Six Tales from Shakespeare

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ... In vain was all that his mother Gertrude or the king could do to contrive to diverthim; he still appeared in court in a sfatt o7 deepblack, as mourning for the king his father's death, which mode of dress he had never laid aside, not even5 in compliment to his mother upon the day she was Tnarried, nor could he be brougHto join in any of the festivities or rejoicings of that (as appeared to him) disgraceful day." What moiTTytroubled him was an uncertainty 10 about the manner of his father's death. It was given out by Claudius that a serpent had stung him; but young Hamlet had shrewd suspicions that Claudius himself was the serpent; in plain English that he had murdered him for his crown, and that ir the serpent who stung his father did now sit on the throne. How far he was right in this conjecture, and what he ought to think of his mother, how far she was privy to this murder, and whether by 20 her consent or knowledge, or without, it came to pass, were the doubts which continually harassed and distracted him. A rumour had reached the ear of young Hamlet that an apparition, exactly resembling the dead 25 king his father, had been seen by the soldiers upon watch, on the platform before the palace at midnight, for two or three nights successively. The figure came constantly clad in the same suit of armour, from head to foot, which the dead king 30 was known to have worn: and they who saw it (Hamlet's bosom-friend Horatio was one) agreed in their testimony as to the time and manner of its appearance: that it came just as the clock struck twelve; that it looked pale, with a face more of sorrow than of anger; that its beard was grisly, 5and the colour a sable silvered, as they had seen it in his lifetime: that it made no answer when they...