THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET

THE WORKS
OF

SHAKESPEARE
THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET
EDITED BY

EDWARD DOWDEN

METHUEN AND
36

CO.

ESSEX STREET: STRAND

LONDON
1899

9 5 7 7

95

CONTENTS
PAGE

Introduction

ix

The Tragedy of Hamlet

Appendix

I.

The "Travelling" of the Players.

229

Appendix II. Some Passages from the Quarto of

1603

Appendix

231
III.

Addenda

235

INTRODUCTION
This

edition of

Hamlet aims

in the first place at

giving

a trustworthy text.

Secondly,

attempts to exhibit the variations from

it

that text which are found in the primary sources

Quarto of 1604 and the Folio of 1623

in so far as

the

those

variations are of importance towards the ascertainment of

Every variation

the text.

is

not recorded, but

have

chosen to err on the side of excess rather than on that of

Readings from the Quarto of 1603 are occa-

defect.

sionally given,

and

The

this edition.

and

also from the later Quartos

but to record such readings

letter

is

Folios,

not a part of the design of

means Quarto

604 F means
;

Folio 1623.

The
1605

dates of the later Quartos are as follows:

4,

161

5,

undated

6,

few references to these later Quartos

For

1637.

3,

my

have trusted the

Cambridge Shakespeare and Furness's edition of Hamlet.

Thirdly,

it

gives

my

inevitable that

explanatory notes.

selection

and condensation.

gleaners,

sheaf.

have perhaps

Thus,

am

Here

it

is

task should in the main be that of

But,

gleaning

brought

not aware that

after

the

together a slender
I

have been

antici-

INTRODUCTION

X
pated

my

in

Hamlet's question about

explanation of

Alexander's body, in the Churchyard scene

of his swearing by St. Patrick

Lamord

(iv. vii. 93).

hope

of "stand a

26 38), and
(v.

ii.

42).

218);

136); of the

name

may have done something

"

towards the solution of the

(i. v.

i.

dram of

comma

eale " crux

(l. iv.

'tween their amities"

have noted a curious

(v.

between

parallel

Jonson and Shakespeare (ll. ii. 210214). With the aid

of the New English Dictionary I have perhaps removed

any doubt
and given

why

Folonius

bing

(II.

(ill.

(II.

ii.

classes "

25).

mortal

231).

fencing

"

coil " (ill.

suggestions

suppose to be new

as to "

ingenuities are

Take

this

(l. iii.

109).

in

the meaning of Hamlet's riddling speeches

his

doubtful) to

is

have perhaps explained

156) and "tender me a fool"

anywhere pardonable, it is

ii.

cue ever to talk sheer nonsense

174),

"mad

handsaw"

(ill.

body

with the king"

is

a crocodile

"

new reading

(ll.

ii.

"

have

possibly

fishmonger

" (ll.

ii.

401-403), "suit of
(ill. ii. 413), "the

139), "soul of Nero"

sables"

ii.

on

If

was not

it

accordingly

from

conjecturing

ventured to throw out, doubtfully, suggestions

darkening counsel with words

6^^,

i.

with drinking and drab-

have made what

perhaps erroneous

this"

"

correct sense (though this

its

"anchor's cheer"

i.

meaning of

as to the

(V.

i.

(IV.

298).

I,

ii.

30),

"drink up

eisel,

eat

very doubtfully, suggest a

of " select and generous "

(i.

iii.

74),

and a

modification of Mr. Tovey's emendation of the"Yaughan

crux

(v.

i.

6']').

with Ophelia

Occasionally, as in the
(ill.

i.),

have

thoughts rather than verbal

worthless

has

been

sifted

tried

"Nunnery"

to explain

difficulties.

away,

scene

Hamlet's

When what

little

"

that

is

is

INTRODUCTION
real

addition

may

knowledge of Shakespeare

our

to

xi

remain.

For the
the

reader

should

volume Hamlet
he

tells

us,

Sturlason's

references to the legendary

earliest

is

in

consult

found

Prose

Mr.

Gollancz's

Iceland (1898).
in

Edda

the

The

Hamlet

interesting

first

second section of Snorri

(about

1230):

"The

Maids of the

Island

Ocean-god)

ages past ground Hamlet's meal."

words occur

" in

in a

Mill "

date,

in

Nine

(daughters of ^gir,

quotation of Snorri from Snaebjorn,

the

The
who

was probably an Arctic adventurer of the tenth century.

The name Amhlaide is found yet earlier.

of Ireland by the Four Masters, under
(

In the Ajinals
the

year 9

919), in a fragment of song (having reference to the

battle of Ath-Cliath

between the Northerners and the

Queen Gormflaith, appear the words

Glundubh [was slain] by Amhlaide." Mr. Gollancz identifies this Amhlaide with Sitric, a Northerner,
who first came to Dublin in 888, and hazards the conjecture that " Gaile," a cognomen applied to Sitric, may
mean mad, and that Amhlaide may be a synonym of
" Gaile."
He believes that in the Scandinavian kingdom
of Ireland was developed, in the eleventh century, the
Northern tale of Hamlet as we know it from Saxo.^
Irish) attributed to

" Niall

Probably about the opening of the thirteenth century

the Danish writer
"

Saxo Grammaticus

The Ainbales Saga, which Mr. Gollancz

told in

prints,

is

Latin the

in its present

"a modern

form

production belonging to the sixteenth, or perhaps early seventeenth century," preserving possibly some elements of the pre-Saxo Ilamlet
legend.
The Icelandic folk-talc of Brjam (first written down from oral
tradition in 1705) is "nothing but a levelling down of the story of Ilamlet,
cleverly blended with another folk-tale of the Clever Hans type " (Gollancz,
'

Introduction, Ixiv and

Ixviii).

'

INTRODUCTION

xii

story of

Amlethus

in the

third

The

History of the Dajies.

and fourth books of

The Northern
by Saxo

version in Mr. Elton's translation of Saxo.

Hamlet

his

reader will find an English

legends, oral or written, are mingled

Roman

with borrowings from the old

Horwendil and

Junius Brutus.

story of Lucius

Feng

his brother

Jutland under King Rorik of Denmark.

rule

Horwendil

Norway, and marries Gerutha, the

slays Roll, king of

daughter of King Rorik

their son

Feng,

Amleth.

is

jealous of his brother, slays Horwendil, and takes Gerutha

Amleth

to wife.

feigns to be dull of wits

and

better

little

He

than a beast, while secretly planning vengeance.

by riddling words, which

baffles the courtiers

are

nonsense, but

may

significant.

betray his true state of mind

brother warns

enemies.

really

them

girl,

his

placed in his way, in the hope that his

foster-sister, is

conduct

are

for

him of the

and

snare,

friend of Feng, "

he

between Amleth and

his

mother.

foster-

baffles

more confident than

eavesdropper during

proposes to act as

his

an

his

wise,"

interview

Amleth, crowing

like

a cock, flapping his arms like wings, and leaping hither

and

thither,

discovers

the eavesdropper

hidden under

him and brutally disposes of the body. He

explains to his mother that his madness is feigned and
that he plans revenge, and he gains her over to his side.
His uncle sends Amleth to Britain, with two companions,

straw, stabs

who

bear a letter graven on wood, requesting the king to

slay Amleth.

The

companions are put

do not

affect

letter

altered

is

to death.

them

in

He

his

in Britain

makes the
hangings knitted by his

Shakespeare's play.

courtiers drunk, nets

by Amleth, and

His adventures
returns,

INTRODUCTION

xiii

and slays

mother, sets

fire

to the palace,

the sword.

He

harangues the people, and

uncle with

his
is

hailed as

After other adventures of crafty device

Feng's successor.

Had he lived,
and daring deed, Amleth dies in battle.
favoured by nature and fortune, he would have surpassed
Hercules.
Sa:>co's

forest

History was printed in 15 14.

freely rendering Saxo's Latin

Amleth

in

French

the

in

The English

tragiques.

In

volume of

fifth

1570

Belle-

told the story of

his

Histoires

translation of Belleforest's story.

The Historic of Hamblet, is dated 1608, and may have

been called forth by the popularity of Shakespeare's

Here the eavesdropper hides behind the hangings of Geruthe's chamber, and Hamblet cries, " A

play.^

rat

rat

"

circumstances

probably

borrowed

from

Shakespeare.

As early as 1589 an English drama on the subject

Hamlet was in existence. It is referred to in that
year by Thomas Nash in a printed letter accompanying
of

VVe know from

Greene's MenapJion.

other allusions, that

influence of

crying

was

"

it

this passage, and

was a drama written under the

Seneca, and that a ghost appeared

Revenge

"

it

it

new play, at Newington Butts in

The suggestion that Thomas Kyd was the
made long since was supported with sub-

acted, not as a

June 1594.
author

stantial evidence

English

Drama

(i

by Mr. Fleay
891), and, in

proved by Gregor Sarrazin

^

in

Henslowe's diary informs us that

It

may be found

speare's Libra)y, vol.

i.

in

in

in his

my

Chronicle of the

opinion, was decisively

the section entitled "

Furness's Hamlet, vol.

ii.,

Der

or in Collier's Shake-

INTRODUCTION

xiv

Thomas Kyd und sein Kreis (1892).

not improbable that Nash, in the passage where he

Ur-Hamlet" of
It is

his

assume that

fairly

was a companion piece

it

Spanish Tragedy

revenge

for

murdered

theme)

of violent

among

including
senting,

like

We may

name Kyd.

speaks of Hamlet, puns upon the

son,

inverting

bordering

passion

to

Kyd's

revenge (a father's

a play of

itself

Hamlet

the

on

distraction

the dramatis personce a ghost, and pre-

Hamlet, a play

within

the

play.

Kyd

translated Garnier's Cornelia from the French, and could

read the story of Hamlet

had

visited Elsinore,

English actors

in Belleforest.

and had

lately returned to

London,

bringing their tidings of Denmark.

Mr. Corbin,

in

a very ingenious study. The Elizabethan

Hamlet (1895), has conjectured that the lost play by

Kyd exhibited a Hamlet resembling the Amleth of Saxo
being rather a

in his

man

of resolute action than a

man

of contemplation, and that his assumption of madness

was the occasion of vulgar comedy
the affliction of
;

insanity was, as

dramatists
jecture

is

we know,

from the

often regarded

comic

point of view.

well worthy of consideration.

his theory Mr.

by Elizabethan

The

con-

In developing

Corbin makes use, however, of one piece

of evidence, which must be held as of doubtful value.

rude German drama, Der Bestrafte Bj-iidermord, found

in a

manuscript dated 17 10,

is

taken by Mr. Corbin and

others as based on Kyd's Hamlet.

This

is

possible

more probable that the German

play is a debased adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet in
its earliest
form.
Perhaps, as Tanger has suggested
but

it

seems to

me

far

{Shakespeare Jahrbuch,

xxiii.),

a few recollections of the


INTRODUCTION
later

xv

form of Shakespeare's play were woven

in

by actors

arrived in Germany at a later date.^

Under the date July 26, 1602, was entered in the
Stationers' Registers for the printer James Roberts, " A
booke called The Revenge of Hamlet Prince [of] Denmarke, as yt was latelie Acted by the Lord Chamberleyne

who

There are no grounds

his servantes."

Shakespeare wrote the play

for

supposing that

earlier than 1602,-

In the

appeared in quarto,
The Tragicall
Hamlet Prince of Denmarke By William
As it hath beene diverse times acted by
Shake- speare.
as also in
his Highnesse servants in the Cittie of London
the two Vniversities of Cambridge and Oxford, and elsewhere.
At London printed for N. L. and John Trundell.
1603."
The Lord Chamberlain's servants of 1602
Shakespeare's company
had, since the accession of
James I., become his Highness' servants. It is conjectured
that the play was acted at the Universities " at some enter-

following
Historie

"

year

of

tainment

in

honour of the king's accession," the subject

being connected

"

with the native country of his queen."

604 appeared a second Quarto " The Tragicall

Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke.
By William
Shakespeare.
Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost
as much againe as it was, according to the true and
perfect Coppie.
At London, Printed by I. R. for N. L.,
In

See Cohn's Shakespeare in Germany (1865)

Latham's

Two

Disserta-

Hamlet of Saxo Grammaticus and of Shakespear (1872); and

Furness's Hamlet, vol. ii.
A Hamlet was performed by English actors at

tions on the

Dresden

above, is of great value.

a copy of Spcght's Chancer (1598),
mentioning Hamlet, was seen by Steevens, Bisliop I'crcy, and Malonc, but
its date was a matter of conjecture.
Harvey lived for many years after the
publication of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
*

in 1626.

Tanger's

article, referred to

The note by Gabriel Harvey

in

INTRODUCTION

xvi

and are

to be sold at his

Church

in Fleetstreet.

sure, for
It is

1604,"

we may be

R, stands,

I,

James Roberts.
unquestionable that the copy for the Quarto of

1603 was
to

shoppe under Saint Dunstons

Errors which seem

surreptitiously obtained.

be rather errors of hearing than of sight, or of a

compositor's

memory

setting

in

up a group of words,

indicate that, according to a practice of the time, a short-

hand writer was employed

to take notes of the speeches

during a theatrical performance.

There are

which look

like errors of a

have occurred
printer,

scope for

in writing

copyist

also errors

some of these may

out the shorthand notes for the

T. Bright's system of shorthand, moreover, gave

many

errors in interpreting the characters of

the stenographer.^

But the conjecture of the

editors of

the Cambridge Shakespeare that the defects of the

script derived

from shorthand

"

reference to the authentic copy in

theatre,"

the library of the

The

seems to deserve consideration.

portion of the Quarto

is

both

fuller

and

whom we may

earlier

less inaccurate as

compared with the true text than the

the shorthand writer scamped his work
theatrical underling,

manu-

were supplemented by a

later
;

perhaps

perhaps

the

suppose as assisting

him by reference to the copy in the theatre, was discovered, or had no opportunity of completing his
dishonest labours.
In some instances it looks as if only
a hasty and partly incorrect note of the substance of a

speech was made, and this was expanded into several

feeble or incoherent lines.
^ See on this subject a remarkable paper, "Shakespeare und die Stenographie," by Curt Dewischeit, in the Shakespsare Jahrbuch, xxxiv. (1898).

INTRODUCTION

xvii

The Quarto of 1603, containing 2143 lines, is

shorter by some seventeen or eighteen hundred lines
than the play as we construct it from the second Quarto
and the Folio

yet

gives substantially the whole action

it

The names

of the complete play.

from

differ

those

familiar

Corambis, and Reynaldo

"

a Bragart Gentleman

first

trap
is

is

"

us

Polonius

Montano.

Francisco

of two characters

Osric

tragedy are a duke and duchess

Gonzago

Albertus, not

in

here

is

here

of the

"

Mouse-

name

the duke's

as

the duke and duchess have

been forty years married, not

been twelve years

is

known only

is

The King and Queen

Centinel.
"

to

thirty.

Yorick's skull has

the ground, not three-and-twenty.

Laertes has come from Paris to the late King's funeral,

King

not to the coronation of

dignant

" 'Tis

not alone

my

The

Claudius, not to the Queen.

not to be

occur

the

in

"

nunnery

"

" is

Hamlet's

in-

addressed to

soliloquy "

To

be or

dialogue with Ophelia

same scene with the reading of Hamlet's

and before the

love-letter,

Polonius

and the

"

Claudius.

inky cloak

lines

"

fishmonger

"

dialogue with

spoken to Hamlet by the Ghost on the

platform are here spoken by Hamlet to his mother in

her closet

Hamlet's comparison of Rosencrantz

sponge appears here

King, not Laertes,

in

another connection.

who proposes

It

to anoint the

to a
is

the

rapier-

point with venom. Gertrude, in the Closet scene, expressly

declares that she

and she promises

is

was ignorant of her husband's murder,

to assist her son in his revenge.

a scene in which Horatio and the

There

Queen confer about

Hamlet's return to Denmark from shipboard, the Queen

appearing as a confederate on Hamlet's
b

side.


INTRODUCTION

xviii

Such
in

differences as these can be accounted for only

one of two ways

as the Clarendon Press

either,

editors maintain, a considerable portion of the old play

is

included in the Quarto of 1603, or that Quarto imper-

and often erroneously exhibits Shakespeare's work

a form which he subsequently revised and altered.

fectly
in

When

careful

and judicious investigators

to agree,

fail

For

the matter must be admitted to be doubtful.

own

part, repeated perusals

have

satisfied

me

my

that Shake-

hand can be discerned throughout the whole of

The Shakethe truncated and travestied play of 1603.

speare's

many

spearian irony of

find in plays of 15

following lines

88-1

is unlike anything we
With the exception of the

passages
5 89.

Look you now, here is your husband,

With a face like Vulcan,

A
A

fit for a murder and a rape,

dead hanging looke, and a hell-bred
To affright children and amaze the world

looke
dull

eie.

see nothing that looks pre-Shakespearian,

much

that

is

entirely unlike the

possible, indeed, that

before

and

work of Kyd.

see

It

is

Kyd's work may have been revised

1600, but we have no evidence to that

effect.

Here and there echoes of a phrase, or a line, or a rhyme

Jeronimo, or The Spanish Tragedy, or Solyman and
Perseda may be heard in the Quarto of 1603, as echoes
in

of
it

Marlowe and of Lyly may be heard elsewhere.

But

has been aptly pointed out by Sarrazin that remin-

iscences of Shakespeare's

own Henry

passage which appears only

from the Ouarto

in this first

V. are found

Quarto.

"in

Compare

;;
;

INTRODUCTION
Well Sonne

Hamht we

in care of

you

xix

but specially

In tender preservation of your health,

*

The winde

sits faire,

you

shall

aboorde to-night,

with the following from Henry

V.,

II.

57

12 and

ii.

59:
Now

sits

wind

the

and we

fair,

will aboard.

Though Cambridge, Scroop and Grey,

And

The
more

in their dear care

tender preservation of our person.

Ham/ei of 1603

general style of the

like that of

much

is

an ill-reported play of that date than

like the style of a play of

Kyd's and Marlowe's time

but the actor's speech about Hecuba and Priam, though

much reduced

in length,

play in this form as

by

Folio,

virtue of

does in the second Quarto and the

it

its

stands out from the rest of the

reproduction of a style which was

out of date at the opening of the seventeenth century.

The Quarto

of

1604

and

carelessly printed

is

ill

punctuated as compared with Hamlet of the Folio, yet

it

represents

wrote.

one

The

line,

more

faithfully

and

fully

what Shakespeare

Folio, counting only passages of

omits 218 lines; the Quarto, 85.

considerable omissions in the Quarto are three

lines
this

more than
The most

immediately before the entrance of Osric

seems to be due to accident

about the boy actors

in

made, as Professor Hall

be unbecoming
to the children,

in the

II. ii.

secondly, the passage

because

it

would

King's servants to show hostility

servants of the

part of the dialogue between

in

ii.

the omission was probably

Griffin suggests,

who were

and Guildenstern

thirteen

in V.

Queen

thirdly,

Hamlet and Rosencrantz

an earlier passage of the same scene

INTRODUCTION

XX

me

the reason for the omission seems to

mark

spoken

is

dungeons

Enghsh Queen.

Folio text was evidently cut for the purpose of

stage representation, and generally

as

more

but

theatrical,

The

1604.

less

tions before the entrance of the

description of the prodigies in

IV. vii.,

I.

i.

on the wearing

effect of

Ghost

in

Rome

I.

iv.

Horatio's

before the

time on passion

on the monster Custom,

about the courtiers and

enginer with his

mockery of

so are his medita-

own

Osric, V.

petar.
ii.^

his
III.

III. iv.

resolve to

iv.

actors'

O,

"

The

rest

"
is

Ham-

Hamlet's

and much of

his

Oaths and sacred words are

additions are introduced, such as the

o, o,

hoist the

altered to avoid the legal offence of profanity.

"

of

fall

Claudius's remarkable words to Laertes, in

let's reflections

lines

be described

than the text of

including Hamlet's

iv.,

deleted

is

may

it

literary,

greater part of iv.

very important soliloquy,

Caesar,

Den-

Denmark was

of the world, and

in the prison

the native country of the

The

obvious

of as a prison, or as one of the worst

Some

unhappy

of the dying Hamlet, following his words

silence."

And

there

is

a desire evident in

the editors of the Folio text to modernise certain words

which were regarded as old-fashioned.

The

duration

difficulties.

It

of

the

action

in

the

play presents

opens at midnight with the change of

Next day Horatio and Marcellus, with Bernardo, inform Hamlet of the appearance of the Ghost it
cannot be the forenoon, for Hamlet salutes Bernardo
On the night of this day Hamlet
with " Good even, sir."
sentinels.

^ See Dr.
Fumivall's
Griggs's facsimile.

Introduction

to

the

second Quarto, prefixed

to

INTRODUCTION
The season

of the

the nights are bitter cold.

The

watches and meets his father's ghost.

year

is

perhaps March

second Act occupies part of one day

Reynaldo to

Polonius despatches

Ophelia enters alarmed by Hamlet's

Paris,

her father reads Hamlet's

visit,

xxi

and, when Hamlet

letter,

the players arrive

parts from them, his words are, "

I '11

But before this day arrives,

leave you till to-night."
two months have elapsed since Hamlet was enjoined to
revenge the murder

it

was two months since

death when the play opened, and

months."

Next day Hamlet

now

it

is

his father's
" twice

two

utters his soliloquy, "

To

be or not to be," encounters Ophelia as arranged by

Polonius, gives his advice to the players,

the performance of the play

is

present at

and, night having come, he

pleads with his mother, and again sees his father's

Here the
out

third

interruption

Polonius, and

him

Act

to

tells

England.

closes,

spirit.

but the action proceeds with-

the King inquires for the body of

Hamlet that the bark is ready to bear
We must suppose that it is morning

when Hamlet meets the troops of Fortinbras. Two days

previously the ambassadors from Norway had returned,
with a request that Claudius would permit Fortinbras to

march through Denmark against the Poles

Fortinbras

himself must have arrived almost as soon as the ambassadors,

IV.

v.

and obtained the Danish King's permission.

In

Ophelia appears distracted, and Laertes has re-

turned from Paris to be revenged for Polonius's death.

An

interval

sailed

for

of time

England

must have passed since Hamlet

an

interval

sufficient

to

permit

Laertes to receive tidings of the death of Polonius and

to

reach

Elsinore.

In

the

next scene

letters

arrive

INTRODUCTION

xxii

announcing that Hamlet

he was two days at

On

sea,

again in

is

Denmark

he became the

indicate that the time

is

before

pirates' prisoner.

the day of the arrival of letters Ophelia

Her flowers

is

drowned.
Ophelia's

early June.

and Hamlet's death take place on the next day.

Yet the time has been sufficient for Fortinbras to win
his Polish victory and be again at Elsinore, and for
ambassadors to return from England announcing the
We might
execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
imagine
that
the
pirate
ship
conveying
Hamlet
obligingly
burial

Denmark was delayed by

to

his

The

companions as holding
truth

their

record of the notes of time has aided

speare

at

is

reconcile

fault "
.

The division
made without the
is

between

III.

and

III,

(ill.

ii.

(whose

here), "

Shake-

not trouble himself to

spectator."

of the last three Acts of the play

is

Act V.
between II. and

authority of any early edition.

But the division

matter of doubt, and

posed that
players

did

me

him do not trouble the

tell

certainly opens aright.

III.

"

England.

Griffin

inconsistencies which practical experience

would

as an actor

he

but his

course for

by Professor Hall

as stated

is,

winds

baffling

he has landed, and they describe

letters are written after

iv.

is

the

unfortunate.

received

division

Mr. E. Rose pro-

should open with Hamlet's advice to the

of the received arrangement), and that IV.

should open with the march of Fortinbras (our present

IV.

iv.).

Hudson

As
in

his

division

of Mr.

Harvard Shakespeare; and but

for the

regards

iv.,

this

is

the

inconvenience of disturbing an accepted arrangement, to

which references are made

I

should

in lexicons

in this edition follow

and concordances,

Mr. Hudson.


INTRODUCTION
The names

xxiii

of the dramatis personcs incongruously

mingle forms derived from the Hamlet tradition of the

North with
trude

" is

play Jeronimo,

who

friend,

and German forms.

a modification of Saxo's "Gerutha."

in the old

" Ofelia,"

name

classical, Italian,

reappears

name

the

is

in

the

name

"

Ger-

" Horatio,"

of Andrea's faithful

The Spanish Tragedy.

of a shepherd, and

"

Both

Montano

"

(the

of Reynaldo in the Quarto of 1603), are found in

The autograph

the Arcadia of Sannazaro.

dated

577

signatures

of Jorgen Rossenkrantz and P. Guldenstern

appear on the same page of an old German album

in

the Royal Public Library at Stuttgart, the original owner

of which had resided for

some time

Copenhagen ^ it
does not follow that these individuals were in any sense
the originals of Shakespeare's courtiers an ambassador
named Rosencrantz was sent to England at the accession
of James the First, and there were other Guildensterns.
at

Shakespeare probably obtained the names from actors

who had

" Fortinbras,"

returned from the Continent

wrote Mr. Elliot Browne {Athenc^um, July 26, 1876),

"

evidently Fortebras, or Strongarm of the family of

is

Ferumbras of the romances, or may have come

from

Niccolo

Fortebraccio,

the famous

leader

directly

of the

condottieri."

not proposed here to notice the stage-history of

It is

Hamlet, the interpretations by eminent actors, nor the

vast

critical

library

that

think, have

has grown around the play.

sometimes erred

Critics,

vividly

before their imagination

See

for facsimile

subject, xxvi.

the

Shakespeare Jakrbuch, xxv.

in

not keeping

nature of Shake;"

and, for letters on the

xxiv

INTRODUCTION

speare's task.

They

often speak as

if

the poet started

with some central idea of which Hamlet was to be the

exponent.
depict

"

of

"

it."

Goethe, "sought

upon a soul unequal

a great deed laid

performance
"

Shakespeare," wrote

Hamlet,"

In

wrote

to

to the

Coleridge,

Shakespeare seems to have wished to exemplify the

moral necessity of a due balance between our attention

to the objects of our senses

working of our minds

an

and our meditation on the

equilibrium between the real

and the imaginary worlds."

prefer to think of Shake-

speare as setting to work with the intention of rehandling

the subject of an old play, so as to give

on the stage

it

fresh interest

as following the subject given to him,

and

The

as following the instinctive leadings of his genius.

Hamlet was distinguished by intellectual

by riddling speech, by a power of ingeniously
his pursuers, and, at the same time, by a love of
But the subtlety of Saxo's Amleth and we may

traditional

subtlety,
bafifling

truth.

be sure the same

Kyd's Hamlet

was what
Burke happily describes, in a different connection, as a
" clumsy subtlety."
If he would be taken to be mad,
is

true of

he affects unclean and brutal habits, or crows like a

cock, or rides a horse with his head towards the

Shakespeare was attracted by the

tail.

intellectual subtlety of

Hamlet, and was inevitably led by his genius to refine

this

subtlety,

was caught

and
in

to diversify

the

became so absorbed
it

web

its

of his

in his

He

manifestations.

own

imaginings, and

work that he forgot

to

keep

within the limits suitable for theatrical representation

the tragedy has, perhaps, never

been presented

entirety on the English stage in consequence of

in
its

its

in-

INTRODUCTION

xxv

The swift and subtle wit that had its

Mermaid Tavern was now incarnated in one

ordinate length.

play at the

of the creatures of Shakespeare's imagination.

Hamlet
is

true, a

is

not the exponent of a philosophy; he has,

remarkable power of reflection and a tendency

to generalise, but

seeks

to

it

he

is

co-ordinate

who

not a philosophical thinker

his

ideas

a coherent system.

in

Perhaps Ulysses, perhaps Prospero approaches nearer to

the philosopher, but neither Ulysses
wit
is

and Hamlet

nor Prospero

And when

and he

Kyd,

it

true

to

also

is

Shakespeare proceeded to follow the

it

from

turned out that such subtlety overreached

itself

story in the main as he had probably received

which

He

a wit inspired by melancholy.

is

swift, ingenious, versatile, penetrative

sad.

is

Shakespeare recognised
the

deliberately

facts

of

assumed

and

as wholly right,

Hamlet's madness

life.

an antic disposition

is,

as

is
it

not

were,

imposed upon him by the almost hysterical excitement

which follows his interview with the Ghost, and he
ingeniously justifies

may

it

to himself

by discovering

But

hereafter serve a purpose.

does not produce direct and effective action.

neither a boisterous Laertes,

almost effects a rebellion

father's

victory.

of

in

it

Hamlet

is

with small resources

revenge for a murdered

nor a resolute Fortinbras, who, mindful of his

father,

dead

who

that

in truth his subtlety

honour, can

danger

to

Hamlet's intellectual subtlety sees every side

every question, thinks

considers

march through

all

things

too

precisely

on the event,

too curiously, studies

anew every

conviction, doubts of the past, interrogates the future

it

delights in ironically adopting the mental attitudes of

INTRODUCTION

xxvi
other minds
it

contempt

refines

it

aside the antic disposition

as a veil,

for

it

sometimes display

is

a concealment, as

happened with Edgar Poe's purloined

the subtle

is

pre-eminently a

critic

letter.

Hamlet

a critic of

critic

of character, a critic of society, a critic of

critic

of himself.

The

intellectual dexterity

art

assumes and lays

can even use frankness

it

an ingenious

into

puts on and puts off a disguise

and

versatility of

art,

life,

Hamlet

He

are united with a moral nature essentially honest.

will not hire a couple of assassins to despatch his father's

He

murderer.

will

not himself take action until he has

evidence of the King's

he

is

Like the Amleth of Saxo,

guilt.

a lover of truth concealed

in craft.

nature, though deeply disturbed

from loyalty, and

sound at

He

heart.

to

liable

by

his

His emotional
mother's

lapse

passionate fluctuations,

reverences the

memory

is

of his great

whom Hamlet resembles as little

Hercules.
He is bound to Horatio by
resembles
as he
He is kind to
ties of the deepest esteem and affection.
He expends his utmost energy in an
the poor actors.
man

father, a

of action,

effort to uplift

He

is

and redeem

his

mother's faltering

over-generous in his estimate of Laertes.

spirit.

He

has

loved Ophelia as a vision of beauty and innocence, and

is

proportionately embittered

when he supposes

has deceived himself and been deceived.

inclinations

He

is

are

But

that he
all

his

toward those who are unlike himself

complex and self-tormenting; Ophelia seems all

and innocence he is oppressed by melancholy

simplicity

thought
sorrow."

she

is "

something afar from the sphere of

Horatio

is

man whose

his

blood and judgment,

INTRODUCTION

xxvii

commingled one who can

not grow world-weary

unlike Hamlet's own, are well

see the evil of the world, yet

more of the antique Roman Stoic than a Dane.

Fortinbras Hamlet has the admiration which the
ideas feels for the

man

subtlety

and

reflective habit,

of

In Claudius

of resolute action.

he might have perceived some of his

For

man

own

intellectual

but conjoined with grosser

senses and an evil moral nature

and him Hamlet loathes

with an impatient aversion.

Together with such an

Hamlet has

intellectual

and such a moral

him something dangerous a will

capable of being roused to sudden and desperate activity.
nature,

It

is

a will which

in

determined to action by the flash

is

and flame of an excitable temperament, or by those

sudden

impulses or inspirations, leaping forth from a

sub-conscious

self,

which come almost

and the decree of Providence.

It is

like the revelation

thus that he suddenly

conceives the possibility of unmasking the King's guilt,

on the accidental

arrival

of the players, and proceeds

without delay to put the matter to the

overwhelms Ophelia with

suddenly stabs
suddenly, as
his

if

eavesdropper

the

test,

his reproaches of

under some

behind

suddenly

womanhood,
the

their death,

suddenly

boards the pirate, suddenly grapples with Laertes

suddenly does

execution

plucks the poison from

dying voice

on

the

in

guilty

the

King,

Horatio's hand, and gives his

for a successor to the throne.

Hamlet's love
in

sends

irresistible inspiration,

companions on shipboard to

grave,

arras,

for

a celestial vision

and he has poured

Ophelia
she

is

is

the wonder and delight

hardly a creature of earth,

into her ear almost all the holy

vows

INTRODUCTION

xxviii

The

of heaven.

of an

ruin

creature

unjust to the

ideal

cruelly-

It

is

the

Never throughout the

strangest love-story on record.

play

him

leaves

and blood.

of flesh

word uttered by
The only true meeting of Hamlet and

there one simple and sincere

is

lover to lover.

Ophelia

is

the speechless interview in which he reads her

and

takes

silent

and

final

soul,

despairs,

Even

in the letter, written prior to the terrible

ments of the Ghost, there

is

farewell.

announce-

a conventional address and

After the silent parting, no true

a baffling conclusion.

word, except when passion carries him away to undeserved reproach,

love has for the

when the
Never

pity of

is

uttered

first
it

by Hamlet

time

for a

its

moment

His

to Ophelia.

outbreak

at her

grave,

restores his lost ideal.

he

to Horatio, never to himself in soliloquy, does

utter the

name

of Ophelia.

Whether Shakespeare's choice and treatment of the

Hamlet story was in any way connected with the history
of Leicester, Essex, and the mother of Essex, or with
the history of

Mary Queen

be considered here.
has been

The

made

of Scots and Darnley, cannot

do not think that a good case

out for either hypothesis.

references to other plays of Shakespeare than

Hamlet are

to

act,

scene,

and

line

as

found

in

the

Globe Shakespeare.

have to thank two learned students of Elizabethan

literature, Mr. W. J. Craig, editor of The Oxford ShakeI

speare,

and Mr. H. C. Hart,

the preparation of this

for aid kindly given to

volume.

me

in

THE TRAGEDY

HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK

DRAMATIS PERSONS
Claudius, King of Denmark.
Hamlet, Son to the late, and Nepheiv
FoRTiNBRAS, FHnce of Norway.
Horatio, Friend to Hamlet.
PoLONius, Lord Chamberlain.
Laertes, his Son.

voltimand,
Cornelius,
rosencrantz,
Guildenstern,

to the prese7it

King.

>^

Courtiers.

OSRIC,

A
A

Gentleman,

Priest.

Marcellus,
T,
Bernardo,

>

^^

Officers.
-^

Francisco, a Soldier.
Reynaldo, Servant to Polonius.

Captain.

English Ambassadors.
Players.

Two

Clowns, Grave-diggers.

Gertrude, Queen of Denmark,

Ophelia, Daughter

atid

Mother

to

Hamlet.

to Polonius.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers,

ants.

Ghost of Hamlefs Father.

Scene:

Elsinore.

and Attend-

THE TRAGEDY
HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK
ACT
SCENE

Francisco
Ber.

Who

's

at his post.

there

Long

live the

Fran. Bernardo

Platform before

Enter

to

the Castle.

him Bernardo.

Fran. Nay, answer

Ber.

Ehinore.

I.

me

stand,

king

and unfold

yourself.

Ber. He.

Fran.
Ber.

You come most

'Tis now struck

carefully

upon your hour.

twelve

get

thee to

bed, Fran-

cisco.
Acts and scenes are not marked in Q; in F only as
Many editors follow Capell in printing as verse, the
line ending with unfold.
7. iicnv struck] Steevens conj. iicw-stnic/:.

Act
far as
first

I.

Scene

11. ii.

/.]

1-5]

Horatio and Marcelhis answer the

challenge otherwise, but Francisco is
not (line 15) at his post.

vie]
Ale emphatic, Francisco
2.
being the sentinel on guard.
3. king] Perhaps the watchword,
3


HAMLET

4
Fran. For this

And

relief

am

'tis

bitter cold,

sick at heart.

Have you had

Ber.

much thanks

[acti.

quiet guard

Not a mouse

Fran.

lo

stirring.

Ber. Well, good night.

If

you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,

rivals of my watch, bid them make

The
Fran.

think

Stand, ho

hear them.

haste.

Who

is

there

Enter HORATIO and MARCELLUS.

Hor. Friends to

this

ground.

And

Mar.

liegemen to the Dane,

Fran. Give you good night.

O, farewell, honest soldier

Mar.

Who

hath relieved you

Bernardo has

Fran.

my

place.

Give you good night.

\Exit.

Mar.

Holla

Bernardo

Say,

Ber.

What,

is

Horatio there?

Hor.
Ber. Welcome, Horatio

Mar. What, has

14.

hot

Who

is]

this

(^,

i,

i6.
;

by

my

throne of

state

And make

thee rivall in those gov-

ernments."
(J/Vf] Ellipsis for

soldier] F, soiildiers (^.

20

has]

7.

Hora. Q.

13. rivals] partners, which is the

reading of Q I. Compare " rivality"
in Ant. atid Chop. III. v. 8, meaning
"partnership," and The Tragedy of

Hoff?nafi (i6t,i)
" ile seat thee

piece of him.

welcome, good Marcellus.

thing appear'd again to-night

who^s Y.

21. Mar.]

F, hath Q.

16.

" God give."

Compare Romeo and

Juliet,

I.

ii.

59.
19. A piece of him] Warburton
supposed that Horatio gives his hand
Ingleby,
night,
adds
and
it
is
Horatio is hardly visible to Bernardo.
Shakespeare's intention seems to be

to show that Horatio, the sceptical,

can answer jestingly.
21. Mar.] The agreement of Q i


PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]
Ber.

have seen nothing.

Mar. Horatio says

And

not

will

but our fantasy,

'tis

take hold of him

let belief

Touching

this

Therefore

dreaded sight, twice seen of us

With us to watch the minutes of this

That if again this apparition come,

He may

'twill

down awhile

Sit

30

are so fortified against our story.

What we two

nights have seen.

Hor.

Well,

And

us once again assail your ears.

let

That

it.

not appear,

Ber.

And

25

night,

approve our eyes and speak to

Hor. Tush, tush,

have entreated him along

we down.

sit

us hear Bernardo speak of this,

let

Ber. Last night of

all,

3 5

When yond same

star

that

's

westward from the

pole

Had made his course to illume that part of heaven

Where now it burns, Marcellus and myself.
The

then beating one,

bell

Enter Ghost,

Mar. Peace

26, 27. along

break

again

thee

off;

comma

after

look,

where

40

With us

to]

with Ff in assigning this speech

to Marcellus is strong against the
Quartos, which assign it to Horatio,
" Thing " need not imply doubt or
V. 122,

Aufidius, Coriolanus, iv.

addresses Coriolanus as "Thou

33. iwo

along Q, after us F.

nights have] F, have two nights Q.

39. beating'] totaling
Ghost] Q ; Enter the Ghost after off, line 40, F.

disrespect.

comes

it

I.

Enter

"This thing" may

noble thing!"
be uttered with awe by Marcellus, or
with an air of incredulity by Horatio.
29 approve] corroborate, justify, as
in Ant. and Cleop. I. i. 60: "he approves the common liar."

HAMLET

same

In the

Ber.

figure, like the

[acti.

king that

's

dead.

Mar. Thou art a scholar; speak to it, Horatio.

Ber. Looks it not like the king? mark it, Horatio.
Hor. Most like it harrows me with fear and wonder.
;

Ber.

It

would be spoke

to.

Mar.

Question

What

Hor.

Together with that

45

Horatio.

and warlike form

fair

In which the majesty of buried

Did sometimes march

speak

Mar.

it,

art thou that usurp'st this time of night,

Denmark

by heaven

charge thee,

offended.

It is

Ber.

See,

Hor. Stay

speak, speak

it
I

stalks away.

50

charge thee, speak

{Exit Ghost.

Mar.

and

'Tis gone,

How

Ber.

Is

will

now, Horatio

not answer.

you tremble and look pale

not this something more than fantasy

What

think you on

Hor. Before

my

God,

't ?

5 5

might not

this believe

Without the sensible and true avouch

Of mine own

eyes.

Mar.
ar\.

Is

figure, '\Y, no

comma

it

not like the king?

44. !iarrows\}iorrors

Q.

i.

45.

Qiies-

fion\ F, Speake to Q.
42. ^r//^/;-] Latin

of exorcisms.
and Fletcher,

Reed
Night

was the language

cites Beaumont

IValke?; II. i
"Let's call the butler up, for he
speaks Latin,
And that would daunt the devil."
44.

harro'ws'\

Compare

I.

v.

16;

and Milton, Co/nus, 565, "Amazed I

stood, harrow'd with grief and fear."

Boswell's
45. Compare
fohnsoti (ed. Birkbeck Hill,

Life of
307)

iii.

once observed to me,

'Tom Tyers described me the best:
"Sir (said he) you are like a ghost
you never speak till you are spoken
to."'"

"Johnson

49. sometimes'] someiivne, formerly,

Henry VIII. Ii. iv. 181.

as in

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. i]

As thou

Hor.

art to thyself:

Such was the very armour he had on

he the ambitious Norway combated

When

So frown'd he

He

60
;

once, when, in an angry parle.

smote the sledded Polacks on the

ice.

'Tis strange.

Thus

A'lar.

twice

and

before,

jump

at

dead

this

hour,

With

65

martial stalk hath he gone by our watch:

what

Hor. In

thought

particular

work

to

know

not
But, in the gross and scope of

my

opinion.

This bodes some strange eruption to our

Mar. Good

now,

and

down,

sit

state.

me,

tell

he

that

knows,

Why

70
and most observant watch

same
So nightly toils the subject of the
this

strict

land,

And why such daily cast of brazen cannon,

And foreign mart for implements of war
shaded C)
Polax F 3

Polacks^ Mai., pollax

Pole-axe F 4 ; Polack
Pope and other editors (meaning the King of Poland).
65. juinp\ Q i,
68. r/iy'] V,
66. /la^A he gone by\ he passed through
i.
(2; jusf F.
why]
F,
with
mine Q.
73.
Q.
he\ omitted in F.

61.

I,

Qq

2, 3,

63. sledded'] Y,

Pollax Ff

i,

2,

Qq

5,

60. Furness asks, "Was this the

very armour that he wore thirty years
before, on the day Hamlet was born

How old was

i.
155-176)?
Horatio?" But the armour would be
remembered and be pointed out, when
worn later.
62. parle"] parley.
King John, II.
205: " this gentle parle."
(see V.

or

63. sledded Polacks] Poles in sleds

sledges.
See Polack in II. ii.

The Earl

and
of
23.
Rochester, 1761, explained steaded
as loaded with lead, and Polacks as
75,

IV.

iv.

Boswell suggested that a

person who carried the pole-axe was
meant.
"Sled" for sledge is found
in
Colgrave's P'rench Dutioiiary.
Schmidt, reading " pollax," explains
sledded " as having a sled or sledge,
i.e. a heavy hammer.
pole-axe.

'

'

65.

/ww/]

See

just, exactly.

V.

ii.

386.
70. Good now,] Please you, as in
Winter's Tale, v. i. 19 ;
I
places
a comma after "good," connecting
"now" with "sit down."

73. subject] subjects, as in

I.

ii.

33.

HAMLET

Why

such

impress

of

[acti.

whose

shipwrights,

sore

task

Does not divide the Sunday from the week

What might be toward, that this sweaty haste
Doth make the night joint - labourer with the
;

day;

Who

is 't

that can inform

me ?
That can

Hor.

At

least the

whisper goes

Whose image even

but

so.

now

Our

8o

last king,

appear'd to

us.

you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,

Thereto prick'd on by a most emulate pride.
Dared to the combat; in which our valiant

Was,

as

Hamlet
For so

this

side

known world esteem'd

of our

him
85
Did slay this Fortinbras who, by a seal'd compact
Well ratified by law and heraldry.
Did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands
;

Which he stood

seized

of,

to the conqueror

Against the which, a moiety competent

Was
To

gaged by our king

89.

ofl Q, on F.

75. impress'] impressment, as

Troihis a7id Cressida, 11. i. 107.

toward] imminent, as

376.
83. emulate]

where

which had return'd

the inheritance of Fortinbras,

88. those\ F, these Q.

77'

90

emulous

in

not

v.

in

ii.

else-

in Shakespeare.

86. compact] Always accented by

Shakespeare on the last syllable, with
one exception 1 Henry VI. v. iv. 163
:

(Clar. Press).

87.

91.

return d] F, returne Q.
Part of

heraldry']

herald's

duty was to regulate the forms connected with a challenge and combat
of state importance.
89. seized
legal

term

possessed

of]

still

of

the

in use.

moiety] a portion, not neces1 Henry I'F. in. i. 96

equals not one of
"my moiety
yours."
90.

sarily a half.


PRIXCE OF DENMARK

sc. i]

by the same covenant

Had
And

carriage of the article design'd,

His

fell

he been vanquisher

Now,

Hamlet.

to

as,

sir,

young

Fortin-

95

bras,

Of unimproved
Hath

mettle hot and

in the skirts of

Shark'd up a

list

For food and

diet, to

And

some enterprise
in

't

which

is

no other

to recover of us,

by strong hand

terms compulsative, those foresaid lands

So by

And

his father lost.

this, I

take

it,

the main motive of our preparations,

Is

oo

doth well appear unto our state

it

But

here and there

of lawless resolutes.

That hath a stomach

As

Norway

full.

The source of this our watch and

Of this post-haste and romage in

105

the chief head

the land.

6 and many editors,

Counant F, coinart Qq 2-5, co-mart
of 1676 reads compact.
94. article design'd] Ff 2, 3,4; article desseigne
Qq 2, 3 ; articles deseigne
5 ; Article designe F I.
4 Articles desig7ie
Singer, ed. 2 ; Keightley.
98. list]
I
96. unimproved] inapproved
loi. As] Q, And F.
sight
I
lawless] Q, landlessc F and many editors.
and many editors.
103. compulsative] F, compulsatory
93. covenattt\

93. covenant] The " co-mart " of

the Qq, if not a misprint, is of Shakespeare's coinage, meaning joint bar-

gain.

but
gives also an appropriate sense
agrees with
2 in giving
here
i
" lawless."
98. resolutes] braves.

94. carriage] process, or import.

96. unimproved] Clar. I'ress explains as "untutored, not chastened

99. food and diet,] Paid only by

what they eat. Qq I, 2 have no comma
after "diet"; may the meaning be

by experience." " Improve" is found

in Chapman and Whitgift, meaning
reprove (see Nares' Glossary), and

"unimproved" may

possibly

mean

that the resolutes are to be the food

and diet of a devouring enterprise,

which has a stomach in it ("food for
powder"), with a play on "stomach"
second sense of stubborn resolu-

unrebuked or unimpeachcd.
98. Shark'd up] I'erhaps gathered

in its

or snatched
as a sharker or swindler
indiscriminately as a shark swallows
food.
"landless"
98. lawless] The F

107. romage] rummage, originally

a nautical term for the stowage of a
cargo (Skeat).

tion

HAMLET

10
Ber.

think

it

Well may

[act

sort that this portentous figure

it

That was and

mote

it

little

like the

king

palmy

state of

ere the mightiest Julius

stood

fell,

and

tenantless

sheeted

the

Did squeak and gibber

As

and dews of blood,

and the moist

doomsday with

even the like precurse of

harbingers preceding
I think

4 {fearce),feare
109. sort\ suit,

Q,y^arV
as in

streets:

star,

influence Neptune's empire stands.

sick almost to

108-125. Ber.

Roman

in the

stars with trains of fire

Disasters in the sun

Was
And

Rome,

dead

Upon whose

to trouble the mind's eye.

is

The graves

As

the question of these wars.

is

In the most high and

I.

be no other but e'en so

Comes armed through our watch, so

Hor.

still

eclipse:

120

fierce events.

the fates

ro!/nf>ymen]Q, omitted

in F.

I2I. fieyce\

Collier's conjecture.

Midsu/nmer

Night's Dream, V. 55, "not sorting

with a nuptial ceremony." Schmidt
supposes it may mean "fall out,"'
"have an issue," as in other passages
of Shakespeare.
112. motel The ?>toth of Q is only
an obsolete spelling of mote.
113. state']
Wilson (Christopher
North) pleads for "State" meaning

Reigning City.
15-120.] Plutarch describes the
prodigies preceding and following
Caisar's death
fires in the elements.
spirits running up and down in the
1

night, a pale sun, which gave little light

or heat.
Compare_/^///; Ccesar, l.iii.

Such prodigies are very impressively

described in Marlowe's Liiean's First
Booke translated, published in 1600.
117, 118.] Perhaps a line following

ii6 has been lost; it may have

mentioned prodigies in the heavens,
or may have told of warriors fighting
upon the clouds; in Julius Ccesar,
11.

ii.

we

read of such warriors

who

were "fiery," and from their encounters there " drizzled blood." Of
many attempted emendations none
is

Malone conjectured

satisfactory.

" Astres with

Disastrous dimm'd
the sun " ; astre or aster is found in
Florio's Jtal. Diet, under "Stella"
and in his translation of Montaigne.
New Eng. Diet, explains " disasters"
here as unfavourable aspects.
The
" moist star " is the moon governess
of floods; so in Winter's Tale, I. ii. I
" Nine changes of the watery star."
122. still] constantly, as in Tew" the still vex'd
pest, i.
ii.
229
.

Bermoothes."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

And

omen coming

prologue to the

11

on,

Have heaven and earth together demonstrated

Unto our climatures and countrymen.

125

Re-enter Ghost.
But, soft, behold
I

cross

'11

If

lo,

though

it,

it

where

comes again

it

blast me.

Stay, illusion

thou hast any sound, or use of voice,

me:
If there be any good thing to be done,
That may to thee do ease and grace to me,
Speak

Speak
If

to

'

30

me

to

thou art privy to thy country's

fate.

Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid,

O, speak

Or

if

135

thou hast uphoarded

Extorted treasure

For which, they

womb

in the

say,

thy

in

you

life

of earth,

walk

spirits oft

in death,

\The cock

Speak of
138.

}'oi('\

F,

it

your Q.

stay,

and speak

Stop

The cock crows] Q, omitted

crozvs.

Marcellus.

it,

in F.

and when the

crossed him swiftly
the ominous event,
123. oi>ieit'\
Farmer cites from Ileywood's Life of l)ewitched Earl came to the place
Merlin: "Merlin
liis country s
where he saw this man, he first fell
;

omen

did long since foretell."

in which
125. climatures'] regions
sense "climate" is commonly found,
Dyce reads clit/iature.
Clar. Press
inhahilants
suggests
the
of our

sick.

Opposite

stage

direction

regions.

ii.

ril cross it, though il blast

Blakeway cites from Lodge's

127.
nie]

Jllustratious of British History,

48, a story of I'erdinando, Karl

iii.

of

Derby (who died 1594): on Friday

a

tall

man

appeared,

who

twice

this
:

has the
spreads his

line (^

"It

armes."

See il. ii.

134. happily] haply.
408, and Measure for Measure, iv.

98 (Clar.

plains
writes:

it

Press).

Hudson

"fortunately."

ex-

Furness

" The structure of this solemn

appeal is almost identical with that

of a very different strain in As You
Like It, 11. iv. 33-42."

HAMLET

12

Mar. Shall
Hor. Do,

strike at

it

with

my

[act

partisan?

'Tis here

Hor.

'Tis here

gone

'Tis

We

do

To

offer

For

it

it is,

And

{Exit Ghost.

wrong, being so majestical,

show of violence

the

it

as the

air,

invulnerable,

145

our vain blows malicious mockery.

was about

Ber. It

Hor.

140

not stand.

if it will

Ber.

Mar.

I.

to speak

when

And then it started like a

Upon a fearful summons.

the cock crew.

guilty thing

have heard,

The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn,

Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat

150

Awake the god of day and, at his warning,

Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air,
The extravagant and erring spirit hies
;

To

his confine

and of the truth herein

5 5

This present object made probation.

Afar.

It

faded on the crowing of the cock.

Some

say that ever 'gainst that season comes

Wherein our Saviour's

The
140.

at']

bird of

birth

dawning singeth

is

celebrated,

all

night long;

F, omitted in Q.
150. mo>-n] Q, morning
160. The] Q i, F
T/u's Q.

say} Q, sayes F.

i,

day F.

160
158.

140. partisan] a kind of halbert or

pike.

151.

"shrill," qualifies
uplifted
the
unless

lofty] like

"sounding";

trumpet] Malone quotes from throat

crowing cock is
of
the
1
England's Parnassus, 1600
(in a
meant.
passage assigned to Drayton): "the
out
154. extravagant] wandering
cocke, the morning's
trumpeter." of bounds, vagrant.
Othello.
I.
i.
" Trumpet " for "trumpeter" occurs 137: "an extravagant and wheeling
in several passages of Shakespeare,
" Erring," straying.
stranger."
Henry F. iv. ii. 61
"I will the
1^6. prodation] proof, eis in Measure
banner from a trumpet take."
for Measure, v. 157.
50.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

And
The

they

then,

abroad

no

say,

walk

can

spirit

13

nights are wholesome

then no planets

strike.

No

nor

takes,

fairy

power

hath

witch

to

charm,

So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.

Hor. So have I heard and do in part believe it.
165
But look, the Morn, in russet mantle clad.
Walks o'er the dew of yon high eastern
hill;

Break we our watch up

and by

my

advice,

Let us impart what we have seen to-night

Unto young Hamlet;

This

spirit,

Do you
with

As

dumb

for,

upon

my

to us, will speak to him.

we

consent

him

acquaint

shall

it.

needful in our loves, fitting our duty

Mar. Let

170

life,

's

do

know
Where we

't,

pray

shall find

and

this

morning

him most conveniently.

175
[Exeunt.

163. takes] Q,
Q, dare walke Q i.
I, Q.
167. eastern] F, eastward Q.
convenient Q.

161. can walk'] F, dare sturre

164. the] F, that

talkes F.

175. conveniently]

i,

"stir" has not

161. walk] The
the special ghostly significance of
" walk," which is frequent in Shakespeare, e.g. Winter's Tale, v. i. 63
" were I the ghost that walk'd."
162. strike]
blast,
especially
of
planetary influence.
Coriolaniis, 11.
ii. 117: "struck Corioli like a planet."
Fumess quotes Florio's Z'/V/. : ^* As:

siderare: to blast or strike with

planet, to be taken."

with malignant
163.
influence.
Merry Wives, IV. iv. 32
(of
the Hunter)
takes]

Heme
"And there

affects

he blasts the tree and

takes the cattle."

So
166.

"taking airs"

in

Lear,

11.

iv.

HAMLET

14

SCENE

II.

[act

of State

Roo7?i

i.

in the Castle.

King, Queen, Hamlet, Polonius,

Voltimand, Cornelius, Lords, and

Efiter the

Flourish.

Laertes,
Attendants.

King. Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death

The memory be

green,

and that

it

us befitted

To bear our hearts in grief and our whole

dom
To be contracted in one brow of woe.
Yet so

far

king-

hath discretion fought with nature

That we with wisest sorrow think on him,

Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime

sister,

now our

queen.

The imperial jointress of this warlike state.

Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy,
10
With one auspicious and one dropping eye.
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,

Taken to wife nor have we herein barr'd

Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along for all, our thanks.
:

Flourish] Q,

omitted

the stage direction here is Malone's.

after
as Polonius " ; F names Ophelia as
8. sometvne'] Q, sotne times F.
li. one
9. of^^ Y, to Q^,
;

" Gertrad the Queene " has " Counsaile

present.
one] , ail
.
.
,
9. Jointress]

dowager.
sessor.

...

Hudson

a Q.

Schmidt explains as
Press:

Clar.
:

posjoint
heiress
" the Poet

herein follows the history, which

represents the former King to have
come to his throne by marriage."
10. defeated] disfigured, marred, as

in Othello, I. iii. 346

or destroyed,
undone, as in Othello, IV. ii. 160:
"his unkindness may defeat my
;

life."

notes
the
same
11.] Steevens
thought in IVinfe/'s Tale, V. ii. 80.
Grant White reads " drooping."


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Now

you know

follows that

young

15

Fortinbras,

Holding a weak supposal of our worth,

Or thinking by our late dear brother's death
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with the dream of his advantage,

He

hath not

20

to pester us with message,

fail'd

Importing the surrender of those lands

Lost by his

To

bonds of law.

father, with all

So much

our most valiant brother.

Now

for ourself

Thus much

and

the business

is

for him.

25

time of meeting:-

for this

we have

here writ

To Norway,

uncle of young Fortinbras,

Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose, to suppress

His further gait herein

The

lists

Out

of his subject

and

full

proportions, are
:

30

in that the levies,

made

all

and we here dispatch

You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,

For bearers of

Norway,

this greeting to old

35

Giving to you no further personal power

To
17.

know:

follows F.
editors.

more than the scope

business with the king

yoinig]
21.

Walker; no comma

the']

25.] Enter

meeting, Q, meeting F.

F,

this

Q.

24.

Q,

after kiiozv

bands

F,

bonds']

comma

after

and many

Voltemand and Cornelius F.

26. meeting:]
For bearing F.
35. For bearers] Q i, Q

4,

17, that you know,] that which

you know.
The pointing is that
suggested by S. Walker
commonly
with commas after "follows" and
" know."
21. Colleagued] Theobald suggested
"collogued," flattered, cajoled. The
"supposal," line 18, is colleagued,
;

united, with the "dream."

21. his advantage] his superiority
to us.

22. pester]

crowding,

as

annoy and especially by

Coriolaniis,

in

7 : " Dissentious
streets."

iv.

vi.

numbers pestering

23. Ifnportittg] having for import ;

not, as Abbott explains, importuning,
See Othello, 11. ii. 3.
t^z.

as in

proportions]

number

Henry

ii.

V.

proportions for
collected."

of troops,

"let our
304
these wars be soon
\.

HAMLET

16

Of

let

that

In

Vol.

your haste

and

commend your

things

all

duty.

we show our

will

40

duty.

We

King.

i.

these delated articles allow.

Farewell, and
Cor.^

[act

doubt

it

nothing

heartily farewell.

\Exeunt Voltiniand and Cornelius.

And
You

now, Laertes, what

told us of

some

You cannot speak

And

your

lose

suit

's

the news with you

what

is

Laertes

't,

of reason to the Dane,

voice

what would'st thou beg,

Laertes,

That

45

shall not

my

be

not thy asking

offer,

The head is not more native to

The hand more instrumental to
Than is the throne of Denmark

What

the heart,
the mouth,
to thy father.

would'st thou have, Laertes

my

Dread

Laer.

Your

50

lord,

leave and favour to return to France,

From whence though

willingly

came

Den-

to

mark,

To show my duty
Yet now,

My

must

thoughts

in

your coronation,

duty done.

confess, that

and

bend

wishes

again

toward

France

5 5

38. ddaied] Q, dilated Y, related Q i.

to]Q,F
Exeunt] P\ omitted Q.
49. is
editors.
50. Dread mj>] F, Afy dread Q.
.

38. delated] Perhaps a different

speUing of the F "dilated," meaning expressed at large.
But it may
mean conveyed, carried, as in Bacon,
"
Natural History:
the time wherein

sound
of light

is
is

delated

an instant."

the

delation

Cor., Vol.] Q, Volt. F.

;

to

55.

is

41.

Warburton and other

toward] Q, towards F.

47. native] cognate, connected by

nature or birth, as in All's Well, i.
i.

238: "

To

join like likes,

and

kiss

like native things."

