Cast:
Osric: A young Norwegian-born woman, messenger and spy to King Hamlet of Denmark, a trusted and dependable servant. Frequently sent to Norway to spy on Fortinbras because she is a favorite and very talented espionage artist.
Fortinbras: King of Norway, mid-forties, quietly cool and cruel. Ruthless in his lust for power and revenge against Denmark, especially King Hamlet.
Henchman: Fortinbras' servant, an aged half-wit who is unsympathetic to the pain of the prisoners and criminals whose blood is on his hands by order of the King.
(Stage is dimly lit, just light enough to see OSRIC hanging by her raw wrists in chains in a dark dungeon cell beneath FORTINBRAS' castle. Even after many days, she still cannot come to terms with her failure to protect the King as she trusted to do. She was caught, seen in the friendly presence of Lord Claudius of Denmark as she received orders, and is facing dire conswquences at the hand of FORTINBRAS and his HENCHMAN; for treason, as she was passing as a Norwegian chamber lady at the castle, then tortured for information when she was discovered to be a spy.
A door opens to OSRICS left, a lamp held by the HENCHMAN reveals the silhouette of FORTINBRAS as he stands with his feet just behind a white chalked line on the threshold of the cell. he takes in her face, paper-white and stony.)
Fortinbras: The vixen of Norway and Denmark sheds not a tear, I see.
(He motions to the HENCHMAN, who delicately crosses the chalk line and moves to OSRIC and uses a rod to move her hair and expose her face to the King. She twitches at the cold metal, but stares stoically ahead.)
Fortinbras: Of course, our little scut has no reason to weep until this moment. Nor will she, if she will but open her mouth a small ways. As long as she has breath in her, she has the power to win herself back.
Henchman: (eyeing her exposed ankles behind the shreds of her courtly dress) If we've a mind to let such a sweet young morsel go, that is...
Fortinbras: (sarcastically) Now, now, my good man. Why ever would we not? We've proposed our bargain, so long as we live it it is on our honor to keep it.
Henchman: Ya didn't shake on it, sir. Ay, never e'en touched its hand.
Fortinbras: I would not bind myself to such a traitor to womankind, or to any woman at all, mind you.
Henchman: What means 'honor,' then, my lord?
Fortinbras: We stand in the presence of a two-tongued daughter of Apate. We may as well ask ourselves the meaning of the brick you stand upon. Objects, gain and power, man, are the measure of my integrity.
(OSRIC lets out a weak scoff and spits)
Henchman: (jumping back) Her spit is too near for me...
Osric: Stay back, foul one, or I'll make sure it burns your cheek.
Fortinbras: The raven finds her voice, Pray, dark birdie, what is your next song?
Osric: You are a fool if you think I am your jesting puppet.
Fortinbras: Am I?
Osric: Quite, and more.
Fortinbras: Then must you be my requiem singer, for your grief will salt the threshold of my armies as I march in to Hamlet's court.
Osric: You'll find no tears in me.
Fortinbras: No tears, indeed? Shame, though I suppose your blood is salt enough to satisfy.
Osric: You'd shed the blood of a puppet? Your power is gross, to be sure.
Fortinbras: I'd shed the blood of a thousand puppets if it meant revenge against Denmark.
Osric: Only men seek revenge, you are nothing short of a demon.
Fortinbras: Even in your plight, you act the fool of the court. Yet, you do not yet look the part... (to the henchman) Say, you!
Henchman: Aye!
Fortinbras: Act you this night your own part. Play to me, 'this wench's face is wood, though not cut fit to be seen.'
Henchman: Aye, sir!
Fortinbras: Play to me the carving of her lips, to move as they must to please me!
Henchman: Aye!
Fortinbras: Let us see if this does not loosen your tongue to speak as I desire.
Henchman: The lady's face is fair, fairer still when she is obedient. Quim, be still!
(Fortinbras turns away as the henchman advances to Osric, holding the rod which is revealed to have a sharp edge. He yanks her head back by the hair, and carves puppet lines at the corner of her mouth. They are not very long, only and inch or so on each side, but the corners made are still gruesome. OSRIC's screams are piercing and hysterical as she tries to fight back, then goes limp as she nearly faints from the pain.)
Fortinbras: Alas, what an ugly puppet, yet still a fair face. i suppose she will need further persuasion. come away, we are finished until the morrow.
Henchman: (Grinning stupidly) Would you have me collect her blood for trophy, my lord?
