months, my lord.
So long? Nay, then, let the devil wear black, for I'll have a
suit of sables . Oh, heavens! Die two months ago, and not
forgotten yet? Then there's hope a great man's memory
may outlive his life half a year. But, by'r Lady, he must
build churches then, or else shall he suffer not thinking on ,
with the hobby-horse whose epitaph is:
"For oh, for oh, the hobby-horse is forgot."
[It was common for plays in the 16th century to include a "dumb show" – a brief pantomine performance in which the actors don't speak (as in the expression "deaf and dumb"), whose purpose was to illustrate the moral of the story. This dumb show begins with a King and Queen entering, acting very affectionate. She embraces him and kneels down, as if protesting something. He lifts her up and hugs her. She lays him down on a bed of flowers. Once he falls asleep, she leaves. Lucianus arrives, removes the King’s crown, kisses it, pours poison in the King’s ear, and then exits. The Queen returns to find the King dead, and she becomes distraught. Lucianus returns and pretends to console the Queen. The dead body is carried away. Then Lucianus woos the Queen with presents. She rebuffs him initially, but after a while, she gives in and accepts his love. They exit.]
What means this, my lord?
Marry, this is “miching mallico” — that means mischief.
Belike this show imports the argument of the play?