53. -(?;wm/z^] In Q I Laertes asks

permission to leave "Now that the
funerall rites are all performed."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

And bow them

King. Have

you

Polonius

17

your gracious leave and pardon.

to

your

leave

father's

What

He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow

By laboursome petition, and at last
Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent

Pol.

do beseech you, give him leave

King. Take thy

And

my

But now,
King.

fair

hour, Laertes

thy best graces spend

Hani. [Aside.]

How

Ham. Not

says

leave

60

to go.

time be thine.

at thy will

it

cousin Hamlet, and

my

son,

A little more than kin, and less than kind.

is it

that the clouds

my

so,

lord

am

still

too

hang on you

much

i'

65

the sun.

Polonius .'] Q, two lines F.

.
58. He hai/i] F, Hath Q.
57. Have
consent\ Q, omitted in F.
i.
64.
58-60. wrung
64.] Exit
son'\ Sonne Q, sonne ? , son
Rowe.
65. [Aside]] added by Theobald.
z' ike sun] Capell, z" t/i' Sun Y, in ike sonne Q.
67. so^ F, so muck
;
.

56. pardon'] permission to depart, as

in III.

332.
64. cousin]
parent, child,
ii.

kinsman (exclusive of
brother, and sister);

used elsewhere in Shakespeare

uncle, niece, grandchild.

for

be doubted
65.] It can hardly
Hamlet's first word is
that this
spoken aside. Does it refer to the
King or to himself? If to himself, it
may mean a little more than a kinsman (for I am, incestuously, a stepson), and less than kind, for I hate
the King.
So Malone. Knight says
"little of the same nature" with

Claudius.
More probably it refers
to the King, meaning My step-father
(more than cousin), but in less than a
natural relation.
Compare il. ii.
619: "lecherous, kindless (i.e. unnatural)
villain."
To "go" or
"grow out of kind" is found in
Baret's
Alvearie
and Cotgrave's
:

French

Diet.,

meaning

to

degen-

or dishonour kindred.
The
play upon kin or kindred and kind
or kindly is found in Gorboduc, in
l^yWs Mother Boinbie,2LX\dmKo\\\e.y's
crate

for Money. "Kind"

"nature" occurs several times

Search

for
in

Shakespeare,
67. /'/// j/^m.] Hamlet's delight in

ambiguous and double meanings

makes it probable that a play is intended on "sun" and "son." He
is too much in the sunshine of the
and too much in the relation
of son son to a dead father, son to
an incestuous mother, son to an unclefather.
It was suggested by Johnson
the
that there is an allusion
to
proverbial expression (see Lear, n.
ii.
168): "Out of heaven's blessing
into the warm sun," which means to
be out of house and home ; Hamlet
Schmidt
is deprived of the throne.
lakes it to mean merely, " I am more
idle and careless than I ought to be."

court,

HAMLET

18

Good Hamlet,

Queen.

[act

cast thy nighted colour

i.

off,

And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.

Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
70
Seek

for

thy noble father

Thou know'st

dust

in the

common

'tis

all

that lives must die,

Passing through nature to eternity.

Ham, Ay, madam,

it is

common.

Queen.

If

Why

seems

so particular with thee?

it

Ham. Seems, madam

'Tis not alone

be,

it

my

nay,

it is

know

75

not

"

seems."

inky cloak, good mother.

Nor customary suits of solemn black.

Nor windy suspiration of forced breath.
No, nor the

Nor

fruitful river in

80

the eye,

the dejected haviour of the visage.

Together with

all

forms, modes, shows of grief,

That can denote me

truly

these indeed " seem,"

For they are actions that a man might play

But

have that within which passeth show

These but the trappings and the

sweet

King. 'Tis

and

85

suits of woe.

commendable

in

your

nature,

Hamlet,
68. nighted]
3, 4.

Ff

2, 3,

veyled Ff I, 2; veiled Ff
70. vailed] Q
Q, nightly F.
lives] Q, F ; live
;] Theobald, com/non, , common Q.
editors.
coold mother Qq 2, 3
77- good mother] F
;

common
4 and many
72.

modes] Q 1695, Capell

tnoodes Q; Moods F
and many editors, shows] F ; chapes Qq 2, 3 ; shapes Qq 4-6.
83. denote]
passeth]
passes
F,
denote
85.
F,
6 ;
87.] Q, two lines F.
Q.
Q.

could smother

Qc]^

^-6.

82.

So in Lear,
his nighted life " (of the

68. nighted] black.

IV. V. 13:

"

blind Gloster).
69. Denmark]\!a&
way " in line 28.

70. vailed] cast

King

down.

so " Nor-

Merchant

of Venice, i. i. 28: "Vailing her

high-top lower than her ribs."

82.

modes]

"Moods"

may

be

right.

82. shows] The "show" of line 85,

as Furness observes, is an intentional
and emphatic repetition of the
"shows" of this line.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
To

give these

mourning duties

That father
bound
In

filial

To do

his

lost

lost,

obsequious sorrow

It

shows a

heart unfortified, a

a course

is

unmanly

'tis

most incorrect

will

95

mind impatient.
is

as

common

the most vulgar thing to sense.

Why

should we

Take

it

Is

grief;

to heaven,

understanding simple and unschool'd

As any

survivor

but to persever

For what we know must be and

the

90

Of impious stubbornness;

To

your father
lost a father,

and

19

some term

obligation for

In obstinate condolement

An

to

you must know, your father

But,

in

to heart

our peevish opposition

Fie

'tis

00

a fault to heaven,

fault against the dead, a fault to nature.

reason most absurd, whose

death of fathers, and

From
"

the

first

corse

This must be

so."

till

who

common theme
hath cried,

still

he that died to-day,

We

105

pray you, throw to earth

This unprevailing woe, and think of us

As of a father for let the world take note,

You are the most immediate to our throne
;

And

with no less nobility of love

90. lost, lost] dead, lost Q i.

prevailing] unavailing, Hanmer.

96.

92. obsequious] Suitable to obsequies, as in Titus Aiidronicus, V.

iii.
152: "obsequious tears." See
also Sontuts, xxxi. 5.
92. persever] Always accented by
Shakespeare on the second syllable
(Clar. Press).

107. unprevailing] unavailing.

So

tniiid] F,

i i

or mindc Q.

107.

tin-

"prevail" in Koiiico and Juliet, iii.

60.
Drydcn, Essay on Dramatic

iii.

Poetry. "
self of the

109.

Me may

immediate]

Denmark was
65

but

often prevail him-

same advantages."

The

elective

Hamlet was

successor to Claudius.

the

throne

of

see v.

ii.

probable

HAMLET

20

[acti.

Than

that which dearest father bears his son

Do

impart toward you.

For your intent

In going back to school in Wittenberg,

most retrograde

It is

And we
Here

Our

to our desire

beseech you, bend you to remain

1 1

cheer and comfort of our eye,

in the

and our son.

chiefest courtier, cousin,

Queen. Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet:

I

pray thee, stay with us

Ham.

King.

Why,

Be

shall in all
'tis

my

and a
Denmark.

a loving

as ourself in

go not to Wittenberg.

best obey you,

fair

madam.

20

25

reply

Madam, come

This gentle and unforced accord of Hamlet

Sits smiling to

No jocund

my

heart

health that

grace whereof.

in

Denmark

drinks to-day,

But the great cannon to the clouds

And

shall

tell.

the king's rouse the heavens shall bruit again,

112. toward^ Q, towards F.

pray thee] Q, pry thee] F.

119.

113.

Wittenberg]

iti

120.] Q,

two

to

Wittenberg,

lines F.

Qq

4, 5.

127. heavens]

F, heaven Q.

impart] The verb has no obperhaps it is a confused construction

possibly it is a
case
of the absorption of "it" by the
"t" of "impart." To obtain an
object Badham suggests the reading
"nobility no less" in line no. Johnson explains " impart " as impart
112.

ject

myself.

Wittenberg] The university

Luther had
in 1502
made it famous. In The Tragedy of
Hoffman (1602), the foolish lerom
says, "I am not foole, I have bin
to Wittenberg, where wit growes."
Shakespeare may have heard of it in
113.

was founded

Marlowe's Doctor Faiistus, and in

Nash's Life of lacke Wilton, 1594.
It

must be remembered that

for

Ham-

Wittenberg was a foreign univerwhich he might go at any age,

after his earlier education had been
let

sity, to

completed.
114.
in

retrograde] Prof. Hales notes

Chapman's May-Day

(vol.

ii.

p.

373, ed. 1873): "Be not retrograde

to our desires."
Originally an astrological term.
See Atfs Well, i.
i.

212.
127. rouse] bumper, as in I. iv. 8,
Othello, \\. iii. 66; Swedish ras,

and

Dekker, in The G til's

Procemium, enumerating
national drinking customs, mentions
"the Danish Rowsa."
127. bruit] noise abroad, as in
Macbeth, V. vii. 22.
drunkenness.

iyi5';--.6'(7^X't',

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Come

Re-speaking earthly thunder.

Exeunt

\^Flourish.

Hani.

Or

resolve itself into a

away.

all but

Hamlet.

would melt,

that this too too soHd flesh

Thaw and

21

dew

130

that the Everlasting had not fix'd

O God

His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!

How

weary,

Seem

me

to

Fie on

't

it

fie

That

merely.

God!

things rank and gross

an unweeded garden

'tis

to seed

and unprofitable

the uses of this world

all

That grows
Possess

stale, flat,

But two months dead

it

35

in Yiature

should come to this

nay, not so much, not two

So excellent a king that was, to this,

Hyperion to a satyr so loving to my mother 140
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
;

Flourish] Q, omitled F.
132. O God!

129. solid\

conject.

SeemesY.
come

135.

to this /]

129. too

Ofie!\ ah fie

(^l;

too]

Intensive
b}^

some

reduplica-

editors.

Com-

pare 'J'wo Gentlemen of Verona,

il.

205.
129. W/VjT] .W/V/ and wf// are found
in conjunction, as here, in 2 Henry
IV. III. i. 48. The sallied of
and
is defended by Dr.
Furnivall,
I
who cites Cotgrave's French Diet.
saillie,
a sallie, eruption,
violent
issue; also assaille, assaulted, assayled.
If we were to icta.in sallied,
I should explain it as sullied, comparing 11. i. 39, where Y reads sullyes
sallies
and
and, seeing that
1
has here "this too much griev'd
iv.

and

sallied

flesh,"

we have some
may be

reason to think that sullied

right.

130. resolve] Caldecott cites Baret's

thaw or resolve that

Atvearie:

F;

sallied

God,

Q;

I,

God Q.

Oh fie, fie Y

sullied

Anon,
Q,

134. Seem]

Oh fie Y 1 1,

a,.

137.

F, eoine thus Q.

hyphened

tion;

God!] F,

"To

Compare
which is frozen, regelo."
Timon, iv. iii. 442.
132. canon 'gainst self-slaughter']
So

also Cymbeline, III. iv. 77-So.

''Unless it be the sixth commandcanon must be one of
ment, the
'

'

natural religion" (Wordsworth, 6'//fl/rspearc's Knowledge and Use of the

Bible, p. 149).
137. merely] completely. Compare
are merely
Tempest, i. i. 59:

"We

cheated of our lives."

Gray,
Spenser,
140. Hyperion]
Keats, like Shakespeare, throw the
accent on the second syllable.
141. fe/etv/'/] permit ;" beteene" in
Ff i, 2. So Golding, Ovid's Metamorphoses (published 1587) :
" Yet could he not beteeme
The shape of any other bird then
eagle for to seeme."

HAMLET

22

[act

i.

Heaven and earth

remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on and yet, within a month
145
Visit her face too roughly.

Must

Let

me

not think

month

Httle

on^'t.

With which she

follow'd

Like Niobe,

tears

O God

all

My father's brother,
I

my

is

woman!

why

poor father's body,

she,

even she

salt of

longer,

married

but no more like

to Hercules.

Ere yet the

Had

name

a beast, that wants discourse of reason,

Would have mourn'd

Than

Frailty, thy

or ere those shoes were old

with

my

Within a month

most unrighteous

50

my uncle,

father

tears

the flushing in her galled eyes,

left

155

She married. O, most wicked speed, to post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets
!

It is

not nor

my

But break

cannot come to good

it

heart, for

143. woitld] F, should Q.

145.
147. shoes] Q, F ; shoivs Ingleby conj.
150. O God!] Q,
Heaven F.
151.
month, Q.
i ; in] Q,
155. the] their

147. or ere]

"ere"; so

"Or," an old form of

i83of this scene, "Or

in line

ever."
The reduplication is found in
several other passages.
150. discourse of reaso7i] discursive
power of reason.
Found several
times in Florio's Montaigne, 1 603.

Johnson's

ZJ/iYz'iJwa;

J defines i/nruwrj^:

" the act of the understanding by which

it
passes from premises to consequences." See IV. iv. 36, and 7>w7/

and

Cressida,

ii.

ii.

116.

153. //(?;-t/fj-] Perhaps a relic of the

histoiy of Amlethus in Saxo Graminaticus,

whose Hamlet

is

in

some

re-

spects the opposite of Shakespeare's

my

must hold

tongue

]
month, Q, month ? F.
149. evett she] F, omitted in Q.
wj]Q, muie F.
153, month?] F,

??ionth

o/Y.
Hamlet.
The closing words are:
"Hie Amlethi exitusfuit, qui si parem
atq.
fortunae
indulgentiam
expertus fuisset, cequasset fulgore superos,
lierculea
virtutibus
opera

naturae

transcendisset."
155. frisking] Hudson and Rolfe
explain this as redness.
Clar. Press:
" The verb flush is still used transitively, meaning, to fill with water."
'

157.

'

dexterity~\

adroitness.

Clar.

Press compares 1 Henry IV. -W. iv.

286.
159. break]
subjunctive, not an
imperative, and
heart is a subject,
not a vocative " (Corson).

"A
'

'

PRINCE OF DENMARK

23

Enter HORATio, Marcellus, and Bernardo.

sen]

Hor. Hail to your lordship

Ham.

Horatio,

or

am

glad to see you well

60

do forget myself.

Hor. The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever.

Ham. Sir, my good friend; I change that name with you
And what make you from Wittenberg, Horatio ?
'11

165

Marcellus?

My

Mar.
Ha7n.

good

am

lord,

very

Good

even,

But what,

Hor.

Ham.

glad

see

to

you.

\^To

Bernardo.']

sir.

in faith,

make you from Wittenberg?

truant disposition, good

my

lord.

would not hear your enemy say

so,

70

Nor shall you do mine ear that violence.

To make it truster of your own report
Against yourself; I know you are no truant.

Hor.

But what

is

We
My

Ham.

I
I

'11

your

came

to see your father's funeral.

pray thee, do not mock me, fellow-student

think

was

it

to see

my

F, nty

().

mother's wedding.

lord,] Rowe lord. (^,

171.
Q, have F.
172. fiiake] take PT 2-4.
175. lo drink deep] Q I, F
17S. see\ Q I, F;
l"]"]. pray thee]
F, pre thee Q.

165. Marcelltisl'] Capell, Marcellus.

167. sir^sirs

Q, Y.

i66.

170. hear\

I.

/or to drinke Q.
omitted Q.

160, 161.] Sir II. Irving, as Ilamdelivers " I

well "as a conventional greeting to unrecognised
intruders; Hamlet then looks up and
perceives his friend.
162. chafige that name] Exchange
let,

teach you to drink deep ere you depart.

lord,

F; lord? Cambridge.
ritine\

Elsinore

affair in

Johnson exthe name "friend."

plains: "I'll be your servant, you
shall

be

164.
ii.

280.

my

friend."

make you] do you,

as in

II.

"

HAMLET

24
Hor. Indeed,

Ham.

my

lord,

[act

follow'd hard upon.

it

Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral

Did coldly furnish

i.

baked-meats i8o

forth the marriage tables.

Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven

Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio
!

My father, methinks
O where, my lord

Hor.

my

see

father.

Ham,

In

Hor.

saw him once

Ham. He was

My

Hor.

lord,

My

Hor.

upon

think

Ham. Saw ? who

mind's eye, Horatio.

him

for all in

all,

his like again.

saw him yesternight.

190

lord, the

king your father,

The king my

Havi.

Hor. Season your admiration

With an

Upon

185

he was a goodly king.

a man, take

shall not look

my

attent ear,

till

father

for a while

may

deliver.

the witness of these gentlemen,

This marvel to you.

Ham.
183.

father,
185.

Saw?

For God's

180.
It

ever

My

I had] Q, Ere I had ever

Rowe,

My

195.

God's] Gods Q,

baked-meats'] pastry.

Collins

was anciently the general custom

cold entertainment to
a funeral.
In distant
counties this practice is continued
among the yeomanry.
182. dearest foe] Cla.r. Tresf^: "Dear
is used of whatever touches us nearly
either in love or hate, joy or sorrow."
In 1 Henry IV. iii. ii. 123, we find
" near'st and dearest enemy."
to

195

hear.

F, Ere ever I had Q i.

184.
father! Cambridge, O my father, my father, Q i.
wherel F, Where Q.
187. in a//,] in all Q, in all: F.
190.
who?} F ; Saw, zvho Q i, Q.
193. attent} Q, F; attentive Q I, (^q

Or

4-6, Ff 3, 4.

"

me

love, let

give

mourners

at

Heavens F.
187.

delivering

man,]
this

Edwin Booth,

in

speech, paused after

"man," giving it as if something

higher than " king."
ig2. Season your admiration] Temper your astonishment. Compare, for
"season,"' 11. i. 28, and for "admiration," in. ii. 342.
So in "MasThe A'ene^ado,
"Season your admiration."

singer's

iii.

iii.,

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Two

Hor.

25

nights together had these gentlemen,

Marcellus and Bernardo, on their watch,

In the dead vast

and middle of the

Been thus encounter'd

Armed

night.

a figure Hke your father.

200

at point exactly, cap-a-pe,

Appears before them, and with solemn march

Goes slow and

By

stately

their oppress'd

by them

thrice

and fear-surprised

Within

his truncheon's length

Almost

to jelly with the act of fear,

Stand dumb, and speak not

he walk'd

eyes,

whilst they, distill'd

205

'

me

This to

to him.

In dreadful secrecy impart they did

And

with them the third night kept the watch

Where, as they had

Form

of the

both

deliver'd,

thing,

word made

each

and

true

good,

The

2 10

apparition comes.

These hands are not more

knew your

father

like.

Ham.
Mar.

But where was

My

in time,

lord,

this

upon the platform where we watch'd.

ivast Qq 2-4, F
198. vasl'\ Q I, Qq 5, 6
waste Ff 2-4 and many editors
waist Malone, Steevens, Variorum.
200. Armed at /ohitl Q, Armed to
poynt Q I, Arm^d at all points F.
202. stately by thetn ; thrice'] (^,
;

: By them thrice
F.
distil fcf] Q,
204. his] F, this Qq 4-6.
bestiFd F I hestiird Y 2
be stilPd Ff 3, 4 ; bcchilPd Collier (MS.).
the act of] th'' effect of '^^xhwxX.'^w.
213. watch\i] F, zvatch Q.

stataly

198. vast] vacancy,

ness, as in Tempest, i.

of night."

" Waste

void,

empti-

327, "vast
" of Ff has the
ii.

.same sense.
Malone, supporting
" waist," quotes from Marston's Maicontent: "the immodest waist of
night."
200. at point exactly] Clar. Press
explains "at all points," and (juotes

Richard

II,

1.

iii.

2:

205.

'^Mar. Is Harry Hereford arm'd ?

Aum. Yea, at all points."
204. distill d]mG\\.e^. Dyce quotes
from Sylvester's Du Bartas "Melt
:

wax or snow."
probably named because of

thee, distill thee, turn to

Jelly
its

is

quivering,

like

the quivering of

fear,

205. act]
Othello, ni.

action, operation,
iii.

328.

as

in

"

HAMLET

26

Ham. Did you

not speak to

[act

it ?

My

Hor.

But answer made

none

it

It lifted

up

Itself to

motion, like as

it

i.

lord,

did

yet once methought 2

head and did address

it

would speak

But even then the morning cock crew loud,

And
And
Ham.
Hor. As

at the

sound

it

shrunk

in haste

away

vanish'd from our sight.

'Tis very strange.

do

live,

my

honour'd lord,

'tis

true

220

And we did think it writ down in our duty

To let you know of it.
Ham. Indeed, indeed, sirs, but this troubles me.
Hold you the watch to-night

We

Mar., Ber.

Ham. Arm'd,

say you

my

Arm'd,

my

From

Mar., Ber.

My

from head to

lord,

not his face

my

Ham. What,

look'd he frowningly

216.
2-4.

5, 6,

it\

i^s

Qq

Ff

3,

top to toe

foot.

Hor. O, yes,

lord

225

lord.

Ha7n.

Ham. Then saw you

lord.

Mar., Ber.

230.

do,

he wore his beaver up.

4;

/u's

I, F
224. Indeed, indeed]
What, look'd he] How look't he,

Did you] Actors commonly

emphasise "you"; Marcellus and
214.

Bernardo had been silent. Steevens

argues for emphasis on " speak."
216. it head] "The possessive zV
occurs fourteen times in the Folio (net
counting a doubtful case in Two Gent/emen of Verona, V. ii. 21), it's nine
times,and /Aonly once" (Rolfe). The
usual form of the possessive of it in
Elizabethan writers is his.

i.

230

221. honour'd] honourable Ff

228. face /*] Y,face. O.

Indeede Q.

i.

226. Anu'cP^ Refers, of course, to

the Ghost.
228. face?] The
face, may be
right, uttered with a tone of disappointed expectation,
229. beai'er] " In ihe i6th century
the beaver became confounded vvith
the visor, and could be pushed up
entirely over the top of the helmet,
pleasure
at
and drawn down

(Planche).

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

Hor.

Ham.

countenance more

Pale, or red

Hor. Nay, very

in

sorrow than

27

in anger.

pale.

And

Ham.

eyes upon you

fix'd his

Hor. Most constantly.

Ham.

would

Hor.

had been

there.

would have much amazed you.

It

Ham. Very

very

like,

Hor. While

one

Stay'd

like.

moderate

with

235

long

it

haste

might

tell

hundred.
Mar., Ber. Longer, longer.

Hor. Not when

saw

have seen

't.

Ham.
Hor.

His beard was grizzled

was, as

It

it

in his

Perchance

'twill

will

watch to-night

walk again.

Hor.

warrant

240

sable silver'd.

Hain.

Ha7n.

no?

life,

it

'11

speak to

And
If

my

assume

If

bid

me

it,

though

hold

my

hell itself

peace.

it

And

be tenable

in

should gape

pray you

you have hitherto conceal'd

Let

it will.

noble father's person,

all,

245

this sight,

your silence

still

whatsoever else shall hap to-night

F

Pale or Qq 4-6.
236. Very like, very like]
I,
239. grizzled i no?] grissFd, no. Q, grisly? no. F,
tio? Dyce.
grisly? i 2-0,, grizzled,
241. /will] Q, Jle V.
walk]
242.
Q,
wake F; warraul] Q 1, Q ; warrant you F.
247. tenable] Q i, Q ; treble F.
232. Pale, or] Q,

F;

Very

like

Q.

defended

236. like] likely.

244. gape] Staunton

suggests that
perhaps "gape" signifies yell, howl,
/^ar, rather than jaTfw or ci/f, citing

Henry VIII.

V. iv. 3.

248. tenable]

The "

treble " of

is

threefold

by Caldecott, meaning a
obligatidn of silence.
G.

Macdonaldsays,

"The

actor, in utter-

ing it, must point to each of the

three" witnesses. Clar. Press, "/rt-Z'/f,
a mere misprint."

HAMLET

28
Give
I

i.

an understanding, but no tongue

it

will requite

Upon

[act

your

So

loves.

you

fare

well

250

the platform, 'twixt eleven and twelve,

you.

I '11 visit

Our duty

All.

Ham. Your

loves, as

your honour.

to

mine to you

farewell,

\Exeunt Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo.

My
I

father's spirit in

doubt some

foul

arms

play:

all is

not well

would the night were

come!
Till

then

Though

255
sit still,

my

soul

deeds

foul

will rise,

the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.

all

\Exit.

SCENE

A Room

III.

in Polonius's House.

Enter LAERTES a?id OPHELIA.

Laer.

My
And,

necessaries are embark'd

farewell

as the winds give benefit

sister,

And convoy is assistant, do

But let me hear from you.

not sleep,

Do you

Oph.

doubt that

Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour,

i.
252. duty} duties
253. loves] Q, love F
250. yott] Q, ye F.
256. foul] F
254. arms /] F 4, armes ? Ff 1-3, {in amies) in parenthesis Q.
them in parenthesis
.
257. them, to] Pope included 77io'
fonde Q.
no comma after them in Q, F.

Scene
3.
5.

convoy

is assistant']

favour] Q, favours

F and many

editors.

Compare AlPs
Press).

3.

ill.

(semicolon after assistant), convay, in assistant Q.

255. doubt] suspect, fear.

S^-^^'^

"t-

convoy] means of

of ships of war.

conveyance.

Well, iv.

Perhaps

it

iv.

10 (Clar.

means an

escort

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. Ill]

Hold

it

a fashion, and a toy in blood,

violet in the

youth of primy nature,

Forward, not permanent, sweet, not

The perfume and suppliance

No

29

lasting.

of a minute

more.

No more

OpJi.

but so

Think

Laer.

no more

it

For nature crescent does not grow alone

In thews and bulk

but, as this

temple waxes,_

The inward service of the mind and soul

Grows wide withal.
Perhaps he loves you
now
And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
The virtue of his will but you must fear.
His greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own

For he himself

He may
Carve

not, as

is

subject to his birth

unvalued persons do,

for himself, for

on

his choice

depends

20

8. Fonnard] Q, Ff 3, 4 ; Froward Y ; sweet, not'\ tho

sweet, not Rowe,
swict, but not Capell.
9. perfume and] Q, omitted F.
10. so ?] Rowe,
so. Q, F.
12. 6ulA] V, du/iesQ ; tA/'s] Q, /us F.
16. wii'/] Q,/eare F.
18.] Omitted in Q.
20. Cai-ve] Crave Qq 4-6.

6.

fashion, and a toy in h/oO(i] a

of youth, that he should serve
and a play of amorous

13.

in
senuLel Suggested,
religious
of
service,

mode

sense

"temple."

mistress,

temperament.
7.

8.

9.

speaker

the

"sweet," as if
ing, and pauses

to

is

ne-

on
mean-

dwells

draw out

its

slightly.

Mason explains " an

fill
up a vacant mo-

J7c////a;/a']

amusement

to

by

Used by
15.
Shakespeare only here and in A
Lover^s Complaint, 303. Cotgrave's
/"Viewt/i Z'/dV'. gives " Cautelle, a wile,
cautel] craft, deceit.

primy] of the spring-time.

No metrical emendation

cessary

tlic

ment."
10. so?] Corson prefers the "so."
of (2, F; Ophelia does not question
but submits.

cautell, deceit."

20. Carve for himself]

Rushton
quotes from Swinburn's Treatise on
IVills, 1590: "it is not lawful for
legataries to carve for themselves,
taking their legacies at their own

pleasure."

HAMLET

30

[act

The

safety and health of this whole state

And

therefore

must

his choice

be circumscribed

Unto the voice and yielding of that body

Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he
If fits your wisdom so far to believe it

As he

May

loves you,

25

and place

in his particular act

give his saying deed

i.

which

no further

is

Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.

Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain,
If with too credent ear

Or

lose

To

his

you

his songs,

list

unmaster'd importunity.

my

Fear

it,

And

keep you

Out
The

of the shot and danger of desire.

If

Ophelia, fear

she

it,

dear

sister,

in the rear of your affection.

maid

chariest

Virtue

30

your heart, or your chaste treasure open

is

unmask her beauty

itself 'scapes

35

prodigal enough

moon

to the

not calumnious strokes

The canker galls the infants of the spring

Too oft before their buttons be disclosed,
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth
21. safety\ Q, sanctity
conj.); health'] the health
26. particular act

F and many

editors,

in] Q, keepe witfiin F.

40. their] Q, the F.

39. infants]

21. safety] "Sanity," as conjeetured by Theoliald, may be right.

Safety is a trisyllable in Spenser's

" Where he
Fcurie Queene,V. if, ifi
himself did rest in safety "; but in line
43 of this scene it has the usual
pronunciation, and so elsewhere in
Shakespeare.
26. particular act andplace]'Ediio\s
make new readings by various com:

Hanmer (Theobald

sanity

Warburton and many editors;

and place] Q, peculiar

and force

Sect

Qq

2, 3,

" pecuhar
standing "
36.

this]

F.

infant

binations from

sect

40

Q, the F.

34.

keep

you

4-6, Ff 2-4.

Qq

and F. White reads

and place," under-

sect " as class, rank.

chariest]

reads " Th'

the least remeans entirely

Hudson

unchariest," that is
served. " Chariest "

modest.
39. canker] the canker-worm.
40. buttons]
in 7\vo

buds

(Fr.

Noble Kinsmen,

bouton), as

ill.

i.

6.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. Ill]

31

Contagious blastments are most imminent.

Be wary then
Youth to itself

best safety lies in fear

OpJi.

rebels,

though none

shall the effect of this

As watchman

Do

not, as

Show me

to

my

else near,

good lesson keep,

heart.

But, good

some ungracious pastors

the steep and thorny

way

my

45
brother.

do,
to heaven,

Whilst, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,

Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads

And

recks not his

own

rede.

Laer.

O, fear
stay too long

50

but here

my

me

not.

father comes.

Enter POLONIUS.

double blessing

is

a double grace

Occasion smiles upon a second leave.

Pol.

Yet

here, Laertes

The wind

sits in

Aboard, aboard,

for

the shoulder of your

shame

5 5

sail.

And you are stay'd for. There; my blessing with thee!

And these few precepts in thy memory
Look thou

Give thy thoughts no tongue,

character.

watchiucn C^q 4-6, F.

46. watchman'X
49. Whilst^ F, Whiles Q,
Enter Polwhich omits like.
51. redc\ Singer (cd. 2), reed Q^, reade F.
oititis] Capell, after reed Q. after >to/ F.
There ;] Theobald ; for,
57. /or.
there
you F.
I, (}; for there: F.
thee'\
i,
59. Look] Q, See F
;

and many
47.

ungraciou si gx3ice\e?,%. "Swearungracious boy?"

1 Henry
'

est thou,

IV. n.

iv.

editors.

490.

^q. pufTil] bloated.

Wives, V. V. 160.
50. primrose
beth, \\. iii. 21.

59. Parallels for several of these

precepts have been pointed out by
Rushton {Shakespeare s Euphuism p.

Sec Merry

path] Compare Mac-

rede] cares not for

51. recks . .
his own counsel.
Clar. I'ress cites
.

Hums, Epistle to a Vounj^ Friend:

" And may yc better reck the rede."

46) in Lyly'syS"/c//^wf, and by Hunter

Lord Burghley's ten precepts for
his son Robert.
59. character] Shakespeare accents
the verb either, as here, on the second
syllable, or on the first, as in Sonnets,
in

c.Kxii. 2.

HAMLET

32

[acti.

Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.

60
Be thou famihar, but by no means vulgar
The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel,
But do not

Of each

palm with entertainment

dull thy

new-hatch'd,

unfledged

comrade.

ware

65

Of entrance
Bear

to a quarrel

that the opposed

't

Give every

man

but, being

may beware

in.

of thee.

thine ear, but few thy voice

Take each man's

censure, but reserve thy judgment.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

But not express'd

For the apparel

And

they

select

Those

and several

rade] F courage
F, thy Q.
74.

fancy;

rich,

proclaims the

oft

70

not gaudy;

man

i,

and generous, chief

in that.

them to]Cl i, F ; /hem untoCl ; hoops']

65. new-hatch'd] Q, unhatch't F ; com68. thine]
67. opposed] Q, F opposcr Qq 4-6.
that] Rowe, followed by many editors ; Are
.

Q.

d^.

editors.

Q I, Q.

in

France of the best rank and station

in

Are most
62. The^^
hooks, Fope

Be-

Arc
and gencrall
.

chicfe in that
i ;
Or of a most select and
of a most select
generous, chiefe in that : Qq 2, 3
Ar of a most select and generous, chcefe in
that :
4 Are of a most select and generous, chiefe in that : Qq 5, 6 ; Are
.

a most

select

and generous

61. vulgar] common; be easy in

your manners but do not make yourself cheap.

63. hoops] Clar. Press remarks in

opposition to Pope's hooks: " grappling with hooks is the act of an
enemy and not of a friend."
65. ccwrart'i?] Accented on the second
syllable, as in
ihe.

ij%;;;j/K

courage oi

(^

be

right,

See note below.

cheff iii that, Ff.

IV.
it

i.

96.

If

must be

69. censure]o\t\\\iox\, z.%\w Macbeth,

" our just censures."
74. Are . . . that] If we read
"Are of a most select and generous
chief in that," c/^ze/ may be taken to
V. iv. 14:

mean

eminotce, as in Ilorman (quoted

Eng. Diet.), " He wanne the
the chieffe at every game." If we read
as here, f/^z'^/means chiefly. TheCambridge editors suggest that "chiefe"
and "of" in the margin of the MS.
"
"
in

New

understood as bravery, frequent in our

old drama in the sense of a gallant,
Examples of courage used of a person
are cited in New Eng. Diet, from

were meant as alternatives for best

and "in," line 73, and got by mistake

Hoby

White's

(1561) and

W. Browne

(1647).

into line 74.

They, therefore, favour

"Are most

select

and gener-

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.iii.]

33

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;

For loan

And

oft loses

75

friend,

to thine

own

self

be true,

follow, as the night the day,

canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell

Pol.

all

must

it

Thou
Laer.

and

itself

borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

This above

And

both

my

80

blessing season this in thee

Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord.

The time invites you go, your servants tend.
;

Laer. Farewell, Ophelia, and remember well

What

have said to you.

Oph.

my memory

'Tis in

And you

yourself shall keep the key of

it.

Laer. Farewell.
Pol.
OpJi.

What

is

't,

So please

85

lock'd,

\Exit.

Ophelia, he hath said to you

you,

something

touching

the

Lord

Hamlet.
Pol.

Marry, well bethought

'Tis told

90

me, he hath very

oft of late

77. dulls the edge\ F, dulleth edge Q,

75. lender fe] F, Under boy Q.
dulleth the edge Qq 4, 5.
83. invites'] F, inuests Q.

ous in that." Staunton, reading " of a

most," suggests sheaf, meaning class
or set, for which lie (|uotes examples
from Jonson's plays. Malonc, noting
the heraldic meaning of </!?/', the upper
third part of the shield, explains
"approve themselves to be of a most

and

generous escutcheon by
their dress."
Steevens conjectures
"Select and generous, are most choice

select

Spence {Notes and Queries,

1875) proposes "Are, of a most, select
and generous, chief in that "(<?/" a w/oj-^
meaning mostly). Collier (MS.) reads:
"Are of a most select and generous
choice in that."
throw out the
I
suggestion that we may retain Or from
in that."

Q, and emend and, reading "Or of a

most select, arc generous chief in
that"
J'olonius adding to " best rank
and station " those who, though not

"best," are yet of a select

of the
rank.
77.
bcth,

husbandry']
11.

i.

as in

thrift,

Mac-

4.

81. season] Singer

quotes

I^arct's

To season
to temper
wisely, to make more pleasant and
acceptable."
Schmidt explains it
" mature, ripen." Clar. Press coin^?iX&% Merchant of Venice, V. i. 107.
83. invites] Theobald follows Q
" be.sieges,
invests,
explaining
it
presses upon you on every side."
Alvearic:

^''

HAMLET

34

[act

i.

Given private time to you, and you yourself

Have

of your audience been most free and boun-

teous
If

be so

it

And

Pol. Affection

Unsifted

Do you
I

way

in

pooh

Which

I '11

my

must

like a

you

what

lord,

teach you

tell

you,

95

green

00

girl,

call

them

should think.

think yourself a baby,

105

ta'en these tenders for true pay,

are not

dearly

Tender yourself more

sterling.

Or not
Running

My

you speak

believe his tenders, as

That you have

Oph.

put on me,

'tis

of caution

such perilous circumstance.

do not know,

Marry,

Pol.

as so

You do not understand yourself so clearly

As it behoves my daughter and your honour.
What is between you ? give me up the truth.
He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders
Of his affection to me.

Oph.

Oph.

that in

to crack the
it

lord,

thus

he hath

wind of the poor phrase.

me a fool.
importuned me with love
you

'11

tender

10

In honourable fashion.
105. / 7/] F, / will Q.
106. these] Q, his F.
109. Running]
Collier conj., Dyce, Cambridge, Furness
IVrong Q^; Roaming Y Wro7tging
Pope and several editors
Wringing^ Warburton, Theobald and others
;

Under] render

4.

put on] communicated

94.

As You Like

It,

as in

to,

99.
Unsifted] untried.

102.
103. tefiders]

I.

ii.

Compare Middleton,

JVomen Beware IVomen,

now

this

me come
107.

ii.

" If

daughter so tendered
your own phrase, sir."

let

to

7'ender] regard, take care of,

hold dear
109.

I.

frequent in Shakespeare.

Rui!ning]Q\:ix.

I'ress,

accept-

ing this reading proposed by Collier,

observes its accordance with the figure
in the previous line.
109. fool]

Does

this

mean. You

will

present yourself to me as a fool? or,

present me (to the public) as a fool ?
or, can " fool " mean an innocent, a
baby? for Polonius is not over-delicate in his warnings. See Romeo and

Juliet,

I.

iii.

31 and 48.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. Ill]

Pol.

Ay, fashion you may

And

Oph.

hath

given

call

it

go

go

to,

countenance to

35

to.

his

my

speech,

lord,

Pol.

With almost

all

Ay, springes

to catch

When

the holy vows of heaven.

woodcocks,

the blood burns,

how

do know,

20

prodigal the soul

Lends the tongue vows these blazes, daughter.

Giving more light than heat, extinct in both.
:

Even

promise, as

in their

You must

not take for

a-making,

it is

From

fire.

this

time

Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence

Set your entreatments at a higher rate

command to parley. For Lord Hamlet,

much in him, that he is young.
And with a larger tether may he walk
Than may be given you in i^'^, Ophelia,

Than

Believe so

25

Do

not believe his vows

Not

they are brokers.

for

of that dye which their investments show.

But mere implorators of unholy

.
114. almoit
118. I'olh] birth,
.

Daughter F.
128.' that dye]

115.

holy}

Badham

^l, all

conj.

the y.
120.

1 1

Lends]

7.

From

suits,

woodeoeks]

supposed to

Ijirds

in

s]3ringes or

entretien

',

Abiise: " Cupid sets up a springe for

woodcocks.'"
117.] To amend the verse J'ope
read "Oh, my davighter " ; Capell,

gotiation, discussion,

I'ress

quotes

"gentle daughter"; Nicholson conj.

" Ijavin blazes"; S. T. Coleridge,
'Go lo, these," or "daughter, mark
you."
122. <'/>rrt/;///j'] Johnson explains
as company, conversatiim, I'rench

Civcs F.

Press, solicitations;

Clar.

Eng.

Clar.

Q;

Schmidt, invitations received

from
Gosson's Apologie for the Sehoole of

snares.

I,

Q, For this time

1 23. parley] F, park Q.

121. somewhat] F, something Q.

O, the eye F.

be witless, easily taken

()

this time]

New

Diet., conversation, interview,

from the commoner meaning of ne127.

/i;-tf/!r;T]

middlemen

in

making

bargains; used specially of panders,

procurers.
Furness quotes Cotgrave
^^
Maipiiiionner, To play the Broker,
also to play the bawd."
128. dye
show] colour shown
l)y their vesture
or garb.
F " the
eye" may mean tint or hue, as in
:

'J'cinpest, II.

i.

55.

HAMLET

36
Breathing

The
I

would

and pious bawds,

like sanctified

This

better to beguile.

[act

is

130

for all

from

not, in plain terms,

i.

time

this

forth,

Have you so slander any moment's leisure,

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.
Look to 't, I charge you come your ways,
135
;

Oph.

shall obey,

my

\Exetmt.

lord.

SCENE

V<f.The Platform.

Enter Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus.

Ham. The
Hor.

It is

air bites

shrewdly

Ham. What hour now

think

Mar. No,

it is
?

air.

Hor.
Hor. Indeed

very cold.

is

it

a nipping and an eager

lacks of twelve.

it

struck.
I

heard

not

it

it

then draws near the

season

Wherein the

spirit

held his wont to walk.

\A Jlourish of trumpets, and

shot

What
130.

bawds^ Theobald, Pope

(ed. 2),

son ; bonds Q, F and many editors.

moment'' s\ Pope ; moments Qq 4-6

way Yi

my

does this mean,

lord

ordna?ice

off,

within.

Hanmer, Cambridge, Funiess, Hud133. sla7ider'\ squander. Collier (MS.)

moment, Qq 2, 3, F.
135. waj's]

2-4.

Scene iv.
i. it is very coId\ Q, is it very cold? F.
Scene iv.] Capell, omitted F.
5. Indeed? /] Capell ; Indeed : I Q ; Indeed / Q i, F ; it t/ten] i), then it F.
flourish, etc.] Miilone after Capell, A florish of trumpets and 2 peaces
6.
goes of i), omitted F.

130. tia^vds] "Bonds" of Q, F is

explained as vows or (Moberly) as
law papers headed with religious
formula.
133.

moment' si Clar. Press, read-

ing

"moment,"

regards

it

as.

an

adjective,
Sre/ie
2.
v.

n.

eager} sharp (Fr. aigrc), as in

69.

I.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. IV.]

Ham. The

king doth wake to-night and takes his rouse,

Keeps

And

wassail,

and the swaggering up-spring

as he drains his

Hor.

But

And

to

my

to the

thus bray out

Is

marry,

reels

draughts of Rhenish down, lo

The kettle-drum and trumpet

The triumph of his pledge.

Ham. Ay,

37

a custom

it

is 't

mind, though

manner

More honour'd

born,

in the

am

it is

native here

a custom

breach than the observance.

This heavy-headed revel east and west

Makes us traduced and tax'd of other nations

They clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition

and indeed

it

So, oft
9.

it

chances

in particular

wa/;e] hold a lale revel; "so,

poets of a much earlier dale, wc
find the words ivatch and ivatchiiig
employed as etjuivalent to 'debaucii
at night' " (Dyce, Glossary).
8.

in

8.

roiise?[

see

I.

ii.

127.

Pope read " upstart,"

meaning the King. In Chapman's
Alphonsus up-spring is named as a
German dance. Flze shows that it
was the Hilpfaiif, " the last and consequenlly wildest dance at the old
German merrymakings." The verb
"reels" is taken by Staunton as a
9.

iip-spri)ig\

at height,

men,

wassail^
12. Is it] li
l Q; "wassels, F.
scandal] <^ ; omillcd
.
17-38. This

AitdV.

20

takes

From our achievements, though perform'd

The pith and marrow of our attribute.

is

2.

i,

V.

14.

Buf] Q,

12. triimiph
of his pledge] his
glorious
achievement as drinker,
Ilowell in his Letters tells of the
Danish King Christian iv. (15S81649) beginning thirty-five healths
during a feast
" the King was taken
away at last in his chair."
18. taxd] censured ; frequent in
Sliakespeare.
19. depc] call, as in Macbeth, \\\. i.

94.
20. addition] something added by
way of distinction, slyle t)f address, as
in /,t(7r,

i. i.

138

" The name and

all

Cleveland
in
II. kettle-drum]
Fuscara, or The Bee Errant, has the
line "As Danes carowse liy kettle-

the additions to a King."

22. attribute] what is attributed:
hence reputation, ns in Troilus and
Cressida, 11. iii. 125: "Much attri-

drums."

bute he hath."

plural noun.

HAMLET

38
That

for

As,

in

some

mole of nature

vicious

their

[acti.

birth,

wherein

in

them,

they

not

are

25

guilty,

Since nature cannot choose his origin,

some complexion,
Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason.
Or by some habit that too much o'er-leavens

By

the o'ergrowth of

The

form

manners

plausive

of

these

that

men,

30

Carrying,

say, the

Being nature's

defect,

livery, or fortune's star,

Their virtues else

As

stamp of one

be they

as pure as grace,

man may undergo

infinite as

Shall in the general censure take corruption

From
Doth

To

that particular fault

all

his

star] Q,
;

24. mole of nature] natural blemish.

Prof.

Hales notes in Greene's Pandosto

"One mole staineth the whole face."

the comvarious proportions ;

plexions were sanguine, melancholic,
phlegmatic.
choleric, and
pleasing,
popular,
30. plausive]

in

I.

ii.

53:

"plausive

words."
32.
star.

star]

perhaps a mark like a

Cyjuheline, \. V.

t,6j^:

"Upon

his neck a mole, a sanguine star."

33. Their]
Shakespeare's

35

evil

His
word,

matically incorrect.

of

Q may

though

be
gram-

Theobald, Pope

(ed.

2).

36, 37.] See note below.

34. undergo] support. Measure for

Measure, I. i. 24: "To undergo such
ample grace and honour."
35. censure] opinion, judgment, as
in

its.

27. complexion] temperament, resuiting from the supposed combination

of the four "humours" in the body

IVell,

scar,

His O.

Theobald suggested "mould."

All's

dram of

scandal.

Pope, their Q.
32.
Their] Theobald, Pope (ed. 2)

26. his]

the

the noble substance of a doubt

own

27. the]

33.

i.

iii.

69.

dram

scandai]
and perhaps corrupt
in
printed
as
passage is here
Qq 2, 3,
except that for e7.'il these Qq read
The later Qq read ease. In n.
eale.
"May be a devil; and the
ii. 638:

36-38. the

This

difficult

Qq 2, 3 have
frequently a monoI can
syllable in Elizabethan poetry.
hardly regard evil as an emendation
open to reasonable doubt. Thejetters
vi of a JNIS. might easily be mistaken for an Elizabethan manuscript
a; the second /in "evill," " devill"
might be taken for an e, or the
devil

dcale;

hath power,"
evil

is

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. IV.]

Enter GllOST.

my

Look,

Hor.

Ham. Angels and

Be thou a

lord,

comes

it

ministers of grace defend us

Bring with thee

health or goblin damn'd,

spirit of

airs

40

from heaven or blasts from

hell,

Be thy intents wicked or charitable.

Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That

will

speak to thee

thee Hamlet,

call

I '11

King, father; Royal Dane, O, answer me!

Let

me

Why
42.

iittentslQ^, events F.

^$. falher ;
;

had

Keightley suggests,

that the sentence

evile,

devile.

interrupted before
its completion by the Ghost's entrance.
Most commentators regard it as complete, and attempt to emend " of a
doubt." About eighty proposals are
recorded in the Caibridi;e Shakespeare.
Perhaps " often dout," meaning do out, efface, is the best of these.
" Oft devote" (consign to evil) seems
not to have been proposed.
I would
suggest what I suppose to be a new
line of consideration.
"Scandal" is
commonly regarded as a noun although
doth " is separated from
"scandal" by one of those suspensions, by qualifying clauses, characteristic of this speech, may not " doth
scandal " be the verb ?
have in
" Sinon's
Cymbeline, HI. iv. 62:
weeping did scandal many a holy
tear."
Here "the dram of evil doth
scandal all the noble substance." The
idea is that required ; the language is
is

'

'

We

Shakespearean.

To in Shakespeare
means as far as if we met

am

conj. St.

but

tell

father, royal Dane, 6

MS. may have

Royal Dane, C] Anon.

not burst in ignorance

It is possible, as

*'

45

thy canoniz'd bones, hearsed in death,

lames' s Chronicle, 15th Oct. 1761

Dane : Oh, oh Y,

often

scandal'd to ignominy,"

we

Q;

should understand

doomsday"

it,

Father, Koyal

like

"sick

to

The dram

of
noble substance
(substance)
"his" being
(i.

i.

120).

evil scandals all the

own

to its

the modern "its."

"Of" is frequent in the sense of out
of, by virtue of, e.t^. Love's Labour^
Lost, II. 28: "bold of your worthiness," and we still say "of your
charity."
Out of a mere doubt or
suspicion the dram of evil degrades
the
noble subin reputation
all
"Scandal" may
stance to its own.

here

used

for

have been meant

to

precede " to his

own."
40. spirit of health'] Clar. Press
" a healed or saved spirit."
explains
43. questionable] inviting question.
:

In As Vou Like It, ill. ii. 393, "unquestionable," averse to conversation,

occurs.

45. father ; Royal Dane, 0,] The

leads to "father" as the
completion of the climax. This reading is adopted by Furness.
The accent, as
47. canonizd]

pointing

always in Shakespeare,
second svllable.

is

on the

HAMLET

40

Have

burst their cerements

[acti

why

the sepulchre,

Wherein we saw thee quietly inurn'd,

Hath oped his ponderous and marble jaws,

To

What may

up again.

cast thee

That thou, dead

corse, again, in

this

50

mean.

complete

steel,

moon.

Revisit'st thus the glimpses of the

Making night hideous and we fools of nature

So horridly to shake our disposition
With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls
;

Say,

why

is

this

wherefore

what should we do

{^Ghost beckons

Hoy.

It

beckons you to go away with

As if it some impartment
To you alone.
Mar.

to a

Hamlet.

did desire

60

more removed ground

But do not go with

it.

Ho7\

No, by no means.

Ham.

It will

Do

Ho7'.

not,

not speak

my

then

will follow

Why, what
I

do not

set

my

life

should be the fear

at a pin's fee

for my soul, what can it do to

Being a thing immortal as itself?

waves

me

forth again

I '11

follow

65

And
It

it.

lord.

Ham.

that.

it.

imtrfi'd] F, interr''d
i, Q.
53. Rcidsif sf] F 4, Reitisites Q,
56. the reaches'] Q, thee ; reaches F.
i,
61. waves]
;
63. / will] Q, will I F.

49.

Reuisits F.
wafts F.

complete] Accented here on the

So in Massinger, The
Emperor of the East, iv. iv.
march ten leagues a day in complete
52.

first

it.

Look, with what courteous action

waves you

It

5 5
?

syllable.

armour,"

"To

54. fools of nature] The presence

of the supernatural shows how the
limitations of nature cheat and befool
us,


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. IV.]

What

Hor.

if

you

tempt

it

toward

the

41

my

flood,

lord,

Or

to the dreadful

summit of the

70

cliff

That

beetles o'er his base into the sea,

And

there assume

Which might

horrible form.

deprive your sovereignty of reason

And draw you

The very

some other

into

madness

think of

Without more motive,

And hears
Ham.
Go on I
Mar. You shall
Ham.

it

Hor. Be ruled

roar beneath.

me

waves

still.

follow thee.

not go,

my

lord.

Hold
you

off

your hands

80

shall not go.

My

Ham.
makes each petty artery

As hardy

to the sea

It

'11

into every brain

That looks so many fathoms

And

it

place puts toys of desperation,

as the

Nemean

fate cries out.

in this

body

lion's nerve.

l^Ghost beckons.
Still

am

72. assume']

very

q,hand.

call'd ?

Unhand me, gentlemen

{^Breaking from

Q, assumes F.
Q, omitted F.
84. call'd ?], cald

beticath']

I.
74. draw\ drive
78. wares'] Q, wafts F.

thefu.

75~7S.

The

80. hands]

C).

sovereignly of lines were omitted from tlic F because

73. deprive your
followed
by their substance, enlarged and elaborreason] Warljurton,
Hanmer, reads deprave. For deprive atcd, had been introduced into King
Lear.
see Rape of Liicrece, 1 186 and 1752.
See Romeo and
Caldecott explains: " Uisposesss the
75. toys'] freaks.
In the Juliet, iv. i. 119: " inconstant to}'."'
sovereignty of your reason."
Ilistorie of Haniblet, IV., "depiive
83. Nemean] So accented also in
himself" means lose the right to the Love's Labotcr's Lost, iv. i. 90.
throne.
83. nerve] muscle or sinew ; so
" nervy arm," Coriolanus^ \\. i. 177.
75-78.] Delius suggests that these

HAMLET

42

By

heaven,

say,

make

I'll

me:
away

Go on

[acti.

ghost of him

He

lets

85
follow thee.

I'll

and Hamlet.

[^Exeunt Ghost

Hor.

that

waxes desperate with imagination.

Mar. Let

follow

's

Hor. Have

after.

Mar. Something
Hor. Heaven

not

'tis

thus to obey him.

fit

To what

come ?
of Denmark.

issue will this

rotten in the state

is

will direct

90

it.

Mar.

Nay,

let

's

follow him.
\_Exeimt,

SCENE

Another Part of the Platform.

V.

GHOST

Enter

Ham. Whither

me ?

thou lead

wilt

Hamlet.

a}id

speak

go no

I '11

further.

Ghost.

Mark me.

Ham.

will.

My

Ghost.

When

to sulphurous

Must render up

almost come,

Alas, poor ghost

me

Pity

To what

not, but lend thy serious hearing

Speak
Scene

Scene v.] Capell.

i.

IVhithe?']

Scene
.

am bound

to hear.

V.
i,

Where

Hamlet

V.

shalt hear']

words are playfully quoted

F.

c\i&x'sTheWoman-Haier{zboviii6o'j),
11. i. (vol. i. p. 37, ed. Dyce).
bound\ Delius supposes that
6.

85. /^/j] hinders.

91. ?/] the issue of line 89.

Speak

shall unfold.

Ham.

6, 7.

is

myself.

Ham.
Ghost.

hour

and tormenting flames

in

These
Flet-

uses this

word

in the sense of

ready addressed, while the Ghost takes

it

as

meaning bound

in duty.

PKINCE OF DENMARK

sc. v.]

So

Ghost.

art thou to revenge,

when thou

43

shalt hear.

Ham. What?
Ghost. I am thy father's spirit
Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,
And for the day confined to fast in fires,
crimes done

Till the foul

Are burnt and

my

in

days of nature

But that

away.

purged

lo

am

forbid

To

tell

the secrets of

my

prison-house,

could a tale unfold whose lightest word

Would harrow up thy

Make thy two eyes,

thy young blood.

soul, freeze
like

'

from their

start

stars,

spheres.

Thy
And

knotted and combined locks to part

each particular hair to stand an end.

Like

quills

this eternal

To

ears of flesh

If

kmtted\

and blood.

I,

knoily F.

V.

20. fretful]
23. l(n'e\

Rowe
i,

;
;

19.

love,

to

7 ale,

"to waste
19.

an

List,

O,

list,

list

Y.

'('l,

ni.

ii.

24.

318:

So

in

.'

Henry

VI.

List,

22.

and many

Q, Ij^t
God!] Q, Heaven F.

"Mine

list,]

hair be fix'd an

end" F ("on end" Qq).

porcupine, as in
" PorHI. i. 116.
cupine," given here by many editors,
1676.
first appeared in
promulgation
21. eternal blazon]
"
eternal" was used
But
of eternity.
adjective exas
an
by Shakespeare
"eternal devil,"
pressing abhorrence
20. porpentine^

Comedy of Errors

Julius Ccvsar,

in."
en(f\

an end] on end

fearefull Q.

fast in] Chaucer, Persones

writes: "And moreover the
miseise of helle shal been in defame
of mete and drinke" (Skeat's ed. iv.
In Dekker his Dreaine [1620)
577).
one of tlie souls burning in hell roars
"
for
cookcs to give him meate."
"confined
Theobald conjectured
fast"; Warburton read " too fast in"
Ileath proposed "to lasting"; Steevens
II.

20

porpentine

editors.

Hamlet

fretful

blazon must not be

thou didst ever thy dear father love

Ham. O God
iS.

upon the

But

i.

ii.

160; "eternal
130; possibly

villain," Othello, \\.\\.

it

has a like sense here.

HAMLET

44
Revenge

Ghost.

[acti.

and most unnatural murder. 25

his foul

Ham. Murder ?
Murder most

Ghost.

But

this

most

foul, as in

the best

foul, strange,

it

is,

and unnatural.

Ham. Haste me to know 't, that I, with wings

As meditation or the thoughts of love,

May sweep

my

to

as swift

30

revenge.

Ghost.

find thee apt

And

duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed

That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf,
Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear

mine orchard,

'Tis given out that, sleeping in

me

serpent stung

35

Denmark

so the whole ear of

by a forged process of my death

Rankly abused but know, thou noble youth,
Is

The

serpent that did sting thy father's

Now

wears

his

crown.

O my

Ham.

My
Ghost.

uncle

26.

beast.

Q6

and many

editors.

29. Haste me] Q, Hast, hast 7ite F.

33. roots] (^
and many editors.
35. '7iV]Q, Jt'sF; tnine] F, my Q.
Q, Mine F. uncle ?] Q, F ; Uncle
4 ; Uncle.
5 ; Uncle !
least

I.

43. wit]

editors.

Pope

wits Q,

love] Hamlet's
30. meditation
comparisons are appropriate to him
.

those of a thinker

and a

The F

lover.

receives
support from Ant. and Cleop.
33.

47

"

33.

roots]

r(7A-

iv.

27. best]
I,

with] Q, hath F,

and V

rots

41.

Q6

and man)'

4.

40.

soul] This occurs also

The Double Marriage,

11. iv. (vol. vi. 351,
ed. Dyce)
in
Massinger's The Bondman, \X. i.,
and his Emperor of the East (near
end of Act i.).
in

Fletcher's

for

bank of

See Ant. and Cleop. n.

ii.

37. forgedprocess] falsified account.

My]

Clar. Press suggests "official narralive," comparing the French /roci's

verbal.

some
I.

rot itself."

wharf] seems used

a river.
218.

40

witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,

Murder?] F, Murther. Q, Murder !

prophetic soul

Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate

With

life

; :

TRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.v.]

wicked wit and

So to seduce!

The

will of

gifts,

won

my

45

that have the power

to his shameful lust

45

most seeming-virtuous queen

Hamlet, what a

falling-off

was there

F'rom me, whose love was of that dignity

That
1

went hand

it

made

hand even with the vow

in

marriage; and to decline

to her in

Upon a wretch, whose

To those of mine

50

natural gifts were poor

But

virtue, as

it

never will be moved,

Though lewdness court it in a shape of heaven.

So lust, though to a radiant angel link'd,
55
Will sate

And

methinks

But, soft

Brief let

me

My

a celestial bed.

itself in

prey on garbage.

custom always

Upon my
With

And

scent the

morning

air

Sleeping within mine orchard,

be.

60

in the afternoon,

secure hour thy uncle stole.

juice of cursed
in the

hebenon

in

vial.

porches of mine ears did pour

Ff 3, 4 ; /^ to this
to this F 2.
;
47. a\ omillcd in (\\
56. sate\ F, sort Q, seat Ff 3, 4 (Q i fate, a misprinl).
60. iii\ (^ i, 1'"
58. iiionting] i), nioniiiigs F.
59. minc'\ F,
Q.
62. hebenon] F ; Hebona
I, O.
63. mine'] F,
of(}^.
Q.
45. to his\ Q,

except

6.

my

my

61. secure]

careless,

unsuspeclin^^,

" To
accented as in Othello, iv, i. 72
lip a wanton
in a secure couch."
:

Merry

(fives,

li.

i.

