There are three main copies of
Hamlet: the
First Quarto, also known as the "Bad Quarto", published in 1603; the Second Quarto, or "Good Quarto" of 1604; and the version included in the
First Folio, published in 1623. These texts are commonly abbreviated Q1, Q2 and F1. Three additional early texts are known,
John Smethwick's Q3, Q4, and Q5 (1611–37); these are regarded as reprints of Q2 with some alterations. This version preserves most of the
First Folio text with updated spelling, punctuation, and five common
emendations introduced from the Second ("Good") Quarto (italicised). To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep No more; and by a sleep, to say we end The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks That Flesh is heir to? 'Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep, To sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There's the respect That makes Calamity of so long life: For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time, The Oppressor's wrong, the
proud man's contumely, [F:
poore] The pangs of
despised Love, the law’s delay, [F:
dispriz’d] The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes, When he himself might his Quietus make With a bare Bodkin? Who would
Fardels bear, [F:
these Fardels] To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of Resolution Is sicklied o'er, with the pale cast of Thought, And enterprises of great
pitch and moment, [F:
pith] With this regard their Currents turn
awry, [F:
away] And lose the name of Action. Soft you now, The fair Ophelia? Nymph, in thy Orisons Be all my sins remember'd.
First Quarto (1603) The
First Quarto is a short early text of
Hamlet. Though it was published in 1603, it was lost or not known until a copy was discovered in 1823. It contains a number of unique characteristics and oddities. When it was discovered, it was thought to be an earlier version than the Second Quarto, but is now considered by scholars to be derivative, or pirated and imperfectly remembered. In the version below, the spelling is updated, along with minor alterations of scansion, capitalisation and punctuation. To be, or not to be, Ay there's the point, To Die, to sleep, is that all? Aye all: No, to sleep, to dream, aye marry there it goes, For in that dream of death, when we awake, And borne before an everlasting Judge, From whence no passenger ever returned, The undiscovered country, at whose sight The happy smile, and the accursed damn'd. But for this, the joyful hope of this, Who'd bear the scorns and flattery of the world, Scorned by the right rich, the rich cursed of the poor? The widow being oppressed, the orphan wrong'd, The taste of hunger, or a tyrants reign, And thousand more calamities besides, To grunt and sweat under this weary life, When that he may his full Quietus make, With a bare bodkin, who would this endure, But for a hope of something after death? Which puzzles the brain, and doth confound the sense, Which makes us rather bear those evils we have, Than fly to others that we know not of. Aye that, O this conscience makes cowards of us all, Lady in thy orizons, be all my sins remembered.
Second Quarto (1604) The text of the Second Quarto (Q2) is considered the earliest version of the play. In Q2 the whole nunnery scene including "To be" takes place later in the play than in Q1 where it occurs directly after Claudius and Polonius have planned it. The inclusion of "Soft you now", suggests that Hamlet has not (or is feigning having not) seen Ophelia thus far during his speech. To be, or not to be, that is the question, Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outragious fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them, to die to sleep No more, and by a sleep, to say we end The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir too; tis a consumation Devoutly to be wish'd to die to sleep, To sleep, perhance to dream, ay, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we haue shuffled off this mortal coil Muſt giue vs pauſe, there's the reſpect That makes calamitie of ſo long life: For who would beare the whips and ſcorns of time, Th'oppreſſors wrong, the proude mans contumly, The pangs of deſpiz'd loue, the lawes delay, The inſolence of office, and the ſpurnes That patient merrit of the'vnworthy takes, When he himſelfe might his quietas make With a bare bodkin; who would fardels beare, To grunt and ſweat vnder a wearie life, But that the dread of ſomething after death, The vndiſcouer'd country, from whose borne No trauiler returnes, puzzels the will, And makes vs rather beare thoſe ills we haue, Then flie to others we know not of. Thus conſcience dooes make cowards, And thus the natiue hiew of reſolution Is ſickled ore with the pale caſt of thought, And enterpriſes of great pitch and moment, With this regard theyr currents turne awry, And loose the name of action. Soft you now, The faire
Ophelia, Nimph in thy orizons Be all my ſinnes remembred.
First Folio (1623) Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, published by
Isaac Jaggard and
Ed Blount in 1623 and better known as the "
First Folio", includes an edition of
Hamlet largely similar to the Second Quarto. The differences in "To be" are mostly typographic, with increased punctuation and capitalisation. To be, or not to be, that is the Question: Whether ’tis Nobler in the mind to suffer The Slings and Arrows of outragious Fortune, Or to take Armes against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing end them: to dye, to sleep No more; and by a sleep, to say we end The Heart-ake, and the thouſand Naturall ſhockes That Flesh is heyre too? 'Tis a consummation Deuoutly to be wiſh'd. To dye to sleepe, To sleep, perchance to Dream; I, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come, When we haue ſhufflel’d off this mortall coile, Muſt giue us pause. There's the respect That makes Calamity of ſo long life: For who would beare the Whips and Scornes of time, The Oppreſſors wrong, the poore mans Contumely, The pangs of diſpriz’d Loue, the Lawes delay, The inſolence of Office, and the Spurnes That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himſelfe might his
Quietus make With a bare Bodkin? Who would theſe Fardles beare To grunt and ſweat vnder a weary life, But that the dread of ſomething after death, The vndiſcouered Countrey, from whoſe Borne No Traueller returnes, Puzels the will, And makes vs rather beare those illes we haue, Then flye to others that we know not of. Thus Conſcience does make Cowards of vs all, And thus the Natiue hew of Resolution Is ſicklied o’re, with the pale caſt of Thought, And enterprizes of great pith and moment, With this regard their Currants turne away, And looſe the name of Action. Soft you now, The faire
Ophelia? Nimph, in thy Orizons Be all my ſinnes remembred. ==Cultural impact==