The Deal is an excerpt from “Hamlet’s Obsession” (2014) by Jon Pescevich.
(…Hamlet chases the Ghost of his father, the late King of Denmark – they exit the chapel together…)
(…Queen Gertrude is left alone – she is now convinced of Hamlet’s madness…)
Queen Gertrude:
If words be made of breath,
and breath be made of life,
I have no life to breathe what thou hast said to me.
(…King Claudius arrives…)
King Claudius:
Where is your son?
Queen Gertrude:
Ah, mine own lord, what have I seen tonight!
King Claudius:
How does Hamlet?
Queen Gertrude:
Mad as the sea and the wind!
In his lawless fit, he whips his rapier about,
(…pointing to Polonius, dead on the floor…)
and kills the unseen good old man.
King Claudius:
Gertrude!
We must ship him hence; to England.
Go!
Tell our friends, both what we mean to do,
and what’s untimely done.
Queen Gertrude:
My lord.
(…Queen Gertrude leaves…)
(…King Claudius is left alone…)
(…He kneels down and violently shakes Polonius’ dead body, thinking ‘this was meant for me’…)
(…Claudius decides that Hamlet must be sent to England to be executed…)
King Claudius:
England!
We import the death of Hamlet.
Do it, England;
in my blood he rages,
and thou must cure me.
Ophelia:
Father…
(…Ophelia enters, and sees her dead father…)
Father…
Father…
(…Ophelia throws herself over Polonius’ dead body…)