241:

"a

secure

fool."

62. hebenon]

Transactions, 18S0-82) shows thai

the yew was considered a most deadly
]:)()is<jn ; that Ebenus was niediivvally
applied lo different trees, including
lliat Marlowe, Spenser, and
lie yew
l\e)nulds use lleben for the yew;
and he maintains that in the words
" cursed " and "at enmity with blood
of man" Shakespeare was adopting
the description of the yew found in
Holland's Pliny, 1600.
I

fliey

conjectured

henebon, meaning henbane.

Douce,
having found an exanii>le oi E/>ein>,
ebony, suggested that this was meant,
Klze conjectured hemlock; lieisly,
cneron, one of the names for deadly
nightshade.
Nicholson (A''. Sh. Soc.

"

;:

HAMLET

46

The

leperous distilment

[acti.

whose

effect

Holds such an enmity with blood of

That

swift as quicksilver

man

The

natural gates and alleys of the

And
And

with a sudden vigour

The

thin

And

a most instant tetter bark'd about,

body

doth posset

it

curd, like eager droppings into milk,

Most
All

65

courses through

it

and wholesome blood

lazar-like,

my

with

so did

it

and loathsome

vile

mine

70

crust.

smooth body.

Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand

Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd
Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,

75

Unhousel'd, disappointed, unaneled

No

With

all

my

Oh, horrible
If

imperfections on

Oh, horrible

thou hast nature

alleys]

67.

bark'd]

71.

Hanmer;

I,

allies

Q; bak'dY.

i,

75.

sower.
instant] instantaneous, as in

II.

75. dispatcli d] deprived,

the reading of
76. blossoms]

wliich

is

White reads

which Dyce had suggested

pare IVinter's Tale, V.

ii.

blossotn,

but com;
135: " tlie

Ijlossoms of their fortune.''

77.

bear

it

80

not

6^. posse/] F, posscsse Q.

Q, Y.
of queen] Q, and Queene F.
77. disappointed]
;

Pope read

Theobald,

tin-

unappointed,

comparing Aleasure for Measure, in.

i.
60.
Boucher conjectures unassoiled, unabsolved.
The meaning is,
without
equipment for the last
journey.

54S.

UnhouseV d] without receiving

(Old English husel).

Tyrwhitt compares ]\Iorte Darthnr,
xxi. 12 (Lancelot dying): " So when
he was liowselyd and anelyd.'
the

most horrible

anointed

Cotgrave has
69. eager] Ff aygre.
"Aigre: Eagre, sharpe, tart, biting,
71.

in thee,

proposed

Staunlon

68. vigour]
rigour.

ii.

my account
my head

reckoning made, but sent to

eucharist

77.

unaneled] unanoinled with ex-

treme unction. See quotation from

Morte Darthur ^mve. Pope mistook
it for having no knell rung.
80.] Given to Hamlet by several
editors.
Garrick, as Hamlet, pronounced this line so does -Sir H.
;

Clarke observes that triple

iteration is characteristic of the Ghost's
Irving.

diction.

TRINCE OF DEiSMAllK

sc. v.]

47

Let not the royal bed of Denmark be

couch

for

luxury and damned

incest.

But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,

Taint not thy mind, nor

Against thy mother aught

And to those
To prick and

S5

leave her to heaven,

bosom

thorns that in her

lodge.

Fare thee well at once

sting her.

The glow-worm shows

And

thy soul contrive

let

the matin to be near.

90

'gins to pale his uneffectual fire

Adieu, adieu, adieu

remember me.

[Exit.

Ham. O all you host of heaven O earth what else ?

Hold, hold, my
And shall I couple hell ? Oh, fie
!

heart

And

you,

my

But bear me

sinews,
stiffly

grow not instant

Remember

up.

old.

thee?

95

Ay, thou poor ghost, while memory holds a

Remember
my memory

In this distracted globe.

Yea, from the table of

I '11

wipe away

all trivial

All saws of books,

all

thee

seat

fond records,

forms,

all

pressures past,

100

Adieu, adieu, adieu!] Q, Adue, adue, Hamlet: F and many

Hold, hold,] Q; hold Qq 4-6, F.
95. stiffly] F, swiftly Q.
96. while] F, whiles Q.
95, 97. thee?] Y, thee, Q.
editors.

91.

93.

83.

luxury]'DycQ {Gloss.):

ousness, its only

speare.
90. uneffectual]

sense

in

lascivi-

men of

Shake-

singer, I'he

(ap-

proved by Dyce) explains: "shining

without heat."

morning

light."

we

v.,

Warburton

Steevens, " lost in the

See Pericles,

II. iii.

find

"Writ

in the table of

my

memory."
<)^.

fond]

fnolish.

records] The accent in Shakespeare is variable, on the first, or

99.

(as

43.
93.

In Mas11. vii. 3.
Entpcror of the East, \\\

Verona,

probably here)

on

the

second

in

As You

Oh, fie] Capell, Steevens, Milford, Dyce regard these words as

probably an interpolation.
97. globe] Hamlet's hand is upon

syllable,

his forehead.

Elsewhere Shakespeare
in. ii. 29.
uses iiuprcssure in the same sense.

98. table] tablet, as in

Two

Gentle-

100.

saws] maxims, as

Like

It, 11. vii. 156.

100. pressures] impressions.

See

HAMLET

48

[acti.

That youth and observation copied there

And

commandment

thy

alone shall live

all

my

Within the book and volume of

Unmix'd with baser matter

most pernicious woman

villain, villain, smiling,

My

tables,

meet

That one may

At

least

it is

smile,

'm sure

it

105
villain

down,

it

and

smile,

and be a

may

be so

in

Denmark.

to

my

villain

Now

So, uncle, there you are.

It is

Mar.
Hor.

Adieu, adieu

have sworn

Hor.

"

Lord,

my

be

lord

My

My

10

it

107.
104. yes\ Q, yes, yes F.
Tables ; F.
Tables,
Q,
113. Hor.
Rowe ; omitted Q, F.

fables,

Lord Hamlet
Heaven secure him

Within.]

Ham. So

Writing-.

word

remember me."

Within.]

't.

My

Within.']

damned
set

brain,

by heaven

yes,

My

Hora. Q(see note below). Heaveii]

Q, given to MarceUus in F.

tables,

Pope,

[My

tables)

Q i,

J\fy

/'w] F, I am Q.

Writing.]
[Within.]] Hor. and Mar. within F,
109.

Heavens

i,

Q.

114.

Ham. So

be ill

relief for

the transference by Capell of the

entrance of Horatio and MarcelUis
to follow line 116 unnecessary; they
lord, my lord!"
may enter at
but, in the darkness, may be unseen

gested

by Hamlet,

tables'] memorandum-book, as
J Henry IV. II. iv. 289, and

107.
in

Sonnets, cxxii.

i.

in his tables is a

Hamlet's writing
scholar's

fantastic

over-wrought feelings, sugto him by "table of my

memory."

"My

II4']

word] Steevens explains as

" watch -word " perhaps order, word
of command, as in /hIIks Cicsar, v.
iii.
5: "Brutus gave the word too
IIO.

early."
113. Within] Capell first marked
thus the speech of Marcellus and that
Wright
of Horatio which follows it.
{^Cambridge Sh. vii. p. 600) thinks

signing

Many editors follow F in as"So be it!" to Marcellus.

"There is something highly solemn

and proper," observes Capell, "in
making Hamlet say the Amen to a
lienediction pronounced on himself."

"May it not rSfer to

the conclusion of flamlet's writing in
Furness asks,
his tables

"
?

Hor. \_WitJun.\

Ham.

Illo,

Hillo, ho, ho,

Enter

How

Mar.

DENMARK

PRINCE OF

sc.v.l

boy

lord

115

come, bird, come.

HORATiO and Marcellus.

my

is 't,

my

ho, ho,

noble lord

What

Hor.

Ham.

49

news,

my

lord

O, wonderful

my

Hor. Good

lord, tell

it.

No

Ham.
Hor. Not

I,

my

lord,

you

will reveal

by heaven.

Nor

Mar.

Ham. How

it.

say you, then

I,

my

120

lord.

would heart of man once

think it?

But you
Hor.^

'11

be secret

my

Ay, by heaven,

Mar.

Hani. There

But he

ne'er a villain dwelling in all

's

lord.

Denmark

an arrant knave.

's

my

Hor. There needs no ghost,

lord,

come from the

grave

125

ii6. bird] F, and Q, boy Q i.

Enter
115. Hor.] Q I, F; Mar. Q.
Horatio and ]\Ia7-cclhis\ Capell placed after Hamlet's / have sworuH in
1
Hor. What news, my lord''\
Q, after My lord, my lord! in F.
1 7.
omitted Qq 4-6.
118. Ham.] Hora. Qq 4, 5.
119. yon wilf] Q,
yotiUY.
121. it?'] Q I, F; it. Q.
122. secret?] F, secret. Q; my
lord.] Q I, P'; omitted Q.
123. ne'er] F, never Q^.
;

115. Illo] Capell considered this

speech "too light for Horatio," and
assigned it with Q to Marcellus.

The

call,

falconer's

answered
fashion,

is

by
not

Hamlet
meant

121.

Cleop. v.

halloo.
116.

Hillo

The cry of a
Steevens quotes

r^Jw^]

once] ever,

in

as

such by the speaker, whether he be

Marcellus or Horatio.
In The Birth
of Merlin, Prince Uter's "So ho,
boy, so, ho, illo ho!" is a mere

falconer to his birds.

from Tyro's JRoarins;

"He go see the kyte
bird, come."
ii.

as

Hfcg-ge,
:

1598:

Come, come
in

Ant.

ana

50.

Denmark] Seymour suggests

Hamlet at this word breaks off

123
that

intended disclosure, pauses, and

it a jesting turn.
Sir H. Irving
adopts this rendering, glancing at
Marcellus, as if his presence rendered
the confidence unwise.
his

gives

HAMLET

50

To

us this.

tell

Why,

Ham.

And
I

so,

hold

[acti.

you are

right;

without more circumstance at

that

it fit

we shake hands and

You, as your business and desire

Look

is

it

you,

'11

and, for mine

you

own poor

130

desire,

part.

go pray.

Hor. These are but wild and whirling words,

Ham.

part

shall point

For every man hath business and

Such as

the right

i'

all,

my

lord.

'm sorry they offend you, heartily

Yes,

faith, heartily.

Hor.

There's no offence,

my

lord.

135

Ham. Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, Horatio,

And much offence too.
Touching this vision
here.
It is

an honest ghost, that

For your
126. us\yoit
i, F.

desires

desire to
I

?'

let

know what

the\ Capell, in the

130. hatli]

Q, ha^s F.

Q,

me
is

z'

tell

you

between

tli'

F.
F,

us,

129. desife\

wy Q.

Look
TheohaAd, wherling(^\,whurling
131.

7>iine'\

132.

you, I'll] F, /wi//Q.

133. w/iir/i7tg]
136. Horatio\ Q i, Q ; my
134. / ';] F, I am Q.
Q, hurling F.
Lo)-d F.
Touching] Rowe, too, touching Q i, F to, touching Q
137. too.
too : touching Q 6.
;

127. circumstance\ beating about

the bnsh, circumlocution, as in Aler-

chant of Venice, i. i. 154.

136. Saint Patrick] In connection
with "the offence" there is special
propriety in the oath.
It was given
out that a serpent stung Hamlet's
father; the serpent now wears his
crown.
St. Patrick was the proper
saint to take cognisance of such an
offence, having banished serpents from
Ireland.
In Richard II. W. i. 157,
Shakespeare alludes to the freedom
of Ireland from venomous creatures,
Campion in his History of Ireland,
written in 1571, mentions the legend,

InShixley's Saiiit Patrick for Ireland,

serpents come on the stage, are
banned by the saint, and creep away.
Tschischwitz supposes that the oath
alludes to St. Patrick's Purgatory, and
I find mention of this place of torment in Dekker's Okie Fortunatus
(Pearson's Z)<,'/('/v;', vol. i. p. 155)136. //^ra/w] Corson defends the F
lord," as a retort to Horatio's
" my lord," line 135.
138. honest] Hudson supposes that
this means a real ghost, just what it
appears to be, not "the Devil" in
" a pleasing shape."

"my

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.v.]

O'ermaster't

you

as

And

may.

51

now,

good

140

friends,

As you

are friends, scholars and soldiers,

me one poor request.

What is my lord ? we will.

Give

Hor.

't,

Ham. Never make known what you have

Hor.y Mar.

My

lord,

we

seen to-night.

will not.

Ham.

Nay, but swear

Hor.

't.

In

My

not

lord,

Mar.

Nor

Ham. Upon my

We

Mar.

my

Indeed, upon

Gliost.

{Beneath^ Swear.

Ham. Ah,

ha, boy
penny ?
;

I,

my

lord, in faith.

sword.

Ham.

Come on

145

faith,

I.

have sworn,

say'st thou so

my

lord, already.

sword, indeed.

art thou there, trueI

you hear

this fellow in the cellarage

Consent to swear.

149.

Ha

my

Propose the oath,

Hor.
Beneath] Capcll

Ghost

cries

under the Stage Q, F.

lord.

150.

Alii

(I.

147. sword.'\ The hilt, having the

form of a cross, is sworn on.
See 1
Henry IV. ii. iv. 371. Dyce quotes
from Mallet's Northern Antii/uitics

is

to

Marston, The Maihas an echo of

be found.

content, 1604,

iii. iii.,

"

"the

ho, ho ho! arte

old true-penny."
Middleton,
in Blurt, Master-Constable, names a

custom of swearing on a sword prevailed even among the barbarous

page Truepenny.
Hamlet's recoil
from horror to half-liysterical jesting

(i.

216, ed. 1770) to

show

that

this

scene:

Illo,

there,

own

worshippers of (^din."

is

Vorhy (Vocah. of
East Anglia): Hearty old fellow,
Collier says
he has learnt, from
Sheffield authorities, that it is a min-

as intended to divert the ct)njectures

of his companions from the dreadful
nature of the Gliost's disclosure, which
he cannot reveal to Horatio in the
presence of Marccllus.

150. trtie-/^enny

'\

ing term, signifying an indication in

the soil of the direction in which ore

justified to his

consciousness

HAMLET

52

Ham. Never

Swear by

my

[actt.

you have

to speak of this that

seen.

sword.

Ghost. [Beneat/i.] Swear.

Ham. Hie

et

ubique ? then

we

'11

shift

Come hither, gentlemen,

And lay your hands again upon my sword
Never to speak of

Swear by

my

this that

5 5

our ground.

you have heard

160

sword.

Ghost. [^Beneath.'] Swear.

Ham. Well

mole

said, old

canst work

the earth so

i'

fast?

A worthy pioner Once more remove, good friends.

O day and night, but this is wondrous strange
!

Hor.

Ham. And

therefore as a stranger give

There

are

more

things

in

it

welcome.

heaven

and

165
earth,

Horatio,

Than are dreamt

But come

of in your philosophy.

Here, as before, never, so help you mercy.

How

strange or odd soe'er

bear myself,

170

As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on,
157-160.]
156. oiu-l ^t for F.
Qq 4-6.
has a comnia after sword, line 158, and transposes lines 159, 160, witli
no point between sivo}-d kci^l never; F. as here, but with comma after sword,
line 158, and colon after heard, line 159; later Ff put full stop after j-rwra',
16 1. Swear] Q i, F; Sweare by
line 158.
159. heard] scene Q i.
hissword.Q^.
162. ea7-th'](^i,(^; ground V.
167. ^owrJQ i, Q ; ourF.
153. seeu.'\ F, scene Q, scene,

163. pioner] pioneer, and accented,

as in Othello, ill. iii. 346.
zvelconte]
Being a
165. as . .
stranger, take it in. Mason needlessly
suggests seem not to know it. Middleton, fVomen Beware Women, 11. ii. :
"She's a stranger, madam.
The
.

more should be her welcome."

167. your] Several editors prefer

In either case, the emphasis
Compare
probably on philosophy.

our VL
is

." Your
iii. 22
your only emperor for diet,"

for this use oi your iv.

worm

is

172. a/zV] bizarre, fantastic

and Juliet,

II.

fantasticoes,"

iv.

29, "antic

Romeo
.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. v.]

That you,

me, never

at such times seeing

53
shall,

With arms encumber'd thus, or this head-shake,

Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
175
"
"
As Well, well, we know," or We could, an if we
would,"

Or

" If

we

to speak," or "

list

There

an

be,

if

they

might,"

Or such ambiguous giving out, to note

That you know aught of me this not to do,
So grace and mercy at your most need help you,
:

80

Swear.

Swear.

Ghost. [^Beneath.']

Hani. Rest,

perturbed

rest,

spirit

\TJiey sivear.

So, gentlemen,
all my love I do commend me to you
And what so poor a man as Hamlet is
May do, to express his love and friending to

With

God

willing, shall not lack.

And

still

your fingers on your

The time

is

out of joint

That ever

was born to

Nay, come,
173.

liiiies\

\\^'^\\(tx\),

thus,

I,

let

(I;

lips, I

pray.

O cursed

spite,

set

it

right

.an

commonly
Perhaps

90

\Exeiint.

i,

(), (williout

Well, well,]Q^, well V.

176, 177. //
i, i);
and if Q, F.
177. ihcj]
Swca7-'\ Knight's punctuation of F text,
2-4.
omitted
Ff
1S4. I do']
.

exinter-

178. t^it'ing out] intimation, as in

Measure for Measure,

twined, Hamlet taking the arm of

Horatio or Marcellus as he speaks.

Othello, iv. i. 131.

178. to note] Theobald

In I'enlon's Monophylo,

editors

li.

you,

together

\~iG.

there

lind '

185

174. ///n hcad-iliakc^

V.

{iiiie

head shake Y.

174. enciiviberd]
|)iained as " folded."

in

go together.

's

?/] Hanmer ; and if .

F.
.
179-181. this .
this doe swe.are, So . .
yon. Q.

7/.

Let us go

ii.

encimihred lahorinth."'

12,

iv.

54,

and other

grammatical
the
hy reading denote.

correct

irregularity

1.

;;

HAMLET

54

ACT
SCENE

A Room

I.

[actii.

II
in Polonius's

House.

Enter POLONIUS and Reynaldo.

Give him

Pol.

Rey.

will,

You

Pol.

this

my

shall

these notes, Reynaldo.

lord.

do marvellous wisely, good Reynaldo,

Before you

Of

money and

him, to

visit

make

inquire

his behaviour.

My

Rey.

lord,

did intend

Look you,

Pol. Marry, well said, very well said.

Inquire

And

me

what Danskers are

first

it.

5
sir.

in Paris

how, and who, what means, and where they

keep,

What company, at what expense and finding

By this encompassment and drift of question
;

That they do know

my

come you more nearer

will touch it
demands
Than your particular
Take you, as 'twere, some distant knowledge of him,
As thus, " I know his father and his friends,
And in part him."
Do you mark this, Reyson,

naldo?

15

Enter Poloniiis and Reynaldo'\ Enter old Polonius with his man or two Q.
this\ (), his E; these\ Q, these two (^q 4-6, those Ef 2-4.
3. iiiai-velIos'\ Qq 4-6, meniiles (\\ 2, 3, marvels E.
4. to fitake inquire'] (), you
ncere '1 han
make imjuiryV.
11, 12. nearer T/ian~\ C^, E (spelling Then)
E 2 72ear Then E 3 ; near. Then E 4.
14. As] Q, And E.
I.

4.

inquire'] so

" strange

7.

Prologue 22.
Danskers] Danes.

9,

10.]

inquire

""
:

Pericles, III.

tween

The

opposition

particular

(which

and the profession of acleave questioning, and

quaintance
come nearer by throwing out a-bait of
Jennens and
imperfect knowledge.
Keightley read "nearer; Then";
but in what follows there are no
ciuestions

is

not be-

perhaps

means /tf/'j'ijwa/) demands and any other

incjuiries, but between demands or

"

particular

demands."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

my

Rey. Ay, very well,

Pol.

"

And

But

in part

be he

if't

Addicted

What

"

so

him

55

lord.

you may

but,"

mean, he's very

and so

wild,

and there put on him

you

forgeries

say, " not well

please

marry,

none

As may dishonour him

take heed of that

such wanton, wild and usual slips

sir,

I^ej'.

As are companions noted and most known

To youth and liberty.
As gaming, my lord.

Po/.

Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling,

Drabbing
Rey.

My

you may go so

lord, that

Po/. Faith,

so

20

rank

But,

no

as

You must
That he

25

far.

would dishonour him.

you may season

it

in the charge.

not put another scandal on him.

open to incontinency

is

That's not

my

meaning; but breathe

30
his faults so

quaintly
26.

Drabbin,::f\

25. fenchig\

Or Grabbing
Perhaps

named

show how Polonius regards

to

the other
supposed outbreaks of his son as to
be classed with addiction to the
fencing-school.
Fencers, however,
had a like legal disrepute with
players.
In Middleton's Spanish
Gipsy, n. ii. Sancho comes in "from
playing with fencers," having lost
cloak, band, and rapier at dice. The
ill
repute of fencers appears from

other passages in Elizabethan drama,

In Dekker's GiiPs Horn-Booke he
speaks of the danger to a rich young
man of being " set upon" by fencers
and cony-catchers (Dekker, ed. Cirosart, vol.

ii. p. 213).
28. season] (jualify

Theobald conjectured
which was adopted by
Ilanmcr and some other editors
but Theobald himself withdrew the
29. another]

an

see

I.

ii.

92.

titter,

suggestion. Malone explains "a very

different and more scandalous failing
Hudson
incontinency."
habitual
reads "open of incontinency,"' that
he indulges his passions openly. Perhaps Malone is right ; Polonius, who
loves nice distinctions, sees a difterence between occasional "drabbing"
and lying wide open to the access of
:

vice.

delicately,
31. quaintly]
ously, as in Merchant of
II.

no] F, omitted Q.

28.

C) i.

iv. 6.

ingeniVenice,

HAMLET

56

That they may seem the

The

flash

taints of Hberty,

and outbreak of a

savageness

Of

in

[acth.

unreclaimed blood,

general assault,

Rey.

But,

my

Pol.

Wherefore should you do

this

good

would know

Marry,
I

believe,

You laying
As 'twere

Ay,

my

here

's

lord,

sir,

my

drift,

a fetch of warrant

it is

my

these slight sullies on

thing

35

that.

Pol.

And,

lord,

Rey.
I

mind,

fiery

little

soil'd

son.

the

i'

work-

40

ing,

Mark you.
Your party

Having ever seen

in the

The youth you breathe

He
"

closes with

Good

him you would sound.

in converse,

sir,"

prenominate crimes

of guilty, be assured

you

in this

or

so,

or

consequence;
" friend,"

or

45
" gentle-

man,"
According to the phrase or the addition

Of man and

country.

38.

my

Very good,

Rey.
warranf^ F, wit Q.
F, with Q.

40. i' ihe]

a7id F.

34. iinrcclaij/ied]

quotes

Press

tiquer
gentle."
:

To

untamed.

39. sullies'] F, Qq 4, 5, 6 ; sallies Qq 2, 3.

42. converse,'] Q, converse; F.
47. or](^,

Clar.

Cotgrave. " Adomestame, reclaim, make

of general assault] which assails

youth almost universally.
38. fetch of wai-rant] a warranted
35.

device.

lord.

42. converse] "Shakespeare uses

the noun only three times, and with
the accent as here" (Rolfe).
consegteence] " H.^ (a.\h
45. He.
''
in with you into this conclusion
(Caldecott) ; "in thus following up
your remark" (Schmidt),
47. addition] title, as in I. iv. 20.
.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

PoL And

then,

was

does he

sir,

" closes in

At

PoL At

"

and

so,"

Or

was

leave

thus

" I

know

the

5 5

There was
" I

gentle-

other day.

t'

then, or then, with such, or such, and, as

There

50

the consequence," ay, marry

with you

saw him yesterday, or

where did

gentleman."

closes

man

does what

the mass,

the consequence," at " friend or

" closes in

He

he

By

about to say something

Rey.

this,

about to say?

57

he gaming, there o'ertook in

falling out at tennis

's

you

say.

rouse.

or perchance,

"

saw him enter such a house of

60

sale,"

Videlicet^ a brothel, or so forth.

See you now

Your

And

bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth

thus do

we

of

wisdom and of

With windlasses and with assays of

49.

he does,
.

Y, closes thus (),

58. he,] Y, a Q.

bias,

65

He does : V, doos a this, a doos Q.

51. something] tiothiitg I-'f 2-4.
gent/eman"] om'iticd Q.
55. e/oses with you tints]
doseth with him thus
I.
57. or stich] Q, and such Y.
60. such] Q, F ; such or such Qq 4, 5 ; siich and such ( ) 6.

does he this,

By

the mass] Q,
52, 53. at '^ friend .
50.

reach.

does he this ?

omitted

in

63. takes] Y, take Q.

49-51.] And then

Prose first by Malone.

leave?]

The attempts

and F by' constructing

to justify
verse miss the point that Polonius's
wits have failed him, and he topples
from verse to incoherency in prose,

sovieThree lines, ending say?

thing.
leave? Q; ending this?
say?
leave? F.
.

58.

verse to enable I'olonius to recover

Two lines ending
his train of ideas.
consei/uence"
"gentleman'' Y.
.

for

Clar. Press:

drink"

perhaps

see

I.

ii.

a
it

For

only surprised, caught.

" eumeans
rouse,

127.

we who are

64. (j/T-rar//] Clar. Press:

far-sighted ; compare " we of taste and
feeling," Love's Labour's Lost, iv. ii.

i has " being men of reacli."

So
65. TivW/axi-^rj-] winding turns.

30.

52. 53-] Prose first in Globe Shakespeare.

Reynaldo steps down from

overtook]

phemism

in

GoUhng's

0~'id,

15.

vii.

"like a wily fox he

runs not forth directly out,
a windlasse over all the
cliampion licld-^ about "'

Nor makes

HAMLET

58

[actii.

By

indirections find directions out

So,

by my former lecture and advice,

you my son. You have me, have you not

Shall

Rej.

My

lord,

God be

Pol.

Rey.
Pol.

Rey.
Pol.

Good my
Observe
I

lord

fare

you

well.

yo

let

lord.

him ply

his music.

Rey.
Pol.

you

wi'

his inclination in yourself.

my

shall,

And

have.

Well,

Farewell

my

lord.

{Exit Reynaldo.

Enter Ophelia.

Oph. Oh,
Pol.

Oph.

How
my lord, my

With what,

My

69. ye well} Q,
the] Capell, j' th

lord,

name

the

i'

lord, as

now, Ophelia

of

was sewing

you well

F.

Q, ? the F;

what

's

the matter

have been so affrighted

God

75

my

in

closet,

75. O/i, niy lord] Q, Alas F.

God\ Q, Heaven F.
77.

76.
closet]

Q,

chamber F.

and in Apollo Shroving: "See how

fortune came with a windlace about
again."
65. assays of bias] a metaphor
from bowls, the player sending his
bowl towards the jack in a curve,
knowing that the bias the oblique
line of motion
will bring it right.

66. By
out] By indirect
find out direct indications.
.

71.

son:

means

Observe

"Perhaps

yourself]

this

means

in

Johnyour

own

person, not by spies."

Clar.
Press: "Possibly it means conform

own conduct to his inclinations."

Hanmer and Warburton read "e'en
yourself."
"In yourself" may possibly mean in regard to yourself.
"His
73. music] \'ischer explains
your

son may gamble, drink, swear, quarrel,

drab,
only let him ply his
"'
music
true
cavalier - breeding
Clarke: "Let him go on to what
tune he pleases," which would agree
well with the explanation of line 71
suggested by Clar. Press.
77. closet] a private chamber, as in
in. ii. 346.
This is the only entirely
sincere
meeting of Hamlet with
Ophelia in the play;
and it is
entirely silent
the hopeless farewell
of Hamlet.
Can her love discover
him through his disguise of distraction? He reads nothing in her face
but fright; he cannot utter a word,
and feels that the estranging sea has
flowed between them.
In no true
.

sense do they ever meet again.

;;

PRINCE OF DENMAllK

SCI]

51)

Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced

No hat upon his head his stockings foul'd,
;

Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle

Pale as his shirt

And

with a look so piteous

As

he had been loosed out of

if

To speak of
Mad for thy

Pol.

knees knocking each other

his

horrors, he

love

My
I

do

purport

in

fear

comes before me.

lord,

What

He

me by

took

Then goes he
And, with

He

falls

do not know,

85

it.

Pol.
OpJi.

hell

Oph.

But truly

80

said he

to the length of all his

his other

hand thus

to such perusal of

my

me

the wrist and held

hard

arryi,

brow,

o'er his

face

90

As he would draw it. Long stay'd he

At last, a little shaking of mine arm.

so

And thrice his head thus waving up and down.

He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
That

it

did seem to shatter

all his

bulk

95

And end his being that done, he lets me go.

And with his head over his shoulder turn'd
He seem'd to find his way without his eyes
;

87.

95.

and

Tlial'\

78.

!",

mi/iraeed]

Julius Cesa/;
80.

Kf 2-4.
94. piieous\ (>,
97. s/ioii/der] (), shoulders V.

/lard] oinittcd

As Q.
I.

unfaslencd,
iii.

as

in

48.

Uu^arlerd'\ Sec the cunvenAs Yoit Like

ii.

398.

dowu-i^yved] fallen t<i llie ancle,

like gyves or fetters.
Tlieoljald read,
w ith (^rj 4, 5, down -^qy red, explaining
it " rolled down Id the ancle."
82. purport] Clar. I'ress says uc-

hideous

l-'f

2-4.

ceiilcd on last syllal)le.

But no otlicr
example of tlie word occms in Sliako-

sptaie.

lional lover described in

Jt, III.

90. fenisal]

sUul\'.

See

peruse,

IV. vii. 137.

80.

91.

Long] Pope read L.oug time.

95. /w/i] frame.

Florio (161

1)

has

" JVltorata, a shock against the breasi

ur l)iill<."
Sec A'ape of Luerece, 467:
'

lier

heart

healing her bulk.

"

HAMLET

60
For out

o'

[acth.

doors he went without their help,

And to the last bended their light on me.

Come, go with me I will go seek the king.

Pol.

lOO

This

is

the very ecstasy of love

Whose violent property fordoes itself

And leads the will to desperate undertakings.
As oft as any passion under heaven
That does afflict our natures. I am sorry,

105

What, have you given him any hard words of

Oph. No, my good lord, but, as you did command,
I

late

did repel his letters and denied

His access to me.

Pol.

That hath made him mad.

^
I

am

had not quoted him

10

sorry that with better heed and judgement

:

fear'd

he did but

trifle

And meant to wreck thee but beshrew my jealousy

By heaven, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
5
As it is common for the younger sort

i i

To
99.
helps

d
i^.

Come, go we

lack discretion.

dooys\ Theobald, adoors (with various spellings) Q, F ; Jielp\

loi. Coine,^ Q; omitted F.
103. fordoes'] forgoes
] Capell ; sorry, Q,

105. passion] F, pass/ous Q.

106. sorry,
sorrie ;)-, sorry. Globe.
heed] (^, speed
fear'd] (^,feare F.
114. By heaveti]
i,

m.

102. ecstasy]
i.

168,

madness, as in

and elsewhere

in.

in this play.

XQ'i,. fordoes] destroys;

the _/i7r
here negative, as in v. i. 2 ?
it
:

intensive in "fordone,"

is
is

Midsutnmcr

Night^s Drea7n, V. 381.

/ av?

sorry,
] Capell's pointindicates a
broken sentence.

106.

ing
Polonius takes it up again in line in.
ll i. heed] Theobald preferred the

meaning success.
112. quoted] noted, observed, as in

j/fft/,

to the king:

Q i, F
Qq 4-6.
F (Q 6

Y
;

112.

quoted]Y coted
,

<Cl;

// see vies F.

RoDieo and Juliet, i. iv. 31

"What
curious eye doth quote deformities?"
:

W^. jealousy] suspicion, as frequently in Shakespeare.

114. z> aj/ri^/fr] belongs as much,
zsm Julius Ccesar, I. ii. 41 " Conceptions only proper to myself."
Clar.
115. cast beyond] oxQxshooi.
Press explains cast: to contrive, design, plan, quoting Spenser, Faerie
Qucene, i. v. 12, "he cast avenged
to be."
:


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

must be known

This

which,

being

Gl

kept

close,

might move

More

grief to hide than hate to utter love.

Come.

[Exetmt.

SCENE

A Room

II.

20

in the Castle.

Enter KING, Queen, Rosencrantz,

GuiLDENSTERN, and Attendajits.

Flourish.

King. Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Moreover that we much did long to see you,

The need we have to use you did provoke

Our hasty sending. Something have you heard

Of Hamlet's transformation so call it,
5
Since not the exterior nor the inward man
Resembles that it was. What it should be.
More than his father's death, that thus hath put him
So much from the understanding of himself,
;

cannot dream of:

entreat

you both,

10

That, being of so young days brought up with him.

And

since so neighbour'd to his

That you vouchsafe your

Some little time

To draw him on
120. Conie.^

(),

so

by your companies
and to gather

to pleasures,

calf]

Q,

deeme F.
1 1

8, 119.

/
12.

omiltcd F.
Sce/ie

5.

youth and humour.

rest here in our court

cal/ V.

6.

since\ F, sith

which

love]

Since

If.

tiof]

F, Silh nor Q.
F, havior^.).

lo.

(iit:ain'\

(^,

humour]

" The

king may hie angry al my telling of

Hamlet's love but more grief winild
come from hiding it" (Moberly).
Ilanmer read " to hide hate, than,"'

Scene

II.

2.

that,

Moreover that] Over and above

HAMLET

62

[actii.

So much as from occasion you may glean,

Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him

thus,

That, open'd, Has within our remedy.

Good gentlemen, he hath much talk'd of you,

And sure I am two men there are not living
20

Queen.

To whom he more adheres. If it will please you

To show us so much gentry and good will
As to expend your time with us awhile
For the supply and

profit of our hope,

Your visitation shall receive such thanks

As fits a king's remembrance.

25

Both your majesties

Ros.

Might, by the sovereign power you have of

Put your dread pleasures more into

Than

us,

command

to entreaty.

But we both obey,

Giiil.

And here give up ourselves, in the full

To lay our service freely at your feet,
To be commanded.

bent

30

King. Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern.

Queen. Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz

And

My
And

beseech you instantly to

too

much changed

son.

visit

Go, some

35
of you,

bring these gentlemen where Hamlet

is.

thus] Q, omitted F.
.
16. occasion^ Q, occasions .
17. Whether
.
F.
23. expend] extend Qq 4, 5.
20. are] F, zs Q.
29. But we] Q,
To be cointnandcd] omitted Qq 4-6.
32.
31. service] Q, se>-vices F.
37. these] Q, the F.
36. yoti] Q, ye F.
.

We

17.

To

Whether]

be

pronounced

a monosyllable, as often elsewhere.

22. gentry] courtesy. Singer quotes
" Gentlemanlinesse
"Baret's Alvearie

as

or gentry, kindlinesse, naturall goodnesse.

Generositas."
meta30. bent] limit of capacity
phor from the extent to which a bow
;

may be drawn.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Heavens make our presence and our

Giiil.

Pleasant and helpful to him

63

practices

Ay, amen

Queen.

[Exeunt Rosencrantz, Guildensteni, and

some Attendants.

Enter POLONIUS.
Pol.

The ambassadors from Norway, my good

Are

lord,

Thou still
Have I, my

King:

hast been the father of good news.

Pol.

lord

hold

Both

And

my

good

liege,

my duty as I hold my soul,

my God and to my gracious

king;

do

mine

think, or else this brain of

Hunts not the

trail

first

news

45

of policy so sure

to do, that

have found

of Hamlet's lunacy.

King. Oh, speak of that

Pol. Give

Assure you,

to

As it hath used
The very cause

My

40

joyfully return'd.

that do

long to hear.

admittance to the ambassadors

shall

be the

fruit to

that great feast.

King. Thyself do grace to them, and bring them

in.

{Exit Polonius.

He

tells

me,

my

The head and

Queen.

doubt

it

dear Gertrude, he hath found

source of all your son's distemper.

is

5 5

no other but the main,

43. Assure yoti\V I assure (I.

39. Ay'\Cl, omitted F.
45. amr\0,
one F, Caldecott, Knight, Collier.
47. siire'\ be sure Ff 2, 3.
48. it
hath] Q, / have V.
50. do /] Q, / do F.
52. fruit] Q, newes F.
I'^xil Polonius] omitted Q, F.
54. tiiy dear Gertrude] Q, my szveet Queen,
that F and many editors.
,

42. 5////] constantly ; sec i. i. 122.

52. fruit] dessert.
56. the wain] the main cause, as in

5 Henry

VI.
the main."

i.

i.

20S

"look unto


HAMLET

G4

[actii.

His father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage.

King. Well, we shall

sift

Re-enter POLONIUS,

him.

zvitJi

VOLIMAND and CORNELIUS.

Welcome,

my

good friends

Norway ?

Say, Voltimand, what from our brother

Volt.

Most

fair

return of greetings

Upon

our

first,

His nephew's

To

and

60

desires.

he sent out to suppress

levies,

which to him appear'd

be a preparation 'gainst the Polack,

But, better look'd into, he truly found

It

was against your highness; whereat grieved

That so

his sickness, age,

65

and impotence

Was falsely borne in hand, sends out arrests

On Fortinbras which he, in brief, obeys.
;

Receives rebuke from Norway, and, in

Makes vow

To

fine.

before his uncle never more

70

give the assay of arms against your majesty.

W^hereon old Norway, overcome with joy,

Gives him three thousand crowns in annual

And
So

commission to employ those

his

soldiers.

levied as before, against the Polack

With an

fee,

entreaty, herein further shown,

\Giving a paper.

That

it

might please you to give quiet pass

Through your dominions

for this enterprise,

Re-enter] Theobald, after line 57 F

58. viy\ Q, omitted F.
73. three\
78. ihis\ Q, that Q i, his F.

57. o^erhasty\ F, hastie Q.

Embassadors Q, after line 57.

threescore Q.

61. y^rj-^] Caldecott

"Audience

or

opening of our business"; Clar. Press,

"/'..

67.

greeting and desire."

home in hand\ deluded, as in

Enter
i, F;

like French
III.
i.
81 ;
rnaintenir,
trial.
But perhaps
71. assay\
assatdt ; see in. iii. 69.

Macbeth,

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
On

such regards of safety and allowance

As

therein are set down.

King.

It likes

And

at our

more consider'd time we

'11

this business.

Meantime we thank you

for

to your rest

at night

G5

80

us well,

Answer, and think upon

Go

read,

your well-took labour

we

'11

feast together

Most welcome home

\Exeunt Voltimand and Cornelius.
This business

Pol.

My

liege,

What

Why

and madam,

is

to waste night, day,

will

be

to define true

for,

90

83. weU-took'\well-look'tYl2-i,.
oniilted Q.
94. mad?] Qq 4-6,

mad ?

Two

Gentlemen

251.

of Verona,

III.

i.

art.

85. weir\(^, very well V.

f?iad. F.

95

90. sincc'IY,

of the Bermudas ... I will not expostulate."

Staunton
90. wil] understanding.
explains it as wisdom ; Clar. Press,
knowledge, as in Merchant of Venice,
n. i. 18.
93, 94. for

sideration.
86. expostulate] discuss, as in
(\\\Q\.iz'iUox\\

matter, with less

mad, Q,

allowance] safe and

79. regards
Clar. Press
allowable conditions.
"terms securing the safety of the
country, and regulating the passage of
the troops through it.'
81. consider d time] time for con.

madness.

to be nothing else but

More

mad

is

that go.

let

Queen.

Brief Relation

of the Shipwreck of Henry May, 1593:

" How these isles came by the name

and time.

the soul of wit,

Your noble son

brief.
;

\\\.\v\K.(tx

is

time,

is

tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,

Mad call I it
What is 't but
But

85

is,

day, night night, and time

Were nothing but

to expostulate

Therefore, since brevity

well ended.

majesty should be, what duty

day

And

is

mad]

to

attempt

a definition of madness were to be

mad oneself. Or does Polonius give
"to be mad" as his definition of

madness?

HAMLET

66
Pol.

Madam,

That he

is

And

pity

swear

mad,

'tis 'tis

But farewell

Mad

'tis

all.

true

'tis

pity

a foolish figure

will use

no

art.

him then; and now remains

lOO

find out the cause of this effect,

rather say, the cause of this defect,

For

this effect defective

Thus

it

comes by cause

remains, and the remainder thus.

Perpend:
I

true

true

for

let us grant

That we

Or

it,

[acth.

use no art at

'tis

have a daughter,

have, while she

is

05

mine,

Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,

Hath given me this; now gather and surmise. \Reads.
To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most
beautified Ophelia,

That 's an

i i

phrase, a vile phrase

ill

a vile phrase

" beautified "

Thus

but you shall hear.

o
is

[Reads.] In her excellent white bosom, these, &c.

98. 'tis 'tis] Q, it is F.
99. farervell it\farewell wit.
Q.
io8. Reads]
106. while'\(^l,i^;whiPst.
thus.]'?, thus Ql.
112,1 13. hear. Thus: In] Malone (followLetter F, omitted Q.

is']

F, hee

Anon.conj.

\oi,.

97. he

1676,

The

's

These to Rowe; hear

ing Jennens); hcare: thus in Q; heare these in F; hea7113. &c.] omitted P\
These in Q,'i.^&'i\. ; hear. These. ///Knight.

96. art] Delius suggests that Polonius in replying to the Queen understands " art" as opposed to truth
and nature.
()^. fgure] a figure in rhetoric.
consider,
105. Perpend] ponder,
Schmidt observes: "a word only used
by Pistol, Polonius, and the clowns."
iio. beautified] used by Shakespeare in J^wo Gentle/nen of Verona,

Theobald read beatified,

IV. i. 55.
which Capell approved as agreeing
with " celestial " and "idol." Dyce
takes "beautified" as meaning (^f^r;^Nash
ti/ul and not accomplished.

dedicated Chrisfs Tears over Je)-usaletn,

"To

1594,

the most beautified

Carey "; and

H. Olney dedicated R. L.'s Bulla,
1596, "To the most worthily Honoured and vertuous beautified Ladie."
Greene described Shakespeare in a
vile phrase as an upstart crow " beaulady, the lady Elizabeth

In Henry
tified with our feathers."
Wotton's tale (1578), on which Soly-

man and

Te?-seda is founded, I- find:

" Persida, seeing a stranger beautified

in his feathers."

bosom] Clar. Press

113. In
compares Tzvo Gentlemeti of Verona^
.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen].

Came

Queoi.
Pol.

from Hamlet to her

this

Good madam,

stay awhile

Doubt thou

\^Reads^

Doubt

that the sun doth

tiever

to

Jiot

art

am

love thee best,

reckon

to

be

most

move

This

ill

As they

20

is to

at these numbers ;

my groans ;

best, believe

but that

Adieu.

it.

zuhilst this

HAMLET.

him,

obedience hath

in

And more

love.

Thine evermore, most dear lady,

machine

faithful.

be a liar;

doubt

dear Ophelia^ I

/ have

will

the stars are fire ;

Doubt truth

But

67

my daughter shown

me;

25

above, hath his solicitings.

fell

out by time, by means, and place.

All given to mine ear.

But how hath she

King-.

Received his love

What do you

Pol.
116. Reads] Letter

F, aboiti

125. shown'] Q, shew'dV.

Q, omitted F.
Q, soliciting F.

manner,
his own intellectuality, though it may
baffle the reader the letter is no more
indulges,

after

his

simple

or

me ?
126. above]

solicitings]

III. i. 250: letters delivered " Even in

the milk-white bosom of thy love."
There was a pocket in the breast of a
lady's dress, but there may be no
reference to it here.
I16-119. Doubt] In the first two
lines and the fourth "doubt" means
(^1? (/(j(5//"/ Mrt/
in the third it means
suspect.
Hamlet's letter begins in the
conventional lover's style, which perhaps was what Ophelia would expect
from a courtly admirer ; then there is
a real outbreak of passion and selfpity ; finally, in the wcjrd " machine,"

Hamlet

think of

homogeneous

than

the

T.

Bright, in
Treatise of
(1586), explains the nature
of the body as that of a machine, connected with the " soul " by the intermediate "spirit." He compares (p.
66) its action to that of a clock,
121. reckon] Delius suggests that
this may mean "to number metrically."
124. machine is to iiim] whilst this
body is attached to liim. See Cymbclinc, V. v. 383, for use of " to."
126. solicitings] Solicit was sometimes but perhaps not here used of
immoral proposals.
Heywood, 'I'he
writer.

yl/e/aw^/^i^/j/

Wise
visit

cite,"

Woman of Hogsdcn,
my little rascall

t.

i.

and

"I

'11

soli-

HAMLET

68
King,

As

Pol.

would

of a

When
As

man

fain

had seen

perceived

my

Before

faithful

prove

so.

this

it,

and honourable.

130

But what might you

think,

hot love on the wing,

must

you

tell

daughter told me,

Or my dear

[acth.

that,

what might

you.

majesty, your queen here, think,

135

had play'd the desk or table-book.

Or given my heart a winking, mute and dumb,
Or look'd upon this love with idle sight
If

What might you think? No,

And my young mistress thus

went round

did bespeak;

to work.

Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star

This must not be " and then I prescripts gave

140

"

her,

That she should lock herself from his resort,

Admit no messengers, receive no tokens.

Which done, she took

And

the fruits of

he, repulsed, a short tale to

my

advice;

145

make,

Fell into a sadness, then into a fast.

Thence
Thence

to a watch, thence into a weakness.

to a lightness,

and by

this declension

140. thtis]
137. a winking] F, a working (^.
3, 4.
I
out of thy
141. out of thy sta7-\ Q,
; otit ofyour starre
sphere Ff 2-4,
6.
142. prescripts] Q, precepts F.
143. his] F, her Q.
146. repulsed] F, repelTd Q.
149. a] omitted Q.

132. this\ his

this Qq 4, 5.

Ff

136. desk or table-book] silent lecipient.

Clar. Press explains : " If I
had been the agent of their corre-

See

spondence."

tables,

i.

v. 107.

137. wittking] closed the eyes of

did not necesmy heart.
sarily mean, as now, " a brief closure

"Wink"

In Sonnets, xliii. i, it
used for sleep.
that is plainly.
round]
roundly,
139.
See round \\\ III. i. 191.
141. out of thy star] above thee in
fortune.
See Twelfth Night, 11. v.

of the eyes."
is

156

"In my

Nash,

stars I

am

above thee."

in Pierce Pennilesse, speaks of

the strict division of ranks in Denreference to marriage

" It is death there for anie but a husbandman to marry a husbandman's
daughter, or a gentleman's child to
joyne with any but the sonne of a

mark with

gentleman."
148. watch] a sleepless state,"as
Cymbeliiie, Hi.
149.

iv.

43.

lightness] lightheadedness,

in

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

now he

Into the madness wherein

And all we mourn

King. Do you think 'tis

this

there been such a time,

When

proved otherwise

it

Not

Take
If

I 'd

this

from

truth

Within the

is

hid,

that

know

that,

know.

it

were hid indeed

centre.

How may we
You know, sometimes he walks

try

it

further

four

in

hours

to-

gether

Here

5 5

will find

though

King.
Pol.

fain

be otherwise.

this, if this

circumstances lead me,

Where

be, very likely.

King.
Pol.

may

" 'tis so,"

have positively said

150

It

Hath
That

raves

for.

Queen.
Pol.

69

60

the lobby.

So he does, indeed.
At such a time I '11 loose my daughter to him
Be you and I behind an arras then

Queen.
Pol.

7)ioiini^()> i^'<^il 1' ^T-nJ many editors.

150. -vhcrciii] i), whereon V.
1 51.
152. V/.f this] F, this (^; likely'] V, like Q.
153. I'd] F, / would K}.
161. does] (^,
160. /our] Ilanmer, followed by other editions, rcada /or.
Aas F.
163. arras then ;] arras then, Q, F ; arras ; thett Staunton.

here added a stage direction, " Pointing to his head and shoulders"; he
has been followed i)y many editors,
Stage tradition may have guided

specious.
But Elze [ShakeJahrbtieh, B. xi.) has shown
the use by Klizahethan writers of four,
forty, forty thousand to express an iniMalune cites Webdefmite number.

Theobald.
But see lines 166, 167.
May not "this from this" mean the

muse

156.

Tahe

this /roil! this]T\\toh3.\{i

chamberlain's staff or wand and the

hand which bears it ?
159. autre] that is, of the earth,
and so, according to Ptolemaic astronomy, of the universe.
Compare
Midntntiitcr Nij:;ht''s Dream, \\\.\\.^/\.
xdo. /our]
llunmer's emendation

/or

is

sfieare

ster,

Duchess 0/ Malft:
four hours together "

"She

will

and Clar.
Press, Patlenham, Arte 0/ English
"laughing and gibing
Poesie
.
;

foure houres by the cloclce."

1C2. loose] The word reminds the
King and (^Hieen that he has restrained

Ophelia from
Hamlet.

communication

with

HAMLET

70

Mark

And
Let

the encounter

if

he love her not,

be not from his reason

me

thereon,

fall'n

be no assistant for a

But keep a farm and

[actii.

165

state,

carters.

King.

We

Queen. But look where sadly the

poor

will try

it.

wretch

comes

reading.

Away,

Pol,

I'll

do beseech you, both away

board him presently.

\Exeunt King, Queen, and Attendatits.

Enter HAjNILET

\^readi7ig'\.

Oh, give

How

does

my

me

leave;

170

good Lord Hamlet?

Hani. Well, God-a-mercy.

Do you know

Pol.

me,

Hani. Excellent well

167.

my

lord

you are a fishmonger.

And Y.

Enter Hamlet] placed after IVe will try

174. Excellent'] Q, Excellent, excellent .

Buf] Q,

Q, F.

Twelfth

170. lioard] accost, as in

I. iii. 60.

Night,

170. present ly] immediately, as in

Romeo andJuliet,

IV.

i.

Queen

indicated in
after line
Capell, supposing
the words to be addressed to the King

169;

in

is

it,

line 167.

have found no example. There are

Elizabethan references to the smell of
fishmongers, which here could be
I

indicated by an actor, as if
Polonius had brought an ill air with
him.
Presently, however, Hamlet
discourses on procreation, connecting
Ophelia with his talk. Perhaps the
following from Piatt's Jewell House,

easily

95.

Oh, give vie leave] addressed

Hamlet. The. Exeunt oi\\.mg2X\d

170.
to

as here.

Queen, placed Exeunt after

"leave."
"FishiT^. fishmonger] Malone
monger was a cant term for wencher"
he cites B. Rich's Irish Htihbiib

and

"him they call Senex fornicator and

old fishmonger."
Farmer and Henley's Slang Dictionary gives obscene
meanings under "fish" and "fishmarket," which suggest that fishmonger may have meant bawd, but

1594

may be cited
opinion that the
conceive only by

(p. 97, ed. 1653),

"And some hold

females ... do
licking of salt.

And

this

maketh the

Fishmongers' wives so wanton and

beautiful."

Whiter notices that

in

Masque of Christinas, ^.exms,

as a tire woman, says, "I am a fishmonger's daughter."
Does Jonson
only mean sea-born, or mean wanton

loxiioxv s

and

beautiful?

Joubert

{Seconde

SC.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

II.

Not I, my lord.
HavL Then I would you were

71

Pol.

Pol.

my

Honest,

Ham. Ay,

sir

man

That's very

Ham. For

to be honest, as this world goes,

to be one
Pol.

lord

175
so honest a man.

is

picked out of ten thousand.

true,

my

180

lord.

the sun breed maggots in a dead dog,

if

being a good

kissing carrion,

Have

you a

daughter ?
Pol.

have,

Ham. Let

my

blessing
ceive

lord.

her not walk

friend, look to

How

Pol. [Aside.]

the sun: conception

but not as your daughter

i'

may

is

185

con-

't.

say you by that?

Still

harping

179. man'] omitted in Ff 3, 4 ten] Q,

177. lord?'] F, lord. Q, lord! Dyce.
two F.
182. good kissing carrioii\ Q, F ; god kissing carrion Warburton
and many editors god-kissing carrion Malone.
186. not] F, omitted
in Q.
188. [Aside]] Capell'; placed by Steevens before Still.
;

partie des errcurs

popttlaires,

1 600,
popular opinion
"que I'usage du poisson engendre
beaucoup de semence." See Apuleius'
curious defence against the charge
that he had made a magical use of
fish in his courtship of a widow.
176. honest] Ben Jonson's "Town

p. 169) considers the

gull."
in his

Master Mathew {Every Man

Humour, i. iii.) is a citizen's

son: Mis father's an honest man,

aworshipful fishmonger, and so forth."
daughter] Re181, 183. For
taining the good of Q, F, good kissing
(which might be hyphened) must be
explained, with Caldecott, Corson,
Furncss, good for kissing.
But much
might be said on behalf of Warburton's
emendation, which Johnson accepted
with an outbreak of admiration god
kissing; compare "common-kissing
Titan," Cymbeline, \\\. iv. 166, and
sec 1 Henry /F. II. i v. 113.
In h'ing
.

we have: "The
summer's day doth soonest
The loathed carrion that it seems

Edward

III. (1596)

freshest
taint

In support of god-kissing
Lear, n. i. 9: "ear-

to kiss."

Malone

cites

kissing ajguments."
Hamlet ironically
justifies
the
severance by
Bolonius of Ophelia from himself
all the world is evil, even the sun
has the basest propensities if a dead
dog is corrupted by the sun, how
;

much more your daughter by me.

Staunton supposes that Hamlet reads,
or pretends to read, these words. See
a parallel from St. Augustine quoted
by Ingleby, Shakespeare Hermenciitics, p.

159.
185. conception] Steevens supposed
that there is a quibble, as in Lear, \. i.
1

2, between

ing,

'
'

conception, " ttnderstand-

and "conceive,"

to be

pregnant.

188. by] concerning, as in

of Venice,

I.

ii.

58.

Merchant

HAMLET

72

my

on

daughter

he said

gone

was a fishmonger: he

and truly

my

in

extremity

for

love

speak

him

again.

my

to

lord

youth
very

Ham.

mean

far

at first

gone, far

suffered

near

much
I '11

this.

do you

190

read,

the matter that

Slanders,

that old

is

What

Ham. Words, words, words.

Pol. What is the matter, my
Ham. Between who?
Pol.

knew me not

yet he

[acth

sir

195
lord

you

read,

for the satirical

men have grey

my

lord.

rogue says here

beards, that their faces

are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick

200

amber

and plum-tree gum, and that they have a

plentiful lack of wit, together with

hams

which,

all

and potently
to have

it

sir,

though

believe, yet

thus set

should be old as

down
am,

if

most powerfully

hold
for

most weak

it

you

not honesty 205

yourself,

like a crab

sir,

you could

go backward.
Pol. [Aside.]

method

my
Ham.
190,

2-4.
202.

lord

Into
\<^\.

Though
in

't.

this

be madness, yet there

Will you walk out of the

is

air,

my

grave

far gone, far gone\Y,farre gone

(^.

197.

w/w] Q,

whomYi

198. that yo7i read'X

199. rogue'] Q, slave F.

Q, yoti viea72c F.
203. most] Q, omitted F.
206. you yourself] F,
vour selfe Q.
shotild
be
old]
207.
F, shall grow old Q.
209. Aside]
Johnson.
212. grave?] Y, grave. Q.
a7tcr\

Q, or F.

197. Between who?] Clar. Press:

" Hamlet purposely misunderstands
the word to mean cause of dispute,'
'

2,'i\Vi.

Tzvelfth Night,

m.'w.

\-]2."

199. the

satirical

rogue]

War-

burton refers to Juvenal, ^a/. x. 188.

210-214.] Several editors prefer
the Q grave.
Compare Jonson's

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Pol.

Indeed, that

out

is

the

o'

[Aside.]

air.

pregnant sometimes his replies are

73

How

a happi-

ness that often madness hits on, which reason

and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered

of.

will leave him, and suddenly

means of meeting between him

contrive the

and

my

daughter.

My honourable
my

most humbly take

Ham. You
I

will

life,

Pol.

cannot,

more

except

Fare you

Ham. These

sir,

well,

except

life,

my

will

220

me any

take from

willingly part withal

my

lord,

leave of you.

my

thing that

my

except

life.

lord.

225

tedious old fools!

Enter Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Pol.

You go

Lord Hamlet

to seek the

Ros. [To Polo7iius.'\

God

My honoured
Ros. My most dear
Ham. My excellent

lord

lord

save you,

there he

is.

sir!

[Exit Polojiius.
Guil.

Guildenstern

How

good friends!

Ah,

Rosencrantz

dost thou,

Good

230

lads,

how do ye both ?
Aside] Capell.
ihe\
E, that's out of the Q;
213. tltat is out o
him\ E,
216. sanity'l E, sanctity Q.
217, 2 1 8. and suddenly .
lord, I -will (J.
humbly'] E,
omitted in Q.
219, 220.
except my life] three
221. sir] F, omitted in Q.
222 niill] E, will not
;
Marked aside by \Vliite,
times as here, in
except viy life, tny life. F.
;
Hudson.
226. the Loi-d] Q, my Lord E.
227. To Polonius] Malone.
228. My] Q, Mine E.
232. ye] E, you Q.
231. Ah,] Q, Oh, E,
.

My

My

Man in His Humour,

Dame Kitely For love's

Eveiy
'^^

n.

i.:

.sake,

sweetheart,
come in out of the
Kitely: JIow simple, and how
subtle
are
This
her answers "

air.

curious parallel is found in Jonson's

Folio 1616, and in the Quarto 1601.
Shakespeare acted in Jonson's play

perhaps

this

his brain.

is

an echo that lived

in

HAMLET

74

[acth.

As the indifferent children of the earth.

Happy in that we are not over-happy
On Fortune's cap we are not the very button.
Ham. Nor the soles of her shoe ?
Ros.

Guil.

my

Ros. Neither,

lord.

Ham. Then you

about her waist, or

live

middle of her favours

in

the

Faith, her privates we.

Guil.

Ham.

240

In the secret parts of Fortune?

true

she

What 's

a strumpet.

is

my

None,

Ros.

235

Oh, most

the news

but that the world

lord,

's

grown

honest.

Ham. Then

is

not true.

doomsday near; but your news is 245

Let me question more in particular

my

what have you,

good

friends, deserved

at

the hands of Fortune, that she sends you to

prison hither?
Guil. Prison,

my

Ham. Denmark
Then

Ros.

Ham.

is

lord

's

a prison.

the world one.

goodly one

confines, wards,

and dungeons

o'

We

think not so,

Haul.

which there are

in

one
Ros.

250

many

Denmark being

the worst.