Fortinbras: Not yet, man. I will have her bleed so her blood needs no help finding it's own way to Denmark.
(HENCHMAN and FORTINBRAS exit, leaving OSRIC as blood drips steadily from her mouth. Lights go down to blackout as she tries to spit, finds it too painful, then begins to cry and then choke on her own blood.)
Points:
Time spent:
Canary word: Present
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125,009 Literary Works • 672,837 Reviews
I thought that this was a very nice scene! Now I haven't read Hamlet yet, but I think I will now to better understand this piece.
First of all, one technical thing. I think you need to somehow make a line or cut between the cast and the stage direction. It seems a bit cluttered.
"OSRIC hanging by her raw wrists in chains in a dark dungeon cell beneath FORTINBRAS' castle." you don't need to say that the dark dungeon cell is under Fortinbras' castle. It's better just to say she's in a dark dungeon cell. The whole quote after that might do better as dialogue. It does't really NEED to be in the piece.
"Ya didn't shake on it, sir." I'm not familiar with Shakespeare stuff, but I don't think Ya is a word.
"carves puppet lines at the corner of her mouth." What are puppet lines? This should have more detail.
Aside from that, it was a really great piece! I think you grasped Shakespeare's language very well, and I was hooked from the start.
Alex out!
I love the fact that you made Oswic a female! I do feel more women should be in Hamlet
Also her strength is remarkable and stoic, which certainly contrasts the weeping nature of the Queen and the mad hysterics Ophelia displays in the original. I find this Oswic's bravery very refreshing!
However, if I remember correctly, isn't Oswic supposed to be very foolish? Although I suppose you're turning that interpretation on its head on purpose. Props to you for turning a flat character into a well developed one! Her wit is worthy of Hamlet's in this scene.
My favorite line of hers must be: "You'd shed the blood of a puppet?" and "You are a fool if you think I am your jesting puppet." Oh the possibilities in delivering her lines: in mock shock, a taunt, or a defeated but strong whisper...
Also I like the fact that you play with the idea of being a fool, something Shakespeare himself did a lot. (Think Festes and Malvolio from Twelfth Night)
“Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.” as Festes would say.
That brings me to how beautifully you imitated Shakespeare's wit and language...you have Shakespearean talk down to an art!
I have a few critiques to bring up however.
First, as I feel this script is meant for the stage, I was wondering how you were planning on doing the puppet lines. A marker perhaps? Anyway, it is a horrifying part of the scene and you might want to include stage notes so the director can do it proper justice.
I also must correct the last line,
"Fortinbras: Not yet, man. I will have her bleed so her blood needs no help finding it's own way to Denmark."
The it's you used means "it is" While the its you are trying to represent should be "its" meaning the possessive version.
Also 'honor,' would be spelled "honour" since you are imitating Shakespeare's British spelling. Although some translations of Hamlet spell it honor, so I suppose it is okay.
Anyway, I found it interesting how Fortinbras is portrayed as such a sinister and villainous creature, when in the play he is portrayed as worthy and honorable, someone that Hamlet looks up to. (although I always thought that Hamlet should have given the kingdom over to Horatio, not Fortinbras. He was his best friend and all.)
In the play, Fortinbras isn't even looking to enact revenge when he stumbles upon the fallen results of the fencing match...he just wanted to say hi. And if Osric is in the court during Act 5, then that means this scene would have to take place in between her message to Hamlet and the arrival of Fortinbras to Denmark. Which confuses me to no end. How would Fortinbras have such a quick change of heart? Unless he really did arrive to the fencing match ready to take over, which one movie did portray him doing.
But that aside this is a very interesting interpretation!
Quite gruesome, but intelligent and memorable.
“You are keen, my lord, you are keen.”
This was a really nice script.
You did a really good job of writing this in Shakespeare's style: I really liked the dialogue.
At first I thought the scene was just an innocent scene of people lightly insulting each other...until the cutting and choking-on-blood part.
But, it is still really good.
Oh! I've only been on this site now for maybe a week or two, but this is the first script that I've read so far, and it was a great one to start out on! Very good use of character dialogue and chemistry between the characters. I felt like I could very easily relate to how they felt and responded to one another, and the script had a very good flow and rhythm that made it easy to follow and kept me interested the entire time. I thought you used a very good variety of words to capture the appropriate setting and time period, as well as an excellent job introducing the characters prior to the scene. I could definitely see myself reading more of this if it was a full length story. Please write more!