Do you consent we shall acquaint him with it.
As needful in our loves, fitting our duty? 173
Mar. Let's do 't, I pray; and I this morning know
Where we shall find him most conveniently. Exeunt.
Scene Two
[A Room of State in the Castle]
Enter Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude the Queen, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes and his sister, Ophelia, [and] Lords attendant.
King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe, 4
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him,
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen.
The imperial jointress of this war-like state, 9
Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy.
With one auspicious and one dropping eye.
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, 12
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,
Taken to wife : nor have we herein barr'd
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along: for all, our thanks. 16
Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth.
Or thinking by our late dear brother's death
4 brow of woe: aspect of woe
9 jointress: joint possessor, or, dowager
10 defeated: disfigured
11 auspicious: happy
dropping: tearful
13 dole: grief
18 weak supposal: low opinion