Why,

then

'tis

255

my

lord.

none

to

you

for

there

is

234> 235- overhappy ; On Forttmes cap] F, ever happy on Fortune's lap,

IVe Q.
2 :ig. favours:''] Q, favoztr? F.
242. What's the] , What t^.
243. that] V, omitted in Q.
246-278. Let me
attended] F, omitted
.

inQ.
233. indifferent] average, as in

Gentlemen of Verona, ni.

Two

44.
241. In .
Fortune]'Do&%\\-A.\w\Q\.
already suspect them, and hint that
.

ii.

they are seeking fortune by dishonour

able means?
254. confines] places of confine-

menl.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

75

nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes

it

Ros.

so

Why,

me

to

it is

a prison.

then your ambition makes

it

one;

'tis

260

too narrow for your mind.

Ham. O God,

could be bounded in a nut-shell,

and count myself a king of

it

not that

were

have bad dreams.

Which dreams indeed

Guil.

infinite space,

are ambition; for the

very substance of the ambitious

is

265

merely the

shadow of a dream.

dream
Ros. Truly, and

Hani.

itself is
I

hold ambition of so airy and light

a quality that

Ham. Then

but a shadow.

it is

270

but a shadow's shadow.

beggars

our

are

bodies,

and

our

monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars'

Shall we to the court? for, by my

shadows.
fay,

Ros., Guil.

Ham. No

cannot reason.

We'll wait upon you.

such matter

rest of

my

servants

an honest man,

will

for,

271. beggars bodies] The monarcli

a
is an outstretched shadow
shadow is thrown by a body body is
the op|)osile of sh.idow ; therefore the
opposite of monarch, and heroes,
namely, beggars, are bodies. Whether
at one or two removes shadow, or
shadow's shadow it is a beggar who

or hero

produces

an

ambitious

numarch.

lamlct's private meaning may possibly be that his uncle is a shadow

J

to

am most

264. had dreams'] Malonc perhaps

a prinlcr's error
read "had
dreams," a " noljlc emendation," as
Johnson might have called it, attained
proi)ably by accident.
liy

275

not sort you with the

speak to you

like

dreadfully attended.

a mockery king

willi a lieggar for

lie purposely loses
substance.
himself in his riddles, and, being incapable of reasoning, will to the
court, where just thinking is out of
its

place,

274. fay] faith,

278. dreadfully attended] Hamlet
speaks like an honest man, but knows
his meaning will not be understood ;
he ?V dreadfully attended, by Memory

and Horror, and wronged Love, and

Let the
tlie
duty of Revenge.
courtiers suppose he has a madman's
suspicions of dangerous followers,

HAMLET

7&
But,

in

beaten

the

make you

way

[actii.

of friendship, what

280

Elsinore?

at

Ros. To visit you, my lord

no other occasion.
Ham. Beggar that I am, I am even poor in thanks
;

but

thank you

and

thanks are too dear a halfpenny.

not sent for?
it

Is

it

a free visitation

Come, deal

me come, come nay, speak.

Giiil. What should we say, my lord
Ham. Why, any thing, but to the

Is

285

justly with

were sent
in

Were you

your own inclining?

my

sure, dear friends,

for

and there

purpose.

You

a kind of confession 290

is

your looks, which your modesties have not

craft

enough

to colour

and queen have sent

Ros. To what end, my
Ham. That you must
jure you,

by the

know

the good king

for you.

lord

teach me.

But

let

me

con- 295

rights of our fellowship,

by

the consonancyof our youth, by the obligation

of our ever-preserved love, and by what more

dear a better proposer could charge you withal,

be even and direct with me, whether you were 300

sent

for,

or no.

Ros. \Aside to Guildenstern.']

282. evett]

omitted in

F
;

ever O.

any

fhing,

c/"]
Q, omitted in
Guildenstern] Globe ed. ;

290.

What

say you

2S9. Ji'hy']
286,287. Co/ne']V,cor>!e,cofiieQ.
Q 6, any thing but Q, a7zy thing. But F.
F.
302. Aside to
299. couhf] F, can Q.
To Guilden. Theobald To Hamlet Delius conhttt]

ject.

2S0. make'] do, as in l. ii. 164.

2S4. a halfpenny] at a halfpenny.
Clarke thinks it
289. but] only.
also includes the effect of "except"
a covert sarcasm.

299. proposer] speaker.

pose," speak, in Mitch
i.

3.

300. even] plain, honest.

So "
Ado,

proin.


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Ham.

[Aside.]

My

N'a7Ji.

have an eye of you.

you love me, hold not

If

Gut/.

Nay, then

lord,

we were

sent

you why

will tell

77

off.

305

for.

so shall

my

anticipation

prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to

the king and queen moult no feather.
of late,

my

but wherefore

mirth, forgone

indeed

it

all

know

not,

lost all

custom of exercises

goes so heavily with

my

have

and 310

disposition

that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to

sterile

promontory

canopy, the

air,

hanging firmament,
with golden

me

to

this

brave

o'er3

appears no other thing

it

than a foul and pestilent congregation

What

of vapours.

how

you,

this majestical roof fretted

why,

fire,

look

me

most excellent

this

noble

a piece of work

reason

in

how

is

infinite in

man

faculty

303. Aside] Slcevcns.

307. discovery, ami] Q, discovciy of F, with
colon after queen, line 308.
310. exercises'] (j, exercise Y.
311, heavily]
i), heavenly V.
315.
314, 315- overhanging] ore-hanged Qq 4-6.
firmament] Q, omitted in F.
316. appears] P", appeareth Q, appeared
lhan]Y nothing to )ne hut i^.
Ff2-4.
^,1%. a piece]
316, 317. ;w
Y, peece Q a man] man Q 6, Dyce (ed. 2), Furness.
319. facility] Y,
faculties Q.
319-322. Q points with commas after moving, action, apprehension, and colon after God.
.

303. of yoii\ on )'ou.

" on

" in

II.

ii.

So "

of " for

27.

307. prevent your discovery] anticipate your disclosure.

310. custom of exercises] In T.
Treatise of Melancholy
Bright's
the words
126, occur
(1586), p.
" custom of exercise." It is a passage
in which Bright describes melancholy
men as sometimes very witty ; as
" exact and curi(jus in pondering the
very moments of things " ; as deliberating long " because of doubt and
distrust" ; and as troubled with fear-

lean hardly doubt that

dreams.
Shakespeare was acquainted with
ful

Bright's Treatise,
315. fretted] Clar. Press compares
Cymbelitte, ii. iv. 88:
" The roof o' the chamber
With golden cherubins is fretted."
Fret is an architectural term, used
here loosely for emboss, or adorn,

318. a

"a"
its

man] Dyce

(ed.

2)

thinks

Qq. 2-5 was shuffled out of

place before piece, and that I'f,
in

of transposing
another before piece.
instead

"a,"' addeil

HAMLET

78
in

[actii.

form and moving how express and admir- 320

in action how Hke an angel
in appre-

able

hension

world

how

like

god

the beauty of the

the paragon of animals

me, what

this quintessence of

is

delights not

And

me

no, nor

woman

man

dust?

neither,

by your smiling you seem to say

Ros. My lord, there was no such

yet, to

though 325

so.

in

my

said "

man

stuff

thoughts.

Ham. Why

did you laugh then,

delights not

Ros.

To

think,

me

my

when

" ?

330

lord,

you delight not

if

man,

in

what lenten entertainment the players

way

you

from

receive

and hither are they coming, to

shall

we coted them on

the

you

offer

service.

Ham. He

335

that plays the king shall be

me

majesty shall have tribute of

turous knight shall use his
lover shall not sigh gratis
shall

end

sere]

his

the adven-

and target

the

man

the humorous

part in peace

his

325. iiol omitted in

then] Q, omitted in F.

foil

welcome

the clown shall

woman'] F, -women Q.
me Q.

340

329. yoii\ F, yee

340-342. the clown

337. of me] F, on

Q
.

;
.

omitted in Q.

320. express]

exact.

Clar.

Press

quote
Hebrews i. 3:
"express
image." Schmidt, " expressive."
325,326.] to follow such a confession with laughter, from any cause, is
a measure of the courtiers' intelligent
sympathy.
332. lenten] meagre, as in Twelfth
Night, I. V. 9.
333. coted] overtook and passed
beyond.
GoMSm^s Ovid Met. V>. y^.:
"With that liippomenes coted her"

(Lat. praterit)-,

used specially as a

term

and so explained by

in coursing,

Turbervile.
"Not the
339. humorous man]
funny man or jester
.
.
but the
actor who personated the fantastic
characters
for the
most part
represented as capricious and quarrel"
some" (Staunton).
Such characters
as Faulconbridge, Jaques, and Mercutio" (Delius). The characters of the
stock company suit the present play
.

PRINCE

sen]

DENMARK

OP^

make

those laugh whose lungs are tickle

sere;

and the lady

or

the blank

verse

players are they

say her mind

shall

shall

in,

't.

freely,

What

to take such delight

345

the tragedians of the city.

How

Havi.

for

the

Even those you were wont

Ros.

halt

o'

79

both

chances

they travel

it

and

in reputation

profit,

their residence,

was better both

ways.
Ros.

think their inhibition comes by the means of 350

the late innovation.

Ham. Do

they hold the same estimation they did

when

was

are they so followed

in the city ?

Ros. No, indeed, they are not.

Ham. How comes

Nay,

Ros.

pace

do they grow rusty

it ?

endeavour

their

but there

is,

keeps

sir,

in

355

.?

the wonted

an eyrie of children,

341. iicldc\ Staunton conject., Clar. Press, tickled F.

343, blaiik'\ F,
black Q.
345. sucli\ Q, omitted in F.
354. they are] F, are they Q.
355-383. Ho-tv . . . load too] omitted in Q.

King

Claudius, who receives such

he deserves from Hamlet
Laertes, the fencer; Hamlet, the lover,
who sighs gratis Polonius, who ends
his part as "most secret and most
grave"; the grave-digger; and Ophelia,
who speaks her mind in madness
somewhat loo freely.
tribute as

341 342. tickle d the sere] Explained

by Nicholson, and independently
by Clar. Press: sere, the bar or
balance-lever of a gun-lock (from
"serre," a talon), a stop-catch; if
"tickle," ticklish, loose, unsteady,
the gun goes oft" at a tt)uch
lungs
tickle o' the sere, lungs that move to
laughter at a touch.
,

first

342. lady] Hamlet

lady, of course, will

is

the
indecent

ironical

have

words

to utter
if she omits them,
the halting blank verse will betray
her delicacy,
347. residence] i.e. in the city,
;

350, 351.] See Appendix, p. 229.

357, 358. ey7-ie of children, little
eyases] eyrie or aerie, biood of nestlings; eyases, unfledged hawks. "Cry
out " carries on the metaphor. In 77ie
Geiitlenia>Cs Recreation, Part \\. p.

21

(ed.

Eyess

1686),

we

find

"the name

long as she is in the

Eyrie.
These are very troublesome
in their feeding, do cry very iiitich.^^
Middleton, in
Father Hubbard's
Tales, 1604, speaks of "a nest of
lasts as

l)oys" at the lilackfriars "able to

ravish
a man" (noted by
Prof,
Hales).

HAMLET

80
little

[act n.

eyases, that cry out on the top of question

and are most tyrannically clapped

now the
common stages
are

and

fashion,

so they call

for

so

't

these

berattle

them

360

the

many

that

wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills, and

dare scarce come thither.
Ham. What, are they children ? who maintains 'em ?
how are they escoted ? Will they pursue the 365
quality no longer than they can

they not say afterwards,

themselves to
like if their

common

means

if

sing

will

they should grow

players,

as

are no better,

is

it

most

their writers

do them wrong, to make them exclaim against 370

their

own

succession

Ros. 'Faith, there has

sides,

been much to-do on both

and the nation holds

360. hcraftlc] Y
369. no'] not V 2.

2,

be-mtkd F.

it

no

sin

to tarre

368, 369. most like] Pope, like most F.

358. cry . . . question] clamour

fortH the height of controversy, utter

extreme matter of debate,

out" may be regarded as a

prcibaMy alluding to what

calls

"a

tyrant's vein," or

Bottom

"a

part

make all split" (Rolfe).

361. common stages] the

shrilly the

to

"Cry

public,
as distinguished from the private,
theatres.
362. rapiers] fashionable gallants
are afraid to visit the "common"

verb; to "cry on" is frequent in

Shakespeare " cry out on " may be a
combination of the two
"question"
is -a matter in dispute; the "top of
question" is the matter in dispute
pushed to extremity. Other explanaClar.
tions have been proposed.
Press: "Probably, to speak in a
high key, dominating conversation."
;

For "question" in
Merckant of Venice,

this
iv.

sense,

see

70.

In

i.

Armin's Nest of Ninnies,

p. 55 (Sh.
Soc. reprint) occurs: "Cry it up in
the top of question."
Prof. Hales*
notes from Adam Bede
"Mrs.
Poyser keeps at the top o' the talk
like a fife."
outrageously ;
359. tyrannically]
:

theatres, so unfashionable have the

writers for the children made them.
Dyce quotes
365. escoted] paid.

Cotgrave, "

.fi'jTt'/'/ijr,

Every one

to

pay

his shot."

366. quality] profession, and speciso Massinger, The

;
Picture, 11. i.:
"
do you like the quality ?
You had a foolish itch to b^ an
actor."
ally of players

How

373. tarre] set on to fight, used

specially of dogs, as in Troilus and
Cressida, i. iii. 392,

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

them

to controversy

no money bid

81

there was, for a while,

argument, unless the poet 375

for

and the player went to

cuffs

the ques-

in

tion.

Ham.

Is

possible

't

Oh, there has been much throwing about of

Guil.

380

brains.

Ham. Do

the boys carry

Ros. Ay, that they do,

it

my

away
lord

Hercules and hi

load too.

Ham.

It is

of

not very strange

Denmark, and those,

at him while my

mows

twenty, forty,

fifty,

for his picture in

my

for

that

father

it

give

lived,

'Sblood, there
if

is

some-

philosophy

out.

390
\_FlotcnsJi

Guil.

is

an hundred ducats a-piece,

little.

thing in this more than natural,

could find

King
would make 385

uncle

of t7'umpets

ivithin.

There are the players.

Ham, Gentlemen, you

are welcome to Elsinore.

Your hands, come the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply
;

384.

iny'\

Q, mine F.

3S6.

iiioivs]

F,

mouths

C^.

omitted F ; aii] F, a (^.

388. 'Sblood\ Q, omitted F.
come ;\ Y hands come then, Qcj 2, 3 ; hands, come then Qq 4, 5
;

387.

fifty'\

Q,

393. hands,
;

hands

come

/hen, () 6.

375' ar^nmen/] plot o{ a. p\a.y, as in

ni. ii. 244.
376, 377. question] Perhaps means
dialogue; perhaps controversy, dehate ; the poet for the ciiildren attacks
the common players.
381. cany it away] win the day.
382. Hercules] An allusion to the
Glol)e Theatre, the sign of which was
Hercules carrying the globe.

386. mows'] grimzce?,, Fr. monc.

388. picture in. little] miniature.
The children miniature actors now
carry away Hercules; so too have
fashions changed with respect to
kings.
393. appurtenance] adjuncts.
394. comply] observe the formalities
of courtesy, as in V. ii. 192; ^''ar/i,
fashion.

HAMLET

82
with you

garb, lest

in this

players, which,

tell

[actii.

my

extent to the 395

must show

you,

fairly

outwards, should more appear like entertain-

ment than

You

yours.

welcome

are

but

my

uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived.

my

In what,

Guil.

Ham.

am

wind

dear lord

mad

but

when the
hawk from a

north-north-west

southerly,

is

400

know

handsaw.
Re-enter POLONIUS.
Pol.

Well be with you, gentlemen

Ham. Hark

you, Guildenstern

and

you too;

405

at

each ear a hearer: that great baby you see

there

is

not yet out of his swaddling-clouts,

/et
6
395. tins'] Q, fhe lest my] F,
406, 407.
397. outwards] Q, outward Y.
4-6.
407. swaddli7ig] Q, swathing F.
;

395. extent] behaviour, deportment,

as in Twelfth Night, iv. i. 57. Collier

proposed ostent.
handsaw] I
401-403. / at?i
am mad only in one point of the
compass.
T. Bn^i/ixi A Treatise of
Melancholy (1586), mentions the
south and south-east winds as the
most suitable for sufferers from melanBurton gives
choly (chap, xxxix. ).
.

other

opinions.

southerly

wind

would, according to Bright, favour

Hamlet's sanity. North and northwest, we may infer, would be the most

The word hawh was

and is used for a plasterer's tool, but no
example has been found earlier than
unfavourable.

Hack, however, is an Eliza1700.

bethan name for a tool for breaking
or chopping up, and for agricultural
tools of the mattock, hoe, and pickaxe type {Aew Eng. Diet.). Handsaw might suggest hack, for we
find in 1 Henry IV. II. iv. 187, " My
sword hackt like a hand-saw." It is,

mc Qq 2, 3 let iny Qq
you see there is] as you see

4, 5.

is

Qq

that
generally assumed
here is a corruption of
heronshaiv or kernsew; "no other
instances of the phrase (except as
quotations from Shakespeare) have
hetniownd" [New Eng. Diet.). J. C.
Heath (quoted in Clar. Press) exthe heron flying down the
plains
north wind is ill seen, the spectator
looking south towards the sun flying
north, on a south wind, it can be
easily distinguished from the hawk.
Does Hamlet imagine the two courtiers
Elseas hawks loosed to pursue him ?
where he compares them to hunters
The
driving him unto the toils.
Gentlcriian's Recreation gives directions for the pursuit of a hern by a
The south wind is
pair of hawks.
generally represented by Shakespeare
Does
as a wind of evil contagion.
Hamlet mean that he can recognise
the King's birds of chase flying on an

however,

"handsaw"

ill

wind?

PRINCE OF DENMxVRK

sen]

Happily he

Ros.

they

for,

the second time

's

an

say,

old

come

man

to

83

them

twice

is

410

child.

Ham.

prophesy he comes to

will

players

mark

it.

Monday morning

You

say

right,

of the

sir

o'

'twas so, indeed.

My lord, have news to tell you.

Ham. My lord, I have news to tell

Pol.

me

tell

Roscius was an actor

The

Pol.

actors are

come

Ham. Buz, buz

Pol. Upon my honour
Ham. Then came each

in

you.

When

Rome,

hither,

my

lord.

The

Pol.

actor on his ass,

comedy,

history,

historical-pastoral,

poem

pastoral-comical,

pastoral,

tragical-historical,

comical-historical-pastoral,

or

420

best actors in the world, either for tragedy,

unlimited;

scene

tragical-

individable,

Seneca cannot be too 425

F, he is Q.
411. pivplicsy ]ie\ proplitcy, lie Q(j 2, l, prophecy
Hce F, Prophesie, He Ff 2-4.
412. <?'] Capell,
4-6, rrophesic.
a (^,for a F.
413. inoniing i\ nwrniug, Qq 2, 3, morning Qcj 4-6 F .w]
419. my'] (), mine F ;
416. was'] omitted in F.
(^ I, F ; then Q.
honour ] Rowe ; hononr. Q, F.
420. came] Q, can F.
422, 423. pastoral-comical,
historical-pastoral, ] Pastoricall- Comicall-Historicall-Pastorall
F,
omits the classes of drama which follow historical-pastoral.
408.
that he

///.''j]

Qq

408. Happily] Haply, as in i.i. 134.

412, You say] Hamlet would mislead Polonius as to the subject of their
conversation.
418. /)//c] Blackstone says, " It was

an interjection used at Oxford when

anyone began a st(jry that was generally known before."
Schmidt: "An
interjection to

command

7'hen
seems to be

Johnson: "This
the line of a ballad."

420.

Klze supposes

"on

his

" ujjon

silence."

rtyj]

that

Hamlet makes

ass" ec(uivalent to I'olonius's

my

honour."'

424. scene indiTidalile]:s.\A^y which

observes imity of place ; " poem vinlimited," a play which disregards the
unities.

Plautns]
.
425, 426. Seneca.
Seneca's tragedies had been trans.

lated by Newton and others,

influenced the English drama.

and
See

InjUunce of Seneca on
Shakespeare'sC""^wr</)'(3/'A;r^;'.f is founded on
Warner's translation of the il/fV/r<'< 7//;//
Cunlift'e,

'Phe

Elizabetlian Tragedy (1S93).

of I'lautus.

HAMLET

84

heavy, nor Plautus too

writ

Ham. O

and the

[actii.

For the law of

light.

only men.

liberty, these are the

Jephthah, judge of

Israel,

what a treasure

hadst thou

What a
Ham. Why,

treasure had he,

Pol.

my

lord?

430

One fair dangJiter, and no more,

The which he loved passing well.

my

[Aside.] Still on

Pol.

Am

Ham.

you

Pol. If

not

the right, old Jephthah?

i'

me

call

daughter.

daughter that

Jephthah,

my

lord,

435
have a

love passing well.

Ham. Nay, that follows not.

Pol. What follows then, my lord ?
Ham. Why,
As dj lot, God zvot,
and

then,
It

Q,

For

If

pass, as most like

to

liberty, these\

Libeiiy.
These F.
for
Walker, conject. Dyce(ed. 2).

light,

treasure S.

you know.

came

426, 427. light.

these

not'\

omitted in

Qq

is

to written plays

and ex-

In Middleton's
temporised parts.
Tlie Spanish Gipsy, the gipsy-actors
can perform in "a way which the
Italians

and the Frenchmen use"

is, on a word given, or some
:

" That

slight plot,

The actors

will

it ivas,

liberty
Theobald, light for
430. What a treasitrc\ What
Aside]
Capell.
436-438.
434.
.

4-6.

^26, ^2'j. hnv of writ and the liberty^

Capell: "This means pieces written
Corin rule and pieces out of rule."
son suggests that Seneca exemplified
the law and Plautus the liberty of
Probably, however, the
writing.
reference

440

extempore fashion

out

Scenes neat and wittv."

Rowe and other editors read "law

of wit."
428. Jephthali\ Steevens communicated the "pious chanson" to Percy
a reprint from a blackletter copy will
be found in Child's English and Scottisli Ballads.
Hamlet quotes from
the first stanza.
Jephthah sacrificed
his daughter
before her death she
went into the wilderness to bewail her
virginity.
In
So with Ophelia.
lines 444, 445 Hamlet says " the first
row
of the pious chanson will
;

show you more,"

to the line

be."

'
'

perhaps he refers
Great wars there should

PTIINCE OF DEXMxVRK

sen]
the

first

row of the pious chanson

you more;

look where

for

my

will

85

show

abridgement 445

comes.

Enter four or Jive Players.

You

am

are welcome, masters

glad to see thee well

O,

my

old

valanced since
to beard

me

in

friend
I

Why, thy

saw thee

By 'r

nearer to heaven than

by the

welcome,

last;

is

comest thou 450

lady, your ladyship

when

saw you

last,

Fray God, your

voice, like a piece of uncurrent gold,

face

What, my young

altitude of a chopine.

cracked within the ring.

all,

welcome, good friends.

Denmark

lady and mistress

is

be not 455

Masters, you are

all

2-5; Potis Chanson F; Pans Chanson Ff 2-4, Q 6 ;

;
abridgements
445, 446. abridgement comes~\ Q i,
come F.
448. thee'\^l, F; ye Dycc (ed. 2).
447. Yon arc\ Q, Y^are Y.
Why, thy'] (J, Thy F.
450. valanced] C), valiant
449, i}iy'\ F, omitted Q
F.
452. By ';- lady] F, Q^ i; by lady Qq 2-4 ; /;// Lady Qcj 5, 6; ladyship]
Lordship Ff 3, 4.
453. to heaven] Q, heaven F.
444. pious chansoii\

S;odly Ballet

Qq

i.

^^^. pious chanson] Tlic "godly

Ballet" of Q i confirms the reading

ofQ.

Attempts have

l)een

made by

reference to the French " Chanson du

Pont Ncuf " to justify the Folio misprint.
The ballad is "pious" as
having a scriptural subject.
perhaps means stanza, or perhaps
colunm of a broadside ballad.

"Row"

445. abridgement] See A/idsummer

Night' sD ream, \. i. 39, whiixc abridge;^^ means an entertainment, which
shortens the lime.
Here it has both
this

meaning and

that of cutting short

the talk.

450. valanced]
beard).

fringed

(wilh

Italian
ciopinno,
454. chopine]
Minshcu defines Spanish chapin "u

high cork shoe.

Qoiy&im

Crtidities,

describes the Venetian " chapineys" as worn by ladies under the

shoes, sometimes half a yard high.
The bo\' who plays the lady has grown
since I lamlet saw him last,
456. cracked within the ring] coins
cracked within the circle which surrounded the sovereign's head were
unlit for currency.
Usurers, Lodge
tells us in ll'^its J/iserie, 1596, bought
up " crackt angels "" at nine shillings
Is there a play on "ring"
a piece.
a voice that rings clear and true?
In Beaumont's Keme.dy of Love (xi.
477, Dyce) we find the same expression " If her voice be bad, crack'd in
the ring."'
161

1,

HAMLET

86
welcome.
fly at

We

'11

e'en to

any thing we see

straight

French

like

't

we

[act n.
falconers,

have a speech

'11

come, give us a taste of your quality;

come, a passionate speech,

What

First Play.

Ham.

speech,

was never acted

it

or,

for the play,

460

good lord

me

speak

heard thee

once

my

a speech once, but

if

not above

was,

it

remember, pleased not

the million; 'twas caviare to the general; but 465

was,

it

an
as

judgments

received

such

in

of mine,

and

it,

others,

whose

matters cried in the top

excellent play, well digested in

much modesty

the scenes, set

down with

as cunning.

remember, one said there were 470

no

sallets

in

as

the lines to

savoury, nor no matter

in

make
the

the matter

phrase

might indict the author of affection

that

but called

an honest method, as wholesome as sweet,

it

and by very much more handsome than

fine.

475

i, friendly Q.

i, Q; omitted in F.
461. good]
470. were](^; was(^\,Y.
473. in/^^J. Judgments] (^, judgement Y
dict] Collier ; indite Q, F ; affection'] Q, affectation F.
474, 475. as wholesome . .
fine] Q, omitted in F.

457. French'] (^

457. French falconers] "It was the

fashion of our ancestors to sneer at
the French as falconers.
They did
not regard the rigour of the game,
but condescended to any quarry that
came in their way " (D. H. Madden,

The Diary of Master William

p.

Silence,

146).

459. quality] see line 366.

465. caviare] The spelling of Q i
"caviary" and of F i "caviarie"'
indicates the pronunciation here.
465. the general] the multitude.
Malone notes that Lord Clarendon
uses the word in this sense.

467, 468. cried in the top of mine]

sounded with authority above mine,
Perhaps a metaphor from a dog's
"over-topping" (baying more loudly

than the rest of the

471. sallets]

savoury herbs;
prieties.

cry),

salads,

here,

Pope read

containing
spicy impro-

salts (ed. i)

and

salt (ed. 2).

473. affection] means the same as

Love's Labotn-'s Lost, \
4 " witty without affection."

Y affectation.
i.

475. 7nore handsome than fine]moxe

becoming and graceful than showy.

PRIXCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

One speech

in

Dido

tale to

it I

chiefly loved

'twas

and thereabout of

it

87

Eneas'

especially,

where he speaks of Priam's slaughter.

live

me

your memory, begin at

in

see, let

me

not so

it

begins with Pyrrhus

The rugged Pyrrhus,

he

nozv

this

480

arms,

ivJiose sable

flight reseinble

he lay couched iu the ominous horse,

Hatli

Hyrcaniati beast,

like tJC

Black as his purpose, did the

When

this

it

let

see;

The rugged Pyrrhus,

'tis

If

line

and

dread

black

485

complexion

smear d
more dismal ; head

IVith heraldry

Noiv

is

he total gules ; horridly

to

foot

trick'

With blood of fathers, mothers, daughters,

Baked and impasted

zuith the

TJiat lend a tyrannous

To

their lords'

And thus

parching

and a damned

murder ; roasted

sons.

490

streets,

light

in zvrath

and fire,

o'er-sized zvith coagulate gore,

i, F ; taike Q.
478. where'l
477. talel
not so ;] Qq 2, 3 (later Qq omit so) ; It is fiot
so: F.
i,
6.
486. this] his
487. dismal ; head to foot] F, dismall
head to foote, Q.
492. their lords' murder]
491. and a] Q, and F.
Capell, their Lords murther Q, their vilde murthers F, their lord's murder
Steevens.

476.

I,

speec}i\
;

Q, cheefe speech F.

when Q.

482.

481. The rugged Pyrrhus] This tale

of /Itneas to Dido is made to stand
out from the general movement of the
play by being written in the tragic
style of Shakespeare's early contemporaries.
Dido, Queen of Carthage,
says Fleay, was written by Marlowe
and Nash. The narrative of Priam's
death he ascribed to Nash (and after-

wards

to

that this

Marlowe).

'tis

He

supposed
scene was written by Shake-

speare in 1594, in competition with

the scene in Dido, and was introduced

about 1601 into the first draught of

This is conjecture what is
Hat/ilet.
certain is that Shakespeare reproduces,
without any intention of burlesque, a
style which he had left far behind
him.
;

481. Ilyrcanian beast] the tiger; see

Macbeth, Hi. iv. lOl.
488. gules] heraldic for red, as in
Titnoti ofAthens, \v.\\\.'^(). "Trick'd"
may also be the heraldic term, mean

ing to dcscrilie in drawing,

HAMLET

88

[acth.

Wzt/i eyes like carbuncles, the hellish

Old grands ij-e Priam

Pyrrhus

seeks.

495

So, proceed you.

my

God,

Pol. 'Fore

spoken, with good

lord, well

accent and good discretion.

Anon

First Play.

Striking

too short at

Greeks

Rebellious to his arm,

Repugnafit

to

lies

TJie

match' d,

and wi)id of his fell

wide

sivord

The7i senseless Ilium,

505

feel this blozv, with fiaming top

to

his base,

to

00

falls,

in rage strikes

unnerved father falls.

Stoops

it

command ; unequal

Btit with the whiff

Seeming

his antique sivord,

where

Pyrrhus at Priam drives ;

he finds him

and

zvith

a hideous crash

Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear ; for,

lo !

Which was declining on

head

Of reverend Priam,

the milky

seemed

i'

his szuord.

the air to stick ;

^\0

So, as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood,

A nd like
Did

a neutral

But, as zve often

to his zvill

see,

against some storm,

silence in the heavens, the rack

The bold winds

stand

still,

speechless ajtd the orb beloiu

496. So, proceed yon'] Q, omilted F.

505. Then senseless Ilium] F, omitted Q.
like] F,

afid matter.

nothing.

match F.

502. match'd] Q,
506. this] Q, his F.

512.

And

Like Q.

504, 505. But

falls]

Dido, Queen of Carthage

Compare

"Which

he disdaining whiskt his

sword about,
And with the wind thereof the
king fell down."

511. painted tyrant]

beth, V. viii. 25-27.

Compare

512. a neutral] one indifferent

and its
rack] Dyce

his purpose

J/at-

515.

to

object.
(G/oss.)

"amass

" The winds in

of vapoury clouds."
the upper region, which move the
clouds above (which we call the
7-ar/^)" {Bacon, Sy/va Sylvariit?i,\i. %

115).

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

As

hiisli

as death, anon the dreadful thunder

Doth rend
Aroused

And

89

the region ;

so,

after Pyrrhus' pause,

him

vengeatice sets

never did the Cyclops'

neiv a-zvork

hammers fall

20

On Mars ^s armour, forged for proof eterne,

With

less

Now

remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding szuord

Priam.

falls on

Out, out, thou strumpet. Fortune

All you gods,

In general synod take away her power;

Break

all the spokes

And bowl

the

As low

to tJie

Pol. This

Ham.

It

is

as

525

and fellies from her

round nave doivn

fiends

the hill

ivheel.

of heaven

too long.
the barber's, with your beard.

shall to

Prithee, say

on; he's

bawdry, or

he

for a jig or a tale

sleeps

on

say

come

530

of
to

Hecuba.
First riay.

queen

Ham.
Pol.

"

But

luho,

O,

who had

's

good

the

moblcd

535

The mobled queen

That

seen

"

"
?

mobled queen

" is

good.

A rowsed (^, F.
521. Mars's armour] Capell,
519. Aroused] Collier
Marses Armor Q, Mars his Armours Y.
524. strumpet, Fortune] hyphened
in F.
534. who, O, who] F, who, a woe Q, who, ah woe Q 6.
534,
ennobl'd Capell.
inobled F
536. mobled] Q, Ff 2-4
536. queen .*] F,
Qiteeiie. Q.
^ood'\ omitted in (^.
537. mobled .
;

518. region] Clar. Press: "Origin-

sky marked out

by the Roman augurs. In later times
the atmosphere was divided into three
regions
upper, middle, and lower."
Used by Shakespeare for the space of
ally a division of the

as in Roiiico and Juliet, 11. ii. 21.

531. jig\ a ludicrous metrical composition, sometimes given on stages
i)y the clown, sometimes, as Cotgravc
air,

says,

"

wherein

at

the end of an Enterlude,

some

pretie

Knaverie

is

acted."
534. moljled] muftled.

Warburton

from Sandys' Travels: "Their

[Turkish women's] heads and faces

cjuotes

arc so mabled in fine linen."

Farmer

quotes Shirley, Gentleman of Venice

" The moon does mobble ui> herself."
:

HAMLET

90

and

First Play. Rti7i barefoot up

[actii.

dozvn,

tJireatening the

flames

With

bisson rlieuni ; a clout upon that

Where

and

Abo2it her lattk

bla7iket,

Who

this

'Gainst

i?i

the

had

head

diadem stood ; and for a

late the

all

d er-teemed

540

robe,

loins,

alarm of fear caught up;

venom steefd,

seen, zvith tongue in

Fortune's

ivoidd

state

treason

have

pro-

nounced :

But

if the gods tJiemselves did see her then,

When

she

saw Pyrrhus make

545

malicious sport

In mincing with his sword her husbands limbs.

The instant burst of clamour that she made,

Unless tilings mortal move them not at all,

Would have

made

milch

burning

the

eyes

heaven

Aftd passion

in the gods,

Pol. Look, whether he has not turned

and has

Ham.

tears in

'Tis well

of this soon.
players

of

550

I '11

's

colour

have thee speak out the rest

Good my

well

his

no more.

Prithee,

eyes.

bestowed

you see the 555

lord, will

Do you

hear,

let

them be well used, for they are the abstracts

after your
and brief chronicles of the time
;

53S. flames] Q, flame F.

539. upon] Q, about F.
551. passion in]
passioned Hanmer, passionate Collier ]\IS.
553. Prithee] Q, Pray you F.
556. bestowed'-] Theobald, bestowed ; Q,
555. of this] Q, omitted F.
bestow' d. F ; you hear] Q, ye heare P\
557. abstracts] F, abstract Q.

More com539. bisson] blinding.

"blind" or "purblind," as
in Coriglantis, ii. i. 70544. state] perhaps, as often, power,
majesty but possibly seat or chair of
dignity, as in Macbeth, ni. iv. 5.
550. milch] moist, as in Drayton,
monly

Polyolbion,

xiii.

171,

"exhaling the

milch dew."
55 1] Marston,

in
The Insatiate
Countess, I. i., refers to "a player's
passion " weeping for " old Priam "

evidently pointing to this scene.

PinXCE OF DENMARK

sen]

91

death you were better have a bad epitaph than

their

My

Po!.

ill

you

report while

lord,

will

560

live.

use them according to their

desert.

J fain. God's bodykins,

every

man

'scape

whipping?

after

man, much
his desert,

Use them

honour and dignity

the more

Pol.

merit

better

is

the

in

Use

and who should

after

less

your

your own 565

they deserve,

bount)-.

Take

them in.
Come, sirs.

Hani. Follow him, friends: we'll hear

a play to-

570

morrow.
\^Exit Polonius, zvith ail the Players, but

the First.

Dost thou hear me, old friend

TJie

can you play

Murder of Gonzago ?

my

First Play. Ay,

Ham. We'll

lord.

ha't to-morrow

for a need,

sixteen

lines,

insert in

't,

which

would

could you not

First Play. Ay,

You

night.

could,

575

study a speech of some dozen or

my

set

down and

lord.

Ham. Very well. Follow

mock him not.

that lord;

and look you 580

\Exit First Player.

much] (^,farre
i.
560. livc\ Q, lived F.
563. bodykins] F, bodkin
;
Exit, &c.] Dyce, Exit Polon. !'
564. should] F, shall Q.
"
after line 569 ;
Exeunt Pol. and Players (^ after
Klsinore," line 5S3.
dosen lines (\).
I,
F; for need Q; dozen]
i, F;
576. for a need]
'/
.? F"
you] Q, ye F. Exit First Player] Dyce, omitted Q, !'.
578. in V,] Q, in
;

omitted Y.

563. bodykins] dear

live of

endearmcnl.

body

diminii-

576,

Sec UI.

577.
ii.

dozen or sixteen lines]

200

(iiute).

HAMLET

92

My good

friends,

you are welcome

Kos.

my

Good

Ham. Ay,

lord

you

leave

'11

wi'

ye

Now

Guildenstern.
alone,
I

585

not monstrous that this player here,

it

in

fiction, in

Could force

a dream of passion,

his soul so to his

That from her working

own

all his

broken

voice,

and

his

conceit

visage wann'd

Tears in his eyes, distraction in

and

am
slave am

Oh, what a rogue and peasant

Is

night

till

to Elsinore.

{^Exeunt Rosencrantz

But

ii.

God be

so,

[act

's

590

aspect,

whole function suiting

With forms to his conceit ? And all for nothing

For Hecuba ?
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
595
would
What
her?
for
should
weep
That he
he do

Had

he the motive and the cue for passion

That

have?

He would drown

the stage with tears,

And cleave the general ear with

Make mad the guilty and appal

horrid speech.

the free,

600

Exeunt
.]
5S5. God be wi' ye] God buy to yon Q, God buy 'ye F.
^Sg. owii]Q^,wJioleY.
590. ///^
C/^^e^//.; Exeunt after line 584 Q,F.
591. in's\ F, in
visage] Y, the visage Q; wa7m''d\ wand Q, warnCd Y.
594. Hecuba?]
hist^.
593. nothing !] CzY>e\\,nothing, Q, 7wthiii?Y.
1, Y ; to her Q.
F, Hecuba. Q, Hecuba! Capell.
595. to Hecuba]
597. the cue for] F, that for Q.
.

^^d. peasant slave] Y\ixn(t%%: "It

shown by Furnivall in Notes and
Queries, 12th April and 3rd May
1873, that it was possible for Shakespeare to have seen in the flesh some
of the bondmen or 'peasant slaves'

is

of England."

operation of the
y)2. function]
as in Macbeth, i. iii. 140
conceit, conception.
600. f-ee] innocent, as in Hi. ii.

faculties,

254.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

93

Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed

The very
Yet

and

faculties of eyes

ears.

I,

dull

and muddy-mettled

rascal, peak,

my

Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of

605

cause,

And can say nothing no, not for a king.

Upon whose property and most dear life
;

Am

damn'd defeat was made.

Who

my

calls

me

villain

Plucks off

my

beard, and blows

Tweaks me by

breaks

the nose

it

gives

a coward

pate across
in

my

me

?
?

61o

face"?

the

lie

i'

the

throat,

As deep
Ha!

as to the lungs

'Swounds,
I am
To make

But

should take

pigeon-liver'd,

it

all

this slave's offal

for

does

it

and lack

oppression bitter

should have fatted

With

Who

me

this

cannot be
6

gall

or ere this

the region kites

bloody,

bawdy

villain

602. faculties} Q,facul/yV.

613. I/a!} separate line Sleevcns ; begins
614. 'Swojinds} (), Why F.
618. offal;
614 Q, F; Ha? V.
blojidy
: a F.
Q, Offall,

line

bloody,'] offalI, bloody,

6or.

John,

aiiiaze'[

\\.

confound, as in

137.
604. peak} to dwindle, pine
to play a mean part, as in
IVii'es, III. V.

tion,

hence

Revenge for Honour

"That he might meantime make a

Merry

John-a-dreams\ found also in

Armin, A'^.v/<?/'A'i!';//t.i-, 1608. "Johna-droynes" is found in Nash, Have
with yon

io Saffron IValden, 1596.

605. unpre<^uant\ unimpregnated,
unfjuickened hy my cause.
See Mca-

607. property}

crown and

in

v.

58.

ii.

sure defeat

On

71.

for Measure,

as

(iO<).

^tt re

Chapman,

J\^iii^

ii.

our good aged father's life."

The pigeon was

//>(W/-//r'(.v-V!'J

supposed to secrete no gall.

So
Dckker, The HoJiesl IVhore {Pcarson'a
Dehher, ii. p. 20), "Sure hee's a
pigeon, for he has no gall."
Gall,
the physical cause of rancour, bilterness.

iv. iv. 23.

proprietorship

615.

(of

wife).

608. defeat} undoing, act of deslruc-

617. region kites} kites of the air

see line 518.

HAMLET

94

[acth.

Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain

O, vengeance

620

Why, what an
That

Prompted

And

to

This

fall

my

is

most brave.

revenge by heaven and

whore, unpack

like a

my

hell,

heart with words,

a-cursing, like a very drab,

scullion

Fie

am

ass

the son of a dear father murder'd,

I,

Must,

upon

625

't

foh

About,

my

brain

have

heard

That guilty

creatures, sitting at a play,

Have, by the very cunning of the scene,

Been struck so

They have
For

to the soul that presently

proclaim'd their malefactions

though

murder,

it

have

no

630

tongue,

will

speak

With most miraculous

organ,

I '11

have

these

players

Play something

like the

Before mine uncle,

I'll

murder of

my

father

observe his looks;

635

620.
vengeance!'] omitted in Q.
621. Why,'] IVhy Q, Who? F;
This] O, / [i.e. Ay] sjcre, this F.
622. a dear father innrdet^d] Q 4,
a deere viurthcrcd Q, the Deere 7>tnrthered F.
626. sciiUioii] F, stallyon
627. brain] Y, braincs Q ; /] F, hum, / Q.
Q, cullion Theobald.

619. hind/ess] unnatural.

622. dear father murder d] Halliwell supports the reading, "a dear
murdered " by comparing the phrase
*' the dear departed."
627. About, my brain !] Wits, to

you work

Heywood,
II.

Steevens quotes
The Iron
Age,

from
Part

"

My

brain about again

hast found

New

projects
of

The IJum

now

is

to

for

thou

work on."
meditative

interjection, retained by Cantbridgc

Sh. and by I'^urness.
628. play] Massinger had this passage probably in his mind in writing
The Roman Actor, \\.\. \t\ A Warn-

ingfor Fair lP'oi>ien, 1599, the tale is

told of a woman led by a play to
confess her husband's murder.
Heywood, in his Apology for Actors, tells
of this case, and of another at
Amsterdam.
630. presently] immediately, as in
line 170.


PRINCE OF DEXMxVllK

sen]
I '11

him

tent

know my

May

to the quick

To assume
Out of

As he

my
is

The

course.

be the devil

if

yea,

my

to

damn

me.

have seen

power

and perhaps

640

melancholy,

very potent with such

Abuses me

devil hath

a pleasing shape

weakness and

he but blench

spirit that

and the

95

I '11

spirits,

have grounds

More relative than this. The play 's the thing

Wherein I '11 catch the conscience of the king.^
{Exit.

ACT
SCENE

III

A Room

I.

in the Castle.

Enter King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosen-

CRANTZ, mid GUILDENSTERN.

King.

And

can you, by no

of circumstance,

drift

Get from him why he puts on

636. he biti\ F, a doc (^).
63S.
repeated again in this line in Q).

Aet
I.

tirciims/aiiee^ F, conference.

be the deviV] V,

III. Scene

be a deale (^

[deak

I.

Q.

636. Av//] probe, as in Cymbclinc,

III. iv.

May

this confusion,

118.

quail ;
used
636. blench'] flinch,
specially of the eyes.
638. dcvir\ Coleridge quotes from
Browne's Keligio Medici, Part I. 37,
to show that he held the belief that
ghosts are often devils abusing men to
damn them.
See on this subject
'i^zXdm^?, ElirMbethan Dewono/oi^y.
642. Abttses] deceives, deludes, as
in Tempest, v. i. 112.
643. relative] closely related, to

tlie purpose, conclusive

here by Shakespeare.

^^^ ^^^I.

^'''"^

used

onl\-

'

drift of circuvistance'\(Z\jcx.VxQ?,'>

explain "roundabout method," referring to "circumstance" in I. v. 127,

:

"drift" in II. i. 10, and both words

not in connection) in Troi/ii^
and Cressida, ill. in. 113,114. May
it
mean tendency or significance of
(but

incidental facts?

HAMLET

96

Grating so harshly

[actiii.

days of quiet

all his

With turbulent and dangerous lunacy ?

He

Ros.

does confess he

feels

But from what cause he

Nor do we

Guil.

find

himself distracted,
will

by no means speak,

him forward

to be sounded,

But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,

When we
Of

would bring him on to some confession

his true state.

Did he receive you well

Queen.

Ros. Most like a gentleman.

GuiL But with much forcing of

his disposition.

Ros. Niggard of question, but of our

Most

Did you assay him

Queen.

Ros.

demands

free in his reply.

To any pastime ?
Madam, it so fell

out that certain players

We

on

o'er-raught

way

the

of these

we

told

him.

And there did seem

To hear of it they
;

And,

as

in

think, they

him a kind of joy

are about the court

have already order

20

This night to play before him.

ig.

ahoitt\

13,

14.

F, heere about Q.

Niggard

burton transposed

"Most

free."

reply'\ War"Niggard" and

Malone explains
.

" Niggard of question," slow to begin

conversation.
Clarke
over-ingeniously
"Sparing of speech when
questioned, but of demands respecting ourselves he was very free in
return." Clar. Press :" Perhaps they
did not intend to give a correct account
of the interview." The courtiers between them try to piece out an account,

which will not discredit them, of an

unsuccessful interview; Rosencrantz
suggest that they have not
wholly failed ; Guildenstern that this
was in spite of much difficulty. They
wish to turn off any inquiry as to
Hamlet's sharp examination of them
and his discovery that they were sent

would

for.
1

7.

took,

er-raitghtA^

over-reached, over-

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

And he beseech'd me to entreat

To hear and see the matter.
King. With
tent

To

my

all

heart

your majesties

much

doth

it

hear him so inclined.

And

We

con-

me

Good gentlemen,
Ros.

and

97

most true

'Tis

Pol.

25

him a

give

further edge,

drive his purpose on to these delights.

shall,

my

lord.

\Exeunt Rosencrantz mid Guildensteni.

Sweet Gertrude, leave us too

King:

For we have closely sent

That

he, as 'twere

by

for

Hamlet

accident,

may

hither,

here

30

Affront Ophelia.

Her

father

and myself, lawful

espials,

Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen.

We may
And
If

of their encounter frankly judge,

gather by him, as he

be the

't

is

affliction of his love or

That thus he
your

obey you.

shall

for

35

no

suffers for.

Queen.

And

behaved,

part, Ophelia,

do wish

That your good beauties be the happy cause

Of Hamlet's wildness
so shall I hope

your

40

virtues
28. too'] F, two Q.
27. on to] V, into Q.
32. /aw/a/ ^y//a/j] F, omitted in Q.
33. IFi'/f]
(), F ;
Qq 4-6, Pupc and others. Exit Queen]

my

29.

John,

liosely]

IV.

i.

secretly,

.is

in

King

133.

31. Affront] confront, encounter,

as in Jointer's Tale, v. i. 75.

^8. j'ot/r]
Q.
Theobald, omitted Q, F.
,

'

te

32. espials] spies,

VI.

I.

Q, there F.

/lere]

30.

F Wee

as in

Henry

iv. 8.

virtues] S.
Walker proposed beauty and virtue,
which l'"urness adopts.
39, 40. beauties

HAMLET

98

way

Will bring him to his wonted

To

[actiii.

again,

both your honours.

Madam,

Oph.

wish

it

may.

\Exit Queen.
Pol.

Ophelia, walk you here.

We

Gracious, so please you,

bestow ourselves.

will

\To

Read on

Ophelia.']

this book,

That show of such an exercise may colour

loneliness.
We are oft to blame in this,

45

Your

'Tis too

much

proved,

And

pious action

The

devil himself

King. [Aside.]

How

that with devotion's visage

we do sugar
Oh,

'tis

o'er

too true

my

smart a lash that speech doth give

con-

science

The
Is

not more ugly to the thing that helps

Than

O
Pol.

50

harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art.

is

my

my

deed to

heavy burden

it

most painted word.

hear him coming

let

's

withdraw,

my

lord.

[Exeunt King and

5 5

Polo?tius.

Enter Hamlet.

Ham. To

be, or not to

be

that

is

the question

46. loneUness'\ F, lowliiiesCl.

48.
43. phase yoii\ (^, please ye F.
49. Aside] Capell, at line 50 Pope ; 'tis too] Q,
Q, surge F.
let's]
F,
omitted
Enter
Hamlet]
F,
after
burden,
line 54, Q.
Q,
55.

43.

Gracious]

addressed

to

the

King.
45, exer-cise] act of devotion (the
prayers), as in
King Richaj-d III. ill. vii. 64 : "his
hoi)' exercise."

book being one of

52. /'(?]conipared to, as in

I. ii.

140.

sugar']
'tis

F.

56. To be, or not to be :] Explained

by Johnson as a future life, or nonexistence after death
by Malone, to
live, or to commit suicide.
G. M^cdonald regards the words as the close
;

of a preceding train of thought, not

lo be connected with what follows.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

Whether

99

nobler in the mind to suffer

'tis

The sUngs and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them ?
To die,

No more and by
;

The

heart-ache,

That

flesh

is

sleep

and the thousand natural shocks

heir to,

'tis

a consummation

To

perchance

we end

a sleep to say

Devoutly to be wish'd.

To

die

dream

to

to sleep

;.

there

ay,

the

's

rub;

For

65

in that sleep of

When we

who would

iloquy, with

supposes

it

is

which Hamlet

No] Pope,

E
Q,

64,

die;

the sol-

in

is

Q, dye,
To

to sleepe
sleep!']

No F.
Capell,

Fleming's translation oi yElian, 1576.

But elsewhere Shakespeare has "sea
of joys," "sea of glory," "sea of
care."
Here the central metaphor is
that of a battle ("slings and arrows")
the "sea of troubles," billows of the
war, merely develops the metaphor
of battle, as in Scott, Mannion,
VI. xxvi.

" Then

mark'd
they,
dashing
broad and far,
The broken billows of the war.

58. slings and arrows] Walker,

with an anonymous writer of 1752,
would read "stings." "Slings and
arrows" is found in Fletcher's Valen-

And plumed

crests of chieftains

brave.

Floating

like

foam

upon

the

wave."

iii.

emendations have
59.
been suggested Theobald, "siege";
also, " th' assay" or
"a 'say";
Hanmer, "assailing"; Warburton,
"assail of"
Bailey, " llie seat."
It
has been shown from Aristotle, Strabo,
/Elian, and Nicolas of Damascus that
ihiKelts, Gauls, and Cimbri exhibited their intrepidity by armed
sea] Various
:

No

to sleep

combats with the sea, which Shakespeare might have found in Abraham

"nobler."

I.

F.

place

there represented as
reading.
Perhaps, the explanation
lying in what immediately follows, it
means, Is my present project of active
resistance against wrong to be, or not
to be? Hamlet anticipates his own
death as a probable consequence.
57. in the mind] This is to be
connected with "suffer," not with

tinian,

this mortal coil.

die to sleepe

65.

Act 11. sc. ii.

suggested by the book
I,

may come.

death what dreams

have shuffled off

60, 61. To die,

.
63. to,] too; Q, too?
die to sleepe. To sleepe,

Hunter,

to

60

sleep,

63.

consitDiinalion']

ii. 280
consummation have
And renowned be thy grave "

bcline, IV.

"

Compare Cyin-

(^uiet

C5. rub] impediment, as in King

Henry V. II. ii. 18S.
67. mortal coil] trouble or turmoil
of mortal life.
In tliis sense coil
occurs several times in Shakespeare,

HAMLET

100

[acthi.

Must give us pause there 's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life
For who would bear the whips and scorns
:

The

of

70

time,

oppressor's

wrong,

the

proud

man's

con-

tumely,

The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy

takes,

When

he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin ? who would fardels bear.
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something

The

No
"jl.

after death.

undiscover'd country from whose bourn

80

traveller returns, puzzles the will,

/>roud'\

76. farde/s]

75

72. disprized^Y, despiz'd

Q, poore F.
Q, f/iese Fardles F.

as in 7Vw/^j/, I. ii. 207. He nowhere

uses it in the sense of concentric rings,
r\or does ihc Ne'u English Dntio7iaiy
give an example earlier than 1627.
The notion that mortal coil means the
body, encircling the soul, may be set
aside.

76.

/^arf? i(?rf/7;;]

and many

editors.

unsheathed dagger

may mean "mere." Sidney,

Arcadia: "I
doe defie thee in

or bat-e

a mortal affray from the bodkin to the

pike upward."
76. fardeh'\ packs, burdens, as in
Winter'' s Tale, iv. iv. 728.
77. gnent] groan. Steevens quotes
Turbervile, Ovid Epist. xiv. : "of
Compare
dying men the grunts."

li/e] There 's

68, 69. there 's
the consideration that makes calamity
so long-lived.
C<esar,
IV.
i.
22:
"To
70. tiine'\ the times, the world, as Julius
in King John, V. ii. 12, "a sore of groan and sweat under the busitime."
But perhaps it may mean ness."
time as opposed to eternity.
80. returns'\ The Ghost has not
disprized^
undervalued, mis- crossed the bourn or boundary of
72.
prised.
Tj'oiliis and Cressida (Folio
death, or returned to mortal life ;
" disprising the cock-crow and day-dawn startle him
text), IV. V. 74:
knight opposed."
The
despised away.
Perhaps, however, Hamlet at
love is preferred by many editors.
the present time, doubtful as to whether
the devil may not have been abusing
75. tjjiieiiisl acquittance ; the lawterm, "quietus est," for the settle- him (close of Act li.), will not let
ment of an account ; as in Sonnets, the apparition enter into his calculacxxvi. 12.
tions.
.

PRIXCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

And makes

101

we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,

And

us rather bear those

thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er

And

with the pale cast of thought,

And

this

regard their currents turn awry

lose the

name

How

does your honour for this

S3, of lis a//]

F.
89.

away

many editors, and appears in late

Quartos from 1676 onwards.
88. action'X With the thought of
action this soliloquy opens and closes.
liy

train

of ideas

Active resistance to
fortitude

which

is

is

as

evil

more

follows
or passive
worthy of
:

To end troubles perhaps by

own death? Well, the sleep

of death will be most welcome ; but

what if there be terril)le dreams?
The fear of the hereafter is universal,
else men would not endure the ills of
life
and thus it is that, perplexed by
calculating consequences, we drop
away from heroic action. Parallels,
as possible sources for parts of this
soliloquy, have been pointed out in
Catullus (no traveller returns), Cardan
(death a sleep), Seneca (no traveller
;

returns,

and

fear of futurity),

Mon-

thy orisons.

many

90

lord,

a day

I, F ; omitted Q.
86. fitchi (^,pith F.
Ophelia F] F, Op/ieha, Q, Ophelia I Hanmer.

85. thoiight\ often used of anxious

or melancholy thought, as in Julius
Cccsar, II. i. 187: " take thought and
die for Caesar."
See iv. v. 187.
86. pitch'\
height,
as
in
A'lng
/Richard///, in. vii. 188; used of
a falcon's soaring, 1 Kin}:; Henry VI.
II. iv. II.
The Folio///// is preferred

me ?

in

Good my

Oph.

now

Soft you

of action.

The fair Ophelia? Nymph,

Be all my sins remember'd.

one's

and moment

enterprises of great pitch

With

The

ills

87. awry'\

Q,

taigne (sea of troubles, death a desirable

"consummation," conscience
makes cowards), Cornelius Agrippa
(country of the dead irremeable),

Marlowe's

Edward

II.

(Mortimer

goes
as
a traveller to discover
countries yet unknown).
It seems
probable, as Professor Skeat notices,
that there are reminiscences here of
the translation ascribed to Chaucer of
The Roniaitnt of the Rose, lines 56375696 ; the word fardels is perhaps
one of the echoes from this passage.
It

is

worth

noting

that

Mr.

G.

Macdonald eliminates the thought of

suicide from the soliloquy, supposing
that the bare bodkin is imagined as
directed against an enemy.
Suicide,
indeed, is not the theme of the soliloquy, but it incidentally enters into
it.
"Clelia" in his God in Shakespeare construes llie opening sentence
" Whether 'tis nobler to bear
thus
evil or to resist it the question is To
be, or not to be, i.e. Is there a life
after death ? "
The note of interrogation after "end them," line 60, was
:

first

introduced by Pope.

HAMLET

102

Ham.

humbly thank you

My

Oph.

lord,

That

[act m.

well, well, well.

have remembrances of yours,

have longed long to re-deliver

pray you now, receive them.

No, not

Ha)n.

95

never gave you aught.

My

Op/i.

honour'd lord, you

know

right well

you did

And, with them, words of so sweet breath composed

As made

things

the

more

rich

perfume

their

lost.

Take these again

Rich

gifts

my

There,

Ham. Ha, ha
Oph.

My

lord

for to the noble

wax poor when

mind

lord.

are

you honest

Havi. Are you fair?

Oph.
92.

105

What means your

you

; zuell, well,

lordship

97.

weH.] ,yoii well. Q.

95.

now Theobald and other editors

N'o,
you /enow] Q, / /enow F and many editors.

Q, yon,
things

perfune

rich

left

00

givers prove unkind.

their perfume lost] Q, rich, then

you now,] F,
7]

99.

l/ie

perfume

yoit

Q, No,

not

left

now

no F.

things] F, these
:

F, rich, than

4.

96. aught] For a moment Hamlet

has been touched by the sight of
Ophelia with her book of prayers,
Yet there is estrangement in the word

" Nymph."

She inquires for his

health (having seen him yesterday)
answers as to a stranger
formally, as he does to Osric, v. ii. 82;
and with some impatience; he will
tell her nothing.
She produces his
gifts ; he has been sent for by the
King; Ophelia, like Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, has doubtless also been
sent for he falls back on his accus-

lie

tomed method of baffling half-truths.

These toys were the gift of another
Hamlet to another Ophelia not his.

99. their perfume] the

the

gifts,

derived

from

perfume of
the sweet

words.

unkind] The sententious gencouched in rhyme, has an

And
of having been prepared.

loi.

eralisation,
air

whence this false accusation of unkindness?

Has she not rehearsed
her part to Polonius
103. honest] a word which covers
both truthfulness and chastity. For
the
meaning "chaste" Staunton
Cjuotes an apt example from Shirley,
The Royal Master, IV. i. Withals'
Dictionarie (l6o8), p. 73: "She is
est
alma
faire,
honest
that
is
:

sancta."

