Shakespeare in Singlish - Hamlet, Act 5

Act 5, Scene 1

Hamlet and Horatio were hanging around at the graveyard when Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes and a priest entered with a coffin. Hamlet has no idea whose coffin it was so they hid themselves to watch.

PRIEST
Her obsequies have been as far enlarged
As we have warranty. Her death was doubtful,
And, but that great command o'ersways the order,
She should in ground unsanctified have lodged
Till the last trumpet. For charitable prayers
Shards, flints and pebbles should be thrown on her.
Yet here she is allowed her virgin crants,
Her maiden strewments, and the bringing home
Of bell and burial.

(Translation)
I've already tried my best and performed as many rites as I'm permitted liao.
Her death very suspicious wor, if not because of the king's orders to bury her here,
she'll be buried outside the church graveyard lor.
By right people can throw rocks and stones on her one,
but now she got people to read prayers for her wor.
Some more can dress up like a pure virgin,
got flowers tossed on her grave, got bells ringing for her.

Hamlet was horrified to find that the person in the coffin was Ophelia. He then jumped into Ophelia's grave where Laertes hugged her. Laertes was furious upon seeing Hamlet and the two of them started fighting in the grave.

HAMLET
I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers
Could not with all their quantity of love
Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?

(Translation)
I loved Ophelia. You can add the lover from forty thousand brothers together
and still not enough to compare with my love for her.
What can you do for her?

Act 5, Scene 2

Hamlet told Horatio that while on board the ship, he has sneaked in and stole Claudiu's letter to England's king and found out about the instruction to the king of England to kill him. So in return, Hamlet wrote another new official document with his new instructions instead. He wrote that once the king of England read the document, he should immediately put to death the ones delivering the letter, which were Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He should not allow them anytime to argue or chance to confess to a priest.

HAMLET
Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon—
He that hath killed my king and whored my mother,
Popped in between th' election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life
(And with such cozenage!)—is ’t not perfect conscience
To quit him with this arm? And is ’t not to be damned
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?

(Translation)
Don't you think it is now my duty to kill him?
This man who killed my king and F my mother,
and took the throne that I hoped for,
some more set a trap to kill me.
Now I got the perfect reason to kill him with this sword right?
I'll be damned if I still let this monster live to do more harm right?

Claudius' man Osric came over to tell Hamlet that the king has placed a bet that within a dozen rounds of fencing between him and Laertes, that Laertes cannot win Hamlet more than three hits. Upon hearing that, Hamlet agreed to have the fencing challenge with Laertes.

Horatio warned Hamlet of the fencing challenge and Hamlet himself has some bad feeling about it as well, however he decided to proceed with the match.

HAMLET
If it be now, ’tis not to come. If it be
not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come—
the readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows,
what is ’t to leave betimes? Let be.

(Translation)
If something is supposed to happen now, it will lah.
If it is supposed to happen later, then it won't happen now lah.
As long as you're prepared can liao.
Since nobody knows anything about what he leaves behind after he leaves,
then leave early also never mind lah. Heck care lah.

Before the match started, Claudius made Hamlet and Laertes shook hands.

HAMLET
Was ’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet.
If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,
And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes,
Then Hamlet does it not. Hamlet denies it.
Who does it, then? His madness. If’t be so,
Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged.
His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.

(Translation)
Was Hamlet the one who insulted Laertes? No lah, not Hamlet.
If Hamlet went ki siao,
and insulted Laertes when he was not himself,
Then it was not Hamlet lah. Hamlet didn't do anything lah.
But if like that who did it? His short dio brain.
If like that har, then Hamlet is the victim of his short dio brain liao.
His short dio brain is poor Hamlet's enemy.

Claudius instructed his men to put the goblets of wine on the table, and that if Hamlet managed to strike the first or second hit, or get back at Laertes at the third hit, all soldiers will give him a military salute. He will also drop a pearl into Hamlet's drink and give him a toast. Claudius claimed that this was a priceless pearl which was more costly than those in the crowns of the last four Danish kings.

Trumpets played, canons fired, and the two men were off to fight each other in the friendly fencing match. When Hamlet struck Laertes his first hit, Claudius dropped the promised pearl into Hamlet drink and offered him. However Hamlet rejected and said that he will drink after another round.

After more fencing, Hamlet hit Laertes again. Gertrude gave Hamlet her handkerchief to wipe his perspire, and feeling proud of her son, she took up his drink with the pearl, toasted him and drank. Claudius tried to stop her from drinking the poisonous wine but Gertrude would not listen.

In the next round of fencing, Laertes finally managed to wound Hamlet. Then they exchanged swords and Hamlet wounded Laertes again. At that moment, Gertrude dropped to the ground.

GERTRUDE
No, no, the drink, the drink!—O my dear Hamlet!
The drink, the drink! I am poisoned.

(Translation)
No, no, the drink, the drink! OMG, Hamlet!
The drink, the drink! I tio poisoned.

LAERTES
It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain.
No medicine in the world can do thee good.
In thee there is not half an hour of life.
The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,
Unbated and envenomed. The foul practice
Hath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie,
Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poisoned.
I can no more. The king, the king’s to blame.

(Translation)
Si wa, Hamlet. Hamlet, you die liao.
No medicine in the world can cure you.
You only have less than half an hour left.
The killer's weapon is in your hand,
sharp and dipped in poison.
I kana backfired by the foul plan also.
Ah, I going to lie here and never get up liao.
Your mother tio poisoned liao.
I can't say anymore liao.
The king, the king is the one lah.

In anger, Hamlet then wounded Claudius with his poisoned sword, then forced him to drink from the poisonous wine. Claudius fell and died.

LAERTES
He is justly served.
It is a poison tempered by himself.
Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet.
Mine and my father’s death come not upon thee,
Nor thine on me.

(Translation)
He deserves it lah.
Who ask him to mix that poison himself.
Hamlet, forgive me because I also forgive you liao.
My death and my father's death not your fault,
and you die also not my fault.

HAMLET
Heaven make thee free of it. I follow thee.—
I am dead, Horatio.

(Translation)
Ti Gong will not blame you one. I also follow you.
Wa si liao, Horatio.


Horatio wanted to drink the poisonous wine to die with Hamlet too, but was stopped by Hamlet.

HAMLET
O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,
Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart
Absent thee from felicity a while,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain
To tell my story.

(Translation)
TIan ah, Horatio, my reputation sure kana sai after I die,
because nobody knows the truth!
If you really my brudder
then don't die so fast,
stay in this crappy world long enough
to tell my story.

As Hamlet died, Fortinbras returned from his Poland victory and the ambassador from England has arrived too. The ambassador has wanted to report to Claudius that his instruction to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern has been fulfilled.

FORTINBRAS
O proud death,
What feast is toward in thine eternal cell,
That thou so many princes at a shot
So bloodily hast struck?

(Translation)
Oui proud Mr Death,
what banquet are you preparing har,
that you need to shoot so many princes at one time?

With all in the Danish royal family died, Fortinbras took over the crown and the country.

FORTINBRAS
Let four captains
Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage,
For he was likely, had he been put on,
To have proved most royally. And, for his passage,
The soldiers' music and the rites of war
Speak loudly for him.

(Translation)
Go call four captains to carry Hamlet like a soldier onto the stage,
He would have been a good king if he had the chance to prove himself.
Must have military music and military rites to praise his heroic qualities loud loud.