PRINCE OF DENMAKK

sc. I]

Hatn. That

if

you be honest and

fair,

103

your honesty

should admit no discourse to your beauty.

my

Oph. Could beauty,

than with honesty

Ham. Ay,

truly

for the

have better commerce

lord,
?

power of beauty

transform honesty from what

it

sooner

will

bawd

to a

is

i i

than the force of honesty can translate beauty

into his likeness

but

now

this

was sometime a paradox,

the time gives

it

proof.

did love

you once,
Oph. Indeed,

Ham. You

my

lord,

you made me believe

should not have believed

me

so.

for virtue

cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall

relish of

Oph.

it

loved you not.

was the more deceived.

Ham. Get

thee to a nunnery

a breeder of sinners
lOT

your honesiy'XY

F, eiioaUat Q, evacuate

yoii

Qq

and honesty should not

hold converse with each other, and
he accepts her reading of his words.
that beauty

as in

Twelfth Night, III. iv. 191.

111-116.] I loved you once in the
days when it was a paradox an absurdity
to say that beauty could sooner
transform virtue into a procuress for
lust than virtue could translate beauty

to

its

world,

own

likeness.

But now,

the present time,

wouldst thou be

myself indifferent

luithlQl, yotirY .
122. to\ F, omitted Q.

restraining and secluding

Ophelia
the same irony will serve
Your father and brother were
again.
right; your virtue should permit no
one to hold converse with your beauty,
Ophelia replies as if Hamlet had said

intercourse,

why

am

no.

<^.

4-6.

in

109. commerce']

107, 108.] Hamlet had ironically

baffled Polonius by commending his

wisdom

20

the

proves the

119.

inoculaie\

paradox true; Hamlet thinks of his

mother of hisown honesty represented
of
as a wanton passion for beauty
Ophelia's virtue, which cannot be
trusted by Polonius to act as guardian
;

of her beauty, but will rather corrupt

and her lionesty.
1 19. inoculate] used in the botanical
sense, to graft by the insertion of a
bud; virtue cannot so graft love in our
old evil stock but that we shall have a
So Bishop
flavour of this evil stock.
Hall: "That Palatine vine, late inoculated with a precious bud of our royal
his

stem."
120.

1 loved you

was not true

was in it so
you, and you have

not]

love, for the taint of evil

it

your father has told

acted in accordance with his orders,
123.

///i//^rw/J fairly.asin v. ii.97.

HAMLET

104
honest

but yet

things that

borne me.
bitious

it

my

them shape,

to give

What
knaves

all

At home,

believe

my

25

beck than

imagination

them

or time to act

between heaven and earth

Oph.

my
in,

should such fellows as

We

are arrant

Go

us.

your father

's

in.

do crawling 130

none of

Where

to a nunnery.

very proud, revengeful, am-

have thoughts to put them

of such

mother had not

with more offences at

me

could accuse

were better

am

[acthi.

thy ways

lord.

Hani. Let the doors be shut upon him, that he

play the fool no where but

in

's

own

may

3 5

house.

Farewell.

Oph. Oh, help him, you sweet heavens

Hani.

If

for

thou dost marry,

I '11

give thee this plague

thy dowry: be thou as chaste as

as

ice,

140

pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny.

Get thee to a nunnery, go

farewell.

Or,

131. heaven and eartli] Q i, F

omitted Q.
136. no ivhere'\ Q,
142. go\ F, omitted Q.
138, 147.] marked Aside, Furness.

127.

heck'\

heaven Q.

Q,

132.

hacke

a//]

i,

i.

126,12^. very proud, revengeful, amHamlet brings general accusations against manhood and womanhood ; but these particular vices are
ironically named as those of which he
has been suspected or calumniously
accused very proud, he who honours
the poor Horatio, and hails the actor
as a friend, yet he is suspected of
treating Ophelia lightly, as an inferior
who may be basely used ; revengeful,
he who groans under the duty of
vengeance, yet who is doubtless
suspected of revenge by the King
ambitious, he who would go back to
Wittenberg, and could be contented

bilious]

if

earth

and

noway

F.

whose disappointed
ambition has been a subject for the
probing of Rosencrantz and Guildenin a nutshell, yet

stern.

133. Whereas your fatherl Verhiips

an arrow shot at a venture or perhaps
he has caught sight of the King and
It is to be
Polonius as they retire.
considered as a possibility that Ophelia
may not have been aware of her
;

father's espionage,

141. caliunny'] Is this

promise of

dowry half meant for Polonius's ear ?

His calumnies of Hamlet will come

home

to roost

on

his

own

house.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool

for

105
wise

men know well enough what monsters you

To a nunnery, go; and 145
make of them.
quickly too.

Oph.

Ham.

Farewell.

heavenly powers, restore him

have heard of your paintings

well

too,

God has given you one face, and

you make yourselves another; you jig, you 150
amble, and you lisp, and nickname God's
enough

make your wantonness your

and

creatures,

Go

ignorance.

made me mad.
marriages

To

I '11

no more on

say we

will

't

it

hath

have no more

those that are married already,

but one, shall

are.

to,

live

all

155

the rest shall keep as they

a nunnery, go.

Oph. Oh, what a noble mind

\Exit.
is

here o'erthrown

The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's,

The expectancy and rose of the

sword

eye, tongue,
fair state,

60

praflings F pratliiig
148. paii!fiit^i[s'\ Q l, Q
0] F, omitted Q.
too'] F, omitted Q.
149. has] F, hath Q face] Q I, Q pace F.
150. yourselves] Q, your selfe F; jig] Q 1676, gig Q, ^'v'^''^; F, fig Q i.
a7id nickname]
151. lisp] F, list Q
150, 151. you amble] F, and amble Q.
V, you nickname Q.
152, 153. your ignorance] Q I, F; ignorance i).
159. soldier's,
154, 155. no more marriages] O I, F; no mo marriage (^.
scholar's] Q, F ; scholler, souldier Q I.
160. expectancy] F, expectation (\.
147.

Ff 2-4

Delias refers to
144. monsters]
Othello, IV. i. 63: " a horned man's
a

monster."

So Fletcher,

J\ule

IVife and have a Wife, U.'i.: ^'' Though

he [a wronged husband] see himself

Hamlet
monster."
proaches Ophelia only through

become a

re-

the

by
things
call
151. 7tickitamc]
names of immodest suggestion, and
Compare
profess childish ignorance.
/Borneo

and Juliet,

when

35:

"that

155,156. a/7 (^//^ 0;?^] a shaft meant

eves-dropping King.
159. soldier's, scholar's] The order
"scholar's, soldier's" corresponding
to "tongue, sword" may be more
rhetorically, but not therefore dramto strike the

"

atically, correct.

and "nickname."

i.

fruit

general evil of womanhood.

The F "prat148. paintings]
tlings"and " pace " are possibly not
misprints ;" pace" referring to "jig"
and
"amble"; "prattlings" to
lisp "

il.

as maids call medlars

they laugh alone."

kind of

HAMLET

106

The glass of fashion, and

The observed of all
down

[actih.

the mould of form,

observers,

quite

quite,

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,

That suck'd the honey of his music vows,

Now

see that noble

Like

sweet

bells

and most sovereign reason, 165

jangled out of tune, and

harsh

That

unmatch'd

and

form

feature

blown

of

youth
Blasted with ecstasy; Oh, woe

To have

seen what

Re-enter

is

me.

have seen, see what

see

King and POLONIUS.

King. Love? his affections do not that

Nor what he

though

spake,

it

way tend;
lack'd

170

form

little.

Was

There

not like madness.

's

something

in

his

soul

O'er which his melancholy

And

sits

on brood

do doubt the hatch and the disclose

And /] Q, Have I F.
164. imisic\ F, musickt Q.
165. f/ia^
F, what jioblei^.
\(i(}. jangled out of tune,'\Y , jangled out of time,
Q,
jatiglcd, out of tune. Capell and many editors.
feature']
F,
stattire
167.
Q.
169. ^ife /] Q marks Exit here.
So Elze.
170. Love?]Y, Loz'e,<Jl.
163.

itoble\

162. obsei-ved of all obsen'ers] Perhaps meaning honoured by all who

pay the marks of honour, a common

meaning oi obsei'ver.

166. tune] The

misprint time
occurs in F, Macbeth, I v. iii. 235.
1 6j. feature]
the whole shape or
cast of the body, as frequently in
Shakespeare.
168. ecstasy] see

169. see!]

Elze

II.

i.

102.

supposes

Ophelia withdraws to seek her father,

returns at line 186, and is immediately
sent away.
170. affections'] emotions or passions.

174. disclose] Steevens quotes

i.

that

The

Booke of Huntynge, Hawkyng, Fishing: " First they ben eges, and after
they ben disclosed haukes." See v.
309.

;;

PRINCE OF DENIMARK

SCI]

Will be
I

have

some danger; which

175

for to prevent,

quick determination

in

Thus

107

set

down

it

he

with

shall

speed

to

England,

For the demand of our neglected

tribute

Haply the seas and countries different

With variable objects shall expel
This something-settled matter

Whereon

From
Pol.

still

do well

What

but yet do

think you on

't ?

believe

and commencement of

origin

80

beating puts him thu^

fashion of himself.

It shall

The

his brains

in his heart,

185

his grief

How now, Ophelia?

Sprung from neglected love.
not tell us what Lord Hamlet said
We heard it all. My lord, do as you please

You need
But,

if

Let

his

you hold

it fit,

queen mother

after the play.

all

alone entreat him

To show his grief; let her be round with him

And I '11 be placed, so please you, in the ear
Of all their conference. If she find him not,
To England send him, or confine him where
Your wisdom

It shall
in

best shall think.

King.

Madness

90

be so

195

great ones must not unwatch'd go.

\Exeutit.

\']i^.

for to\0,

185. his grief]

1S8.] Theobald

Q,

F.
Exit Ophelia.

this greefe

marks

placed, so please yon,]

(so
you) in
196. unwatch'd] V, ttnmatcht Q.

191.

;w^//r/] sec 11.

hyphened by Warburton.
marks Enter OpheHa.
191. grief] Q, Greefes F.
192.
parentheses, //a^W so, please you V.

iSi. something-settled]

lo v.

ii.

139.

i86.

Elze

193. f'ld] detect, as in All's Well,

ii. 4G.

V.

HAMLET

108

SCENE U.^A
Hamlet and

Enter

Ham. Speak
nounced
but

if

do,

Hallin

tivo

speech,

the

the Castle.

or three of the Players.

pray you, as

to you, trippingly on the

it

pro-

tongue

you mouth it, as many of your players

had as lief the town-crier spoke my

Nor do not saw the

lines.

[actih.

your hand, thus

but use

much with

air too
all

gently

the very torrent, tempest, and, as

for in

may

say,

whirlwind of passion, you must acquire

the

and beget a temperance that may give

Oh,

smoothness.

me

offends

it

to

it

the soul

10

to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear

a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the

ears

of the

groundlings,

part, are capable of

who, for the most

nothing but inexplicable

dumb-shows and noise I would have such a

fellow whipped for o'er-doing Termagant
it
out-herods Herod pray you, avoid it.
;

yottr players']
i, F; oit?' players Q.
4. spoke] Q, had spoke F.
8. the
5, 6. ffuuh with your] Q, much your F, tntuh, your Caldecott.
whirlwimi ofpassion] F, whirlwind ofyour passion Q.
1 1, hear] Q, see F.
could F.
I,
15. would]
;
3.

8, 9.

acquire

and

beget]

acquire,

through training and practice beget,

through a native artistic impulse.
;

II.

Henry

robustious] sturdy, as in
V. in. vii. 159.

II. periwig-pated]

King

Steevens quotes

from Ejiery Woman in her Humour,

1609: "as none wear
periwigs
but players and pictures."
.

groundlings] spectators of the

stood in the pit, paying, as
we learn from Jonson, a penny for
admission capable, receptive, appre13.

play

who

hensive,

16. Termagant] the god of

the
Saracens, as represented in old ro-

mances and mystery

plays.
Florio,
7'crmigisto, a great boaster,
quarreller, killer, tamer or ruler of

1611:

"

the universe; the child of the earthquake and of the thunder, the brother
of death."
17. Herod] the violent Herod of
old sacred plays.
In the Coventry
play of the Nativity a braggart speech
is followed by the stage direction,
" Here Erode ragis in thys pagond
and in the strete also."

sc.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

II.]

First Play.

Ham. Be

109

warrant your honour.

not too tame neither, but

discretion be your tutor

your own

let

20

suit the action to the

word, the word to the action

with this special

observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty

any thing so overdone is from

the purpose of playing, whose end, both at
the first and now, was and is, to hold, as
to show
'twere, the
mirror up to nature
of nature

for

25

own

virtue her

feature, scorn her

own

image',

and the very age and body of the time

Now

form and pressure.

come tardy

off,

though

laugh, cannot but

it

make

his

this overdone, or

make

30

the unskilful

the judicious grieve

the censure of the which one must in your

allowance o'erweigh a whole theatre of others.

Oh, there be players that I have seen play,

praise, and that highly, not

and heard others

speak

to

accent

the

profanely,

it

of

that

Christians

neither

nor

the

35

having
gait

of

22. oerstep] Q, ore-stop F.

(2, F.
her own feature'] F, her feature t^.
Furness ; make] F, makes Q.
32. the
33. o'erweigh] Q, Y ; ore-sway Ff 2-4.

18, 43. First Player] Capell ; Player

ove7-done\ F, ore-doone Q.
27.

23.

30. off] F, of Q 6, Theobald,

which one] F, which one Q.
35. praise] F, praysd Q.

23. frotn]

away

from, contrary to,

Julius Cccsar, i. iii. 35.

28. very age^ actual generation.
Bailey proposes " visage," comparing
2 Henry IV. II. iii. 3: "visage of
2i%'\x\

the times."
29. pressure] impress.
30. come

tardy
fire";

off]

coming

slowly and ineffectively.

and excellent."
32. censure]

judgment,

69.
36. profanely]

as

in

1.

iii.

Compare

I.

V. 100.

" hanging

Two Gentlemen of Verona, 11. i. 116

"it came hardly off"; Timon of
Athens, \. \. 2<^: " this comes off well

as
to

we

say

an issue

Compare

refers

to

what

fol-

lows about the creation of men, not

l)y God, but
by nature's journey-

men.

"

HAMLET

110

[act

III.

pagan, nor man, have so strutted

Christian,

and bellowed that

have thought some of

journeymen had made men and not

made them well, they imitated humanity so

40

nature's

abominably.
First Play.

hope we have reformed that

differently with us,

Ham. Oh,

reform

sir.

And

altogether.

it

in-

let

those

45

more than is
set down for them
for there be of them that
will themselves laugh, to set on some quantity
that play your clowns speak no
;

spectators to laugh too, though in

of barren

mean time some necessary

the

the play be then

villanous,
in

and shows a most

the fool that uses

question

be considered

to

Go,

it.

pitiful

make you

of

that

50

's

ambition
ready.

\Exeunt Players.

Enter POLONIUS, ROSENCRANTZ, ajld GUILDENSTEKN.

How

now,

piece of

my

work

lord

will

the king hear this

55

And the queen too, and that presently.

Ham. Bid the players make haste.

Pol.

\Exit Poloniiis.
38. nor f/ian] Q, or Norman F, fior Turke Q i.
40. men'\ Q,
Theobald conj., Rann, Furness the men, Farmer conj., Hudson.

F them

F, omitted Q.
38.

nor

ma??']

Farmer needlessly

Mussulman";

see

indiffe7-ently] see III.

f/?TO;/5]

of Wilson

by Stowe.

sir']

56. Exit Polonius] F, omitted Q.

conjectured "nor
I reading.
44.
46.

44.

i.

123.

The " extemporall

wit
praised
examples of the

and of Tarlton

In
i
clown's jests are given by

is

Hamlet.

Collier supposed that the passage in

i
might have been levelled at
Kemp, "who about the date quitted
the company of players to which

Shakespeare had always belonged."

See p. 232.
56. presently]
II. ii.

170.

immediately,

as

in

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Will you two help to hasten them

We

Ros., Guil.

will,

my

111

lord.

\Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Ham. What ho

Horatio

60

Enter HORATIO.
Hor. Here, sweet lord, at your service.

Ham.

Horatio, thou art e'en as just a

As

e'er

my

Hor. O,

my

dear lord,

man

conversation coped withal.

Ham.

Nay, do not think

For what advancement may

hope from

That no revenue hast but thy good

To

and clothe thee

feed

be

No,

Why

flatter

65

thee,

spirits,

should the poor

flatter'd ?

the candied tongue lick absurd

let

And

pomp.

crook the pregnant hinges of the knee

Where

may

thrift

follow

Dost

fawning.

thou

hear?
Since

And
Hath

my

70
dear soul was mistress of her choice,

could of

men

distinguish, her election

seal'd thee for herself;

for

thou hast been

Dyce, Both F, Ros. O

IVc will] F, Ii = Ay\ Q.
64. lord,
68. tongue lick^ Q, tongue, like F.
70. fawning\(^,faining? V.
72. distinguish, her e/ection^V,
"Jl. he7-'\(), tnyY.
distinguish her election (^.
73. Hath'] F, S'hath Q, She hath Malone.
59. Ros., fiuil.]

Rowe, Lord. Q, Y.

62.

/i/st']

Hamlet,

at this

moment,

needs before all else a man of sound

judgment, unswayed by passion. The
eulogy that follows has here a dramatic
propriety.
63. coped withal] as ever my intercourse with men encountered.
So
copest in Winter's Tale, \\. iv. 435.
66. revenue] accented hereon the

second syllalile.
The accent varies
in Shakespeare.
68. candied] sugared.

" disSchmidt:
prompt."
Perhaps,
quick with meaning.
Furness explains, " because untold thrift is born
from a cunning use of the knee."
6g. />regf7anf]

posed,

ready,

71. dear] see

i.

ii.

182.

HAMLET

112

As

one, in suffering

A man
Hath

all,

that suffers nothing

ta'en with equal thanks

Whose blood and judgment

That they are not a pipe
That

There

commingled

for fortune's finger

my

Give
I

will

me

that

man

wear him 80

heart of heart.

Something too much of

thee.

75

bless'd are those

are so well

stop she please.

heart's core, ay, in

do

and

not passion's slave, and

is

my

In

As

and rewards

that fortune's buffets

To sound what

[actih.

this.

a play to-night before the king

is

One scene of it comes near the circumstance

Which I have told thee of my father's death

when thou seest that act afoot,

Even with the very comment of thy soul
I

prithee,

Observe mine uncle

Do

not

And my
As

unkennel

itself

damned ghost

It is

And

his occulted guilt

in

that

one speech,

we have

90

seen,

imaginations are as foul

Give him heedful note

Vulcan's stithy.

For

if

mine eyes

after

we

will rivet to his face,

will

both our judgments join

In censure of his seeming.

Hor.

Well,

my

lord

95

76. Hath] F, Hast Q.

77. lo/niiiingled] Dyce, co-iningled F, coniedled Q.
85. thee of] Q, thee, of F.
F.
88. mine] F, my Q.
87. thy] Q,
92. heedful] Q, needfull F.
95. In] Q, To F.

my

77. blood

and reason
80, 81.]

and judgment]
see

I.

Douce

Anthony Scoloker,

iii.

passion

6.

" From
in his

this

speech

Z)a?///a/;;'//.s-,

1604, has stolen the following line:

'

Oh,

would weare her

heart's-gore.'
87.

phasis

comment of thy
is

in

my

heart-

"

on soul

soul] the

em-

with the most

in-

ward and sagacious criticism. The

F my would make Hamlet's judgment
the text, and Horatio's the comment.
89. one speech] Hamlet's dozen or
sixteen lines: II. ii. 576.
92. stithy] possibly here a forge ;
often an anvil.
95. censure] as in line 32.

:
;

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

he

If

aught the whilst

steal

And 'scape detecting,

Ham. They are coming to
Get you a

Danish

play

this

I will

pay the

the play

playing,

theft.

must be

is

113

idle

place.

A Flourish. Enter King, Oueen,

OniELIA, ROSENCRANTZ, GUILDEN-

March.

POLONIUS,

STERN, and Other Lords attendant, with

the

Guard,

carrying torches.

King.

How

Ham.

Excellent,

fares our cousin

eat the

faith

i'

Hamlet

promise-crammed

air,

oo

of the chameleon's dish

you cannot

feed capons so.

King.

have nothing with

answer, Hamlet

this

these words are not mine.

Ham. No,

you played once

lord,

say

105

YTo
i'

Polonius.']

the university,

My
you

That did

Pol.

mine now.

nor

I,

my

lord,

and was accounted a good

actor.

Ham. And what

10

did you enact?

Danish March
torches] substantially
97.
Q.
from F. Enter Trumpets and Kettle Drummes, King, Queene, Polonius,
Ophelia Q after line 97.
106. mine noiv. My /oro',] Johnson, mine now my
lord. Q, mine.
Now my lord, F.
ill. And
109. did r\(^, IdidY.
what} V, What Q.
deicc/iitg] F, detected

idle] ci2i7.y.

98.

mother,

in

bids

play,

the

him

In

Hamlet's

interview after the

forget these " idle

iits"; he replies:
" Idle no mother,

my pulse doth
beate like yours ;
is not madness that possesseth
!

It

Hamlet."
Perhaps, however, it means here no
more than unoccupied with any
affair.

loi. chameleon' sdish'lSo'RoviXznds,

Lett. Humours Blood, 1600: "Can

men

like camelions on the

In Browne's Vulgar Errors
the matter is discussed.
107. university] University plays.
in Latin or in English, form an important group of our elder drama.

feede

ayer?"

Hamlet, Q i, states
was acted "in the two Universities of Cambridge and Oxford."

The

title-page o{

that

it

"

HAMLET

114
Pol.

did enact Julius Caesar;

Capitol

Ham.

a calf there.
Ros. Ay,

my

Be

lord

Come

was

killed

i'

the

Brutus killed me.

was a brute part of him

It

Queen.

[actiii.

115

they stay upon your patience.

hither,

Ham. No, good

to kill so capital

the players ready

my

dear Hamlet,

mother, here

sit

metal

's

by me.
more at-

tractive.

Pol.

[To the King?\ Oh, ho! do you mark that?

Ham. Lady,

shall

your lap

lie in

120

\_Lying dozvn at Ophelias feet.

Oph. No,

Ham.

my

lord.

mean,

Oph. Ay,

my

Ham. Do you
Oph.

my

head upon your lap

think

think nothing,

meant country matters?

my

my

117. dear'\
121. Lying

omitted Q.

lie

between maids'

legs.

30

lord.

Q, good Y.
.

125

lord.

Ham. That 's a fair thought to

Oph. What is, my lord ?
Ham. Nothing.
Oph. You are merry, my lord.
Ham. Who, I ?
Oph. Ay,

lord.

feet]

To

120.

Rowe.

125. coimtty'] Q,

113, Capitor\ The error as to the

place of Cresar's death appears in

Chaucer, Monkes Tale, and in ShakeSo Fletcher,

speare's Jiilitts Casar.
The Noble Gentleman, v. i.
115. calf^ dolt, as in v. i. 126.
125. country inatteri\ rustic proconjectured
ceedings.
Johnson
coiititry viajitters, as in Khtg John,
suspect that there is
i.
I.
156.
I

the

King]

123, 124.
coii/ra>y

Capell

Ham. /

adding

ineati

Aside.
lord^

i.

some

indelicate suggestion in ri5//;;/;j.

West'wa7-d Hoe, V. i., I find:
Though we lie all night out of the
city,
they shall not find country
wenches of us," meaning we will not

In
'

'

and in North;
(spoken of a harlot),

wrong our husbands

ward Hoe,

III.

i.

"a

good commonwealthes woman

For her country, and
she was borne.
has borne her covmtry.

PUINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Ham. O God, your only jig-maker.

a man do but be merry ? for,

my

cheerfully

died within
Oph. Nay,

Ham. So
for

'tis

long

I '11

mother

Nay then, let

have a

months

Then

there

outlive his

's

is

ago,

life

and

is "

For,

not

heavens

by

but,

or

'r

die

yet

forgotten

40

may

lady, he

else shall

for,

he

the hobby-

The dumb-sJiow

within these

a mourning garment.
Hudson adopts
a suggestion of Wightwick, and reads
sabell, flame-colour.
But Hamlet's
jest lies in the ambiguity of the word
sables, the fur and sable, the black of
;

heraldry.
See IV. vii. 81, whence it
appears that sables were the livery of
"settled age." What an age since
my father died
I am quite an old
gentleman (with an amljiguily of a])parent self-contradiction in Hamlet's
manner, on the meaning black) ; I
!

be rich and comfortable, and

the devil must be the only personage
who always wears black, his accuslouied garb.

lord.

145

forgot."

within' s\ Q,

to

3 5

thinking on, with the hobby-horse,

133. Jig-maker] see ii. ii. 531.

136. witAiu's] within this.
read,
Warburton
139. sa6/es]
" 'fore I'll have a suit of sable."
Johnson observed that the fur of
sables is not black ; a suit trimmed
with sables was magnificent, and not

mean

the devil wear black,

half a year

Hautboys play.
136.

how

father

hope a great man's memory

whose epitaph
horse

my

suit of sables.

must build churches then

suffer not

my

and

looks,

twice two months,

two

should

look you,

two hours.

's

What

115

enters.

I.

144.

suffer not

thinking oit'\ under-

go oblivion.
144.

hobby-horse^ a figure of

games and morris-dances, the

Mayfigure

of a horse strapped round the actor's

waist, his feet being concealed by a

" The

foot-cloth.

hobby-horse

is

forgot" occurs in Love's Labour's Lost,

in. i. 30, and in several Elizabethan
dramas.
Probably the Puritans had
for a time succeeded in banishing
him from May sports. See Beaumont

and Fletcher, Women Pleased, iv. i.,

for an amusing scene of Puritan versus
hobby-horse.
146. dumb-show] The description
of the diniib-show here varies only in
unessential points from that of F.
In
the differences are not important.
But Q i deserves to be quoted

" Enter
and the

in

Dumbe Shew,

the

King

(^)ueene, he sits down in an

Arbor, she leaves him
Then enters
:

HAMLET

116

[act

Enter a King and a Queen, very lovingly

embracing him, and he

She

her.

the

III.

Queen

and

kneels,

makes show of protestation unto hijn. He takes

her up, and declines his head upon her neck :

him down upon a bank of floivers : she,

him asleep, leaves him. Anon comes in
a fellow, takes off his crown, kisses it, and pours
The Queen
poison in the King's ears, and exit.
lays

seeing

returns ;

finds

the

passionate action.

or

Mutes,

three

lament with

away.
gifts ;

but

i}i

her.

King

dead,

tzvo

again, seeming

The dead body

she seems loath

end

makes

The Poisoner, with some

comes in

The Poisoner wooes

the

and

the

is

Queen

and umvilling

to

carried

with

awhile^

[Exeunt.

accepts his love.

The King, on the other hand, does

not recognise in the dumb-show the

In our elder drama dumbshow was employed occasionally to

argument
see line 244 ; his suspicions would doubtless be aroused,
and he would watch the play with
keener interest, but he might suppose

Lucianus with Poyson in a Viall, and

powres it in his eares, and goes away
Then the Queene commeth and finds
him dead ; and goes away with the
other."

indicate action not developed by subsequent dialogue, or in a kind of

allegory to shadow forth what was to
follow.
Shakespeare's use of it here
Hunter cited an example
is singular.
Danish
of
soldiers in England, 1688,
presenting the action of a sacred

that

the

dumb-show

presented,

in

English fashion, action which was

not to be developed through dialogue.
Hamlet would have thus a double
opportunity of catching the conscience
of the King.
The following passage
has perhaps not been quoted in connection with the use of dumb-show

in Danish, in dumbshow before the play, and assumed Jamta Li)tguaruiii Qitadralingiiis; or,
that this was a common practice of A JMessc of Tongues, 1617 [by J.

drama, given

the Danish theatre. Elze conjectured

that English actors of Shakespeare's
time on the Continent expounded the
action of plays in this way.
Ophelia
suggests that the show may import
the argument ;
but, according
to
English practice, such a supposition
was not warranted, except in so far
that it might symbolically indicate
the general tendency of the action.

Barbier] ; the writer explains why he

puts his " Advertisement" at the end
of the volume: "As in a Comedie
the Prologue, or in a Tragedie the
Chorus, is not for the most acute
spectator, able (and more delighted)
of himselfe to discerne the pretention
of every Act presented, though intimated onely in a dumbe shew."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Oph. What means

Ham. Marry, this

my

this,

lord

miching mallecho

is

117

it

means

mischief.

Behke

OpJi.

show imports the argument of the 150

this

play?

Enter Prologue.

Ham.

We

know by

shall

cannot keep counsel

fellow

this

they

'11

the players

tell all.

show meant ?
Ham. Ay, or any show that you '11 show him be 155
not you ashamed to show, he'll not shame to
Oph. Will he

tell

us

what

this

tell

Oph.

you what

You

it

means.

are naught,

you are naught

I '11

mark

the play.

For us, and for our tragedy,

Here stooping to your clemency,

Pro.

We
Ham. Is
nng

beg your hearing patiently.

prologue,

this

or

the

posy

60

{Exit.

of

miching 7naUecho\ Malone, iintuching Mallico Q

148. this is\ F, this Q
151. play?'] F,
Miching Malicho F, myching Mallico Q i //] Q, that F.
play. Q.
Enter Prologue] Theobald; after /e/^w, line 152 Q after //rtj',
;

153. counsel] F,
152. this fellow'] Q, these felloiuesY.
159 F.
omitted Q.
154. he] Pope, a Q, they F.
155. you'' II] F, you will Q.
162. Exit] Globe Sh.
omitted Q, F.
line

skulking
148. miching mallecho]
mischief. Minsheu gives "To miche,
orsecrctlytohidehim.self outoftheway,
as Truants doe from schoole " ; Florio
has "to miche, to shrug, or sneake
in some corner."
See "micher,"
truant, in 1 Henry TV. lI. iv. 452.
" Mallecho," Sp;uiish wrtMci//^, mischief.

So

Shirley,

Gentleman

Venice: "Be humble. Thou

mallecho, or thou diest."

man

of
of

58.

naught] improper, licentious,

in Gi-ace Abounding declares

that he never " so much as attempted
So
to be naught with women."

Bunyan

Dekker, The Honest WViori? (Pearson's

Dehker, ii. p. 54).
163. posy] Sea Merchant oj 'Venice,
Posies incised on
V. i.
147-150.
rings were necessarily brief.

HAMLET

118
Oph. 'Tis

brief,

my

Ham. As woman's

[ACTin.

165

lord.

love.

Enter two Players, King and Queen.

P.

King. Full

times

thirty

hath

cart

Phcebus^

gone

round-

Neptune^ s salt wash

And thirty
About

and

dozen moons

the zvorld

Tellus'
zvitJi

have times

Since love our hearts

orbed ground,

borrowed sheen

tivelve thirties been,

and Hymen

170

did our hands

Unite commutual in most sacred bands.

P.

Queen. So many journeys may the sun and moon

Make

us again count o'er ere love be done

me I you are so sick of late,

So far from cheer and from your former state.
Yet, though I distrust,
That I distrust you.

But, woe

is

my

Discomfort you,

For women's fear

lord, it

nothing must

a?id love holds quantity,

In neither aught, or in extremity.

Now,

And

my

ivliat

as

my

love

love

ly $

is,

80

proof hath made you knozu.

is sized,

my fear

is

so ;

166. Enter
Queen] Glolje, Enter King and Queene Q, Enter King
i68. orbed] E,
i.
his Queene E, Enter the Duke and Dutchesse
orb'd the Q.
176. your] F, our Q.
179. Eor] F, And Q, preceded by
the following iinrhymed line: "For women feare too much, even as they
love" ; holds] E, hold Q.
180. In neither aught] E (with spelling ought),
181. love] F, Lord Q.
Eyther none, in neither ought Q.
.

and

167. cart] chariot.

Qzieene, v. viii. 34
:

.Spenser, /rrfr/c;

"

On

every side

179. holds quantity] keep proporSee Midsiiminer

tion to each other.

resemble lines beginning "Thrice ten

times Phoebus," near the opening of
Act IV. of Greene's ^////(?/j.
178. must] Perhaps a line, rhyming
with that given in Q, has been lost
perhaps the Q line had been cancelled

Night's Dream, I. i. 232.

180. In neither aught] Ingleby proposed " In either naught." Hunter
would punctuate "hold quantity In
neither:
aught." Capell explains:
"They either feel none of these
passions, or feel them both in ex-

and was printed by mistake.

tremity."

of his embatteld cart."

These

lines

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

Where
Where

P.

love is great

fears grow great, great love groxvs there.

King. Faith, I must leave thee, love, and shortly too; 8 5
little

My

opera7it poivers their fimctions leave to do;

And thou

shalt live in this fair zuorld behind,

Honoured, beloved ;

For husband
P.

haply

None

Ham.

as kind

07ie

Oh, confound the rest

love

must needs

In second husbatid

let

be treason hi vty breast

me

be accurst

190

ived the second but zuho kilVd the first.

Wormwood, wormwood

[Aside.]

Queen. The instances that second marriage move

Are

base respects of thrift, but none of love ;

second time I kill

When
P.

and

shalt thou

Queen.

Such

P.

doubts are fear.

tlie littlest

119

my husband

second husband kisses

King. / do

believe

But what we do
Purpose

is

me

in bed.

you think what now you

deterinine oft

but the slave

to

195

dead.

we

speak.

break.

200

meinory,

my

Functions F.
i86. their functions] Q,
183, 184.] Q, omitted F.
193. Aside] Capeil ; omitted Q, F ; Worviwood, tvornnvood] F, That^s ivorniwoodQ^,
2vo]-inwood, zvornnvood !
i.
19S. you think] Q, you. Think F.

which

band, he
(though examples of the tautology "kill dead,"
meaning "kill," occur in Shakespeare).
The reading of Q i "lord
that 's dead " gives the sense.

should be
Lines in the present
speech, it is argued, are singularly
in Hamlet's vein; they look like an
they do not advance the
insertion
action
they are meant to catch the
conscience of Hamlet's mother ; the
plot sufficiently convicts the King,
On the other hand, it is argued, that
the Poisoner's speech (perhaps interruptcd before its close) is meant ; that

gives a long
discussion as to
which lines are the dozen or sixteen
written by Hamlel, or whether it is
meant by .Shakespeare that any lines

Horatio, and that he warns the player

against mouthing a passionate speech,
Perhaps all this is to inquire too
curiously into a dramatic device of

185. leave] cease.

instances]
motives,

induce-

194.

ments, as in A'/^'-/yf;7 F. n.
195.
III.

i.

196.

ii. 119.
respects] considerations, as in
68.

kill

dead]
being dead

200-225.]

I'urncss

summary of a longer

kill

my

hus-

actually

appear

identified as his.

Hamlet

clearly

indicates

this

to

HAMLET

120

Of violent

[actiii.

birth but poor validity ;

Which now,

like

fruit

U7iripe, sticks

on the

tree,

But fall unshaken when they mellow be.

Most necessary 'tis that we forget
To pay ourselves %vhat to ourselves is debt
What to ourselves in passion we propose.
The passion ending, doth
The

own

the purpose lose.

of either grief or joy

violence

Their

205

enactures zvith themselves destroy

Where joy most

revels grief doth

most lament ;

210

Grief joys, joy grieves, on slender accident.

This world

not for aye, nor

is

That even our

For

'tis

a question

Whether

'tis

not strange

loves should with our fortunes change.

left

us yet

to

prove,

love lead fortune or else fortune love.

The great man

dozvn,

you

mark

his

215

favourite

files ;

The poor advanced makes friends of enemies ;

And Jiitherto
For

doth love on fortune tend

zvho not needs shall never lack a friend ;

And

zvho in zvant a hollow friend doth try

220

202. like] F, the Q.

208. either] Q, other F.
209. enactures] Q,
enactors F.
211. Grief
grieves] F, Greefe ioy, icy griefes, Q.
.
216. favourite] Q, fauourites F.
.

Shakespeare's, designed to lessen the

improbability of the "murder of
Gonzago" so exactly fitting the
occasion ; designed also to show
Hamlet as a critic of theatrical art,

and

indirectly to instruct an Elizabethan audience in theatrical matters.

Undoubtedly this speech reflects back
on both the Queen and Hamlet himself, but this was Shakespeare's doing,
and clearly intentional
if we were
;

forced to identify Hamlet's lines, we

to the speech of

must needs point

Lucianus.
Sir H.

Irving, as

Hamlet,

mutters the Poisoner's words with

suppressed passion while they are
being delivered by the actor,
204, 205.] Our resolves are debts
to ourselves
why embarrass ourselves
by inconvenient payments?
209. enactures] fulfilments, carrying into act.
;

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

121

him his enemy.

end wJiere I begun,

Directly seasons

But, orderly

Our

That our

to

and fates do

tvills

run

so contraiy

devices still are overthrozvn,

Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our oivn ;

So think thou zvilt no second husband ived.
But die thy thoughts zvhen thy first lord is dead.
P.

Queen. Nor earth

me

to

give food nor heaven light

Sport and repose lock from nie day and night

To desperation turn my

An

trust

and

anchor's cheer in prison be

Each

hope

my

If, once

Ham.
P.

If she

zvidozv, ever

should break

it

grozv dull,

spii'its

The

day

tedious

it

destroy !

pursue me lasting

hcftce

King. 'Tis deeply szvorn.

My
P.

and

230

scope !

Meet zvhat I zvould have well and

liere

blanks the face of joy,

opposite, that

Both

225

strife.

235

be zvife !

now
Szveet, leave

and fain I

me

Jiere

awhile

[^Sleeps.

zvith sleep.

Queen.

Sleep rock thy brain

And 7iever

zvould beguile

come mischance betzueen us twain!

240
[Exit.

228. to

me

give]

omitted

scope] Q,

Q,

wife]
i, F;
235. once
7207u.
236. iiow!'] Dyce
Q,
brain), omitted t^.
.

F.
230, 231. To desperation
anchor's] Theobald, And anchors Q.
once I be a widdow, ever I be a wife Q.
]'ope.
F; itozu
239. Sleeps] F (after

to give

231.

P'.

me
An

ii.

103

So Bishop MaW, Satires,

" Sit seaven ycares pining

an anchores cheyre."

C/iecr

221. seasons] Schmidt and Clar.

Press: "matures,
ripens," see 1.
iii. 81 ; but perhaps it means qualifies,
tempers.
anchoret's
cheer]
231. anchor's
chair.

is

v.

in

ex-

perhaps rightly
by Clar.
plained
Press and others "fare," but "scope"
supports the meaning illustrated by
Hall.
232. opposite, that blanks] contrary
thing that makes pale. So Sylvester's
" His brow was
Dti Bar/as, 1605
never blankt with pallid fear."
:


HAMLET

122

[actih.

Ham. Madam, how like you this play ?

Queen. The lady doth protest too much,
Ham. O, but she keep her word.

methinks.

'11

King. Have you heard the argument

offence in

Ham. No, no
offence

King.

i'

245

they do but

poison in jest

jest,

no

the world.

What do you

Ham. The

no

Is there

't ?

the play

call

Mouse-trap.

This play

is

how ?

Marry,

Tropically.

the image of a murder done in

250

Gonzago is the duke's name

his
you shall see anon
'tis
a
knavish piece of work
but what o' that ?
your majesty, and we that have free souls, it
Vienna
wife,

Baptista

touches us not;

the galled jade wince, our 255

let

withers are unwrunsf.

242. doth protest] (^, protests F.
249.
^'] F,
a Q I.
255. witice'] Q i

253.

^Q,

249. Tropiially] called The Mousetrap (catching the conscience of the

king) 1))' way of a trope or figure,
The " trapically " of
suggests
l
that a pun is intended.
251. Gonzago] In 1538 the Duke of

Urbano, married to a Gonzaga, was

murdered by Luigi Gonzaga, who
dropped poison into his ear. Shakespeare, it is suggested, might have
found this writ in choice Italian,
might have transferred the name
Gonzaga to the murdered man, and
formed " Lucianus " from Luigi.
"The duke" seems to be an oversight.
In Q I the murdered man and
his wife are Duke and Dutchesse
throughout, except in the dumb-show,
where they are King and Queen in
the altered form perhaps "duke" was
here erroneously retained. It is, how;

Q, F; trapical/y
winch Q, F.

Tropic-all}'']

(^ 1.

ever, true, as Walker and Elze point

out, that "Duke" and "King" are
not always differentiated by Eliza-

bethan

As

writers.

the

to

name

" Baptista," Hunter says he has seen

a few instances of the

women

name

as

borne

"It had a
feminine termination; that was enough,
by

in

England.

Shakespeare has given

it

to a

man

in

The Taming of the Shreiu." It has

been shown by A. von Reumont
(Allgemeine Zeitiing, October 21,
1870) that Baptista was used in
Italy

as

woman.

the

Christian

name

of a

See Sh. Jahrbiuh, xxxi.

another Gonzaga-murder.

169, for
254. free] see 11. ii. 600.
255. let the galled jade

evince]

proverbial saying found in Edwards,

Damon and Pythias, and Lyly, Eu;

t>hiies.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.ii.J

123

Enter Player, as LUCIANUS.

This

You

Oph.

Ham.

good as a chorus,

are as

my

lord.

260

could see the puppets dallying.

if I

You

OpJi.

one Lucianus, nephew to the king.

could interpret between you and your love,

Ham.

is

It

are keen,

my

lord,

you are keen.

would cost you a groaning

to take off

my

edge.

Oph.

and worse.

Still better,

Ham. So you
murderer
begin.

mistake

your husbands.

Begin, 265

pox, leave thy damnable faces, and

Come

the croaking raven doth bellow

for revenge.

Luc. Thoughts

black,

hands

drugs

apt,

atid

fit,

time

agreeing ;
Confederate season,

else

270

no creature seeing

262. viy'], mine Q.

265. ww258. as good as a\<^\,0; agoodY.
yoiir husbands'] Q, mistake husbands F, must take your husband Q. I.
i, F; Con266. pox'\ F, omitted Q, a poxe
I.
270. Confederate]
siderat Q.

(a/ce

258. Choi-US'] which explains the

action of a play, as in Winter'' s Tale,
Komco andJuliet, Henry V.
puppets]
259, 260. interpret
an interpreter on the stage expounded
the puppet-shows ; see 7 wo Gentlemen
.

0/ Verona, ii. i. loi.

Steevens quotes
GxQQwe, Croats-worth 0/ Wit: " It was
I that ... for seven years' space was
absolute interpreter of the puppets."
" V'our love," your lover.
264. better, and ivorse] Caldecott
" moie keen and less decorous."
265. mistake] Pope read "must
take " with Q i, and has been followed
:

many

editors

Ilamlet's

insult

l)y

Iirides,

according

V)Ut

to
to

this

effaces

womanhood.
the

marriage-

take tlieir hvisbands "for

Hamlet means
worse."
that women do not take them hut
mis-take them (as Capell prints it) in
these words, for the words are not
you all are faithless wives
fulfilled
with a thought of his mother.
Simpson
raven]
267. croaking
(Academy, December 19, 1874) shows

service,

better,

for

that

Hamlet

rolls into

one two

lines

of The True Tragedie of Richard the

Third ghosts of those whom Richard
has slain in reaching for a crown come
gaping for revenge
" The screeking raven sits croking for
revenge,
Whole herds of beasts come bcllow-

ing for revenge."'


HAMLET

124

[actht.

Thou 'mixture rank, of midnigJit weeds collected,

With Hecate's ban thrice blasted, thrice infected,
Thy natural magic and dire property,

On wholesome

life

usurp immediately.

[^Potirs the

Ham. He poisons him

His name 's Gonzago
writ in choice ItaHan

poison into the Sleeper's ears.

the garden for

i'

the story

you

is

estate.

's

275

extant, and

shall see

anon how

the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife.

The king rises

Ham. What, frighted
Oph.

Queen.

How

my

fares

with false
lord

280

fire!

Pol. Give o'er the play.

me some

King. Give

light.

All. Lights, lights, lights

Away

{^Exeunt all

Ham. Why,

let

bjit

Hamlet and Horatio,

the strucken deer go weep,

285

The hart ungalled play

For some must watch, while some must sleep
So runs the world away.
Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers,
;

275. forks']
Q i. 274. usurp] ; usurps Q i, Q.
2yj.zunyni]F,ivr///ejiinzierj/Q.
280. M-'/ia/,
.
/;-.'] Theobald, IV/iai,
fires? Q i.
.fire. F, omitted Q, What,
284. All.] F, Tol. Q.
285. Why, lef] Theobald ; Why let Q, F ; stnickefi]
F, strooken Q, stricken Q i.
288. So\ F ; 7 hits Q I, Q.
272. ban] Q,

F for
;

/lis

F; bane

Qi, Q.

Com274. usurp] let them usurp.

pare Pericles, in. ii. 82 " Death may
usurp on nature many hours."
2%0. false fire'\ used of fire-works,
blank-discharge of firearms, a fire or
night - signal made to deceive an
enemy. See A New Eng. Dictionary
under False 14 /', and under Fii'e
8 a.
2S5-2S8. Why
away] Dyce
:

" In all probability a quotation from

some ballad."
2i<). forest of feat Iters'] So Chapman, IMonsietir D'' Olive, in. i. "I
:

carry a whole forest of feathers with

me."

Feathers were

much worn on

the stage ; in Randolph's The Muses'

Lookitig-GIass, i. i., Bird, the featherman, has the custom of the players for
all their feathers.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
if

the rest of

my

fortunes turn

with two Provincial roses on

get

me

Turk with me

my

125

290

razed shoes,

a fellowship in a cry of players,

sir ?

Hor. Half a share.

Ham.

whole one,

I.

For thou dost know,

O Damon

dear,

295

This realm dismantled was

Of Jove

A
Ho7\

reigns here

pajock.

You might have rhymed.

291. two\
omitted Q.
Pajocke F 2.

razed\ raz'd Q, rac'd F.

292.
F, omitted
298. pajock] Ff 3, 4; paiock Qq 2-5 ; Paiocke F
;

290. turn Turk] prove renegade,

or turn cruel.
See Much Ado, iii.
iv.

now

himself; and

very, very

57-

291. Provincial 7-oses\ rosettes of

ribbon, like the roses of Provence, or
else of Provins (forty miles from Paris),
which was celebrated for its roses.
" Cotgrave gives both ' Rose de Provence. The Province rose, the double
Damaske Rose,' and ' Rose de
Provins, the ordinarie double red
Rose.'
Gerarde, in his Herbal, says
that the damask rose is called by some
'
Rosa provincialis " (Clar. Press).
:

'

sii-]

F,

6;

I,

of the theatre, or house-keepers

.
had some ; and each actor had one or
more shares or part of a share, according to his merit." See Furness for
.

citation

of

documents from

Halli-

well.

say I.
294. /] A whole one,
Malone conjectured "A whole one,
ay," and several editors adopt the
suggestion, "I" and "ay" being
both represented in print by "I."
298. pajock] Hamlet again probably
quotes from some ballad, substituting
"pajock" for the rhyming "ass."
or streaked in Q 1676 ga.ve pa icock Q 1695, p(cock
Anatoviic
of Pope and many editors, peacock. Dyce

291. razed] slashed,

patterns.
Stubbes,
.^/5?<5^5, writes of shoes "razed, carved,
cut, and stitched over with silk." Clar.
Press quotes Randle Holme, Academy
of Armory, III. i. p. 14, " Pinked or
raised Shoocs have the over leathers
grain part cut into Roses, or other
devices."
292. cry] company; transferred from
the meaning pack of hounds. Cotgrave,
" Meute, a kenncll, or crie, of
161 1
:

hounds." Cleveland, London Lady,

35 "A small cry of tenants."
" The whole
293. share] Malone
receipts of each theatre were divided
into shares, of which the pro ietors
:

says he has heard the lower classes of

the north of Scotland call the peacock
the pea-jock (cf. bubbly-jock, turkey).

The peacock had an unenviable

re-

putation in popular belief and current

He was vain, loved
natural history.
not his young, was inordinately lustful,
swallowed his own ordure, had " the
voice of a feend, the head of a serpent,
and the pace of a theefe." Theobald
proposed paddock, a toad, and puttock,
Spenser, ./ Vietu
a ravenous kite.
of the Present State of Ireland {^. 636,
Globe ed.), usca patchocke for a clown,

and perhaps

this is

Hamlet's word.


HAMLET

126

Hani.

good Horatio,

Hor. Very

my

well,

Ham. Upon
I

Didst perceive

300

lord.

the talk of the poisoning

did very well note him.

Ham. Ah, ha!

recorders

For

if

Why

some music!

Come,

the

305

the king like not the comedy,

then, belike,

Re-enter

come,

Come, some music

he

likes

not, perdy.

it

Rosencrantz and GuiLDENSTERN.

Good my

Giiil.

take the ghost's word

thousand pound.

for a

Hor.

I '11

[actiii.

me

vouchsafe

lord,

a word with 3 1 o

you.

Ham.

Sir,

Guil.

The

a whole history.
king,

Ham. Ay,

sir,

sir,

what of him

Is in his retirement

Guil.

Ham. With
No,

Guil.

drink, sir

my

marvellous distempered.

should show

to his purgation
into far

Good

Guil.

my

with choler.

to signify this to his doctor

him
him

lord, rather

Ham. Your wisdom

itself

more

richer

me

to put

for, for

would perhaps plunge 320

more

choler.

lord,

put

your

discourse

into

305. Ah, ha] Q, Oh, ha? F.

303. poisoning?'\ Y,poy suing. Q.
309. Reenter]
as here ; in F after 7iote him, line 304.
317. rather] F, omitted Q.
doctor
F,
321. far]
omitted Q.
Q.
319. his doctor] F, the

306. recorders] a kind of flageolet.

315, distempered] discomposed in
mind. Hamlet takes it up as if

meaning disordered in body

senses occur in Shakespeare,

both

320. pirgation] medicinally purging the body, legally clearing from

imputation of guilt, as in As Yoii
Like It, V. iv, 45. Hamlet plays on
the two senses.


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

some frame, and

127

not so wildly from

start

my

affair.

Hani.

am

tame,

pronounce.

sir;

The queen, your mother,

Guil.

me

tion of spirit, hath sent

Ham. You

my

right breed.

if

please you to

shall

it

answer,

will

Sir,

What,

make 330

do your mother's

your pardon and

not,

my

return shall be the end of

Guil.

to you.

lord, this courtesy is not of the

If

me a wholesome
commandment
Ham.

afflic-

are welcome.

Nay, good

Guil.

325
most great

in

my

business.

cannot.

my

lord

Ham. Make you

diseased

but,

335

sir,

shall

my

mother

rather,

or,

therefore

my

answer

such answer as

command

you

matter;

a wholesome

my

wit

's

can make,

as

you

say,

no more, but to the

mother, you say,

340

Then thus she says

your behaviour hath
struck her into amazement and admiration.

Ros.

Ham.

wonderful

mother

But

son,
is

can

that

so

astonish

there no sequel at the heels

of this mother's admiration

Impart.

345

Ros. She desires to speak with you in her closet ere

you go

to bed.

323. start-] F, stare Q.

333. of my'\ F, of Q.
335. Guil.] F, Ros. Q.
337. answer'] Q, answers F.
338. as you] Q, you F.
343. astonish]
F, stonish Q.
mother's']
345,
Q, Mother Y ; Impart.] Q, omitted F.
323.
ally of

frame] order, and used specian arrangement of words T.

;

Spencer, Logick, 162S

"This frame
contains a proposition negative uni:

versall,

is

F.

i.

ii.

56.

He

then retires and Rosencrantz

hand,
342. admiration] wonder, as in I.

tries his

&c."

332. pardon'] see

335. Guil.] Evidently this speech

rightly assigned to Guildenstern by

ii.

192,


HAMLET

128

We

Ham.

shall

obey, were

she

mother.

Have you any

My

you once did love me.

Ros.

lord,

Ham. So

[actiii.

times

ten

our

further trade with us?

350

by these pickers and stealers.

Ros. Good my lord, what is your cause of distemper ? you do surely bar the door upon
your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to
your

Ham.
Ros.

do

still,

friend.

How

35

lack advancement.

Sir, I

can that be when you have the voice of

the king himself for your succession in Den-

mark

Ham. Ay,

sir,

proverb

but "While the grass grows,"

is

the

360

something musty.

Re-enter Players with recorders.

Oh,

the

recorders

withdraw with you

me see one.
why do you go

let

To
about

upon] Q, /7'eel}'
351. So I do] F, And do Q.
353. sin-e/y
o/F.
361. Re-enter] Dyce, Enter one with a
360. >] Q, omitted F.
line
362. reRecorder F, Enter the Players with Recorders Q, after
359.
corders] Q, 7-ecorder F ; see one] Q, see F ; a comma after one Q, after see F.
.

349. /rade] business, as in Twelfth

Night,

III.

i.

83.

351. pickers

and

stealers]

hands,

which the Church Catechism admonishes us to keep from picking and

stealing.
A mild oath, found in
Merchant of Venice, V. i. 161.
Hamlet wishes to have done with
professions of love, and swears "by
these rogueish hands."

Humouring
356. advancement]
conceit that he is ambitious;
see II. ii. 260.
360, 361. the pi-overb] Malone
from Whetquotes the proverb
stone, Promos and Cassandra, 1578:
their

"Whylst grass doth growe, oft sterves

the seely steede."
362, 363. To withdraw with you]
have a word in private with you.
Steevens suggests that Guildenstern
has indicated by a gesture his wish
for privacy, and that Hamlet's words
Mason proposed
are interrogative.
"So, withdraw you," or "So, withdraw will you ?" Staunton takes the
words as addressed to the players,
and suggests " So (/flyC'm^ a recorde?-)
withdraw with you." For the use of
to

the infinitive
III. iv. 216.

compare "

to

draw

" in

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

wind of me, as

to recover the

me

drive

O,

Giiil.

my

129

you would

if

into a toil?

my

lord, if

365

my

duty be too bold,

love

too unmannerly.

is

Ham.

do not well understand

Will you

that.

play upon this pipe?

My

Guil.

Havi.

lord,

cannot.

Believe me,

Guil.

Ham.
Guil.

370

cannot.

do beseech you.

I
I

Ham.

know no touch

'Tis as

of

it,

my

lord.

easy as lying; govern these ventages 375

with your finger and thumb, give

it

your mouth, and

most eloquent

music.
Guil.

pray you.

Look you,

But these cannot

of

will discourse

it

harmony;

breath with

these are the stops.

command

have not the

any utterance

to

380

skill.

Ham. Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing

you make of me
You would play upon me
you would seem to know my stops you would
!

pluck out the heart of

sound

my

me

from

compass

my

my

mystery

you would

lowest note to the top of 385

and there

is

much

music, excel-

cannot you

lent voice, in this little organ, yet

and /humb] F, C^ the

376. fiiigcr\ Y, fingers
;
375. 'Tis\ F, It is Q.
vtnber (^.
385. the top of F, omitted Q.
377. eloquent'lQ, excellent .

'\

364. to

recover the

wind of

ie]

Madden, The Diary of Master Wil-

Ham

Silence, p. 33, note: "In order

to drive a deer into the toils, it was

needful to get to the windward of him,

so that, having you in the wind, he
might break in the opposite direction."

unmannerly] a
bold may have
forced my love to express itself ill.
Or perhaps as Clar. Press suggests
366, 367.

duty

perhaps

too

" an unmeaning compliment."

375. ventages] vents, holes,

HAMLET

130

make

'Sblood, do

speak.

it

easier to be played

[actiii.

you think

on than a pipe

what instrument you

will,

Call

though you can

am
me
390

fret

me, you cannot play upon me.

Re-enter POLONIUS.

God

My

Pol.

bless you, sir

lord, the

queen would speak with you, and

presently.

Ham. Do you

see yonder cloud

shape of a camel

that's almost in

By the mass, and 'tis like a camel,

Ham. Methinks it is like a weasel.
Pol.

Pol.

backed

It is

Ham. Or

like a

Very

Pol.

Pol.

Ha7n.

will

will
"

like a weasel.

whale

400

come to my mother by and by.

They fool me to the top of my bent.
come by and by.

will

[Aside.]
I

indeed.

like a whale.

Ham. Then

395

say

[Exit.

so.

By and by

" is

easily said.

Leave me,

[Exeunt
F

405

friends.

all but

Hamlet.

Why F

;
/] Q, that I F.
390,
i,
391. yoii\ Q, F ; yet yoii
y^i^. yonaer\Ql,thatY.
397- '^^'-f
Globe, Cambridge.
396. 0/] Q, /z7'e P\
like]
399. dacked] Q, F ; blari Qq 4-6.
4, 'tis, like Q, it 's Hie F.
omits
403-406.] Speeches distributed as in F ;
402. 7vill /], I will Q.
the distribution, and the Exit of Polonius ; the Exeunt, line 406, is omitted Q, F.

388. speaki Q, omitted

i, F
391. can fret me]

fret

'

SbIood'\

me

Q,

290. fret]
irritate

not Q.

and "

Playing on

"fret,"

to

fret," the piece of gut,

metal, or wood which regulates the

fingering on certain stringed instru-

meats.
398, 399. weasel] Capell transposed
the camel and the weasel, to provide
a hump for the second animal. Pope,
reading with the later Qq black for

backed,

substituted ouzle for weasel,

which Theobald approved, noting that

"there is humour in comparing the
same cloudtoabeast,abird, and afish."
402. by atid by] immediately, as
often in Shakespeare.
403. bent] see 11. ii. 30.
406. Leave me, friends] follows by
and by (line 404) in Q.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. Ill]

now

'Tis

When

131

the very witching time of night,

churchyards yawn, and

hell

itself

breathes

out

Contagion to

this

world

now could

drink hot

blood,

And do

such bitter business as the day

Would quake

to

look

Soft

on.

410

now

my

to

mother,
heart, lose not

The

me

Let
1

soul of

will

thy nature

Nero enter

not ever

let

this firm

bosom

be cruel, not unnatural

speak daggers to

her,

but use none;

415

My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites

How in my words soever she be shent.
To

give

them

seals never,

my

soul,

consent
[Exit.

SCENE

III.

A Room

in the Castle.

Enter King, Rosencrantz, and GuiLDENSTERN.

I

like

him

To

let

his

King.

not, nor stands

safe with us

it

madness range.

Therefore

prepare

you;
I

your commission

And

will forthwith dispatch.

he to England shall along with you

The terms

may

of our estate

408. breathes\ F, breakes Q.

410.

day Q, better rfoy Warburton.

now, F.
415. daggers^ F, dagger Q^.
bitter

413. Nero] The murderer of his

mother, Agrippina.
See King John,
Perhaps the coincidences
V. ii. 152.
are accidental, that Agrippina was
the wife of Claudius, was accused of

not endure

F, btisines as the
411. Soft! 7iow\ soft, now Q, Soft
6, someverCl, F.
417. soever']
hilte)'

daj']

poisoning a husband, and of living in

incest with a brother.
417. shent] rebuked, as in Merry
Wives, I. iv. 38.

HAMLET

132

Hazard so near us

Out of

doth hourly grow

as

his lunacies.

We

Guil.

Ros.

will ourselves provide.

Most holy and

religious fear

To keep

many many

That

[actiii.

those

live

it is

bodies safe

and feed upon your majesty.

lo

bound

The single and peculiar

With all the strength and armour

of the

To keep

much more

life is

That

The

itself

spirit

from noyance

but

mind

upon whose weal depends and

The

many.

lives of

rests

cease of majesty

Dies not alone, but like a gulf doth draw

What 's

near

with

it

it

massy wheel,

it is

Fix'd on the summit of the highest mount,

To whose huge spokes ten thousand lesser things

Are mortised and adjoin'd which, when it falls, 20
Each small annexment, petty consequence.
Never alone
Attends the boisterous ruin.
;

Did the king

King.
6.

Arm

near us\

you,
1676,

sigh,

but with a general groan.

pray you, to

Pope

Jieer's

speedy voyage

this

dangerous

F and many editors.

browes Q, lunes Theobald, braves Anon.

zv/iose spirit F.
17.
15. cease] F, cesse Q.
23. with] F, omitted Q.
22. ruin] F, raitie Q.

lunacies'] F,

7.

right.

The Q brows may be

The word brow is used in the

lunacies]

sense of fronting aspect, countenance,

and also in that of confidence, effrontery ; see A New English Dictionary,
The choice of the
brow, 5 c and d.

word may have been determined by

the fixed gaze of Hamlet upon the
King during the play-scene. It seems
strange that blows (in the sense of
injuries, not uncommon in Shakespeare) has not been suggested as an
emendation of i^rt'wi'.
9. many many] Ff 2-4 read many,

14.
it

is]

7.

whose weal] Q,
F, or it is Q.

Rolfe compares KingJohn, i. i. 1S3

"many a many foot of land," and
:

Clar.

Press,

"A very
1 1

and

Henry

little little let

single
private,
.

V.

IV.

ii.

33:

us do."
individual

and peculiar]

noyance] hurt, injury,

cease of maPope subjesty, death of a king.
stituted " decease" for " the cease."
16. gulf] whirlpool, as in King
13.
15.

cease] cessation;

Richard
24.

as in

III. in. vii. 128.

yoit] prepare yourselves,

Arm

Mid. Night's Dream,

I.

i.

117.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.iii]

For we

put upon this

will fetters

Which now goes

133

fear,

25

We

will haste us.

too free-footed.

Ros., Guil.

\Exeunt Rosencrants and Guildenstern.

Entej'
Pol.

My

he

lord,

's

going to his mother's closet

Behind the arras

To hear
home

I '11

the process

And, as you

POLONIUS.

said,

convey myself
I

'11

warrant she

and wisely was

tax him

'11

30

said,

it

'Tis meet that some more audience than a mother,

Since nature makes them partial, should o'erhear

The

speech,

liege
I '11

Fare

vantage.

you

well,

my

lord

35

call

And

of

upon you ere you go to bed,

you what

tell

know.
Thanks, dear

King:

my

l^Exit Polonius.

Oh,

my

is

rank,

it

smells to heaven

hath the primal eldest curse upon

brother's

Though
25.

offence

It

murder

not.

inclination be as sharp as will

upon^V ahouf C^.

of vantai;c\

Pray can

't,

comma

26. Ros., Guil.]

inserted by Theobald.

33. of vantage] from a point or

position of vantage.
Many editors
do not insert the comma before vantage.
Hudson explains "speech of
vantage," a speech having the advantage of such partiality as a mother
bears to a son or a son to a mother.
38.] Ilanmer needlessly emends the
metre by inserting "alas!" after

Both F, Ros. Q.
39.

will :'\ F,

"Pray."

luill,

33. !;peck,

Q.

Walker suggests

" mur-

derer."

An ingenious gentleman
Theobald,
"'twill"
to
which some editors have adopted,
Warburton read " th' ill." The King
means that his effort to pray was no
reluctant resolve; his desire accompanied his act of will.
39. will\

suggested

HAMLET

134

My

And,
I

my

stronger guilt defeats

man

like a

40

shall first begin,

What

both neglect.

Were

strong intent,

to double business bound,

stand in pause where

And

[acthi.

if this

cursed hand,

thicker than itself with brother's blood.

not there rain enough in the sweet heavens

Is

To

wash

it

white

Whereto

snow?

as

45

serves

mercy
But to confront the visage of offence

And what 's in prayer but this two-fold

To be forestalled ere we come to fall,
Then

Or pardon'd being down?

My

fault

Can

my

serve

murder ?

My

turn

me my

Forgive

"

be, since

am

those effects for which

crown, mine

May

look up;

50
foul

"

That cannot

Of

I'll

But, oh, what form of prayer

past.

is

force.

own

possess'd

still

did the murder,

ambition, and

my

queen.

one be pardon'd and retain the offence

55

In the corrupted currents of this world

Offence's gilded

And

oft

'tis

hand may shove by

seen the wicked prize

Buys out the law

There,

is

but

no shuffling

F,

pardon Q.

58. shove

57. currents] courses.

by'\

we

60

ourselves compell'd

and forehead of our

to the teeth

50. pardon! d'Y

viiirther: F.

itself

not so above

there, the action lies

In his true nature, and

Even

'tis

justice,

52.

nnirdcr?^

faults

Caldecott,

inwiher,

Q,

F, showe by Q.

Dyce and

Furness accept Walker's suggestion

'"currents" for occurrents; see v.

ii.

368.

Occurrents had been

su"g-

gested in 1752,
61.

lies] Clar.

legal sense."

Press:

"used

in its

miNCE OF DENMARK

sc.iii]

To

What

give in evidence.

then

what

135
rests

Try what repentance can: what can it not?

it when one can not repent?
O wretched state O bosom black as death

65

Yet what can

limed soul, that struggling to be free

Art more engaged

Help, angels

Bow, stubborn knees

make

and, heart with

assay

strings of

70

steel,

Be

sinews of the new-born babe

soft as

may

All

\Retires

be well.

and

kneels.

Enter Hamlet.

Ham. Now might I do it pat, now he is praying

And now I '11 do 't and so he goes to heaven
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd
;

villain kills

my

I,

his sole son,

do

To

father
this

and

same

for that,

villain

send

heaven.

Oh,

this

He

took

With

is

hire

my

all his

And how

and

salary, not revenge.

80

father grossly, full of Dread,

crimes broad blown, as flush as

who knows

his audit stands

May

save heaven

l.
73. it pat,
Retires
.] Malonc, omitted Q, F; hee kneeles
he is praying] F, it, but notu a is praying- Q.
77. sole] Q,/oule,
/lire and salary] F, base
;
F, foot, Capell conject.
79. O/i] F, IV/iy
F.
and silly Q.
81. With all] F, Withall
; fitish] Q, fresh

72,

vow

68. limed]
lime.

caught,

as

with

bird-

69. engaged] entangled. So Florio,

Montaigne: "The Barbie fishes, if
one of them chance to be engaged."
69. assay]\.x\^X; but assay

is

used

to the angels but to

the King's own soul.
75. -would be scannd] ought to be

be addressed not

examined.
80. bread]

Malone

refers to Ezekiel

49: "pride, fulness of bread."

81. broad blown] sec the Ghost's

xvi.

by Shakespeare, King Henry V. i.

ii.
151, for an onset, attack, and perhaps that is the meaning here. It is
suggested that

"make

assay"

may

words, I. v. 'jG; /lush, lusty; full of

life ; " Hush youth," Ant. and Cleop.
i.

iv.

52.

HAMLET

136
But

To

[actih.

our circumstance and course of thought

in

heavy with him

'Tis

and am

then revenged,

take him in the purging of his soul,

When

he

and season'd

is fit

passage

for his

85
?

No.

Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed,

At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no

Then

And
As

trip

relish of salvation in

that his soul

hell,

may

him, that his heels

whereto

may

it

90

't

kick at heaven

be as damn'd and black

My

goes.

mother

stays.

This physic but prolongs thy sickly days.

King. [Risingi\

SCENE

89.

will

drunk

come

asleep] F,

game a sivearing Q,
97.

Rising] omitted Q,

83.

our

condition
thought.

and

IV.

The Queens

straight.

is

its

Closet.

Look you

lay

home

to

him

a sleepc Q.
91. gaming, swearing] ,
game swearing Q i, game, a-sweanng Cambridge.

Rises Capell.

thought] our mortal

the
course of our

Or "circumstance" may

general tendency.

88. hent] seizure, grip.

The verb
found in Measure for Measure, iv.

and IVintet's Tale, IV. iii.

meaning seize, take.
F 4 has
hent, followed
by several editors.
Warburton conjectured hest, comWhy has no "ingenious
mand.

vi.

\Exit.

drnnkc,

be connected with "thought," our

thought in its indirect indications

and

to heaven go.

QUEEN and POLONIUS.

Enter

He

[Exit.

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;

Words without thoughts never

Pol.

95

14,

133,

gentleman " suggested hunt, pursuit,

and adduced instances of the use of

the hunting-sword in breaking-up the
quarry?
89-95.] Parallels for Hamlet's "infernal sentiment " can be adduced
from other dramas. Thus in Beaumont
and Fletcher, Four Plays in One
The Triumph of Death, sc. v. (with an
evident reminiscence from Hamlet)
" 'Tis nothing
No take him dead - drunk now,
without repentance,
His lechery inseam'd upon him."
:

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. IV.]

Tell

him

his

137

pranks have been too broad to bear

with,

And

your

that

hath

grace

and

screen'd

stood

between

Much

heat and him.

I '11

me

silence

e'en here.

Pray you, be round with him.

Ham.

Mother, mother, mother

WitJiin^

Queen.

warrant you

I '11

Fear

me

Withdraw,

not.

hear him coming.

\_Polonius hides behind the arras.

Enter HAMLET.
Hain. Now, mother, what

's

the matter

much offended.
much offended.

Queen. Hamlet, thou hast thy father

Ham. Mother, you have my

father

10

Queen. Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.

Ham.

Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.

Ham.

Why, how now, Hamlet?

What 's

Queen.

Have you

Queen.

Ham.
You

the matter

now ?

me ?

forgot

No, by the rood, not so

are

the

queen,

your

husband's

brother's

wife

siletiii: iik: e'en'\ Y silence me even Q, 'sconce mc e'en Waibiirton, sconce

even Ilanmcr.
Jitoiher] F, omitted Q.
6. warrant'^
5. wi/h
F, wait Q.
Polonius hides
.] omitted Q, F; so with stage directions,
line 23, line 24.
12. a wicked] Q, an idle V.

4.

Die

4.

silence]

Hanmer's

Several

sconce.

Cf.

editors

adopt

Merry Wives,

iii.
96: "I will ensconce me
behind the arras." Clar. Press reads
sconce because it is supported by Q I
"He shrowde my scUc behinde the

III.

arras."

The "

foolish prating

knave"

Polonius can he " most still" only in

death; his resolve "to silence himself" may have an ironical relation
to the occasion of his death, his loud

" What, ho
5.

!"

round] see

li.

ii.

139.

;!

HAMLET

138

[actiii.

And would it were not so

you are my mother.
Queen. Nay then, I
set those to you that can speak.
Ham. Come, come, and sit you down you shall not
!

'11

budge

You go not till I set you up a glass

Where you may see the inmost part of you.
20
Queen. What wilt thou do ? thou wilt not murder me ?
Help, help, ho
Pol. [Behind.']

Ham.

What, ho

Oh,

Queen.

know

help, help, help

am slain
Oh me, what
;

[Falls

and

hast thou done

the king

is it

for a ducat,

tJu-ough the arras.

not

Dead,

a rat?

[Makes a pass

Pol. [Behind.]

Ham. Nay,

How now

\_Drawmg.'\

dead

dies.

25

Queen. Oh, what a rash and bloody deed

is

this

Ham. A bloody deed almost as bad, good mother,

As kill a king, and marry with his brother.
Queen. As kill a king?
Ham.
Ay, lady, 'twas my word.
!

[Lifts up the arras

Thou

wretched, rash, intruding

took thee for thy better

and

Thou

find'st to

30

discovers Polotiius.

fool, farewell

take thy fortune

be too busy

is

some danger.

Leave wringing of your hands.

Peace

sit

you

down.

And
If
16.

not

And

so.

it

let

be
.

You F.

me wring your
made

_;'<??/]

Q (no parenthesis, comma

20.

ininosti F,

most Q.

23. What, ho! . . . help

arras] Capell, omitted Q, F.
dies] Killes Polonius F, omitted Q.
.

omitted Q,

''ttvas'\

F,

shall

35

of penetrable stuff;

how. Q.
.

heart; for so

it

was Q.

/]

F,

after jo) ; But zvould yoic were

22. Help, help, ho /] F, Heipe

What how

helpe Q.

24. Make's

25. Behind] omitted Q, F ; Falls and

stage direction
30. king?"] F, king.
;
32. better] Q, betters F.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.iv]
If

damned custom have not

That
Queen.

it is

braz'd

it

139

so

proof and buhvark against sense.

What have

done that thou darest wag thy tongue

me?

In noise so rude against

Such an

Ham.

40

act

That blurs the grace and blush of modesty,

Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose

From

And

the

fair

forehead of an innocent love,

sets a blister there

makes marriage vows

As false as dicers' oaths oh, such a deed

As from the body of contraction plucks
The very soul, and sweet religion makes

rhapsody of words

Yea,

this solidity

With

45

'

heaven's face doth glow.

and compound mass.

against the doom,

50

tristful visage, as

Is thought-sick at the act.

Ay

Queen.

me, what

act,

That roars so loud and thunders in the index

44. sets] Q,
38 is\ F, be Q.
37. hrazd\ F, bmsd Q, brass'd Globe.
makes F.
48. doi}i\ F, dooes Q.
48, 49. glow, Yea] F, glozve Ore Q.
mc/(?x] given to the Queen F;
50. tristful] F, heated Q.
51, 52. ^_j/
That roars, &c., to Hamlet Q.
Ay
act? given to Queen
.

37. (^ras'^

hardened

like brass.

Axmm, Nest of Ni>2nies,

i()0?>:

"I

So
3.n\

brazed by your favours, made bold in

your ostended curtesies."
38. proof and bulwark] armour of
proof and rampart against sense, that
is, feeling.
For proof compare Macbeth,\.'\\. 54: " Bellona's bridegroom
lapp'd in proof."
Clar. Press takes
'
proof " and
bulwark " as adjectives,
a blister] Clar. Press:
44. sets
"brands as a harlot." Compare iv.
V. 1 17, and Comedy of Errors,
11. ii.
'

'

'

138.
46. contraction] act of contracting,
specially of the marriage-contract,

"The
Voyages,
Hakluyt,
1598:
mutual contraction of a perpetuall
Cotton Mather, Magnalia
league."
"After his 'conChristi,
1702:
unto tlie daughter of
traction
Mr. Wilson."
'

49. this solidity] the earth.

50. tristful] sorrowful, as

Henry IV. u.

iv.

in
1
433: doom, dooms-

day.
51.

/'/w//^///-.f/V/!']

see

III.

i.

85.

52 index] prelude; the index or

"table" was usually placed at the
beginning of books. So Othello, 11. i.
263: "An index and obscure prologue."

;;

HAMLET

140

Ham. Look
The

upon

here,

[acthi.

and on

this picture,

counterfeit presentment of

See what a grace was seated on

Hyperion's

An

eye

curls, the front

this

5 5

command

Mercury

New-lighted on a heaven-kissing

brow

of Jove himself,

Mars, to threaten and

like

station like the herald

this

two brothers.

hill

combination and a form indeed,

60

Where every god did seem to set his seal

To give the world assurance of a man
This was your husband.
Look you now, what
:

follows

Here

is

your husband

mildew'd

like a

Have you eyes ? 65

Blasting his wholesome brother.

Could you on

And
You

cannot

call

The hey-day

And

waits

mountain leave to

this fair

batten on this
it

moor

Ha

love, for at

in the

ear,

blood

is

feed.

have you eyes

your age

tame,

upon the judgment

it 's

humble.

and what judg-

ment

70

55. this\ Q, his F.

53.

57.

and'] Q, or F.

Look here,] Restoration actors

made Hamlet produce two miniatures

but miniatures could hardly represent

Hamlet's father

at full-length, as he
described.
print, prefixed to
Rowe's ed. of ZTaw/e/, 1709, exhibits
half-lengths hanging on the wall.
The
actor Holman had a picture of Claudius
on the wall, and a miniature of the dead

is

king produced from Hamlet's bosom.

P'echter had two miniatures, one worn
round Gertrude's neck, the other by
Hamlet he tore the miniature from
Gertrude and flung it away; so Rossi,
;

who stamped upon

it.

Edwin Booth

65.

brother] Q, breath F.

Sir H. Irving
used two miniatures.
and Salvini have represented the portraits as seen only by the mind's eye.
por54. counterfeit present niettt]

trayed
representation.
" Fair Portia's counterfeit,"

of Venice,

III.

ii.

Compare
yl/i?;r/^ff/'

116.

58. station] attitude in standing, as

Ant. and Cleop. ill. iii. 22.

59.]

Malone conjectured

that this

image was caught from Phaer's-<^(?zV/,

IV. 246, Mercury arriving on Atlas,
67.

batten]

Coriolanus, IV.
cold bits."

feed
v.

gluttonously.

35: "batten on

"

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.iv]

Would

from

step

this

to

this

141

Sense

you

sure

have,

Else could you

not have motion

but sure, that

sense

apoplex'd

Is

Nor sense
But

To

for

reserved

it

madness would not

was ne'er so

to ecstasy

some quantity of

That thus hath cozen'd you

Eyes without

't

without sight.

Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans

Or but

was

devil

hoodman-blind

at

feeling, feeling

choice,

What

serve in such a difference.

err.

thrall'd

all,

80

a sickly part of one true sense

Could not so mope.

shame

If

thou canst mutine

where

is

thy blush
in

Rebellious

hell,

a matron's bones,

To flaming youth let virtue be as wax

And melt in her own fire; proclaim no shame
When the compulsive ardour gives the charge,
Since frost

And

itself as actively

reason panders

O
mine eyes

turn'st

doth burn,

will.

Queen.

Thou

85

into

Hamlet, speak no more

my

very soul,

71. step] Q, F; stoop Collier MS., and MS. in Ingleby's copy of Q 1637.
mope] Q,
78-81. Eyes
71-76. .Sense
difference'] Q, omilled F.
pandars] F, pardons Q.
omitted F.
88. And] Q, As F
89. eyes
.
very] F, very eyes into my Q.
.

71, 72. Sense

feeling ; motion,

motion'] sense,

impulse,

frequently in Shakespeare.
74. ecstasy] madness, as

desire, as
in

11.

i.

used some75. quantity] portion

times by Shakespeare contemptuously
for a small portion or anything dim;

KingJohn,

V.

hoodman-blind]

iv.

23.

blind

man's

Singer quotes Baret's Alvearie

"The Iloodwinke

102.

inutive, as in

77.
buff.

blind, in

play, or

some places

hoodman-

called the blind-

manbuff.
81. mope] be stupid, as in Tempest,
V.

i.

239.

83. mutine] mutiny.

" Mutiner, to mutine."

Cotgrave

! !

HAMLET

142

And
As

there

will

see such black

not leave their

[act

and grained spots

m.
90

tinct.

Ham.

Nay, but

to live

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,

Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love

Over the nasty

sty,

These words

No
Ham.

like

daggers enter

in

mine ears;

95

more, sweet Hamlet

slave that

is

murderer and a

villain

not twentieth part the tithe

Of your precedent

me no more

O, speak to

Queen.

lord

a vice of kings

cut-purse of the empire and the rule.

That from a

And

put

it

shelf the precious

in his

diadem

00

pocket

No more

Queen.

Ham. A

stole,

king of shreds and patches

Enter Ghost.

Save me, and hover

o'er

You heavenly guards

figure

me

with your wings.

What would your

gracious

Queen. Alas, he's

mad!

90. grai7ied]Y, greened Cl.

95. mine'] F,
Q, F.

sty.

my

105
91. not Ieave'\Y, leave there Cl.
94 sty,^
102. patches
] Rowe, patches,
Q.
Q,

patches. F.
103. Enter Ghost.] before line 102 Q,
his night gowne
i.
104. yoztr'] Q, you F.

Enter the Ghost

in

90. grained] dyed in grain.

92. enseamed] loaded with grease,

French, enseimer{no'w ensime?-). New

English Dictionary: "The French
word is now used only in sense 'to
grease cloth,' whence perhaps the
fig. use in Shaks."
See note on iii.
iii.

89-95.

98. vice]
moralities

vice

the

chievous buffoon

of

commonly

was
;

he wore sometimes
of a fool,
"a king -of

parti-coloured dress
whence, Dyce supposes,
shreds and patches."
the

the old
a rnvi-

: ;;

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.iv.]

Ham. Do you

come your tardy son

not

That, lapsed in time and passion,

The important
Oh, say

Do

Ghost.
Is

143

to chide,

lets

acting of your dread

go by

command ?

not forget

this visitation

1 1

but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.

But

look,

amazement on thy mother

sits

Oh, step between her and her fighting soul

Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works

Speak

Hamlet.

to her,

How

Ham.
Queen. Alas,

how

is 't

with you, lady

is it

with you,

That you do bend your eye on vacancy

And

with the incorporal

Forth at your eyes your

And,

air

do hold discourse?

spirits

wildly peep

Your bedded

hair, like life in

excrements.

Starts

up and stands an end.

Upon

the heat and flame of thy distemper

Sprinkle cool patience.

Ham. On

120

as the sleeping soldiers in the alarm,

him,

on

him

gentle son,

Whereon do you
Look you, how

look

125

glares

iiS. the iiicorpoyal]

117. you do\ Q, yoti F.
22. Starts . . . stands']
stand Q, F.
4, Start . .

/aj'5z"(?] Johnson :
107. lapsed .
.
suffered time to slip and pas-

siontocool." Rolfe :" having let time

slip by while indulging in mere passion."
Schmidt (guided by the use of
lapsed \n Twelfth Night, in. iii. 36)
"surprised by you in a time and passion
fit for the execution of your command."
Collier MS. has "fume" for " time."
108.

m/cr/aw/] urgent,
vii.

21.

as in

Q, ihcir corporaU F.

" having

Well, HI.

he

pale

AlPs

in

12.

amazenient] bewilderment, as

Measure for Measure,

1

14.

Ci?crfzV]

IV.

220.

ii.

imagination, as in

II.

593.
used
121. (?.xrrew<';?A] outgrowths
especially of hair, nails, feathers ; used
of the beard in Merchant of Venice.
III. ii. 87.
Rowe read hairs, and is
followed by several editors.
122. a <?(/] see I. v. 19.

ii.

HAMLET

144

[acthi.

His form and cause conjoin'd, preaching to stones,

Would make them

capable.

Do

not look upon

me,
Lest with this piteous action you convert

My

stern effects

want

Will

then what

colour

true

have to do

perchance

tears

130

blood.

Queen.

To whom do you

speak

this

Do

Ham.
Queen. Nothing at

Ham. Nor

for

all

yet

all

you see nothing there

that

did you nothing hear

is

see.

No, nothing but ourselves.

Queen.

Ham. Why,

look you there

how

look,

it

steals

away

My father, in his habit as he lived

135
Look, where he goes, even now, out at the portal
!

\Exit Ghost.
Queen. This

is

the very coinage of your brain

This bodiless creation ecstasy

Is

very cunning

in.

Ham.

Ecstasy

My

pulse, as yours,

And makes
That

And

as healthful music

have

utter'd

129. effects]
.^]

bring

Q,

F;

from.

it

is

40

not madness

to the test,

affects y

Mother,

Singer.

131.

for love of grace,

whomi Q, who

F.

139.

Y, omitted Q.

127. capable] susceptible, as in in.

ii.

me

the matter will re-word, which madness

Would gambol
Ecstasy

doth temperately keep time,

129. effect s]

135.

Ghost

14.
z.c'ixoxi, dJixxi

Ve7ius

and

Adonis, 605, and Lear, II. iv. 182.

Singer's proposal affects, affections of
the mind, is perhaps right.

that

is,

his habit]
shall

directs that the

appear in his night-gown,

dressing-gown.

138. ecstasy^ see

11.

i.

102.

sc. IV.]

Lay

PRINCE OF DENMARK

145

not that flattering unction to your soul,

145

That not your trespass but my madness speaks

It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,
Whilst rank corruption, mining
Infects unseen.

Repent what's

all

within,

Confess yourself to heaven

past, avoid

what

is

to

come;

150

And do not spread the compost on the weeds,

To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue.
For

Virtue

itself

of vice

Yea, curb and woo

Queen.

pursy times

in the fatness of these

must pardon beg.

for leave to

Hamlet, thou hast

cleft

do him good.

my

5 5

heart in twain.

Ham. O, throw away the worser part of it,

And live the purer with the other half.
Good night but go not to mine uncle's bed
Assume a virtue, if you have it not.
That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat.
Of habits devil, is angel yet in this.
:

That

He

to the use of actions fair

160

and good

likewise gives a frock or livery.

That aptly

is

put on.

Refrain to-night,

165

148. Whilst^ F, Whiles Q.

145. that\ Q, a F.
151. ?] Q, or F,
der Caldecott.
152. ran/cer] Q, ranke F.
153. these] Q, this F,
158. live] F, leatie Q.
155. nirb](^, courbY.
159. mine'] F, f>iy Q.
161-165. That
/M/o]Q, omitted F.
161, 162, eat, Of habits devil,]
.

Of habits

deuill Q.
165. on.
colon after on), on to rcfraine night Q.
6, eate

152.

Forgive]

Staunton

regards

these words to the close of the speech

as addressed to
virtue," and

"my

marks them "aside"; but how does

this agree with virtue begging pardon
of vice ?
Evidently the words are
spoken to his mother.
155. fM;-/;] The modern spelling of
F courb, French courber, to bow or

Refrain to-night]

6 (with semi-

bend.
Drummond of Ilawtliornden,
Cypress Grove: "bodies languishing
and curbing."
161-165.] With the pointing above,
no emendation is required Custom,
:

who

destroys all sensibility, the evil

spirit of our habits, is yet an angel in
this, etc.

The emendation suggested

to Theobald "of habits

by Thirlby

'

HAMLET

146

[actiii.

And that shall lend a kind of easiness

To the next abstinence the next more
;

easy

For use almost can change the stamp of nature,

And either master the devil, or throw him out

With wondrous potency. Once more, good night
And when you are desirous to be bless'd,
i 7
'11
blessing beg of you.
For this same lord,
I

{^Pointing to Polonius.

do repent

To

punish

That
will

with

must be

this,

must be

and

gave him.

will

so,

and minister.

175

answer well

So, again, good night.

only to be kind

cruel,

it

with me,

this

their scourge

bestow him, and

The death
I

but heaven hath pleased

me

Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.

One word more, good lady.

What

Queen.

Ham. Not

this,

by no means, that

shall

Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed

Pinch wanton on your cheek

do

180

bid you do

call

you

his

mouse

167-170. the next more

poteiicyl Q, omitted I".
169. And
Jennens, Steevens (1785), Dyce (ed. 2), Furness ; And eit/ier t/ie Qq
180. One
179. Thus\ F, This Q.
3; And Maister the Q 4.
lady"] Q, omitted F.
182. hloat'\ Warburton, blowt Q, bhint F.
.

///e]

evil" is plausible ; but it effaces the

opposition of "angel" to "devil."
Staunton reads "eat,
Oft habits'
devil "; Grant White, " eat of habit's
evil"; Johnson, "eat Of habits,
devil."
Clar. Press notes:
"The
double meaning of the word habits
suggested the frock or livery."
169. And either master\ (^ omits
the verb
Q 4 omits ?V//f rand inserts
master.
Several editors follow Q 4.
'

Pope and Capell, "And master

even " (or ev'n) ; Malone, " And either

2,
.

curb." Quell, lay, shame, and other

"Master"
verbs have been proposed.
may be derived from the early stage,
and has somewhat more authority
than any other word,
178, 179.] Delius supposes that the
lines are

spoken

aside,

name, as in Love's
Laboni's Lost,v .\\. \(i;'Q\yxX.ox\, A7iatomy of Melancholy " pleasant names
may be invented, bird, mouse, lamb,
pus, pigeon, &c."
1S3. moused a pet

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
And

let

Or

147

him, for a pair of reechy kisses,

paddling

in

your

neck

with

damn'd

his

fingers,

Make you
That

But

mad

85

to ravel all this matter out,

essentially
in

am

not

in

madness.

'Twere

craft.

good you

let

him

know
For who that 's but a queen, fair, sober, wise.
90
Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,
Such dear concernings hide? who would do' so?
;

No,

in despite of sense

Unpeg

and secrecy,

the basket on the house's top,

Let the birds

and, like the famous ape,

fly,

To try conclusions, in the basket creep,

195
And break your own neck down.
Queen. Be thou assured, if words be made of breath,
And breath of life, I have no life to breathe
What thou hast said to me.
Ham. I must to England; you know that?
Alack, 200

Queen.
I

had forgot

188. craft.
3,

no pointing
1

'tis

so concluded on.

k^k,. cotuliisioiis,inthehasket'\Y
^Ttvere^Y, craft, 'f were (^.
200. that?'\ F, that. Q.
Q, comma only after basket F.

in

hrm o{ reeky,
but reek is also
vapour,
commonly
emit
and perhaps the word

secrets."
blindness,

We have

Suckling

7-cechy'] ^T\oi\\tr

84.

smoky

hence

used to mean
malodorous,

foul

may mean stinking.

"reeky
"

shanks and yellow chapless skulls

in Ko>nco and Juliet, iv. i. 83.
190. paddock] toad, as in Macbeth,
I.

i.

9.

190.

" The

tom-cat; so "gib-cat," 1

i^ih'\

//tv/yj/r.

I.

83. Clar. Press notes :

bat, and cat were sup-

ii.

toad,
posed to be familiars of witches and
mistresses'
acquainted with their

Perhaps the ideas of venom,

and

193-196]

unknown.

lust are suggested,

The famous ape is now

Warner suggests that

alludes

to

the

forgotten

a letter, where he speaks of

the jackanapes and the partridges
but Suckling's jackanapes, though he
lets out the partridges, does not break

storj' in

his neck,

195.

try

conclusions]

trj'

experi-

ments, as in Ztvwt', 1160.

200.

leamt

En^and] How Hamlet had

this is left untold.

HAMLET

148

Ham. There 's

letters

seal'd

[actiii.

my

and

two

school-

fellows,

Whom

will trust as

They bear

will

adders fang'd,

mandate; they must sweep

the

my

way,

And
For

me

marshal

own

Hoist with his

But

will delve

Let

to knavery.

work

it

205

the sport to have the enginer

'tis

petar; and

't

one yard below

And blow them

moon

the

at

shall

go hard

their mines,
;

oh,

'tis

most

sweet

When in one line two crafts directly

This man shall set me packing
I

'11

lug the guts into the neighbour room.

Mother, good night.

Is

now most

Who

was

Come,

Good

202-210.

There'' s

sevei'ally ;

65.

^, as in

Compare /?'c7cr,

i.

Clar.

in Polonius.

(9//f//<7, II.

v.

Press

163.

forms of the verb this

belong.
207. petar]

Hamlet dragging

207. Hoist] Shakespeare has both

the forms hoise and hoist, to either of

which

meet^ Q, omitted F.
207. aiid't'] Theobald,
Ifideed], good night indeed, Q^.
21^. foolish']
Steevens ; Exit Q; Exit
217. Exeunt
]
i.
F Exit Hamlet with the dead body

constructor of military

works; accent on
i.

and most grave,

prating knave.

night, mother.

212,.

^;?//(f;-]

this counsellor

secret,

draw toward an end with you.

to

sir,

goodnight.
Q I, F; most foolish Q.
Hamlet tugging in Polonius
206.

Indeed

most

still,

in life a foolish

\Exeunt

an'iQ.

210

meet.

may

quotes

"Petart: a Petard or
wherewith
Petarre
an Engine
strong gates are burst open."
211. packing] Schmidt: departing
contriving,
in a hurry.
Clar, Press
plotting, with a play on the other
" Pack" occurs in both senses
sense.
Cotgrave

in

Shakespeare.


PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

ACT
SCENE

IV

A Room

I.

149

the Castle.

i7i

King, Queen, Rosencrantz, and

Ejiter

GUILDENSTERN.
King. There

matter in these

's

sighs

profound

these

heaves

You must translate

Where is your son ?

'tis fit

we understand them.

Queen. Bestow this place on us a

little

while.

\Exeunt Rosencrantz a^id Guildenstern.

my

Ah,

good

lord,

King: What, Gertrude

Mad

Queen.

Which

what have

How

the mightier

seen to-night

does Hamlet

as the sea and wind,

is

when both contend

in his lawless

Behind the arras hearing something

Whips out

And

his rapier, cries, "

The unseen good

fit.

stir.

a rat

"

10

kills

old man.

King.
It

rat,

apprehension

in this brainish

heavy deed

had been so with us had we been there;

His liberty

To you

is full

of threats to

all,

yourself, to us, to every one.

Enter
Guldenstern] substantially Q, Enter King F.
i. matter^ Q,
matters F.
i,
2. There^s
translate\ F has full stop after sighs,
.
.
white']
4. Bestow
Q has comma after sighs, heaves, and translate.
.] omitted Q, F.
Q, omitted F. Exeunt
5. my good] F, mine own Q
to-night!] Hanmer ; to-night? Q, F.
10. Whips
7. sea] Q, seas F.
cries] Q, He wliips his Rapier out, and cries F.
this] Q, his F.
1 1,
.

(^ra/?j-/^] headstrong, passionPalsgrave, /^ac/a/rm/f/, 1 530:

II.

ate.

" Braynisshc,
wylled."

hedy,

folisshe,

selfe

HAMLET

150
Alas,

how
be

It will

iv.

whose providence

short, restrain'd

mad young man

This

We

bloody deed be answer'd

shall this
laid to us,

Should have kept

[act

but so

and out of haunt,

much was

our love,

would not understand what was most

20

fit,

But, like the owner of a foul disease,

To keep

it

from divulging,

let it

feed

Even on the pith of life. Where is he gone ?

To draw apart the body he hath kill'd
O'er whom his very madness, like some ore

Queen.

Among
Shows

25

a mineral of metals base,

pure

itself

he weeps for what

is

done.

O Gertrude, come away

The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch
But we will ship him hence and this vile deed

King:

30

We

must, with

all

our majesty and

Both countenance and excuse.

Re-enter

ROSENCRANTZ

Ho

skill.
!

Guildenstern

GUILDENSTERN.

atid

Friends both, go join you with some further aid

Hamlet

And

in

from

madness hath Polonius

mother's

his

closet

/c/]

Q,

lei's

hath

he

31. must] F,

V.

It, II.

i.

fiiost

Q.

English-French Dictionary appended

Cotgrave ore is confined to gold."
Walker proposed and Furness reads
"like fine ore."
to

26.

(ll.

Like

dragg'd

35

18. kepi shori\ So in Florio's ]\Iontaigne: "When his soldiers were

nearest unto their enemies he re"
strained and kept them very short
34).
18. haimt'X

slain.

him:
22.

resort,

as

As You

in

15.

25. ore'\ Schmidt gives no meaning

for ore in Shakespeare except " a
vein of gold."
Clar. Press
"in the
:

viineral'\

Malone

" Minsheu

defines 'mineral' to be 'anything

that grows in mines and contains
metals.'" It is used in Hall's .S'ai!'i'?'t'j',
b. vi. for

mine,

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Go

seek him out

speak

Into the chapel.

fair,

and bring the body

pray you, haste

151

in this.

\Exeunt Rosencrants and Guildenstern.

Come, Gertrude, we '11 call up our wisest

And let them know both what we mean

And what 's

untimely done

[so,

friends
to do,

haply, slander,]

40

Whose whisper o'er the world's diameter,

As level as the cannon to his blank
Transports his poison'd shot, may miss our name

And

My

woundless

hit the

soul

O, come away

air.

of discord and dismay.

is full

45
\_Exeunt.

SCENE

Another

II.

Room

in the Castle.

Enter HAMLET.

Ham.

Safely stowed.

Ros.^ Gull.

Ham. But

soft,

Hamlet

Within.']

Lord Hamlet

what noise? who

calls

on Hamlet?

O, here they come.

Etiter

Ros.

RosENCRANTz

What have you

done,

a)id

my

Guildenstern.

lord,

with the dead

body?
39.

And let]

Q, To

let

V.

40-44.] see note below.

Scene

Enter Hamlet] F

luiter

Guil. [Within.] IJaiiiletl

^oftA Q. omitted F.

Lord Hamlet!']
Enter

4.

.]

40. so haply 5lander]Y o\x\\\^^\h&Iween done and (3, line 44 Q reads

" And whats vntimely doone,
;

Whose

II.

Hamlet, Rosencraus, and others

whisper."
Theobald suggested " Happily, slander," or rmnour, and read "For,
haply, slander."
Capell read as

(^.

substantially F, omitted Q.
F, omitted Q.

above,
editors.

ous

2.

Ros.,
3.

But

and is followed by many

Malone 1790: "So viper-

slander."

Staunton

suggested

" thus calumny."

42. blank] the white spot in the
Compare
centre of a target; mark.
Othello^ in. iv. 128.

HAMLET

152
Hatn. Compounded
Ros. Tell us where

and bear

Ham. Do

it

[act

with dust, whereto

it

we may

that

'tis,

kin,

'tis

take

it

iv.

thence

to the chapel.

not believe

lo

it,

Ros. Believe what?

Ham. That

can keep your counsel and not mine

own.

demanded of a sponge,
made by the son

Besides, to be

what

should be

replication

of a king?
Ros.

Take you me

Ham. Ay,

sir

my

for a sponge,

do the king best service

first

But such

like

an ape,

you,

swallowed

last

it is

you

sponge,

and,

officers

he keeps

the corner of his jaw;

in

mouthed, to be

the end

in

needs what you have gleaned,

ing

that soaks up the king's countenance,

his rewards, his authorities.

them,

lord

20

when he

but squeez-

shall

dry

be

again,

Ros.

Ham.

understand you not,

I

am

glad of

it

my

25

lord.

a knavish speech sleeps in

a foolish ear,

7. Coinpo7inded\ F, Compound Q,
13, sponge^'\ Q, F; sptinge!
Steevens ; spmtge ! Caldecott,
20. like ait ape] F, like an apple Q, as

an Ape doth nuttes

i, like

an

ape,

an apple Farmer

7, Compounded] The Q cotiipoiind

may be right, as an imperative. So
2 Henry IV. iv, v, 116,

keep yottr counsel]

Hamlet
knows of the commission to England,
perhaps
Or
the reference is to his
not betraying their confession that
they had been sent for by the King,
See II. ii, 305. Possibly there is a
play on the word counsel meaning
councillor, as elsewhere in Shakespeare.
See stage direction in
i,
12,

i. ii.

conject,

(opening) " Counsaile

as Polo-

nius."

sponge] The same image was

in nearly the same way, by
Vespasian, as recorded by Suetonius.
13.

used,

Caldecott quotes from R. C's Henr.

Steph. Apology for Herodotus, 1608,

and Barnabe Riche, Faultes,

1606,

in

illustration

of

faults,
the image,

Steevens quotes Marston, Satires, vii.

17. countenance] ^2iK.xo'CiZ.<ge.,iz.\o\xx,
as in 2

Henry IV,

iv,

ii.

13.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. Ill]

Ros.

My

you must

lord,

us where the

tell

153

body

is,

and go with us to the king.

Ham. The body

with the king, but the king

is

not with the body.

"

Guil.

my

thing,"

Ham. Of nothing:
and

lord

The king
?

me

bring

to

Hide

him.

fox,

[Exeunt.

all after.

SCENE

30

is

a thing

is

Another Room

III.

in the Castle.

Enter King, attended.

King.

have sent to seek him, and to

How

dangerous

that this

is it

find the body.

man

goes loose

Yet must not we put the strong law on him

He 's

loved of the distracted multitude.

Who like

not in their judgment, but their eyes

And where

so, the offender's scourge

'tis

But never the

To

offence.

bear

is

weigh'd,

smooth and even,

all

This sudden sending him away must seem

31. a

thing \

F, a thing. Q.

33, 34.

Scene
7.

after']

F, omitted Q.

ill.

never\ Q, neerer F.

30, 31. The body

Clar. Press: "Hamlet
.

is

thing]
talking

He

wishes to
baffle the courtiers, and have a private
lie has
meaning, as often before.
just called himself "the son of a
king"; he has seen his father in his

nonsense designedly."

own

Hide

castle.

To

the

courtiers

his

words are nonsense for himself they

mean " the body lies in death with
the King my father, but my father
walks disembodied." He might have
added something, but he is interrupted,
and adopting Rosencrantz's meaning
;

of "King," completes his sentence

otherwise than intended, yet so as to

a part of his mind ; " the

Iving as you mean King is for me
express

a negligable quantity, a thing of

Hamlet
In v. i. 292.
nothing."
speaks of his father as my "king."

Hide fox, and a// after] llansays that there is a play among
Dekker, Satirochildren so named.
iiiastix has: "does play at bo-peep
with your grace, and cries All hid,
Whether the reference
as boys do."
is to a children's game or to a fox^j, ^^.

mer

"The
hunt, the meaning seems to be
old fox, Polonius, is hidden ; come,
let us all follow the sport and hunt
him out."
:

HAMLET

154

[act

iv.

Deliberate pause; diseases desperate grown

By

desperate appliance are relieved,

Or not

at

lo

all.

Enter ROSENCRANTZ.

How now
Where

Ros.

We

body

the dead

what hath

bestow'd,

is

my

befall'n

lord,

cannot get from him.

But where

King.

my

Ros. Without,

lord

guarded,

is

he

know

to

your

pleasure.

King. Bring him before

us.

Ros. Ho, Guildenstern

bring in

E7tter

Polonius

's

where

Hani. Not where he

eats,

but where he

Your worm

at him.
;

we

fat

fat

is

dishes,

eaten

20

are e'en

your only emperor

for

creatures else to fat us, and

all

ourselves for maggots

and your lean beggar

two

is

worms

certain convocation of politic

diet

supper.

King. At supper

we

lord.

Hamlet and Guildenstern.

King. Now, Hamlet, where

Ham. At

my

but

to

is

your

fat

king

but variable service,

one table

that

's

25

the

end.
II.

Enter Rosencrantz] F, Enter Rosencraus and

Guildenstei~it\

omitted F.
21. politic

might breed

F,

How, Q;

tny lord]

F, the
24. ourselves] Q, our sel/e] F.

worms] such worms as

in a politician's corpse,

Singer suggests an allusion to

the

all the rest Q.

i6. Ho,
lord Q.
21. politic] Q,

Diet of Worms.
adds,

makes

W.

Hall Griffin

"the mention of 'emperor'

it

very probable."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. III.]

155

King. Alas, alas

A man may

Ham.

fish

worm

with the

that hath

and eat of the fish that hath

fed of that worm.
King. What dost thou mean by this ?
Ham. Nothing but to show you how a king may
eat of a king,

30

go a progress through the guts of a beggar.

King. Where

Ham.

is

Polonius

In heaven

messenger

35

send

thither

him not

find

him

not
as

within

will stay

till

there, seek

month, you

this

you go up the

him
if

your

if

shall

the

i'

you

find

nose

stairs into the lobby.

King. [To some Attendants.']

Ham. He

see

But indeed,

other place yourself

him

to

Go

40

seek him there.

you come.
[Exeunt Attendants.

King. Hamlet,

this deed, for thine especial safety.

Which we do

tender, as

we

dearly grieve

Forthat which thouhastdone,mustsendtheehence 45

With fiery quickness therefore prepare thyself;
;

The bark is ready, and the wind at help,

The associates tend, and every thing is bent
For England.

Ham.

For England

King.

Ay, Hamlet.

Ham.

Good.

2S-31. King. Alas

ivorm] Q, omitted F.
38. indeed, if] F, 7/
indeed <^.
41,42. stage directions inserted
39. withiit] Q, omitted F.
by Capell.
42. yoic] Q, ye F.
43. deed, for thine\ Q, deed of thine, for
thine F.
46. With fiery ijuickness\ F, omitted Q.
48. is bent] Q,
.

at bent F.

49.

Englmid

{]

F,

England. Q.

34. progress] a royal journey of slate, as in

2 Henry VI.

i.

iv.

76.

HAMLET

156
King. So

Ham.

Thy

iv.

thou knew'st our purposes.

is it, if

England

for

King.

[act

see a cherub that sees them.

50

But,

come

Farewell, dear mother.

loving father, Hamlet.

Ham. My mother father and mother is man and

man and wife is one flesh, and so, my
wife
:

mother.

Come,

for

King. Follow him at foot

Delay

Away
That

it
!

not,

5 5

\Exit.

tempt him with speed aboard

have him hence to-night

I '11

every thing

for

else

England

is

on the

leans

and done

seal'd
affair

pray

make

you,

60

haste.

\Exeunt Rosencrantz and Guildeiistern.

And, England, if my love thou hold'st at aught,

As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe

Pays homage

Our

to us,

thou may'st not

sovereign process

By letters conjuring to that effect.

The present death of Hamlet. Do
For
51. thetnl

Theobald

like the hectic in

Q, him F.

55.

omitted Q, F.

my

and sd\ F,

let,

i.e.

hinder; Hanmer set by.

"Coldly
set " is explained by Schmidt " regard
with indifference."
"Set me light,"
esteem me lightly, occurs in Sonnets,
Ixxxviii., and " sets it light" in A7;?^

Richard

II.

i.

iii.

293.

it,

at

65

full.

England

blood he rages,

j-o

Q.

60.

Exeunt

.]

67. co7ijttring\ F, congruing Q.

51. a chcrub\ The cherubim are

angels of knowledge, and so they see
the King's purposes.
57- a^ /^i?/'] close, at heel.
65. set] Pope (ed. 2) read

coldly set

which imports

66. process] procedure,

67. conjitring\ This word, rather
than Qi-^j^r2/z^,corresponds with the
"earnest conjuration" of the do-

cument, described by Hamlet in v.

ii.
The accent on the first
38.
syllable is found in Measure fo)Measure, v. i. 48.
Ectique
69. hectic] Cotgrave has
... a fever called Hecticke," and
"sick of an Heckticke fever."
'

'

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. IV.]

And

thou must cure me.

my

Howe'er

SCENE

Till

my joys

haps,

IV.

know

157
done, 70

'tis

were ne'er begun.

\^Exit.

Plain in Doiinark.

Enter FoRTINBRAS, a Captain and Soldiers, marching.

me

For. Go, captain, from

him

Tell

that,

by

greet the Danish king

his license, Fortinbras

Claims the conveyance of a promised march

Over

We

let

our duty

him know

Go

us,

eye

in his

so.

Cap.
For.

the rendezvous.

majesty would aught with

shall express

And

You know

kingdom.

his

If that his

will

do

't,

my

lord.

softly on.

\Exeunt Fortinbras and Soldiers.

Enter Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and

otJiers.

Hani. Good
Cap.
"Ji.

They
joys

sir,

whose powers are these?

are of Norway,
.

sir.

begunlY, Joys will nere begin

Q^.

Scene iv.

Plain
Camp Rowe. Enter
Enter
.] Capcll ;
.] Globe ed.
Fortinbrasse with his Army over the stage Q.
Enter Fortinbras with an
F.
6. eye ;] Collier ; eye, Q, F.
8.
3. Claims^ F, Craves Q.
softly'] Q, safely F.
Exeunt
Enter
.] omitted Q, Exit F.
.] Dyce ;
Enter Hamlet, Rosencraus, etc. Q, omitted F.
9-66. Good sir,
worth]
Q, omitted F.
.

Armie

71, haps] Johnson suggested

Collier's MS. has " hopes."

and

^^"^^

'^'

in kis eye] in his presence ;

Sleevens compares Antony and Cleo6.

patra,

il.

ii.

212.

Collier's semicolon

meant to make it clear

that the words which follow are a
after

eye

is

direction to the Captain.

8. softly] leisurely, slowly,
Julius Cccsar, v. i. 16.

as

in

HAMLET

158

Ham. How

purposed,

some

Cap. Against

The nephew

Cap.

Or

for

pray you

sir, I

part of Poland.

Ham. Who commands

Ham. Goes

[activ.

them, sir?

Norway, Fortinbras.

to old

against the main of Poland,

it

some

sir,

frontier?

Cap. Truly to speak, and with no addition,

We

go to gain a

That hath

To pay
Nor

will

Cap. Yes,

no

it

profit

but the name.

five ducats, five, I

it

ranker

Ham. Why,

in

patch of ground

little

yield to

should

rate,

would not farm

Norway

be sold

it

it

in fee.

then the Polack never will defend

it.

already garrison'd.

'tis

Ham. Two thousand

souls

and twenty thousand ducats 25

Will not debate the question of this straw

This

is

20

or the Pole

the imposthume of

much wealth and

peace.

That inward breaks, and shows no cause without

Why

the

God be

Cap.

man

wi'

dies.

you,

Will

Ros.

Ham.

I '11

humbly thank you,

sir.

[Exit.

sir.
't

please you go,

be with you straight.

Go

my

little

lord?

30

before.

\Exeiint all except Hamlet.

How
1

30.

all

occasions do inform against me,

speak'] Q, speak
Exit] omitted Q.

7.

15.

it

mai/:] Cls.r. Press:

Pope, speak, sir Capell.

24. V/j] Pope,
31. Exeunt
.] omitted Q.
.

"the

chief

power"'; Schmidt: "the whole."

Theobald sugii]
20. Jive
gested "five ducats fine," but did not
.

it in his edition ; farm it, " rent

contrasted with sold in fee, line
22, i.e. in absolute possession.

adopt
it,"

22.

ra;/>^er]

more abundant.

ii is

Q.

25, 26.] It has been suggested

(Ge/iL Magazine, \x. 403) that these
lines belong to the Captain,
27. imposthume] Mmsheu defines
the word " a course of evill humours
gathered to some part of the bodie " ;
"an inward swelling full
Cotgrave
:

of corrupt matter."


sc.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

iv]

And

my

spur

dull revenge

What

chief good and market of

If his

Be but

to sleep

and feed

his

159

a man,

is

time

a beast, no more.

3 5

Sure he that made us with such large discourse,

Looking before and

gave us not

after,

That capability and god-like reason

To

Now, whether it be
some craven scruple

fust in us unused.

Bestial oblivion, or

Of thinking

40

too precisely on the event,

A thought which, quarter'd, hath but one part wisdom

And

ever three parts coward,

Why

yet

Sith

live to

say

"

do not know

This thing 's to do,"

have cause, and

will,

and strength, and

means,

To do

45
Examples, gross as

't.

Witness

this

Led by a

Whose

Even
Is
39. fust^
34.

for

Q,

is

riist

an egg-shell.
stir

prince.

and danger

Rightly to be great

Rowe.

that

he

whicli

pur-

of "

mows," grimaces, found in MidNight's Dream, \\\. ii. 238;

summer

power of thought
36. discourse]
and reasoning see I. ii. 150.
Cotgrave
39. fust] grow mouldy
explains fustt', " fustie, tasting of the

see

cask."

Fr. fuste, a cask.

41. evenf] issue, consequences,

as

line 50.

47. charge] cost.

mouths] a

dare,

without great argument,

chases with his time.

50.

50

mortal and unsure

that fortune, death

not to

viar/cei']

and tender

at the invisible event;

Exposing what
all

with divine ambition puff'd

Makes mouths

To

me

army, of such mass and charge.

delicate

spirit

earth, exhort

common

corruption

11.

ii.

386.

To

without

great
not
rightly to be great, but to find quarrel
in a straw when honour 's at the stake
is an attribute of true greatness.
The
" not," as Furness argues, belongs to
the copula, not to the predicate.

53-56.]

stir

argument (matter

in dispute)

is

HAMLET

160
But greatly

When

to find quarrel in a straw

How

honour's at the stake.

That have a

father

my

Excitements of

And

[activ.

kill'd,

then,

a mother stain'd,

my

reason and

let all sleep, while, to

The imminent death

5 5

stand

my

blood,

shame,

see

60

of twenty thousand men,

That, for a fantasy and trick of fame,

Go

to their graves like beds, fight for a plot

Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause.

Which is not tomb enough and continent

To

hide the slain?

My

thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth

Oh, from

this

time

65

forth,
!

\Exit.

SCENE

V.

A Room

Ehinore.

in the Castle.

Enter Queen, HoRATiO, and a Gentleman,

Queen.
Gent.

will

not speak with her.

She is importunate, indeed distract

Her mood will needs be pitied.

What would

Queen.

She speaks much of her

Gent.

There 's

tricks

i'

father

the world

she have

says she hears

and hems, and beats

her heart

5
Scejie V.

Enter
] Pope; Enter Horatio, Gertrard, and a Gentleman Q; Enter
2, 4. Gent.] Q, Hor. F.
Queene and Horatio F.
.

trick of

61.

fame] toy or

trifle

Scene

of

V.

64. f(?//5/] receptacle, that which

contains, as in Midsummer Nighfs

1-16. The only variation here from

is
the distribution of speeches in
the assigmnent of the words "Let
her come in" (line 16) to the Queen
instead of to Horatio. Collier suggests
that the omission in F of the Gentleman was to avoid the employment of

Dream,

another actor.

fame
67:

Taming

of the Slirew, IV. iii.

"a knack, a toy, a trick, a
Perhaps "fantasy"
baby's cap."
also should be connected with "of
fame."
;

II.

i.

92.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. v.]

Spurns enviously

at straws

speaks things

That carry but half sense her speech

Yet the unshaped use of it doth move
:

The

hearers to collection

And

botch

the

up

it,

to

fit

doubt,

in

nothing,

is

they aim at

words

161

own

their

thoughts;
lo
Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield
them,

Indeed

would

make one

think

might be

there

thought.

Though nothing

much

sure, yet

unhappily.

Hor. 'Twere good she were spoken with,

Dangerous conjectures
Queen. Let her
[Aside.]

To my

come

for she

in ill-breeding

may

strew

minds.

i 5

{Exit Gentleman.

in.

sick soul, as sin's true nature

Each toy seems prologue

So full of artless jealousy

to

is.

some great amiss

is guilt,

It spills itself in fearing to

be

20

spilt.

Re-enter Gentleman, with Ophelia.

Oph.

Where

is

the beauteous majesty of

Denmark

aiTTilY {ayme), yawne <^.

12. tnight] Q^, would
14-16.] given
Q, given to Queen F. Arranged here as conjectured by Blackstone ; lines 14, 15 are continued to Gentleman by Hanmer and several
editors.
16. Exit Gentleman] Hanmer and several editors; Exit Hor.
Johnson and others; omitted Q, E.
17. Aside] Capell ; omitted Q, F.
9.

to Horatio

21.

Re-enter.

.]Cambridge; Enter Ophelia

Q (after line

16); Enter Ophelia,

distracted F.

Spurns enviously] kicks spiteCompare Antony and Cleopatra, ill. v.

where Antony
17,
" spurns the rush that lies before him."
6.

fully.

19.

11.

i.

Oph.] The stage direction of

"Enter Ofelia playing on a
Lute, and her haire downe singing."
For the traditional music of Ophelia's
songs, see Furness, Hamlet, or E.

is

inference, but here

9. collection]
with the idea of a preliminary gathering together of Ophelia's distracted
thoughts. Compare Cymbeline, v. v.

W.

432.

1896.

II

jealousy] suspicion, as in

113.
21.

Naylor, Shakespeare

and Music,

162

How

Queen.

Oph.

HAMLET

[activ.

now, Ophelia

[Sings.]

Hoiv should I your true

From

By

love

know

another one ?

his cockle hat

And his

and

25

staff

sandal shoon.

Queen. Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song

Oph. Say you
[Sings.]

nay, pray you, mark.

He is
He
At

dead and gone,

is

30

head a grass-green

his

At

lady,

dead and gone

ttirf,

his heels a stone.

O, ho!

Nay,

Queen.

but, Ophelia,

Pray you, mark.

Oph.
[Sings.]

White his shroud as the mountain snow,

Enter King.

my

Queen. Alas, look here,

Oph.

[Sings.]

King.

How

lord.

35

Larded with siveet flowers ;

Which beivept to the grave did
With true-love shoxvers.

do you, pretty lady

not go

2S. Say you .'] F, Say you, Q.

23. Sings'\ shee sings Q, omitted F.
33. O, ho /] Q, omitted F, Oh, oh ! Cam29. Sings\ Song Q, omitted F.
bridge.
Enter King]
after stone, line 32, F.
34. Sings^ omitted Q, F.
;
i,
F ; Larded all Q.
36. Singsl Song Q, opposite line 37 ; Larded]

37. grave]
editors.

i,

39.

F; ground

did not] Q, F,

having been at the shrine of St. James

of Compostella. For the disguise of a

ii.

36.
20.

Larded]

i ;

did Pope and

many

you] Q, ye F.

25. cockle hat] a hat with a scallopshell stuck in it, the sign of a pilgrim

lover as pilgrim
Juliet, I. V.

Q
Q
Q

compare Romeo and

did not go] It seems rash

Q, and F agreeing to adopt
Pope's emendation "did go," lest
Shakespeare may have meant a distracted
allusion to
the " obscure
37.

!>

'

burial" (line 212) of Polonius.

garnished,

as

in

v.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.v.]

God

163

They say the owl was a

Lord, we know what we
baker's daughter.
are, but know not what we may be.
God be

Oph. Well,

'ild

you

40

your table

at

King, Conceit upon her father.

Oph. Pray you,

let

's

have no words of this

they ask you what

To-morrozv

[Sings.]

All

it

is

in the

means, say you

be

your

45

this

betifne,

wifidow,

Valetitine.

Theyi up he rose,

50

and donned

A nd dupp'd the
Let

but when

Saint Valentine's day.

morning

And I a maid at your

To

his clothes,

chamber door ;

in the maid, that out

a maid

Never departed more.

King. Pretty Ophelia!
Oph. Indeed,

la,

55

without an oath,

I '11

make an end on

't:

40, God ^ild'\ Capell, good dild Q, God diVd F.

44] marked Aside
Furness.
47. Sitrgs'] SottgQ, omitted F.
45. Pray you'] F, Pray Q,
56. Indeed, la,] Johnson, Indeede Q, Indeed la ? F.

reward,

yield,

40. ^tld]

You Lite

It, III.

iii.

as in

As

records a story
vulgar in Gloucestershire": Jesus asked for bread at a
baker's shop ; the mistress put dough
in the oven, was reprimanded by
her daughter, who reduced its size
the dough miraculously grew huge
the daughter cried out " Heugh,
heugh, heugh," like an owl, whereupon Jesus transformed her to an
owl.
In Fletcher, The Nice Valour,
;

iii.

we

find

" Give
and take 'em

me

is

opens

he, say

twilight."

idea of Ophelia's own transformation, suggested by that of the

baker's daughter, is touched on in the

words " Lord, etc."

Cottceii]

44.

imagination,

as

fre-

quently.
\'alentine]

50.

Halliwell

"This

song alludes to the custom of the first

seen by a man on the morning of
this day being considered his Valengirl

tine, or true-love."

whose window

Edwards,

dupp'd]

52.
I,

The

a nest of owls,

Happy

To

the

m.

brown baker's chimney

he
be sure there
hear the bird sometimes after

shall

Douce

40. owl]

"among

To

76.

dup,

do

" Will they not dup the

day ?

"

up,

Damon and Pitheas,

open.
1564

gate

to-

HAMLET

164

By

[Sings,]

[activ.

Gis atid by Saint Charity

Alack, and fie for shame !

Young men ivilL do V, if they come

By

she, before

you tumbled me.

You protnised me

to

wed

answers

So would I

An

How

King.
Oj)h.

60

Cock, they are to blame.

Quoth

He

7;

to

all will

be

him

lay

brother shall

the

i'

know

of

it

your good counsel.

Good
good

We

well.

to

my

night, ladies

night,

good

must be patient

cold

good

70

night, sweet ladies

[Exit.

give her good watch,

pray

[Exit Horatio.

this

is

the poison of deep grief;

All from her father's death.

But

thank you

Come, my coach

you.

When

My

ground.

and so

night.

King. Follow her close

Oh,

65

bed.

cannot choose but weep, to think they

should

for

yonder sun.

long hath she been thus

hope

but

ha' done, by

thou hadst not come

sorrows come, they

in battalions

First,

it

springs

75

Gertrude, Gertrude,

come not

single spies,

her father slain

d},. He answers\{He answers) Ql,orn\\X&^Y.

57. .SVz/c'j] omitted Q, F.
66. ihus'l Q, this F.
69. shotdd] F,
65. An] Hanmer ; And Q, F.
would Q^.
72,73. C^^rf ... w/^i;'"/^/] F substantially ; God night. Ladies, god
flight.
Sweet Ladyes god night, god night. (^.
74. Exit Hor.] Theobald ;
']']. sorrows
omitted Q,F.
"jb. death.
0], death, and now behold, SQ.

come] Q, sorrowes comes F.

78.

battalions']

57. Gis] an abbreviation or pious

disguise of "Jesus"; spelt also yzj2LT\d. jysse ;
for examples see Nares'
Glossary.
57. Saint Charity] the grace personified.
E.
K. glosses "Saint

Q, Battaliaes F.

Charitie," in Spenser, Shepherd's Calendar. May: " the Catholiques cpmen

olhe."
60. Cock] a perversion of " God."
In the Canterbury Tales, Manciple's

Prologue,

we have " Cockes bones."

"

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. v.]

Next, your son gone

Of

his

own

Thick

and

just

165

and he most violent author

remove: the people muddied,

unwholesome

thoughts

their

in

80
and

whispers,

For good Polonius' death

and we have done but

greenly,

In hugger-mugger to inter him

Divided from herself and her

Without the which we are

Last, and as

Her brother
Feeds on

his

And wants
With

much
is

poor Ophelia

judgment,

fair

mere

pictures, or

containing as

86

these,

all

come from France,

in secret

wonder, keeps himself

in clouds.

not buzzers to infect his ear

pestilent speeches of his father's death

Wherein

beas'ts

90

necessity, of matter beggar'd.

Will nothing stick our person to arraign

O my

In ear and ear,

dear Gertrude,

Like to a murdering-piece,

me

Gives

in

many

[A

superfluous death.

Alack, what noise

Queen.

King. Where are

my

Switzers

this,

places
noise within.
is

this?

95

Let them guard the

door.
88. Feeds on his wonder] Johnson, Feeds on
his wonder F.
92. person] Q, persons F.
F, omitted Q.
96. fVhere are] V, Attend,

81. their^ F, omitted Q.

Ihis wonder Q, Kecpes on

Alack
where is Q.

95.

83.

in

ihis]

hugger - mugger]

secretly.

North's Phttarch
(Brutus): "Antonius thinking good
that his bodie should be honourably buried, and not in hugger-

Steevens
.

quotes

mugger."
94. murdering-piece]

cannon
a
loaded with case-shot (small projectiles
put up in cases).
Steevens quotes

Beaumont and
Marriage,

v.

The Double
"Afother's curses

Fletclier,
ii.

like a murdering-piece aim not

at one, But all that stand within the
dangerous level."
96. Szvitzers] Malone quotes Nash,
Christ's Tears over Jerusalem, 1594:
.

" Law,

logicke,

be hired to

and the Switzers may

any body.

fight for

HAMLET

166

[act

iv.

Enter another Gentleman.

What

the matter?

is

Save

Gent.

The

my

yourself,

ocean, overpeering of his

with more impetuous haste

flats

Than young

Laertes, in a riotous head,

And,

list.

Eats not the

O'erbears your

lord

lOO

The rabble call him

now but to begin.

officers.

as the world were

lord;

Antiquity forgot, custom not known.

The ratifiers and props

They cry " Choose we

of every word,

Laertes shall be king

Caps, hands, and tongues applaud

"

How

Oh,

"

105

to the clouds,

it

"

Laertes shall be king, Laertes king

Queen.

cheerfully on the false trail they cry

this is counter,

you

false

King. The doors are broke.

Danish dogs

\^Noise within,

iio

Enter Laertes, armed ; Danes following.

Where

Laer.

is

king?

this

Sirs,

stand you

all

without.

Enter . . . ] Staunton, Enter a Messenger Q, F after death, line 95.

impetuous] impitious Q, unpittious F.
They] F, The Q.
1 05.
99.
IIO. Noise within] F (after line 109),
(opposite line 108).
noise within
Enter Laertes .
.
(after line 109), Enter
] Enter Laertes with others

in.

(after line 109).

this

98. list] boundary, as in Othello, i\.

i.

76-

100. head] a force raised, or body of

people gathered, especially in insurrection
167.

as in

Pepys,

"Some

talk

Fanatiques,
Barnett."

Henry IV.

Diary.
to-day
that

Laertes

do

Hi.
8 Jan. 1661
of a head of
ii.

appear

about

104. word] Ward, weal, and work

have been proposed instead of "word";
no emendation is required antiquity
and custom are the true ratifiers and
;

king? Sirs] Q,

the King, sirs? F.

props of every word (perhaps in the

sense of title) ; or less probably the

rabble, ready to

make good and

to

support every word they utter, cry, etc.

109. r^ww/^r] Clar. Press quotes the
definition of

"counter"

in

Holme's

Academy of Armory, U. \x.: "When

a hound hunteth backwards, the
same way that the chase is come."

"The huntsmen,"
(Venerie), ".

writes Turbervile

must take heede that

their houndes take not the counter by
cause the harte is fledde backwards."
.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. v.]

Danes. No,

come

let 's

We

Danes.

will,

we

me my

Give

pray you, give

me

leave.

will.
[

thank you

167

in.

Laer.

Laer.

They

I'etire

keep the door.

father

without the door.

O thou

vile king,

Calmly, good Laertes.

Queen.
Laer. That

drop

of blood

that

's

calm

me

proclaims

bastard,

Cries cuckold to

my

Even here, between

Of my true mother.

father,

the chaste unsmirched brows

What

King.

That thy

's

do not

Why

the cause, Laertes,

120

fear our person

such divinity doth hedge a king.

That treason can but peep

Acts

is

rebellion looks so giant-like?

Let him go, Gertrude

There

brands the harlot

of his

little

thou

will.

thus

art

to

what

it

would,

Tell me, Laertes,

incensed.

Let

Gertrude.

him

go,
i

25

Speak, man.

Where 's my

Laer.

father

Dead.

King.

But not by him.

Queen.

King. Let him demand his

How came

Laer.
113.

They

calmes F.

Where

is

retire

he dead
]

I '11

not be juggled with.

omitted Q, Y.
1 16. that V cahii\ Q, that
Grant White; biow Q, F.
127. Where's] F,

Capell

Ii8. brotvs]

fill.

Q.

118. brows'] Grant White (followed

by Cambridge and Furness), as re-

quired by between.

121. fear] fear for.

HAMLET

168

To

hell,

allegiance

[activ.

vows, to the blackest devil

130

Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit

I

To

dare damnation.

this point

stand,

That both the worlds

give to negligence,

Let come what comes

only

Most throughly

my

for

I '11

father.

Who

King:

My

Laer.

And

will,

for

They

not

my

shall

all

the world

means,

go

be revenged

well,

far with little.

Good
you desire

135

husband them so

I '11

King.
If

you

shall stay

to

Of your dear

know

Laertes.

the certainty

father's

death,

WTit

is 't

in

your

revenge,

That, swoopstake, you

Winner and

None but

Laer.

draw both

will

To

his

40

foe,

loser?

Will you

And,

and

his enemies.

King.
Laer.

friend

good friends thus wide

know them

I '11

ope

my

kind life-rendering pelican,

like the

Repast them with

my

then

arms

145

blood.

Why, now you speak

King.

Like a good child and a true gentleman.

136. -ivorld] F,
131. ////] pit Q, pif. F.
/>
fathoms death] F, father
;
'/] Q, ;/ F.
145. pelican] Q, politician F.
Q, F.

140.

141. swoopstake]
stake ;
l has

Q,

" Therefore

will

145. pelican] Sir

print soop-

you

like

a most

.'']

Thomas Browne

Vulgar Errors, v. chap. i. discusses "the picture of the Pelican

opening her breast with her bill, and
feeding her young ones with the blood
Allusions occur
distilled from her."
in Richard II. n. i. 126, and lear,
in

desperate gamster,
Swoop-stake-like, draw at friend,
and foe, and all?"
Sweepstakes is a game of cards in
which a player may win all the stakes
or take all the tricks.

worlds Q, rvorlcTs Pope,

142. loser
Q 6 ; looser.

in.

iv,

77.


; ;

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.v]

169

That I am guiltless of your father's death,

And am most sensibly in grief for it,
It shall as level to

As day does
Banes.
Laer.

to

your judgment pierce

your eye.
Let her come

Within?^

How now

50

what noise

is

that

in.

Re-enter OPHELIA.

my

dry up

heat,

brains

times

seven

tears

salt,

Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye

By heaven, thy madness shall be paid by weight,
!

Till

our scale turn the beam.

Dear maid, kind

heavens

sister,

sweet Ophelia

possible a

is 't

rose of

Nature
It

fine in love,

is

and where

'tis

sends some precious instance of

After the thing

it

5 5

60

65

young maid's

Should be as mortal as an old man's

May
wits

life ?

fine

itself

loves.

Oph. [Sings.] They bore him barefaced on the bier ;

Hey non nonny, nonny, hey nonny
Fare

A nd in his grave rabid many a tear

you well, my dove

150. pir.rcel Y pcaix Q, '/C(z;- Johnson.

Q, satsibli- F.
Danes
?] Capell ; Q has stage direction A noyse within, opposite
Let her
eye, and gives Let her come in to Laertes; F has "A noise within.
come in," as if a stage direction, after eye.
155. hy\ F, with Q.
156. Till\ F, Tell Q; tuni\ Q, iurnes F.
159. an old] F, a poore Q.
160-162. Nature
Iot'Cs] V, omitted Q.
163. Siti^] Song Q, omitted F.
166. Fare
rain'd] Q, raines F.
165. in] Q, on F
164] F, omitted Q.
149. seiisi/?/f]

151.

dove] Capell

the whole speech,

in italics (as if last line

leaves

it

of song)

using

Roman

for

doubtful.

160-162] Nature is delicate (or

accomplished) in love, and sends

Ophelia's sanity after Polonius as a

precious token (or sample) of itself.

HAMLET

170
Laey.

Hadst thou thy

could not

It

Oph. You must

is

IV.

and didst persuade revenge,

thus.

Down

sing,

a-down, and you call

Oh, how the wheel becomes

him a-down-a.
It

wits,

move

[act

it

170

the false steward that stole his master's

daughter.
Laer. This nothing

Oph. There

pray you,
that

Laer.

's

love,

document

yoiiX

in

matter.
for

's
;

madness

remembrance

and there

is

pansies,

thoughts and

re-

fitted.

for

a-down-a] Q, F
.
speech in Roman
Johnson used italics for You
.

169, 170. You

print the whole
type.

remember

below;
Q, Pray F.

169, 170.] see note

pray

more than

for thoughts.

membrance

175-

's

rosemary, that

's

Down a-down

of

tion

has a downe a downe.

ballads

wheel," from Hall,

"sung

to

the

Virgidemiarum,

IV. vi.

a-down-a ; (Capell had printed Down

174. rostmaiy'\ Used as a symbol
with a capital).
Staunton, Globe,
of remembrance, both at weddings
Cambridge print the same words as and funerals. Compare Romeo and
verse.
The above follows Steevens. Juliet, IV. V, 79, and Winters Tale,
It has been suggested that You and
IV.
iv,
See EUacombe's
74-76.
And you should be in Roman, Plant Lore of Shakespeare for this and
as
instructions
to
two supposed the other flowers. Perhaps the rosesingers.
mary is given to Laertes, mistaken by
English Ophelia for her lover. Delius sup170. ivheel^
Guest,
Rhythms, bk. IV. chap, iv., uses poses the flowers to exist only in
wheel for a kind of refrain, the return Ophelia's distracted imagination.
In
of some peculiar rhythm at the end of Q I her first words, after re-entrance,
bin
each stanza.
quoted
from
are
Wei
God
a
mercy,
I
a
Steevens
memory an example of this use of the gathering of floures."
Fr.
word from a book of which he had
thoughts,
for
175. pansies]
forgotten the title and date.
No pensees. Ellacombe states that still
early example appears to have been
in Warwickshire the pansy is named
found.
Cotgrave explains French love-in-idleness, signifying love in
Chapman in All Fools, II. i.,
refrain as "the Refret, burthen, or vain.
downe of a ballade."
Y 2 has refers to the pansy as " for lover's
" wheeles become." Perhaps Malone thoughts."
was right in thinking that the refer177. document] a piece of instrucence is to a song sung at the spinning- tion, lesson.
So Spenser, Faerie
wheel
he refers aptly to Twelfth Queejie, I. x. 19: "And heavenly
Night, 11. iv. 45, and quotes a men- documents thereout did preach."
'

'


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. v.]

Oph. There
there

's

fennel

call

it

and

you,

for

rue for you

's

we may

and here

herb of grace

There

's

died
[Sings.]

daisy

some for me
Sundays oh,

's

o'

would

but they withered

violets,

they say he

made

Thought and affliction,

She turns to favour and

Oph. [Sings.]

And will he
A nd tvill he

80

85

90

difference.

give you

some

my

father

a good end,

For bonny sweet Robin

when

all

171

columbines

must wear your rue with a

you

Laer.

is all

my joy.

passion, hell

itself,

to prettiness.

not come again ?

not co7ne again ?

i8i, 182. oh,

i.
181. herb of grace\<^, Herbe- Grace Y, hearb a' grace
n:ust'\ F, you may Q, you must
186. Sings'] Capell ; omitted
i.

you

I,

Q.

affliction]

afflictions

that of " rue " and " ruth " (referring

to the passage in Richard /I.).

for flatterers"; Florio

finocchio, to flatter, or
Fennell."
Given probably to

183. '?>_>'] Henley quotes Greene,

Quip for an Upstart Courtier: "Next
them grew the dissembling daisie, to
warne such light-of-love wenches not

lyg. fennef]
Malone quotes
Pleasafit Delites, 1584:

Handfull of

"Fennel
has

F Thoughts
187.
189. Sings] SongQ, omitted F.
Though?] Q,

Q, F.

is

"Dare

give
the King.
179. coIumbines]?)iee.\ens S2.ys: "It
should seem as if this flower was the
emblem of cuckoldom." Quotations

from Chapman's All Fools, 11. i.

(misunderstood through abbreviation),
and Caltha Poetarum, 1599, verify
the statement.
Given probably to the
King.
180. r;/fi] the emblem of sorrow and
repentance.
See Richard II. ill. iv.
The name herb-grace or herb
105.
of grace is found in the herbals and
dictionaries.
Given to the Queen.
C)phelia wears her rue as the emblem
of sorrow and of grace.
"With a
difference" had a heraldic meaning
(slight distinctions in coats of arms
borne by members of the same family),
but that meaning is not required here,
Skeat suggests that the difference is

to trust every faire

promise that such

But

amorous batchelors make them."

perhaps Chaucer's flower of the loyal

Alcestis has here no such significance
perhaps it is not given away.
Malone quotes A
184. violets]
Pleasant
Delites
Handfull
of
"Violet is for faithfulness." Per;

haps, as Clar. Press suggests, these

words are spoken to Horatio.
186.
iv.

Robin]

"I can

Two

Noble A'ins/iien,

sing the Broom,

And

Bonny Robin."
Chappell {Popular
Music of the Olden Times) identifies
the song with one given in Holborne's

Cittharn Schoole, 1597, and elsewhere.

thought] careful or melancholy
1 87.
thought, as in III. i. 85.

HAMLET

172
No,

Go

He

no,

he

is

[activ.

dead,

thy death-bed.

to

never will come again.

His beard was as white as

All flaxen was his poll

He is gone, he is gone,
And we cast aivay moan
God ha' mercy

And

of

wi'

Laer.

all

you

Do you

on his

Christian souls,

snoiv.

195

so7il I
I

pray God.

God be
{Exit.

see this,

O God

200

must commune with your grief,

Or you deny me right. Go but apart,

King. Laertes,

Make choice of whom your wisest friends you will,

And they shall hear and judge 'twixt you and me.
If

by

direct or

by

collateral

hand

205

They find us touch'd, we will our kingdom give,

Our crown, our life, and all that we call ours.

To you

in satisfaction

but

if

not.

Be you content to lend your patience to us,

And we shall jointly labour with your soul

To

give

due content.

it

Laer.

Let

this

be so

194. was as] Q, as F, was Johnson.

ha' mercy] Collier, God a mercy Q,

195. All] F, omitted Q.

198. God
Gramercy F.
199. Christian^ Y,
Christians Q I pray God] F, 'omitted Q ; yott] Q, ye F.
Exit] Exeunt
Ophelia F, omitted Q.
200. Do
God!] Capell, Doe you this 6 God.
Q, Do you see this, you gods ? F.
;

198, 199.

mon

God

conclusion,
_

monumental

sou/s]

says

inscriptions.

com-

Steevens,
Sir

to

Thomas

More's fi^or^es, 1557, p. 337

" We
see there [in purgatory] our chyldren
too, whom we loved so well, pipe,
:

and daunce, and no more thinke

on their
old shone, saving that
sometime
cometh out God have mercy on all
sing,

on

their fathers soules than

christen soules."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. VI.]

His means of death, his obscure

173

burial,

No
No

trophy, sword, nor hatchment o'er his bones,

Cry

to be heard, as 'twere

noble

That

nor formal ostentation,

rite,

must

call

't

from heaven to earth,

So you

King.

And where

SCENE

the offence

is let

the great axe

fall.

\Exeunt.

Another Room

VI.

shall

pray you, go with me.

in question.

in the Castle.

Enter HORATIO and a Servant.

Hor,

What

Serv.

are they that would speak with

Sailors, sir

they say they have

Hor. Let them come

me?

letters for you.

\Exit Servant.

in.

do not know from what part of the world

should be greeted,

if

not from Lord Hamlet.

Enter Sailors.
First Sail.

God

bless you,

Hor. Let him bless thee

First Sail.

He

letter

shall, sir,

for

you,

sir.

too.

an

't

sir,

please him.

it

There

comes from

's

the

buriar\ F, funerall Q.
213. trophy, sword,'\ F, trophe sword, Q,
trophy sword. Pope.
2 1 6. call V] Q, call F.
214. rite\ F, right Q.
212.

Scene

vi.

Enter
Enter Horatio and others Q ; Enter Horatio,
] Capell
with an Attendant F.
2. Serv.] F,
Gent. Q; Sailors'] F, Seafaring
men Q.
Enter Sailor F.
6, 8. First Sail.]
5. Enter Sailors] Q;
Capell ; Say Q, F.
8. an V] Q 6, and Q, a7id V F.
9. comes] F,
came Q.

212. obshire] accented in different

places by Shakespeare on the first or
on the second syllable.

216.
14S.

That] so that, as in

IV.

vii.

HAMLET

174

ambassador that was bound

your name be Horatio, as

[act

England,

for
I

am

let

iv.

lo

if

know

to

it is.

Hor. [Reads.] Horatio^ when thou shall have overlooked

this,

give these fellows some means

king;

to the

Ere we were two days

they have letters for him.

old at sea, a pirate of very warlike appointment

gave us

chase.

Finding ourselves

too

slow of

we put on a compelled valour, and in the

grapple I boarded them ; on the instant they
sail,

got clear of our ship, so I alone became their

They have dealt

prisoner.

ivith

me

20

like thieves

of mercy ; but they knew zvhat they did ; I am

Let the king have
to do a good turn for them.
the letters

I have sent ; and repair thou

to

me

with as much haste as thou wouldst fly death.

/ have words to speak in thine ear will make
thee

dumb ;

yet are they much too light for the

bore of the matter.

bring

thee

where

These good fellows will

I am.

He
I

you way

England ; of

30

Farewell.

to tell thee.

that thou knowest

will give

and

Rosencrantz

Guildenstern hold their course for

them I have much

Come,

25

HAMLET.

thitte,

for these

your

letters

i8. and in] Q, in F.

10. ambassador] Q, Amhassadours F.
23. good]
26. thine] Q, your F.
28.
F, omitted Q.
25. haste] F, speede Q.
(with no point before Hamlet).
bore] F, bord Q.
32. He] F, So
4 and several editors.
33. g-ive\ F, omitted Q, make

knew what

they did] Miles,

April and July
1870, suggests that the pursuit was
prearranged by Hamlet, and that
when he spoke to his mother of hoist22.

Southern

Review,

ing the enginer with his

this

was

28.

in his

bore]

bore of gun.

own

petar,

mind.

calibre,

figurative from'

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.vii]

And do
To him

't

the speedier, that

whom you

from

SCENE

Now

in the Castle,

my

must your conscience

And you must

put

me

in

acquittance

your heart

Sith you have heard, and with a

my

knowing

It

well appears

slain

but

you proceeded not against these

So crimeful and so capital in nature,

As by your safety, wisdom, all things

You mainly were

Oh,
to

tell

me

feats,

else.

stirr'd up.

King.

Which may

ear.

life.

Laer.

Why

seal,

for friend,

That he which hath your noble father

Pursued

[Exeunt.

King and Laertes.

Enter
King.

Room

me

direct

brought them.

Another

VII.

you may

175

for

two

special reasons,

you perhaps seem much unsinew'd,

And yet to me they are strong. The queen his mother

Lives almost by his looks

My

virtue or

She

's

my

and

plague, be

so conjunctive to

my

it

for myself,

either which,

life

and

soul,

That, as the star moves not but in his sphere,

I

could not but by

Why

The

her.

to a public count

gender bear him

all his faults in their affection,

proceeded] F, proceede Q.
7. crimefut] F, critiiinall Q.
great nes Q.
11. A7id\ F, But Q; they are]
14. She^s so conjunctive] F, She is so conclive Q.
6.

F,

might not go.

Is the great love the general

Who, dipping

other motive.

sa/ette,

14. conjunctive] The idea of planetary conjunction seems to have suggested the line that follows.

17.

8.

F,

sa/e/y]

thdr Q.

count] account, reckoning,

18. ,^(;tv-a/^<r^/fr]

community of men.

common

species,

HAMLET

176
Would,

like the spring that turneth

Convert his gyves to graces

Too slightly
Would have

wood

to stone,

20

arrows,

timber'd for so loud a wind,

reverted to

my bow

again,

And not where I had aim'd them.

And so have I a noble father lost

Laey.

iv.

my

so that

[act

25

sister driven into desperate terms.

Whose

worth,

if

may go back

praises

Stood challenger on mount of

For her

But

perfections.

my

all

again.

the age

revenge

King. Break not your sleeps for that

will

come.

you must not

think

30

That we are made of

That we can

And
I

think

it

that,

and

dull

our beard be shook with danger

let

You shortly shall

and we love ourself

pastime.

loved your father,

And

stuff so flat

hear more

hope, will teach you to imagine,

35

Enter a Messenger.

How now

what news

Mess.

Letters,

This to your majesty

20.

borough.

would read gyres,

whirling

from Hamlet

queen.

county,
Warwickshire,
have
the
property of turning wood to stone,
The reference was supposed by Reed
to be to the dropping well at Knares-

and

lord,

22.

20. spring] In Harrison's DescripHon of England (ed. Furnivall, p.

349) it is stated that the baths of
King's Newnham, in Shakespeare's

21. gyves] Daniel

my

this to the

loud a wiKd'\Y, loved A rrndC^.

24. And]
ainid] Q, arnCd F.
27. Whose wortli] Q,
Hamlet^ F, omitted Q.
37. Tins'] Y, These Q.

Would'\Y, Worke(^.

Bui Q Aad] F, /lave

IVho was Y.
36. How

F,

wild

actions.

Elze

would read g>-eaves (? he prints it

graves).
22. loud a ivind] Jennens would
maintain the
misprint
"loved
arm'd," explaining it "one so loved
and armed with the affections ... of
the people."
Elze suggests "solid

arms," which he connects with his

reading greaves in line 21.
27. praises] if I may return in praise
to Ophelia's better days.


PRINCE OF DENMARK

Ml]

sc.

King. From Hamlet

Mess. Sailors,

my

who brought them

lord,

they say

They were given me by Claudio

them
Of him that brought them.
King.

you

Laertes,

Leave
[Reads.]
set

occasion of

your pardon

my

Or

is it

some

Know you
in

eyes ;

when I

'm

rest

45

Hamlet.
come back ?

abuse, and no such thing?

hand

the

it,

my

Naked

"

But

lord.

warms the very sickness in

That I shall live and tell him
" Thus didest thou."
King.

If
it

"
!

" alone."

let

my

It

As how should

50

a postscript here, he says

lost in

shall,

sudden and more strange return.

Can you advise me

Laer.

am

thereunto, recount the

King. 'Tis Hamlet's character.

And

Messenger.

To-i;:onvw shall I

What should this mean ? Are all the

Laer.

hear them.

you shall knoiv I

your kingly

to see

first asking

received

40

[^Exit

might}',

naked on your kingdom.

beg leave

he

shall

us.

High and

177

saw them not

be so

it

be

him come

5 5

heart.

to his teeth,

so,

how

Laertes,

otherwise

Oj
.
them'] Q, omitted F.
46. asking your] F, asking you Q.
if\.
47. occasion] Q, occasions F ; and more strange] F, omitted Q.
48. Hamlet]
V, omitted Q.
50. abuse, and] Q, abuse ? or V.
54. advise] F, deuise Q.
58. didest] F, dtdst Q.
57. shal!] F, omitted Q.
55. I'm] F, I am Q.
.

otherwise] If the King

.
.
59. As
refers to Laertes' feehngs " should it
.

not^' (or /6/)

may

seems required.

But

it

be Hamlet's return of which he

speaks how can he have returned

Yet how can
letter

in

continued

it

be otherwise with his

my hand?
in line 62.

The doubt

is

HAMLET

178

[act

my

Ay,

Laer.

To thine own
As checking at

King.

No more

me

not o'errule

will

peace.

to undertake

it,

now

he be

If

his voyage,
I

60

lord

to a peace.
return'd,

and that he means

work him

will

exploit now ripe in my device,

Under the which he shall not choose but

To an

And
And

65
fall

death no wind of blame shall breathe

for his

But even

his

mother

uncharge the practice,

shall

call it accident.

My

Lacr.

The

rather,

That

if

lord,

you could devise

be ruled

will

so

it

70

might be the organ.

King.

It falls right.

You have been

And

your

talk'd of since

much,

travel

that in Hamlet's hearing, for a quality

Wherein, they say, you shine

your sum of parts

Did not together pluck such envy from him

As did that one, and that, in my regard.

Of

What

very riband

Yet needful too

The

light

my

in the
;

for

part

Ay,

youth no

and careless

less

livery that

it

lord]

my

that,

is

lord

cap of youth,

6l. So yoii
Q, omiUed F.
63. checking a/] F, t/ie King at Q, liking nol Q 4.
graveness] Q, omitted F.
60.

75

the unworthiest siege.

Laer.

King.

iv.

me ?

Will you be ruled by

So you

hawk "checks"
63. checking]
it forsakes its proper quarry and
follows some inferior game.
See

artifice

when

see v.

Twelfth Night, iii. i. 71.

68. uncharge the practice] acquit,
free from accusation (charge), the

in Othello,

80

wears

ivill]

Q, If

so

yon 7

69-82. J\Jy lord

or stratagem.
328.

For

V.
.

practice,

ii.

77. siege]

siege."

becomes

rank (literally, seat), as

ii. 22
"men of royal

I.


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. VII.]

Than

settled

age

his sables

and

Importing health and graveness.

179

his weeds,

Two months

Here was a gentleman of Normandy

since

have seen myself, and served against, the French,

And
Had
And

they can well on horseback; but this gallant 85

witchcraft in
to such

't

he grew unto his

wondrous doing brought

seat.

his horse

As he had been incorpsed and demi-natured

With the brave beast so far he topp'd my thought.
That I, in forgery of shapes and tricks,
90
;

"

Come

short of

what he

did.

Laer.

King.
Lacr.

Norman was

't ?

Norman.

Upon my

life,

Lamord.

The very same.

know him well he is the brooch indeed
And gem of all the nation.
King. He made confession of you,
King.
Laei\

82. T7vo\ Q, Some Iwo F; hence'] Q, since F.

84. I've
86. unlo] Q, into F.
88. he haif]
85. can] Q, ran F.
6;
89. iopfd] Q, past F ; my] F, me Q.
93. Lamord] Q,

95. the]

denoting an attention
health.
Schmidt understands
health as prosperity. Warburton read
82. health]

"wealth."

Furness takes "health"

the livery of youth, and
to that of settled age.
are skilled.
Compare
85. can]
Pha-nix and Turtle, 14: "the priest
That defunctive music can."
89. topp'd] exceeded, as in Macbeth,
to refer to

"graveness"

IV.

iii. 57.
90. forgery] invention, as in

summer Night's Dream, 11.

93. Lamord] I retain the
name, having noticed in
" Mords, a bitt of a horse."

the

F",

/ have Q.

had he Q,
Lamoiind

F.
F.

Q, our F.

to

95

i.

of Shakespeare's names for minor

characters are significant
the word
mords is mascuHne, but the printer of
may be responsible for La. Pope
hasLamond; Malone conjectured Lamode Grant White has Lamont. C.
E. Browne notes that Pietro Monte
was the instructor of Louis vil.'s
Master of the Horse.
94. brooch] ornament, as in Jonson's
" Wiio is the
Staple of News, iii. ii.
very Brooch o' the Bench, Gem o' the
;

Mid-

81.

form of
Cotgrave,
Several

city."

96. confession]

the

unwilling

ac-

knowledgment by a Frenchman of a
Dane's superiority.

HAMLET

180

And
For

gave you such a masterly report

art

And

and exercise

for

That he
If

your defence,

in

your rapier most especially,

lOO

cried out, 'twould be a sight indeed

one could match you; the scrimers of their nation,

He
If

[activ.

swore, had neither motion, guard, nor eye.

you opposed them.

Sir, this report

of his

Did Hamlet so envenom with his envy

That he could nothing do but wish and beg
Your sudden coming o'er, to play with him.

Now, out

of this,

What

Laer.

out of

this,

King. Laertes, was your father dear to you

Or

are

you

Why

King. Not that

And

know
I

love

lives

nothing

is

will

abate

it

still,

to a plurisy,
.

t/iis]

Q, you Sir.

106. him'\,
1

15-124.

you

7 here

(^
.

Q, omitted F.
scrimers] fencers.

French,

motion] a fencing term; used

by Vincentio Saviolo

in his Practise

(1595); see line 158 of the present

scene.

10

it.

escrimettrs.

102.

of

101-103. you
opposed them.)
107. IVhat] Q, IVhyY.

several editors.

loi.

fire

at a like goodness

For goodness, growing

ulcer']

and

within the very flame of love

99. tspecially'] F, especial Q.

Tkis F {om'Ming ^Ae scrimers .

and

passages of proof,

see, in

kind of wick or snuff that

And

ask you this?

begun by time.

is

qualifies the spark

There

think you did not love your father.

that

lord

Laer.

Time

my

like the painting of a sorrow,

face without a heart

But that

105

113. passages oj proof] well-established instances.

117. i^////] constantly, as in 11. ii. 42.
as if derived
1 18, //r/j;'] plethora
irom plus, pluris. So The Two Noble
" the plurisy of
Kinsttien^
\. \
;

people."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc. VII.]

Dies

We

in his

181

own too-much that we would do

we would for this " would
;

should do when

120

changes,

And
As

many

hath abatements and delays as

there are tongues, are hands, are accidents

And

"

"

then this

That hurts by

should

"

But to the quick

easing.

like a spendthrift sigh.

is

the

o'

ulcer

Hamlet comes back; what would you undertake

To show yourself your father's son in deed
More than in words ?

To

Laer.

King.

No

cut his throat

no

have

should

25

the church.

murder sanctuarize

place, indeed, should

Revenge

i'

bounds.

good

But,

Laertes,

you

Will

do

keep

this,

your

within

close

chamber.

Hamlet

We

'11

And

return'd shall

know you

30

come home

are

put on those shall praise your excellence.

double varnish on the fame

set a

The Frenchman gave you

you,

bring

in

fine,

together

And wager on

your heads

Most generous and

free

Will not peruse the

foils,

Or with

little shuffling,

\2T,. spendthyift'\(^(i, spend-thirftsCl.

indeed), indecde your fathers somic i)^.
s.{teT

char/ider Q, F.

135.

drawing blood from the heart. SceA/idIII.

he, being remiss,

all

3 5

contriving.

so that with ease

you may choose

126.

130.

your

chamber.]

! /i

deecf]

Stccvens

F (wilh
comma

on]F,o^er Q.

123. spendthrift sigh] Alluding to

the notion that sighs shorten life by

summer Night's Dream,

from

ii.

97.

128. sanctuarize^^ protect from punishment as a sanctuary does,

137. peruse] see

II.

i.

90.

HAMLET

182

sword unbated, and

Requite him

for

your

purpose

40

pass of practice

in a

for that

iv.

father,

Laer.

And

[act

anoint

I '11

do

will

my

't

sword.

bought an unction of a mountebank,

So mortal that but dip a knife in it,

Where it draws blood no cataplasm so
Collected from

Under the moon, can save

is

With

this contagion, that, if

but scratch'd withal

may

145

the thing from death

That
It

rare,

simples that have virtue

all

I '11

touch

gall

him

my

point

slightly,

be death.

Let

King.

Weigh

what

's

further think of this

both

convenience

and

time

of

means

150

May fit us to our shape. If this should fail.

And that our drift look through our bad performance,
'Twere better not assay'd

therefore this project

Should have a back or second, that might hold.

If

should

this

blast

Soft

proof.

in

see

We

'11

make

141, thati F, omitted Q.

143. that but dip\ Q, I but
150. conve7iience\Y , conueiance ^.
1 51. shape.
If. . ,
has no point except comma zittr fay Ie ; F has comma after
after/a;7f,
155. should] F , did Q.
156, cu/inin^s] Q,

unbated] not bhmted, as

are by a button.
I.

i.

Love's Labour

"bate

his

scythe's

foils

Lost,

keen

155.

the

139. pass of practice]

thrust; see line 68.

treacherous

mountebank] quack-doctor, as

in Ot hello,

I.

iii.

61.

dipt

_/a//,]

[I

= Ay).

Rowe

shape, semicolon
comniin^s F.

b/ast in proof] suffer blight in

trial.

Caldecott
conwiings as
Cotgrave has Venue,
.
also a vennie in

156. cutitiitigs]

skill.

and Knight explain

edge,"

142.

5 5

a solemn wager on your cunnings

ha't:

139.

me

let

bouts at fence.

"Acomming;
fencing."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sc.vii.]

When

in

your motion you are hot and dry,

As make your bouts more

And

183

he

that

violent to that end,

drink,

for

calls

I '11

have prepared

him

chalice for the nonce

If

he by chance escape your venom'd stuck,

whereon but sipping,

Our purpose may hold

noise

60

there.

But stay

what

Enter QUEEN.

How

now, sweet queen

One woe doth

Queen.

So

they

fast

tread

upon another's

Your

follow.

165

heel,

sister

drown'd,

's

Laertes.

Oh, where?

Laer. Drown'd!

Queen. There

a willow grows aslant a brook,

is

That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream

170
There with fantastic garlands did she come,
Of crow-flowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples.
;

That

liberal

shepherds give a grosser name,

162. stuck] Q, F ;
i6o. prepared] Y,prefardQ^.
.
.
164. I/oiv
noise i"] Q, omitted F.
.
.
166. they] Q, theyU F.
(jtteen] 2, how sweet Queene F, omitted Q.
170.
168. aslant a] F, ascaimt the Q.
169. hoar] hore F, harry Q.

Q, the F.

159. that']

tttcke

There with

But

163.

6.

come] F,

'1

herewith

make Q.

perly stock, an abbreviation of stoccado" or stoccata, a thrust.

So
Twelith Aight, III. iv. 303.
The
/Mi-X'tf of
6 means rapier.
168. w;7/c;w] significant of forsaken

of the woods and meadows,

of Dead Men's Fingers was
given to them from the pale palmate
roots of some of the species."
172. liberal] free-spoken, as in
Richard II. 11. i. 229, or licentious,

love.

as in

162.

stuck]

Dyce

"more

pro-

butter-cup, but
In
formerly of ragged-robin.

171. crow-Jlowers]

used
Gerarde's
Herbal identified wilii
" Wilde Williams, Marsh Gillofluurs,

and Cockow Gellofloures."

171. long purples] According

EUacombe "the common

chises

The name

purple or-

Ado,

IV.

i.

93.

Grosser

each plant is perhaps to consider

too curiously ; but see notes in Furin

to

Much

names are found in old Ilerbais.

" One," says Malone, " Gertrude had
a particular reason to avoid the rampant zvidow." To find a significance

ness.

HAMLET

184

But our cold maids

them

do

[act

dead men's

iv.

fingers call

There, on the pendent boughs her coronet weeds

Clambering

to hang,

When down
Fell

in

an envious

sliver

broke;

175

her weedy trophies and herself

the weeping brook.

Her

spread

clothes

wide.

And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up

Which time she chanted snatches of old tunes,
As one incapable of her own distress,
Or like a creature native and indued
Unto that element but long it could not be

80

Till that

her garments, heavy with their drink,

Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay

To muddy

death.

Alas, then, she

Laer.

is

drown'd

185

Queen. Drown'd, drown'd.

Too much

Laer.

of water hast thou, poor Ophelia,

my

And

therefore

It is

our trick

Let

shame say what

forbid

tears

but yet

nature her custom holds,

will

it

when

these

gone

are
1

90

I, F ;
176. her'] Q, the F.
173. cold] F, cull-cola Q.
179. times]
181. i7idued]Y, ittdewedQ^.
183. their](^, herY.
184. lay]
1S5. she is drozvn'd!]
(note of exclamation, Pope) ; is she
drowtCd. Qq 4, 5 ; is she drown'' d ? F,
6.

laudesQ.
Q, buy F.
175.

sliver]

branch

tree.

Q
Q

So

slivered
in

"Slips of yew

branch

(split)

Macbeth,

properly
from a

iv.

sliver'd in the

i.
28:
moon's

eclipse."

179. tunes]

The agreement

of

and F argues strongly against the

Q lauds, which some editors prefer,
probably as heightening the pathos.
180. incapable]
without capacity

to
ii.

apprehend

see

capable

in

III.

14.

181. indued] brought to a state or

harmony with that ele-

condition in

ment.
So in Othello, in. iv. 146, an
aching finger "endues" our healthful
members to a " sense of pain."
189. trick] way, as in ;] Henry IV.
ii.
i.
240: "it was always yet the
trick of our English nation.'


PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

The woman

will

But that

Adieu, my

be out.

have a speech of

douts

this folly

lord

would

that fain

fire,

185
;

blaze.

\Exit.

it.

Let 's follow, Gertrude

King.

How much
Now fear I
Therefore

had

to

do

this will give

let

's

calm

to

his rage

start again

it

195

\Exeimt.

follow.

ACT V
SCENE

I.

Churchyard.

Enter two Clowns, with spades and mattocks.

First Clo. Is she to be buried in Christian burial
that wilfully seeks her

Second

Clo.

thee she

tell

her grave straight

and

her,

First Clo.

finds

How

it

own
is

salvation

and therefore make

the crowner hath sat on

Christian burial.

can that be, unless she drowned

herself in her. own defence?

Second

Clo.

Why,

'tis

found

so.

First Clo. It must be se offendendo

192. offirc\ F, afire

193. douts\

Q.

Aci

A
3.

Churchyard] Capell,
and] F, omitted Q.

A
9.

straight]
ately, as in
4.

.^cene

II.

ii.

459.

of the

F Jrownes
;

Q, F2.

2.

that~\

F,

zvhen she Q.

Q.

church, where suicides were

buried.
4. croivner]

A form of " coroner"

found in Ilolinshed, Harrison, Pepys,

^^^
immediJohnson

supposed that it meant from east to

west
Douce, that it meant not north
;

doubts

else.

I.

Church Rowe.

i.

straightway,

cannot be

se offendendo F, so offended

193. douts] does out, extinguish,

Henry V. iv. ii. 11, where dout
seems to be the verb, F has doubt.

...
y.

it

Knight

V. Scene

In

Act

^^^^^^_

offendendo] The Clown's mistake for defcndendo, as perhaps sahation in line 2 for its opposite,
9.

HAMT.ET

18G
For here
wittingly

the

lies
it

three branches

perform

Second

if

drowned

argal, she

drown myself

Give

me

here stands the

man

and

to do,

to

herself wittingly.

Here

leave.

and an act hath

to act,

is,

it

[act v.

Nay, but hear you, goodman

Clo.

First Clo.

good

point

argues an act

good

delver,

the water

lies
:

if

the

man

and drown himself, it is, will

he nill he, he goes mark you that but if
the water come to him, and drown him, he
go to

this water,

drowns

himself:

not

he

argal,

own death

guilty of his

that

is

shortens not his

not

20

own

life.

Second

Clo.

But

is

this

Fv'sf Clo. Ay, marry,

law?

is 't

crowner's quest law.

If this
Clo. Will you ha' the truth on 't ?
had not been a gentlewoman, she should have

Second

been buried out

First Clo.

Why,

o'

there

25

Christian burial.

thou say'st

and the more

pity that great folk should have countenance

in

this

world to drown or hang themselves

more than

their

Q, an Acte V.
thati\ that, Q, that? F.
tian] F, Christen Q.
12. io act]

18.

even Christian.
13.

30

Come, my

perform: argal] Y, performe, or all ; Q.

31. ChrisQ, ofY.

27. 0'] Jennens, a

branches] Shakespeare
12. three
seems to have read or heard of
Plowden's report of Hales v. Petit,
Sir James Hales had drowned him-

Plowden's
tion, and the execution.
Commentaries were not translated
from the French until the eighteenth

the coroner's jury returned a

verdict of y^/i? de se.
Dame Plales's
counsel argued that the act of suicide
cannot be completed in a man's lifetime.
Walsh, .Serjeant, contra replied that " the act consists of three
parts" the imagination, the resolu-

the Clown's perversion

self;

century.
13. argal]
of ergo.
24.

ijuest] inquest,

31. even Christian] fellow Christian ; found in Chaucer's Parson's

Tale, in Latimer,

and elsewhere,

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

There

spade.

187

no ancient gentlemen but

is

gardeners, ditchers, and

grave- makers

they

hold up Adam's profession.

Second

Was

Cio.

he a gentleman

First Clo. A' was the

Second

Why, he had

Clo.

What,

First Clo.

first

none.

digged

How

The

understand the Scripture?

Adam

me

answerest

dost thou

Scripture says

could he dig without arms

put another question

I '11

35

that ever bore arms.

heathen

art a

not

if

purpose,

the

to

thee

to

40

thou

confess

thyself

Second

Go to.
What is

Clo.

First Clo.

Second

Clo.

45

mason, the shipwright, or the car-

either the

penter

he that builds stronger than

The gallows-maker

for

that

frame

outlives a thousand tenants.

First Clo.

like

thy wit

gallows does well

but

in

good

how

does

well,

does well to those that do

ill

to say the gallows

the church
thee.

To

't

is

ill

again

well

50

it

stronger than

may do

come.

it

now, thou dost

built

argal, the gallows

faith; the

well to
5 5

The same difference occurs frequently in this scene,

36. A''\ Q, He F.
and elsewhere.
arwj.^] F, omitted Q.
37-40. Why
43. thyself
.

F, ihy

selfe.

(.}.

48.

frame

F, omitted Q.

34. /^u/i^ /] maintain, continue, as

in Aferry IVives, V. v. no.
35. geiitleman'\

Adam's spade,

says

Douce, is set down in some of the

books of heraldry as the most ancient
form of escutcheon.

42, 43. coiijess lhyseIf'\ Malone

" 'And be hanged,' the Clown would
have said ... a common proverbial
:

sentence."

HAMLET

188
Second

Clo.

Who

"

builds stronger than a mason, a

"

shipwright, or a carpenter

First Clo. Ay,

Second

Second

me

tell

Marry,

Clo.

First Clo.

[act v.

and unyoke.

that,

now

can

tell.

To 't.

60

Mass,

Clo.

Enter

cannot

tell.

HAMLET and HORATIO,

at a distance.

First Clo. Cudgel thy brains no more about

your dull ass

beating
tion

thee to

not

mend

his

"a grave-maker";

it,

for

pace with

and when you are asked

next, say

that he

will

this ques-

the houses

65

makes last till doomsday. Go, get

Yaughan fetch me a stoup of liquor.
;

\Exit Second Clown.

61.

F.
58.

may

66. that] F, omitted Q

Enter] F, after line 71 Q.
67. to Yazighani F ( Yaughan italicised), in, and Q

unyoke] after this great effort you

unharness the team of your wit.

67. Yaughan] Unexplained; perhaps the name of a London tavern-

keeper.

The alehouse

of

"deaf lohn"

mentioned in Jonson's Alchemist

in Every Man out of his Humour, V.
vi., he mentions "a Jew, one Yohan,"

is

but not as a tavern-keeper. Yaughan

said to be a common Welsh name.
Of several emendations recorded in
the Cambridge Shakespeare, the most
plausible is that of Mr. Tovey
"Goto, y 'are gone; get thee gone,
Y^are gone occurs, but in
fetch."
another connection, in Q l, meaning
"you are out of it, you have failed to
solve the question"; get thee gone
occurs in the same Q after "the
gallowes dooes well to them that do
Or we might read with Q " Go,
ill."
get thee in," and add, "y'are gone,"
If
as an emendation of "Yaughan."
" Yaughan " was a printer's error of

is

last]

Q4

lasts

Q,

stoup] F, soope Q.

F, the reader for the press, taking i

proper name, might have subsubstituted "to" for "in," and so
produced the F reading. Why has
no ingenious gentleman suggested a
shake and jumble of the letters, with
an error of a for (the boxes for these
letters being next each other in the
compositor's case) ? The first Clown's
" confess thyself" was to be followed
by "and be hanged," but he was interrupted ; he proceeds, however, to
say that the gallows may do well for
for a

Now

Yaughan easily
his comrade.
yields us You {mi?,Y>x\n\.ed Yau) ; gha?i
is hang^'iih the last letter misplaced
Read therefore, the ingenias first.
ous

gentleman might say, with Q,

"Go,
you;

for as mentioned above,

Jennens supposes that Q
the Clown's pronunciation of

be accounted
67. stoup]

soope
sup.

and add, "hang

The F "to" may

get thee in,"

fetch, etc."

is

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI.]

and

First Cloivn digs,

In youth, when I did

Methought

To

it

was very

Oh

contract,

the

did

love,

189

sings.

love,

siueet,

Ah

time, for,

viy

70

behove,

Oh
Ham. Has

methought there zvas nothing meet.

no

fellow

this

feeling of his business,

that he sings at grave-making?

made

Hor. Custom hath

it

him a property

in

of-

easiness.

Ham.

75

'Tis e'en so

the hand of

employment

little

hath the daintier sense.

But age, with his stealing steps,

Hath clazud me in his clutch.
And hath sliipp'd me intil the land,
As if I had never been such.

First Clo. [Sings.]

80

\Throzvs up a skull.

Ham. That
sing
70.

a Q.
Q.

once

for All] for

had a tongue

skull

<z

how

Q, F.
Q.

Tl. a/] F, in
81. Throws .

it,

and

jowls

it

in

the knave

could
to

the

there was nothing] F, there a was nothing

claw'd] Q, caught F.
80. intil] F, into
Capell omitted Q, F.
71.

79.

68-71.] This and the two following

stanzas are
with variations here
from a poem attributed to Lord Vaux,
and printed in Tottel's .!/?>////;' (p.
The O/^ and .-W are
173, cd. Arber).
perhaps grunts of the digger at work
Clar. Tress, however, take them to
represent drawling notes, like the
slile-a and inile-a of Autolycus in
Winter's Tale, iv. iii., which may be
right, and finds support from a similar
example in the Tragedy of Hoffman.
"To contract the lime" seems to be

caught up from a later stanza of the

poem "And

me

tract of time," as

"And

the land " certainly

is; the resulting nonsense being designed by Shakespeare.
I>'or
the
traditional music
the tune of The
Children in the Wood
see Furness

shipped

intil

(from Chappell), p. 385.

74, 75. property 0/ easiness] a peculiarity that

now comes

easily,

80. intil] into, as in Chaucer,

83. Jowls] knocks (used specially of
tlic

head), as in

.-///V

Well,

i.

iii.

58.

"

HAMLET

190
ground,

as

did the

if

were Cain's jaw-bone,

it

murder!

first

[act v.

It

now

of a poHtician, which this ass

one that would

that

might be the pate

circumvent

85

o'er-reaches,

God,

might

it

not?
Hor.

It

my

might,

Ham. Or

of a

lord.

which could say

courtier,

? "

my

he meant to beg

Hor. Ay,

my

Ham. Why,

it,

e'en

might

not?

it

95
so

and now

my Lady Worm's

and knocked about the mazzard with

a sexton's spade.

we had

How
my

lord.

chapless,

cost no

This might be

that praised

90

dost thou, good

Lord Such-a-one,
Lord Such-a-one's horse, when

morrow, sweet lord

lord

Good

"

Here

the trick to see

's

fine

't.

revolution, an

Did these bones

more the breeding, but

loggats with 'em

mine ache

to

play

to think on

at

00

't,

86. now o'eirear/ies] Q,

were] F, twere Q.
85. I/] F, T/iis Q.
F.
91. good] F, sweet Q.
87. would] Q, cotild F.
98. an] Capell,
97- mazzard] Y, niassene Q.
94. 7iieant] F, went Q.
and Q^ i/Y.
101. Vw] F, them Q.

S4,

o're

it

Offices

Cain's jaw-bone] Prof. Skeat

and Queries, Aug. 21, 1880)
showed that Cain, according to the
legend, slew Abel with an ass's jawbone.
This is mentioned in Cursor
Mundi, I. p. 71, lines 1071-74 (Early
84.

office."

O'er-reaches

and

is

used in the

for circumvent,

(Notes

literal sense,

Eng. Text Soc).

90.] Steevens compares Timon of

Athens, i. ii. 216-218.
a form of
97. mazzard] the head
mazar, a bowl the later Qq alter the
misprint of Q massene to mazer,

?,6.

politician] Clar.

Press: "con-

spirator, schemer, plotter.

always used in a bad

Shakespeare."

is

The word
sense by

86. o'e7'-reaches] The F der-officcs

right ; office, as a verb, occurs
in Coriolanus, v. ii. 68, and in All's

may be
Well,

mean

129.
O'er-offices may
treats as one holding a superior

III.
'
'

ii.

loi. loggat s] Th& g2.mQo{\ogg2.is\s

described by Clar. Press ; the players
throw the loggats (little logs), truncated cones of apple-wood, as near
the Jack, a wooden wheel, as possible;
the floor is strewn with ashes: " per-

haps Hamlet meant to compare the

skull to the Jack at which the bones
were thrown.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

First Clo, [Sings.]

pick-axe,

and a

For and a shrouding

191

spade, a spade.

sheet

a pit of clay for to be made

For such a guest is meet.

Oil,

IIam. There

why may
lawyer ?
Where

another

of a

skull

now,

why does he

to

O5

not that be the

be his

quiddits

his quillets, his cases, his tenures,

tricks

now

's

Throzvs up another skull.

suffer

this

and

his

rude knave

knock him about the sconce with a -iio

dirty shovel,

and

of battery?

Hum

not

will

tell

him of

his action

This fellow might be

in

's

time a great buyer of land, with his statutes,

his recognizances, his fines, his
his recoveries

is

double vouchers,

this the fine of his fines,

and

the recovery of his recoveries, to have his fine

pate

full

of fine dirt? will his vouchers vouch

him no more of
too,

his purchases,

and double ones

than the length and breadth of a pair of

.
.
omitted Q, Y.
105. Throws
io6. viay'\ Q, might F.
] Capcll ;
107. quiddits\ F, <juiddities QloS. qHillets\ F, quillites Q.
109. rudc\
F, maddc Q.
recoveries] F, omitted Q.
.
115, 116. is this
117. /lis
.

vouchers'] F, vouchers

Q.

118, 119. double ones too] F, doubles Q.

from the Schoolmen's quidditas, the

Law Dictionary. "Recognizances,"

another form of bond.
"Fines "and
" recoveries," modes of converting an
estate tail into a fee-simple.
In a
recovery with double voucher, two
persons are vouched, or called on, to
warrant the tenant's title.
li^. Jine of his fines] end of his

what-ness,

fines.

For and] and moreover; so

Against Garnescke, "Syr
Gawen, Syr Cayus, for and Syr
Olyvere" (ed. Dyce, i. 119); found
also in Middleton and Beaumont and
103.

Skelton,

Fletcher.
107.

</?</rt'(?'/A]

quiddities, subtleties,

distinctive

nature

of

wj. fine

thing.
108. ^///tVji] frivolous distinctions;

from quod

libet.

113. statutes] bonds, statutes-merchant or statutes-staple, the nature of

which is explained in Thomas Blount's

speare,

dirt] Rushton
{Shakea Lawyer) thinks that this

means the

last

dirt

that

will

ever

occupy his pate,

119. 120. pair of indentures] conveyances or contracts, in duplicate,

HAMLET

192
indentures

[act v.

The very conveyances

lands will hardly

in

lie

box

this

and must

the inheritor himself have no more, ha

Hor. Not a jot more,

Ham.

my

my

and of

lord,

lord.

made

not parchment

Is

Hor. Ay,

120

of his

of sheep-skins

calf-skins too.

25

30

Hani. They are sheep and calves which seek out

assurance in that.

Whose grave
First Clo. Mine,

speak to

will

sir.

Oh, a pit of clay for

For such a guest

Ham.

think

it

You

First Clo.

not yours
yet

it is

Ham. Thou
thine

this fellow.

this, sirrah ?

's

be thine, indeed,
out on

lie

for

my

part,

be

thou

liest in

and therefore

do not

made

meet.

for

sir,

't,

to

is

lie in

't.

'tis

and

't,

mine.
dost

'tis

135
in

lie

't,

dead,

for the

therefore thou

to be in

't,

and say

not for

the

is

it

quick

liest.

First Clo. 'Tis a quick

me to you.
Ham. What man dost

sir

lie,

'twill

away

again,

from

First Clo. For no man,

Ham. What woman,

140
thou dig

it

for?

sir.

then

126.
121. hardly'] F, scarcely C^.
125. calf-skins] F, Calves skinnes Q^.
1 29-13 1.
A/ine
meet]
12?>. sirrah] Q,SirF.
which^Ql, thatY.
made (omitting For
meet).
(as prose), A/ine sir, or a
,
136. it is] Q, 'tis .
133. 'tis] Q, it is F.
134, 135. and yet] F,yet Q.
.

the paper or parchment indented, so

as to be divided into two, which two
must fit together in proof of genuineness.

122. inheritor]
possessor, as
in
Love' s Lahoii>' s Lost, 11. i. 5.
127. a^jwr^wa'] used in the ordinary
and the legal sense (conveyance of
land or tenements by deed).

"

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

193

For none, neither.

First Clo.

Ham. Who is to be buried in't?

First Clo. One that was a woman,
soul, she

Ham. How

's

but, rest her

dead.

absolute the knave

by the

145
sir

is

we must speak

card, or equivocation will

undo

the Lord, Horatio, these three years

taken note of

it

the age

have 150

grown so picked

is

that the toe of the peasant

By

us.

comes so near the

heel of the courtier, he galls his kibe.

How'

long hast thou been a grave-maker?

Of

First Clo.
that

all

came to 't 155

King Hamlet o'ercame

the days

day that our

i'

last

the year,

Fortinbras.

Ham. How

long

is

that since

First Clo. Cannot you

that

it

tell

that

every fool can

tell

was the very day that young Hamlet

60

151. takeni F, tooke Q.

150. these\ F, this Q.
153. heel] Q, heeles F ;
the courtier] Q, our Courtier V.
154. a] F (and later Qq), omitted Q.
156. dercame] F, overcame Q.
160. the very]
155. all] F, omitted Q.

F, that very Q.
/;j'(?////g]

positive, decided, free

from conditions.

Sqq Cymbeline, w.

148.
ii.

106.
149. carcT] chart

or perhaps the
card on which the points of the
mariner's compass were marked, as
The sense
in Macbeth, i. iii. 17.
;

" map " or " sea-chart " seems to be

In any case "to speak
the earlier.
by the card" means to speak with
exactness to a point.
{ha
149. e(juivocatio)t] iimh\g\\\\.\
use of terms, not necessarily with a
view to mislead.
i
has "this
150. three years]
seaven yearcs." It is, perhaps, worth
asking whether any allusion can be
intended here to the great Poor Law
legislation of 1601, when the principle

13

of taxation for the relief of the poor

was fully and finally established. The
date is exactly three years before the
words appeared in 1604. The purses,
if not the kibes, of needy courtiers
were galled l)y the assessments of the
overseers. The Act is that of 43 Eliz.;
the earlier Act of 39 Eliz. preceded the
second
by seven years, the first

by

six.

picked] spruce, smart, as in

Love's Labou)' s Lost, \. \. 14.
Johnson and Stcevens supposed that there
was an allusion to picked shoes, shoes
with long projecting points, "beaks
or pykes.
le^i.

153.
11.

i.

/<//)<?]

276.

chilblain, as in Tempest,

HAMLET

194
was born

he

that

[act v.

mad, and

is

sent

into

England.

Ham. Ay, marry why was he sent into England ?

First Clo. Why, because a' was mad a' shall re;

cover his wits there;

or,

if

do

a'

not,

'tis

no 165

great matter there.

Ham. Why ?
him there

First Clo. 'Twill not be seen in

mad as
Ham. How came he mad ?
men

the

Very

First Clo.

Ha7n.

are as

How

"

there

he.

170

strangely, they say.

strangely

" ?

First Clo. Faith, e'en with losing his wits.

Ham. Upon what ground ?

I
have been
First Clo. Why, here in Denmark
sexton here, man and boy, thirty years.
;

161. is\ Q,
176, sexton]

was F.

169. as

mad

4,

165. V?V] Q, it 's F.

168. ktui
Sexten Q, sixeteene F, Sexesione F 2.

as he]

Clar.

quotes Marston, Malcontent,

"Your

Press
ill.

i.

lordship shall ever find

amongst a hundred Englishmen fourscore and ten madmen."
So also
Very Woman, ill, i.
Massinger,
" The fellow [an Englishman] is mad,
stark mad. Believe they are all so."
176. thirty years] Hamlet's age
thirty
is here fixed in a twofold way
by the date of the grave-digger's
service and by the number of years
Gonzago and
since Yorlck's death.
his wife, who represent the elder
,

Hamlet and Gertrude, have been

It is true, howmarried thirty years.
ever, that passages in earlier scenes
in particular the scene of Laertes
parting from Ophelia lead us to
conceive Hamlet as younger.
He is
but it is a
a student of Wittenberg

there']

Q, him F.

Prof. Hales has

foreign university.
quoted a passage from Nash, Pierce
Penniless' s Supplication, on the late
age at which the Danes commenced

education:

boy

"You

shall

see

a great
rod

weeping under the

when he

is thirty years old."

In
Hamlet's age is not fixed, and
he seems younger throughout. Perhaps in recasting the play Shakespeare felt that Hamlet's weight of
thought implied an age beyond that

of very
to

early

manhood, and failed

earlier and later pre-

harmonise the

His Troilus
under twenty-three Florizel looks
about twenty-one ; Cymbeline's sons
twenty-two
are twenty-three and
Hamlet is surely older than these
youths.
The heyday of Gertrude's
blood is tame she may be forty-five
sentations of his hero.
is

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

Ham. How

long will a

man He

195

the earth ere he

i'

rot?

V faith, if a' be not rotten before a' die,

we have many pocky corpses now-a-days,

First Clo.

as

that

will

scarce hold the laying

in,

a'

you some eight year or nine year

tanner will last you nine year.
last

Ham. Why he more than another ?

First Clo. Why, sir, his hide is so tanned
that

trade

while

keep

will

a'

and your water

is

Here

a skull

's

and

twenty years.

190

Ham. Whose was it ?

First Clo. A whoreson mad
do you think

Ham. Nay,
First Clo.

it

know

was

fellow's

it

was

not.

pestilence on

This same

once.

whose

him

for a

mad

skull,

sir,

rogue!

my

head

was Yorick's

skull,

poured a flagon of Rhenish on

a'

a great

this skull has lain in the earth three

80

a sore decayer of

your whoreson dead body.

now

with his

out water

will

195

the king's jester.

Ham.

This

Fayth Q.
i8o. ftow-a-days] F, omitted Q.
i88, 189.
the\Y,heer''s a skull now hath lycn you -C th '<l.
189,190.
three and twenty'] F, 23 Q, this dozen yeare Q i (but in a different connection, and perhaps not Yoricic's skull).
197. This same skull, sir] Q, words
repeated F ; Yorick's'l F, sir Yoricks Q.
179. J'faiih] F,

Here^s

iti

perhaps the Danish Jorg (George)

or forty-six yet, like Gonzago's wife,

who is of that age, she may have
However we
the power to charm.
account for the inconsistency, we
must accept dates so carefully de-

haps a corruption of Rorick, Saxo's

Roricus, Hamlet's maternal grandfather.
Furness notes that Jerick is

termined.

the

197.

Yorick^s'\

Ainger

Yorick

is

Magni'isson

(in

Clar.

Press)

name of a "Dutch Bowr

Chapman's Alphonsus.

per-

"

in

HAMLET

196

[act v.

200

First Clo. E'en that.

Ha7n. Let

me

see.

Alas, poor Yorick

{Takes the

knew him, Horatio

fellow of infinite jest, of

me on

he hath borne
times
tion

my

gorge

those lips that

oft.

most excellent fancy

his

back a

and now, how abhorred

it is

your songs

rises

at

gibes

in

thousand

my

imagina- 205

Here hung

it.

have kissed

Where be your

skull.

know

not

how

now? your gambols?

your flashes of merriment, that

were wont to

table on a roar

set the

Not

one now, to mock your own grinning? quite

chop-fallen

Now

chamber, and

tell

get

thick, to this favour she

laugh at that.

you

my

to

her, let her paint

must come

Prithee, Horatio,

lady's

an inch

make

tell

her

me one

thing.

Hor. What 's that, my lord ?

Ham. Dost thou think Alexander
fashion
Ho)'.

E'en

Ham. And

i'

the earth

looked

o'

this

220

so.

smelt so

puh

{Puts doivn the

skull.

201. Let me see\ F, omitted Q.

Takes the skull] Capell (after This? line
20a,. bor}ie\Y, boreal.
205. w^7;]Q, omitted F.
205,
199); omitted Q, F.
206. in my . . . it is\ Q, my imagination is. F.
210, 21 1. JVot one] Q, Al?
one F.
211. grinning] Q, leering F.
i, F; taSte Q.
213. c/iamier]
221. j-^ ? puh] F, so pah Q, so ? pah
6.
Puts down . . .] Collier ; omitted Q, F.

214. favotir] commonly used for

appearance, aspect ; also for beauty,
comeliness ; also for the countenance,
the face.
218. Alexatider] Perhaps Shakespeare thought of Alexander's beauty
and sweet smell as well as of his conquests.
North's Plutarch : "Alexander had a very faire white colour

mingled also with red

skin

his

had a marvellous good favour

his bodie had so sweet a smell " that
his apparel "took thereof a passing
His corpse redelightful savour."
mained "many days naked wirhout
.

buriall,

in a hote drie countrie," yet

and faire corps as

could be" {Life of Alexander).

was

"still a cleane

PRINCE or DENMARK

SCI]

Hor. E'en

my

so,

Ham. To what
Why may

lord.

may

base uses we
not

return, Horatio

imagination trace the noble

of Alexander,

dust

197

he find

till

it

stopping 225

a bung-hole?

Hor. 'Twere to consider too curiously, to consider

Ham. No,

faith,

thither with
to lead

it

not

but

jot;

to

Alexander

died,

Alexander 230

was

buried,

Alexander returneth into

the

dust

earth

is

so.

him

follow

modesty enough, and likelihood

as thus

dust";

we make loam

of earth

and why of that loam, whereto he was converted,

might they not stop a beer-barrel

Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay,

Might stop a hole

keep the wind away

to

Oh, that that earth, which kept the world

Should patch a wall

But

soft

Enter Priests^

but soft

etc.

235

t'

aside

in

awe.

expel the winter's flaw

:

in procession ;

here comes the king.

the Corpse

of OPHELIA,

Laertes and Mourners foUozving ; KING, QuEEN,

their Trains,

The queen,

etc.

the courtiers;

who

is

this

they follow? 240

And

with such

The

corse they follow did with desperate

maimed

rites

This doth betoken

hand

230. rt.f///?/.r]Q I, F; omitted Q.

231. into\Y, /oQ.
235. Imperious\
23S. winters] F, waters Q.
Q, Iniperiall F.
.] ^falone.
239. Enter
Enter K. Q. Laertes and the corse Q.
Enter King, Queene, Laertes, and
a coffin, witli Lords attendant F.
240. t/iis] Q, t/iaf F.
.

229. w/<7(/<;j-/|'] moderation, freedom

from exaggeration, as in III. ii. 22.

235. Imperious'] Imperial, as in

Troilus and Cressida, IV. v. 172

"most imperious Agamemnon."

Dyce quotes Cot238. y7rt7y] gust.

flaw or gust of wind
grave:
Tourbillon dc vent."

"A

HAMLET

198
Fordo

it

own

Couch we

life

awhile,

'twas of

[act v.

some

estate.

and mark.
{^Retiring with Horatio.

Laer. What ceremony else ?

Ham. That is Laertes, a very
Laer. What ceremony else ?

245
noble youth

mark.

Her obsequies have been as far enlarged

As we have warrantise her death was doubtful
And, but that great command o'ersways the order,

Priest.

She should

in

Till the last

Shards,

flints,

Yet here she

ground unsanctified have lodged 25

trumpet

for charitable prayers,

and pebbles should be thrown on her

is

allow'd her virgin crants,

Her maiden strewments, and

Of bell and burial.

the bringing

home 255

244. Retiring
.]
243. it\ Q, F ; ?V5 Q 6 ; it's Ff 3, 4 ; of] Q, omitted F.
Capell ; omitted Q, F.
248. Priest] F, Doct Q, First Priest Capell.
249. warrantise] Dyce, warrantis F, warrantie Q, warranties Caldecott
(ed. 2).
251. have] F, been Q.
252. prayers] Q, prayer F.
253.
Shards] F, omitted Q.
Rites F,
6 and many editors.
254. crants]
;
.

and for
243. Fordo] see il. i. 103
see I. ii. 216.
Bar244. Couch] conceal, lurk.
rough, Meth. Physick,
1610: "If
the quantity of humour be great, it
;

it,

sometime

coucheth

principall

member."

itself

in

some

be used for persons who have laid

violent hands on themselves."
253. Shards] Potsherds.
254. crants] wreaths, garlands,

Hardiman,

or

perhaps singular, garland (German,

Krantz).
New Eng. Diet, quotes
Greene in Harl. Misc. il. 246
" The filthy queane weares a craunce,"
and Nichol, Progr. Q. Eliz., 1596.

'

Our Prayer-Book,

138,

The

crants were garlands

which it was usual to make of white
paper, and to hang up in the church
on the occasion of a young girl's
funeral.
Some of these were hanging
says

up

249. warrantise] The word occurs

Sonnets, cl., and in 1 Henry VI.
I. iii. 13.
Clar. Press: " The rubric
before the Burial Office forbids it to

in

'

Flamborough Church, York-

Many editors
give F rites.
See Brand's Popular
Antiquities, II. 302.
255. strewntents] Several passages
of Shakespeare refer to strewing the
corpse or the grave with flowers in
shire, as late as 1850."

Cymbeline, IV. ii. 285, we have

" strewings fitt'st for graves."
255. bringing home] Clar. Press

compares Romeo and Juliet, iv. v,

85-90, adding: "the marriage-rites
in the case of maidens are sadly
parodied in the funeral rites."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

SCI]

Must

Laer.

more be done

there no

No more

Priest.

We
To
As

sing a requiem and such rest to her

to peace-parted souls.

Lay

And
May

from her

fair

violets spring

thou

liest

the earth

i'

260

flesh

thee, churlish priest,

tell

-I

ministering angel shall

When

her

and unpolluted

my

sister be,

howling.

Ham.

What, the

Queen. Sweets to the sweet

Ophelia

fair

265

farewell

be done

should profane the service of the dead

Laer.

199

Scattering floivers.

hoped thou shouldst have been

my

Hamlet's

wife
I

thought thy bride-bed to have deck'd, sweet maid,

And

not have strew'd thy grave.

Oh,

Laer.
Fall ten times treble

Till

of.

woe

on that cursed head

Whose wicked deed thy most

Deprived thee

treble

Hold

ingenious sense

270

off the earth awhile.

have caught her once more

in

mine arms,

\Leaps into the grave.

fareivcll'\
265. Sweets
259. sing a ieijuie>ii'\0, sing sage 'Rci\mem.
to the siveet, fai-ewell, Q, Sweets, to the sweet farewell. Ff I, 2,
Sweets, to thee sweet farewell. Ff 3, 4.
Scattering flowers] Johnson
omitted
268. have'\ (1, /' have F ; treble woe] Q, terrible woer F, terrible
Q, F.
wooer Yi 2-4, treble woes. P\irness (S. Walker conject.).
269. treble] F,
double Q.
272. Leaps
.
] F (with iti for into), omitted Q.
.

Sweets

"sage re259. a reqtiiem] The

" of F has been emended " sad
requiem,'' Collier MS.
"such requiem," Dyce conject., Grant White.
264. howling] Used also in Romeo
andJuliet, III. iii. 48, of the outcries
quiem

in

hell:

"The damned

word

[banished]

attend

it."

in

hell,

use that
llowlings

270. ingenious] quick in apprehension.

Compare Lear, iv. vi. 287,
288.
6 reads " ingenuous."

HAMLET

200

Now

pile

[act v.

your dust upon the quick and dead,

Till of this flat a

mountain you have made

To o'er-top old Pelion or the skyish head

Of blue Olympus.
Ham. [Advancing:]
What is he whose grief
Bears such an emphasis
Conjures

whose phrase of sorrow

wandering

the

275

and

stars,

makes them

stand

Like wonder-wounded hearers?

Hamlet the Dane.

The

Laer.

This

is I,

[Leaps into the grave.

devil take thy soul

[Grappling

Ham. Thou

him.

pray'st not well.

from

prithee, take thy fingers

280

ivith

For, though

Yet have

am

something

my

throat

not splenitive and rash,

Which let thy wisdom

me

in

dangerous,

Hold

fear.

off thy

hand

285

King. Pluck them asunder.

Hamlet, Hamlet

Queen.
All.

Gentlemen,

Good my

Hor.

\TJie Attendants

lord,

be quiet.

part them, and they come out

of the grave.

276. Advancing] Capell

Conjures'] Q, Conjure F.
leaps in after Laertes
i

omitted Q,

278.
Q, gn'efcs F.
omitted Q, F; Hamlet
283. Foi-]
Q ; Grappling] Rowe omitted Q, F.
atid] F, omitted Q.
284. something in me] F, in vie sojuethifig
;

grief]

Leaps

280.

.]

Q, Sir F
wisenesse F; Hold off] Q, Away F.
285. wisdom'] Q I, Q
287.
Q.
All. Gentlemen,
] Malone, All.
Hor.] Q, Gen.
Gentlemeti. Q, omitted F.
F.
The Attendants
omitted Q, F.
.] Malone
;

278. -ivandering stars]

quotes

"they

Clar.

Press

Cotgrave (under Pianette):

be also called Wandering

starres."

283. splenitive] The spleen was the

Compare i A';j /F.
seat of anger.
V.

ii.

19.

SC.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

I.

Ham. Why,

will fight

with him upon this theme

my eyelids will no longer

O my son, what theme?

Until
Queen.

Ham.

loved Ophelia

Could

201

wag.

290

forty thousand brothers

not, with all their quantity of love,

Make up my sum.
King. Oh, he

is

What

do

wilt thou

for her

Queen. For love of God, forbear him.

Ham.

mad, Laertes.

me what

'Swounds, show

Woo't weep? woo't

fight?

thou

295
'It

do

woo't fast? woo't tear

thyself?

Woo't drink up

eisel

eat a crocodile

297. wooU fast'] Q,

thou 7/] F, ih 'owt Q.
296. 'Swounds] Q, Covte F
omitted F.
298. eisef] Theobald, Esill Q, Esile (italicised) F.
;

(according to Sharon Turner, the

289. wag] move ; free from its preDown of the Yssel). On the other
sent trivial or ludicrous associations.
So " the empress never wags," Titus hand, it has been shown that "drink
up " does not necessarily mean exAndronicus, V. ii. 87 ; and Spenser,
may mean drink eagerly,
it
haust
Faerie Qtteene, iv. iv. 167.
In Sonnets, cxi., Shakespeare
292. (]ua7ttity] see III. iv. 75 ; used quaff.
names "potions of eisel " as a bitter
in depredator}' sense.
strong
297. Woo't] Perhaps used to express and disagreeable remedy for
Hamlet's hurried utterance ; but it infection." The word was used (see
Ne'w Eng. Did.) for the vinegar reoccurs. Ant. and Cleop. iv. ii. 7,
and IV. XV. 59, with no such signi- jected by Christ upon the cross. The
Yox Thou 'It, chief objection to eisel, vinegar, seems
ficance.
I has Wilt.
line 296,
has th 'owt, possibly with to be, as Theobald puts it, that " the
proposition was not very grand."
the same intention.
This objection would be met if we
298. eiser\ Criticism has not advanced much beyond Theobald's sug- could find any special propriety in the
Now vinegar, even in
proposition.
Esill and
gestions of 1733, that the
F Esile mean eitlier eisel, vinegar, small quantities, as we learn from
or some river ; and of the names of William Vaughan's Directions for
Health (ed. 7, 1633, p. 47, first pubrivers none is more plausible than
Theobald's " Yssel, in the German lished about 1607), while it allays
heat and choler, " hurtelh them that
Flanders."
Parallels for the hyperbole of drinking a river can be pointed be sorrowfull." L. Joubert, Physician
to the French King, in his Seconde
out in several Flizabethan writers, in
Partie dcs Errcitrs Populaires (Rouen,
CJreene's Orlando Furioso, in Eastward Hoe, and elsewhere. The pro- 1600, p. 135), notes the vulgar error:
" Que le vinaigre est la mort de la
posal Nilus has only the crocodile to
favour it.
An English Esill has not colere et la vie de la melancholic."
been found, though there is an Iseldun There may be irony in Hamlet's choice
;

'

'

Q
Q

HAMLET

202
do

I '11

To

[act v.

Dost thou come here to whine

't.

me

outface

300

with leaping in her grave?

Be buried quick with her, and so will I

And, if thou prate of mountains,

them

let

throw
Millions of acres on us,

till

our ground.

Singeing his pate against the burning zone,

Make Ossa
I

'11

like a

wart

Nay, an thou

'It

mouth, 305

rant as well as thou.

This

Queen.

And

thus awhile the

fit

is

mere madness

work on him

will

Anon,

as patient as the female dove,

When

that her golden couplets are disclosed,

His silence

will sit

drooping.

Ham.

Hear you,

What
I

is

me

the reason that you use

loved you ever.

But

it is

thus

sir

310

no matter

Let Hercules himself do what he may,

The

cat will

mew, and dog

will

have

his day. {Exit.

306. Queen] Q,
299. thou^ F, omitted Q.
305. a] Pope; and (^, F.
Kin. .
309. couplets] Q, cuplct F.
307. thus'] F, this Q.

spoken

sugges-

of extravagant performances suggested

by Laertes' extravagance of grief:

243,

Would you

309. golden couplets] The pigeon

lays two eggs, and the young, when
disclosed ox hatched (see ill. i. 174),

artificially heighten your

sorrow by a bitter potion of eisel ?
"Would you allay your anger ?
298. eat a crocodile] Hamlet's dial-

lenge to revolting feats

ate, half-ironical
if

half-passion-

receives more point

we remember that

in current natural

history the crocodile

of the serpent tribe.

was a monster
See Topsell's

Historie of Serpents.
T. Bright regards the crocodile's bite as poisonous,
like

an

asp's.

306. madness]

at

Gertrude's

tion.

are covered with yellow down,

day] "Bay" has
.
314. dog .
been proposed for day, but the saying
was proverbial; examples are found
.

both earlier and later than Hamlet.

The meaning is, " Laertes must have
Hamlet had
his whine and his bark."
previously (i. ii. 153) contrasted himself with Hercules if Hercules cannot
:

Compare

this

with

Hamlet's apology to Laertes, v.

ii.

silence dogs,
little like

much

that hero.

less

I,

who am

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]
King.

203

pray you, good Horatio, wait upon him.

\Exit Horatio.

[To Laertes?[ Strengthen your patience

in

our last

night's speech

We

'11

Good

put the matter to the present push.

Gertrude, set some watch over your son.

This grave shall have a living monument

An

hour of quiet shortly shall we see;

Till then, in

320
[Exeunt.

patience our proceeding be.

SCENE
Enter

II.

Hall

in the Castle.

HAMLET and HORATIO.

now let me see
this, sir

the other
Ham. So much for
You do remember all the circumstance ?
Hor. Remember it, my lord ?
Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting
That would not let me sleep methought I lay
;

Worse than

And

the mutines in the bilboes.

praised be rashness for

Scene
let

me] Y, shall you

let

us know,

320. shortly'] F, thirtie Q, thereby

315. you\ F, thee Q.

I.

it,

(^.

2..

Rashly,

Qq

3-6.

li.

circumstanced] Theobald; circuinsiance.

lord?] F, Lord. Q.
6. bilboes] F, bilbo Q.
6, 7. Rashly,^
know,] Furness, rashly. And pray sd
it: let us know, Q, rashly,
{And
it) let us know, Y.

Q, F.
.

3.

3i7./>'c;j'(;//?<j/^]instantforwarding.

Moberly
319. living] enduring.
statue like life itself. " Clar. Press
suggests a double meaning, enduring
(meant for Gertrude), the life of Hamlet (for Laertes).

"a

^'^"'-

"

mutines in the

bilboes]

mutineers

King John,

li. i. 378) in the

Bilbo (of uncertain derivation, perhaps named from Bilboa in
Spain) was a long iron bar, with

(as in

fetters.

sliding shackles, to confine the ankles,

a loclc fixing one end to the floor.
The earliest example of the word in

New

4.yff/i/z^] So Ardenof Feversham,

ni. vi. : " This fighting at my harte."
6.

Eng. Did. is of 1557 from

Hakluyt's Voyages.
6,7. Rashly] Pope read A'j.t//^5J-.
Tyrwhitt, retaining Rashly, and read-


HAMLET

204

[act v.

indiscretion sometimes serves us well

Our

When our deep plots do pall; and that should teach us

lo

There's a divinity that shapes our ends,

Rough-hew them how we

will.

That

Hor.

Ham. Up from my

My

to find out

certain.

cabin,

sea-gown scarf'd about me,

Groped

most

is

in

the dark

my

them; had

desire,

Finger'd their packet, and in fine withdrew

To mine own room

again

My

manners, to unseal

fears forgetting

making so

Their grand commission; where

royal knavery

found, Horatio,

20

sorts of reasons

Importing Denmark's health, and England's

!

an exact command.

Larded with many several

With, ho

bold,

such bugs and goblins

my

in

too.

life,

pair\ Q, 'P,fall Qq
8. sonietimes\ F, sometime Q.
9. dee/>'\ Q, dcare F
3-6; /each'] F, /earn Q.
13. me, in the dark] <2 6, no point in Q, comma
20.
only after ^ar/!'^ F.
i"]. 7msear\,7info!d(^.
19. fJF, ^Q.
1-easotts'] Q, reason F.
;

\ngfor it lets^yiowXd-p^^ce Andpraised

to certain, line ii, in a parenthesis,
thusconnectingi'v'aj///)' with

my

"up from

cabin."

ill-favouredly."

assistance
who told

We

of the

Farmer

do not need the

dealer in skewers
that his nephew

could rough-hew them, but that he

had himself to shape their ends,
13. sea-gown] Singer quotes Cota sea-gowne,
grave: " ^j-f/az'/wi?
or a coarse, high-collered, and shortsleeved gowne, reaching down to the
mid-leg, and used most by sea-men

9. pall] Pope read fail, and is followed by Capell, Dyce (ed. 2), Furness, Hudson.
Ingleby, citing several
examples, maintains that fall was
used by Elizabethan writers where we
should use y^//, and ya// is the reading
here of Qq 3-6.
Fall, however, to
grow vapid and so worthless, occurs
m Ant. and Cleop. U. vii. 88, " pall'd
fortunes," and has here the authority
of both Q and F.
10. II. ends, Rough-hew] To ivughhew, perhaps originally a carpenter's
word, extended its meaning. Thus

of the Shrezv, I. ii. 211. In Chapman's

Gentleman Usher, enter "Sylvan,
with a Nymph, a man Bugge and a

Florio

woman."

cast

any

^''

Abbozzare, \.o xo\x^-\\zv] ox

draught, to bungle up

first

and saylors."
20. Larded] see iv. v. 36.
21. Importing] concerning.
pare Lovers Labour's Lost, iv.

22. bugs] bugbears, as in

Comi.

57.

Taming

"

sc.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

II.]

205

That, on the supervise, no leisure bated,

No, not to stay the grinding of the axe,

My

head should be struck

off,

Hor.

Is

Ham.

Here's the commission: read

me how

But wilt thou hear

Hor.

it

't

at

possible

more

did proceed

leisure.
?

beseech you.

Ha7n. Being thus be-netted round with

Ere

make

could

a prologue to

villanies,

my

brains,

They had begun the play, I sat me down,

Devised a new commission, wrote it fair
once did hold

it,

The

and labour'd much

fair,

now
Wilt thou know

to forget that learning; but,

did

It

me yeoman's
what

effect of

service.

wrote

Play.

is

Ay, good
me\ F, now Q.
/] Dvce,
.

I Y.

37.

28. /]

Ay

villairies.

'effect']

Q,

effects

a.ha.ten

For

instances of
the confusion of villaine and villanie
in Y, see Sidney Walker, Criticism on
Shakespeare, ii. 44.
30, 31.] Hamlet's brains operate
without any scheme assigned \.o them
by his conscious self. They proceed
as players without an argument to the
play.
See the prologue to Romeo and
Juliet, where the action of the play is
villayiies]

set forth.

Theobald, taking They as

referring to Hamlet's
(in parenthesis):

35

lord.
29-31.

Ere

F.

between the supervisal of the commissionand Hamlet's execution. Promptorii^mParvuloru/n, '^Baten or

of weyle or mesuxe, suStra/io."

my

Capell and several editors.

play, I Q, villaines,

Or

23. bated] deducted ; no leisure time

to be taken out of the interval

29.

sir,

Hor,
27.

30
,

as our statists do,

baseness to write

How

villanies

25

enemies, read

"(Ere

could

make

a prologue, to

Bane
They had begun the Play

my

:).

33. statists] statesmen, as in Cynibeline, li. iv. 16.

Ritson quotes

Montaigne, 1603, p. 125:

in my time seene some who
by writing did earnestly get both their
titles and living, to disavow their apprentise age, marre their pen, and
affect the ignorance of so vulgar a
Florio's

"I

have

qualilie."
"X^^.

yeoman^ sservice'\'$sX.t\QX\'^: "The

ancient yeomen were famous for their

These were the
military valour.
good archers in times past,' say Sir
Thomas Smith,
and the stable
troop of footmen that affraidc all
'

'

France.'"

HAMLET

206

[act v.

Ham. An earnest conjuration from the king,

As England was his faithful tributary,
As love between them like the palm should flourish, 40
As peace should still her wheaten garland wear,
And stand a comma 'tween their amities,
And many such-like As&s of great charge,
That, on the view and knowing of these contents,

Without debatement

He
Not

more

further,

How
Why, even
I

45

shriving-time allow'd.

Hor.
Ha7n.

or less,

should the bearers put to sudden death.

had

my

my

father's signet in

Which was

this seal'd

it,

gave

purse.

the model of that Danish seal

Folded the writ up

Subscribed

was

was heaven ordinant.

in that

in the
't

50

form of the other,

the impression, placed

it

safely,

43. As^j-] Furness, as sir Q,

40. like\ Q, as F ; should'] F, might Q.
46. the\ F, those (^.
48. ordi44. kfiowingof] Q, ktiow ofY.
nant'] Q, ordinate F.
51. the form] Q, for/n F.
52. Subscribed] F,

Assis F.

Subscribe Q.
42.

comma] Theobald

substitutes

cement other suggestions are co-mate, column, coutiter.

No emendation is required the
obscurity has arisen through forgetting
an earlier meaning of comma, a
phrase or group of words forming a
short member of a sentence or period,

commere

jlis.nvatr,

The New Eng.

stop, and in this view a mark of connection, not division"; but there is
no suggestion of a full stop here, and

a comma in this sense always marks

a division nor is the idea that peace
connects amities, but that it derives its
force through dependence on mutual
;

love.

Diet., which gives

several examples, so explains comma
in the only other instance in which it

quibble,
43. As>t%]
notices, between " as "

Timon of
used by Shakespeare
Athens, I. i. 48 "No levelled malice

beast

is

Infects

one

comma

in the

course

Here amity begins and amity

ends the period, and peace stands
hold."

like a dependent clause,

Clar. Press, following Johnson, explains otherwise: "comma is used
here as opposed to 'period' or full

between

ass

in

Warwickshire)

as Johnson
(pronounced

and

ass

the

of burden or charge ; charge

being used in the double sense of
material burden and moral weight,
See Ttvelfth Night, II. iii. 184, 185.
The quibble of as, ass is amusingly
introduced in Chapman's Ge?itlema7t
f/s7^r, near close of Act III.
counterpart.
^o. model]
Malone
refers io /Cichard //. ill. ii. 153.


PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

The changeling never known.

Was

Now, the next day

our sea-fight, and what to this was sequent

Thou know'st

already.

5 5

Hor. So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz go to

Hivn.

Why, man, they

ment

They

did

make

my

conscience

love

to this

employ-

their defeat

own insinuation grow.

dangerous when the baser nature comes
their

Between the pass and

Of mighty

Why, what
not, thinks

it

60

incensed points

fell

opposites.

Hor.

Ham. Does

He

't,

are not near

Does by
'Tis

207

hath

that

't

kill'd

a king

is

this

thee, stand

me now upon

my

and

king

my

whored

mother,

Popp'd

my

between the election and

in

Thrown out

my

his angle for

proper

hopes,

65

life.

And with such cozenage is 't not perfect

To quit him with this arm ? and is
't

conscience

not to be

damn'd

To

canker of our nature come

let this

In further evil
54.
,^(0.

sequent\ Q, scment F.
57.

Why

To quit

56. i'o

here

z']

!\

" By
insinuation]
Malone
having insinuated or thrust
themselves into the employment."
61. pass]

thrust,

/i;

as

editors

in

line

hyphen

170.
fell-

incensed.
62. opposites]
opponents,
Twelfth Night, ni. iv. 253.

in

F comma

before

58. defeat\ Q, debate F.

63. ihitiks't] S. Walker

Q, this? F.
upon ] Boswell, uppon? Q, vpon
F, omitted Q.

62. this

Q, thinkst

59.
their

Dyce and other

employmeni] , omitted Q.

59. Does] Q, DoihY.

conject., Y)yce, thinke

68-80.

70

as

in

F.

63. thinks V thee] Walker's correction of F ; seems it to thee,

63. stand me 7iow upon] is it not
incumbent on me, as in Richard /I.
11. iii. 138.
70. In] Into, as in V. i. 300.


HAMLET

208
Hor.

It

must be shortly known

What
Hain.

him from England

to

the issue of the business there.

is

be short

It will

And

a man's

But

That

[act v.

am

the interim

life 's

mine

is

no more than to say

"

One."

very sorry, good Horatio,

to Laertes

75

forgot myself;

my

For,

by the image of

The

portraiture of his

cause,

see

court his favours

I '11

me

But, sure, the bravery of his grief did put

Into a towering passion.

Peace

Hor.

who comes

here

80

Enter OSRIC.

Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark.

Ham. I humbly thank you, sir. \_Aside to Hor^ Dost
Osr.

know

this water-fly?

Hor. [Aside

Ham.

to

[Aside

Ham.'] No,

Hor^

to

gracious, for

much
mess

and

land,

beasts,
:

and
'tis

'tis

my

good

Thy

know

a vice to
fertile

his crib

let

is

him.

the

He

more

85

hath

a beast be lord of

shall stand at the king's

a chough, but, as

the possession of

lord.

state

say, spacious in

90

dirt.

F.
73.
74. life's] F, life Reed and many editors.
80. Enter Osric] F, 2
Enter a Courtier
78. cottri ] Theobald, couni F.
81. (and later) Osr.] F, Cour. Q.
89.
Q ; Enter young Osricke F.
say] Q, saw F.
is]

Hanmer,

's

79.
tion.

are

bravery] bravado, or ostentaExamples of each meaning

common.

Because the waterskipping, burnished

creature, seeming busily idle.
See
Troilus and Cressida, V. i. 38.
89. chough] If the Cornish chough
(which Ritson says is "pronounced
83.

fly

is

zvater-fly]

little,

by the natives chow") or red-legged

crow, be meant, the following, from
Carew's Siii~vey of Cornwall, 1602
(p. no, ed. 1811), maybe quoted:
His state, when he is kept tame,
ungracious, in filching and hiding of
money, and such short ends, and
somewhat dangerous in carrying
'

'

sticks of fire."

Camden

also notices

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Sweet

Osr.

lord, if

your lordship were at

209

leisure,

should impart a thing to you from his majesty.

Ham.

will receive

it, sir,

Putyour bonnet to
Osr.

with

all

diligence of

his right use

thank your lordship,

very hot.

'tis

95

Hani. No,believe me,'tis verycold the wind

my

It is indifferent cold,

Osr.

yet methinks

my

for

'twere,

lord, indeed.

very sultry and hot

is

complexion.

Exceedingly,

Osr.

it

northerly.

is

Ham. But

spirit.

for the head.

'tis

my

cannot

majesty bade

lord
tell

me

very sultry,

is

it

how.

But,

signify to

my

as

00

you that he has

wager on your head.

laid a great

lord, his

Sir, this is

the matter

Ham.

beseech you, remember

105

{^Hamlet moves him

Osr.

Nay, good

my

lord

for

mine

to

put on

good

ease, in

94. 7'^^/] F,
93.
Q, omitted F.
98. AV^/jtV] Q, omitted F ; j-//';j] F,
95. 'iis], ii is Q.
99. for my complexion] P\ or my completion Q, or my
lOi. But] F, omitted Q.
Warburton and many editors.

91. lordship']

omitted Q.
Q.
complexion
104. matter
]
omitted Q, F.

sully

Q^, friendship .

Rowe

j/r]

matter. Q, F.

good

106.

my

lord]

money-loving and his incendiary

Chough's "chat" and
"gabble" are spoken of in Tempest,
II. i. 266, and AlFs
Well, iv. i. 22.
But Caldecott may be right in thinking that here chujf may be meant,
Furness quotes Cotgrave
'''Franc-

105.

Hamlet moves

Q, in goodfaith

mine] F,

"

remember thy courtesy;

substanciall
yonker,
weal thie chuffe," and " Maschefouyn,
a chuffe, boore .
one that is fitter
to feed with catlell than to conuersc
.

with men."
95-103. JTheobaldnoted the parallel
in Juvenal, Sat.
"igniculum
iii.
brumie si tempore poscas, Accipit
endromidem si dixeris, xstuo, sudat."
:

105.

remember] So Love's Labour''

14

103

Johnson

my

Q.

do beseech thee,

Lost, v.

practices.

i.

.]

his

goutier,

his hat.

I beseech
head." The meaning of the phrase (found also in Jonson and elsewhere) is Remember that
you have already complied with the
requirement of courtesy; so cover
your head.
106. for )iiinecase]\hQ coxwewiionaX
form of reply, when remaining unExamples are cited from
covered.
Malcontent (Induction),
Marston's
that
and Florio's Second Frulcs
from IVIarston (given to Shakespeare's
William
is
Sly)
one of
fellow-player
of
Hamlet.
several reminiscences
Malone inferred that Sly had played

thee, apparel thy

"

HAMLET

210

full

here

Sir,

faith.

Laertes

is

newly

[act v.

come

to

court

believe me, an absolute gentleman,

of most excellent differences, of very soft

and great showing

society

feelingly of him, he

is

indeed, to speak

the card or calendar

of gentry, for you shall find in him the continent of

Ham.

Sir,

you

what part a gentleman would

definement suffers no perdition

his

though,

in

know, to divide him inven-

would

torially

see.

dizzy

the

memory, and yet but yaw

arithmetic

of

neither, in respect

107-147. Sir, hen

iinfellowed] Q, omitted F, which abbreviates by
reading Sir, yon are ftof ignorant of what excellence Laertes is at his weapon.
.

116. dizzy'\

4, dosie

Q.

Osric ; but Sly also asks Sinklo to

"sit between my legs" (a reminiscence of Hamlet and Ophelia), to
which Sinklo replies, " the audience
will then take me for a viol-de-gambo,
and think that you play upon me
(a reminiscence of liamlet and the

two

courtiers).

108.

at>so/nte]

consummate, perfect,
ill. iii. 66: "an

Merry Wives,
absolute courtier."
as in

characteristics

109. differences^

person from
[a

difference

addition to a coat
of arms) distinguishes a junior member
or branch of a family from the chief
(alteration of or

line.

III. feeling!y'\ with just perception.

Compare Twelfth Night,

11.

iii.

172.

misprints sellingly.

Ill, 112. card

gentry] card,
chart or map (as in V. i. 149) "by
which a gentleman should direct his
course
the calendar by which he is
to
choose
his
time " (Johnson).
Gentr}', courtesy, as in li. ii. 22.
Perhaps card here means the card of
the mariner's compass calendar [useful in navigation with its astronomical
.

112, 113. Ci;///;/^;//] summary, sum

and substance of the qualities a gentleman would desire to contemplate,
with a play on the geographical
meanings of continent and part,
suggested by card.
Nicholson pro-

poses /rtr/j-, as in IV. vii. 74.

Ham1 14.
definewent] definition.
uses an affected preciosity ; no
other example of the word in this
sense earlier than 1867 is recorded in
JVew Eng. Diet. ; no other example
in any sense before 1643.
116. arithmetic] "The two metaphors (arithmetic and quick sail),"
says Clar. Press, "are a little difficult
Perhaps they should
to separate."
rather be united.
The card and continent suggest a voyage to discover
Laertes' parts.
The arithmetic of
memory may be the computations
made in a navigator's head ; in 1625
T. Addison published his Arithmetical Navigation.
Q dosie is only
an obsolete form of dizzy (see New
let

(which difference one

others).
In heraldry

data) was used figuratively as example, model.

Eng.

Diet., dozy).

3-6 have raw,

117. yaw] Qq
" the best
which Johnson explains
:

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

of his quick

ment,

and

make

article,

and rareness,

his infusion of such dearth

as, to
is

But, in the verity of extol-

sail.

take him to be a soul of great

211

20

true diction of him, his semblable

his mirror,

and who

would trace him,

else

umbrage, nothing more.

his

Your lordship speaks most infallibly of him.

Ham. The concernancy, sir? why do we wrap the 125
gentleman in our more rawer breath ?
Osr.

Osj:

Hor.

Sir?
Is

not possible

't

tongue

You

do

125. sir? w/^j'] Capell, sir, 7v/iy

Theobald, tongue.
sir really Q.

tougue

?]

understand

to

will

't,

account of him would be imperfect" ;

Heath explains Laertes was but
young {raw) in proportion to his progress in accomplishments.
To yaw,
used of a ship, means to move imsteadily, to diverge from her course

"hue

illuc

vacillare,"

Dictionary.

But

says Coles's
neither means ' for
'

(examples in Schmidt's .SV^

Lexicon, under neither).
In respect

all that "

ofhz.s
(i)

two meanings

with regard

to,

in

(2)

Shakespeare
in comparison

"///j quick sail " may possibly,

with,
as Deighton holds, mean its.
Tiiese
are the data for an explanation of

Hamlet's jargon to which it should

be added that for yet Dyce and
others read it ; yt, it, being easily
mistaken for yet and that Staunton
conjectures wiV [or yet. The explanation of the text as it stands may be
;

To enumerate

another

in

really.
Sir?} Capell, Sir. Q.
129.
Qq 3-6 ; Yoti will too U

127.

Q.

You

sir,

really']

quick

sibly, considering its

ought to steady the

which

sail,

ship).

business,
concern;
119. article^
"of great article," of great moment
or importance.
See New Eng: Diet.,
article, 10.

infusion

120.

higher

rareness"]

him

the

something
acquisition.
T.
Sir

qualities infused into

than

Browne {A'elig'io Aledici,

would sometimes shut

II.

viii.)

books,
thinking the pursuit of knowledge a
vanity, when, wait a little and we
shall enjoy knowledge by "instinct
and infusion."
Dearth, dcarness.
Bishop
Barlow,
Three
Sermons
(1596): "Dearth is that, when all
things
are rated at a high price."
122. trace] follow, as in 1 Henry
.

IV.

III.

125.

his

i.

47.

concernment

concernancy]

of Laertes would bewilder the computations of memory, yet for all that
in spite of the calculations
the
enumeration would stagger to and

another affected word no other example given in New Eng. Diet.

Theobald took
125. why
]
these words as spoken of Osric to
Horatio; no doubt, erroneously.

fro (and so fall behind) in comparison

with Laertes' cjuick sailing (or, pos-

128, 129.

A'/

conjectured

in detail the perfections

tongue]]o\iw?,ow
" mother tongue."
.

HAMLET

212

Ham. What imports

man ?
Osr. Of Laertes ?
Hor. [Aside

the nomination of this gentle-

Ham.l His purse

to

[act v.

is

130

empty already

golden words are spent.

all 's

Ham. Of him, sir.

Osr. I know you are
Ham. I would you
you

did,

it

135
not ignorant
did,

would

sir

yet,

in

faith,

much approve

not

if

me.

Well, sir?
Osr.

You

are not ignorant of

what excellence Laertes

40

is

Ham.

dare not confess that,

with him

mean,

excellence

lest
;

should compare

know

but, to

man

were to know himself

well,

Osr.

in

sir,

weapon; but in the im- 145

him by them, in his meed he 's

for his

putation laid on
unfellowed.

Ham. What 's

Osr.

his

weapon

Rapier and dagger.

132. Laertes? (^6, Laertes

Well, sir?]
139. me.

Q^.

136.

ignorant

Theobald, ignorant Q.

Globe Sh., we, well sir Q,

Theobald.
141. is
] Malone, is. Q.
145. for his]
146. them, in his meed] Steevens, them in his meed, Q.
138,

Jennens "understand? In another

tongue you " (addressed to Osric).
:

rarely."

The words

encouragement
rational

you used a less affected dialect?"

Moberly explains " Can't you understand your own absurd language on

human wisdom.

another tongue."
129.

You

x^zA rarely.

really] Theobald
Heath: " Vou do 't, sir,

6,

Well, sir.

for this Q.

are an ironical

to Osric to talk like

human being

Malone conjectured: "Is't possible

not to understand in a mother tongue?"
(addressed to Hamlet).
The words
are surely addressed to Osric, and
mean " Might you not understand
if

tne.

Believe

me

you

will succeed.
138. approve] commend.
143. but to know] to know another
implies self-knowledge, the height of

145, 146.

Troilus

and

imputation]

re'pwX.Q, 2iS in

Cressida, i. iii. 339.146. vieed] merit, as \xvS Henry VL.

IV. viii. 38.

;:

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]

Ham. That 's two

Osr.

The

king,

sir,

bary horses
as

take

it,

weapons

of his

213
150

but, well.

hath wagered with him six Bar-

against the which he has imponed,

six

French rapiers and poniards,

with their assigns, as girdle, hangers, and so

three of the carriages, in faith, are very dear to

155

fancy, very responsive to the hilts, most delicate

and of very

carriages,

Ham. What

liberal conceit.

you the carriages ?

Hor. [Aside to Ham!\ I knew you must be
by the margent ere you had done.
call

Osr. The carriages, sir, are the hangers.

Ham. The phrase would be more germane

matter
I

we could

if

would

it

edified

160
to the

carry cannon by our sides

might be hangers

till

But,

then.

Barbary horses against six French 165

swords, their assigns, and three liberal-conceited
on:

six

carriages

Danish.

that

the French bet against the

's

Why is this

"

imponed," as you

call

it ?

151. hath wagered^ Q, hds wag'd F.

152. he has imponed] Theobald, hee has impaund Q, he impond F.
154. hangers] F, hanger
and so] Q, or so F.
/i?if] Q, omitted F.
161. car
159, 160. Hor.
riages] V, carriage Q.
162. germane] F 3, lerman Q, Cermaitie F
163. catmon] F, a cannon Q.
164. might be] , be Q.
165. on:] Pope
on, Q, on F.
168. this " imponed''' as] F, this all
167. bet] Q, but F.

staked.
Perhaps
152. imponed]
Osric's affected pronunciation of impawned. Johnson suggested deponed.

Minsheu gives deponerc

as Latin for

stake.

appurtenances.
other example of this sense in
154.

assigns]

No
yWw

ng. Diet.
154. hatigers] straps by which the
rapier hung from the girdle
often
ornamented, as that described

richly

by Jonson's

Matthew {Every

/^/j//;<M<;i<r,

I.

iv.),

"a hanger

Man
.

both for fashion and workmanship

most peremptory beautiful."
156. very ?-esponsive]
responding.
157.
sign,

closely

liberal conceit] elaborate

cor

de

160. margent] Explanatory notes

often in old books printed in the

margin,
163. cannon] Knolles, History of
" He commanded
the Tiirks, 1603
the great ordnance to be laid upon
carriages."
:

HAMLET

214
Osr.

The

king,

hath

sir,

laid,

[act v.
that in a dozen

sir,

passes between yourself and him, he shall not

exceed you three

for nine
if

he hath

would come

it

immediate

to

70

on twelve

laid

trial

your lordship would vouchsafe the answer.

Ham. How
Osr.

and

hits

mean,

No ?

answer

if I

my

your person 175

lord, the opposition of

in trial.

Ham.

Sir, I will

his majesty,

me

let

the

walk here

the hall

in

and the king hold

win

him

thing but
Ors. Shall

Ham. To

if

can

my shame

re-deliver

please

his purpose,

not,

if

e'en so
after

will

80

hits,

what

flourish

your

will.

thatY.

gain no-

will

and the odd

you

this effect, sir

nature

if it

be brought, the gentleman

foils

willing,
for

the breathing time of day with

'tis

you

171, 172. laid

169.
<^,
iy2. il]Q,ikatY.
.
.
nine]Ql, one twelve formineY.
177, 178, ^a//;
180. purpose,] Theopiajes/y, 'lis] Y, hall, . . . majestie, it is Q.
181. :/ /] F, arid / Q; / will] Q, He Y.
bald ; purpose; Q, F.
183. re-deliver . . . so] F, deliver you so Q.
sir,

ihat'](^,

170. yourself^

Y.

171, 172. twelve fornine] The word

passes seems to mean passes which
coiutt, the same as hits ; the encounter
one party has
is to continue until
made a dozen hits. The King wagers
famous as a fencer, and
that Laertes
therefore able to afford his rival odds
will not have made his twelve
hits until Hamlet's hits are nine; if
Hamlet falls short of nine, Laertes
Other explanations will be
wins.
In
i
Hamlet
found in Furness.
"
asks
And howe 's the wager ? " The
" Bragart Gentleman " replies
"Mary sir, that yong Leartes in
twelve venies
At Rapier and Dagger do not get
three oddes of you."

Venue
for

was sometimes used

more commonly, a bout

or venny

a hit

or a thrust.
173. anszver] Osric uses the word
for encounter.
So in the Paston
Letters, " My Lord the Bastard took
upon him to answer xxiv knyts and
gentylmen
at jostys of pese."
178. breathing time] Clar. Press:
" the time of relaxation and rest."
Breathing time was so used but this
time of relaxation was also the time for
.

recreative

came

exercise.

mean

"To

breathe"

exercise briskly
(from the quickening of the respiratory
oigans)
so breathing time means a
to

to

time of intermission from compelled

toil and a time of voluntary exercise.


PRINCE OF DENMATIK

sen]
Os7:

Ham.

commend my duty

to

your lordship.

Your, yours.

He

215

\^Exit Osric.

commend

does well to

are no tongues else for

's

it

himself; there

turn.

Hor. This lapwing runs away with the

shell

on

190

his

head.

Ham. He

did

Thus has

it.

dug before he sucked

and many more of the same

comply with

bevy that

he,

know

his

the drossy age dotes on,

only got the tune of the time and outward

habit of encounter

195

a kind of yesty collection

which carries them through and through the

most fond and winnowed opinions

but blow them to their

and do

the bubbles are

trial,

200

out.
Yours

(/oes]F, Yours dad's Q.

1S9. /urn] Q, ^o^t^^ueF.
did sir with Q,
F,
did so sir tvith Qq 3-6.
194. bcvy'\ F {beany),
193. has'\ Q, had F ; wa;?j] Q, rnine Y, nine F 2.
breede (^.
ig6. yesty] F, histy
195. and outivard]Y, and out of an (^.
4-6.
198. fotid and winnowed] F, p7Vphane and tren(^, misty Qq
noivedCl.
199. trial] (^), try alls F.
1 87, 1 88.
192. I/e . .

tvit}i\

Meres,
IVifs
190. lapwing] So
Treasury: "As the lapwing runneth
away with the shell on her head as soon
as sihe is hatched '' hence a forward,
;

conceited

youngster.

Clar.

Press

adds insincere, the lapwing cr)'ing far

from its nest to mislead intruders.
See Measure for Measure, I. iv. 32.
192. comply with] see II. ii. 394.
encounter]
.
^95) 196- outward
exterior manner of address.
.

196. yesty

collection] frothy aggre-

7iowned
in

in later Quartos,

1676.

and renowned

Fleay proposes fond un-

winnozved. Moberly explains 'frothy

expressions suited to express the
absurdest and most over-refined notions"; Clar. Press: "The metaphor
is a mixed one
Osric, and others
like him, are compared to the chaff
which mounts higher than the sifted
wheat, and to the bubbles which rise to
the surface through the deeper water."
:

'

The metaphor

in

"winnowed" seems

gation (of empty knowledge, like a

to me incidental and latent
the
mass of bubbles).
meaning is " Their frothy acquisitions
carry them successfully through the
198. fond and %vi)inowed opinions]
VVarburton's emendation /rtww'rt'is apt,
slight judgments of the most exquisite
and has found many supporters. arbiters elegant iai uin."
If wo read
Tschischwitz proposes profound for
same
the
remains
fanned,
llie
;

prophane.

Q
Q trennowed becomes //-tvi-

meaning.

HAMLET

216

[act v.

Enter a Lord.
Lord.

My lord, his majesty commended him to

you by young Osric, who brings back to him
he sends to
that you attend him in the hall
;

know

you

or that

Ham.

your pleasure hold to play with Laertes,

if

am

will

take longer time.

ready

is

my

constant to

the king's pleasure

;

now

purposes

his fitness

if

205
they follow

speaks, mine

or whensoever, provided

be

so able as now.

The

Lord.

and queen, and

king,

coming 210

are

all

down.

Ham.

In happy time.
The queen desires you

Lord.

entertainment to

some gentle

to use

Laertes before you

fall

to

215

play.

Ham. She well instructs me.

Hor. You will lose this wager, my lord.
Ham. I do not think so since he went

{Exit Lord.

into France,

have been

in continual practice

my

here about

all 's

shall

win

But thou wouldst not think how 220

at the odds.
ill

heart

but

it

is

no

matter.
Llor.

Nay, good

201-216. Enter

my
.

lord,

itisU-ncts

4-6.
220. But]F, omitted Q.
223. lord,
] Capell ; lord. Q, F.

206.

//};^^5fj-]

Walker

double
meaning."
" Hamlet's /////^.cfi
kill the
fit

for

King
it

pleasure.'"

in the

me] Q, omitted F.
220,221. how

"note the

Tschischwitz
is

unchanged
the King

when

to
is

hour of his unholy

214. /a//] Q, goe

ill

aWs] Q, how

Qq

all .

212. Tn happy (inie]VikQ a la boti?ie

Othello, ni. i. 32.
; as in
220. odds\ Malone
"With the

heure

advantage that

am

allowed."

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Ham.

It

is

but foolery

but

it

such a kind of

is

gain-giving as would perhaps trouble a

Hor.

If

your mind dislike any thing, obey

not

providence

now,

we defy augury

the

in

if it

is

there

if it

since no

of what he leaves, what

is

a special
If

be 230

it

be not to come,

be not now, yet

all

's

of a sparrow.

fall

come

not to

'tis

be now

the readiness

Let

it; I will

fit.

Hani. Not a whit

will

woman. 225

and say you are

their repair hither,

forestall

217

it

man

will

it

come

has aught

to leave betimes

't

235

be.

King, Queen, Laertes, Lords, Osric, and

Attendants zvith foils and gaimtlets : a table and

Etiter

flagons of ivine on

it.

King. Come, Hamlet, come, and take this hand from me.
[

The King puts

the

hand of Laertes

into that

of Hamlet.
226. //]
225. gain-giving\ F, gamgiving Q, game-giving Qq 4-6.
229. there'' s a\ F, there is Q.
231. noiv\Yy omitted Q.
Let he^ Caldecott ; The readines is all, since ?to
233-235. the 7-eadiness
The
man of ought he leaves, knowes what ist to leave betimes, let be.
Mhat is't to
readinesse is all, since no matt ha^s ought of zvhat he leaves.
F (substantially);
table
leave betimes? F.
.]
235. Enter King .
prepared, Trumpets, Drums, and Officers with Cushions, King, Queene, and
T'oiles,
and
Laertes.
King
state,
daggers,
The
all the
236.
.]
Q.
Johnson (substantially) omitted Q, F.

Q, omitted F.

misgiving

225. gain-gi7'ing]

formed
233,

Many

like gainsay.
.

punctuates Q thus: "since no man,

of ought he leaves, knows, what."
Johnson read "knows aught of."
The Q certainly gives a fine and

knows what

meaning
life

may

can solve

its

mysteries.

But the

F is vulgarised by reducing it
" If a man cannot carry away with

idea of

betimes']
234. since
editors follow Warburton, who

characteristic

man

since no man
bring, since no
:

to

life's goods" ; it is rather

If we
possess nothing except our personality,
what matters it to leave the adventitious things of life soon or late.
Hanmer read "since no man owes
aught of what he leaves."

him

HAMLET

218

Ham. Give me your

But pardon

't,

as

[act v.

I 've done you wrong

you are a gentleman.

pardon,

sir

This presence knows,

And you must

needs

have

heard,

how

punish'd

am
240

With sore distraction. What I have done,

That might your nature, honour and exception
Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness.
Was 't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes ? Never Hamlet
If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,
245
And when he 's not himself does wrong Laertes,

Then Hamlet does

Who

does

Hamlet

it

Sir, in this

my

Free

That

And
237.

it.

so,

poor Hamlet's enemy.

have shot mine arrow

my

250

I have

C).

T?iy

Q.

o'er the house.

brother.
241. sore"] , a sore Q.
248. madness^
F.
midience] V, omitted Q.
251. Sir
I, Q ; Mo/her F.
255. brother]
.

royal and courtly

frequent in Shakespeare.

242. exception] disapproval.

239. pi-esence]

assembly

wrong'd

is

be

audience,

madnesse. Q, Madnessel
254. Mhte'\ F,

is

if't

so far in your most generous thoughts.

hurt

/'j'ifJF,

Hamlet denies

disclaiming from a purposed evil

me
I

His madness;

of the faction that

is

His madness

Let

not

it

then?

Com-

pare AlPs Well

i. ii. 40.
255. brother] The F mother is
almost certainly a mere printer's error ;
yet it is worth considering that Hamlet

has been requested by his mother to

" use some gentle entertainment to
Laertes"; that the speech, in complying with her request, merely develops her words in the last scene,
"This is mere madness, etc."; that
it is spoken not without the character-

irony of adopting another's point

of view ; that Hamlet twice before
has pointed his indifference to the
King by expressed deference to his
istic

mother

and that he might

ironically

apologise for his apology (which |ohnson thought unworthy of him as lacking
sincerity) by hinting at the close why
it was made and made in the desired
form "And hurt my mother" (with
a slight salutation towards Gertrude J.
Can it be that this reading of F was
an afterthought of Shakespeare ?

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Laer.

am

219

satisfied in nature,

255

Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most

To my revenge but in my terms of honour
;

stand aloof, and will no reconcilement.

by some elder masters of known honour

260
I have a voice and precedent of peace,
To keep my name ungored. But till that time

Till

do receive your

And

will

offer'd love like love.

not wrong

it.

Ham.

embrace

And

Give us the

foils.

Come

freely.

on.

Laer.

Ha7n.

it

will this brother's wager frankly play.

be your

I '11

Your

foil,

Laertes

skill shall, like

a star

Come, one for me. 265

in mine ignorance
i'

the darkest night,

Stick fiery off indeed.

You mock me,

Laer.

Ham. No, by

King. Give them the

You know
Ham.

foils,

the wager

269

young

Cousin Hamlet,

laid the

my

well,

odds

o'

lord

the weaker side.

263. /]
ungored^ Q, inigorifdV ; ////] F, all Q.
omiltc-d Q
bni^ltlest
267. darirsl] Q, F
265. Come on] F, omitted Q.
hath]
F,
has
272.
271. ivager';] Capell ; ivagcr. Q, F.
(l.

261. keepi

!",

255. nature] Hamlet has referred

to " nature" and "honour" ; Laertes
replies as to each point.
260. voice aiid precedent] aulhori-

pronouncement, justified by
precedent, on the question whether
an insult by one distracted should be
Laertes' words
formally resented.
spoken by an assassin are wholly
talive

insincere.

Osric.

Very

Your grace hath

Q, I do Y.
Ff2-4.

sir.

this hand.

268. Stick
brilUantly.
in F 2 to
Cleop.

I.

fiery

iv.

stand

out

13.

272. odds]

Hamlet, who
less skilled.

by some

off]

For "darkest," changed

" brightest," st*: Ant. and
three

points given

to

assumed to be the
Supposed, erroneously,
is

to refer to the greater value

of the King's stake,

HAMLET

220
King.

do not

fear

But since he
Laer. This

is

length

Ay,

my

Or

[act v.

let

well.

we have

me

therefore odds.

see another.

These
[

275
have

foils

all

They prepare

to play.

lord.

the stoups of wine upon that table.

first

or second

hit,

the battlements their ordnance

The king

And

all

quit in answer of the third exchange,

Let

have seen you both

Hamlet give the

If

better'd,

me

good

me

King. Set

it

too heavy;

is

Ham. This hkes

Osr.

shall drink to

in the

280

fire

Hamlet's better breath

cup an union

shall

he throw,

Richer than that which four successive kings

Denmark's crown

In

have worn.

Give

me

cups;

And

285
the kettle to the trumpet speak.

let

The trumpet to
The cannons

the cannoneer without,

to

the

heavens,

heaven

the

earth,

"Now
begin

And

the

king

drinks

to

Hamlet!"

on,

Come,
290

sir.

Come,

Laer.

to

you, the judges, bear a wary eye.

Ham. Come

the

my

\They play.

lord.

276. Ie7tgth .?] Rowe

length. Q,
F.
274. better'd] F, better Q.
2S6. trumpet] Q, trufnpets F.
283. unio}i~\ F, V)iice Q, Onixe
3-6.
Trumpets
the while (stage direction) Q, omitted F.
289.]
291. Come, my
lord] Q, Co?ne on sir F.
;

274. better'd] not naturally superior,

trained by Parisian fencers.
280. i/tiit] pay off scores.
283. union] Malone quotes Florio
" Vnione
Also a faire, great,
orient
pearle,
called
an vnion."

Steevens quotes
" Vnions, as a

Holland's

Pliny

man would

say,
themselves alonfe."

Singular, and by
Pliny tells of Cleopatra's dissolving a
pearl in vinegar, and drinkin\; it.
286. Settle] see i. iv. 11.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Hatn.

221

One.

No.

Laer.

Ham.

Judgment.

Osr.

a very palpable

hit,

hit.

Well

Lae7'.

King. Stay;

me

give

drink.

again.

Hamlet,

pearl

this

is

thine

Here

to thy health.

's

Trumpets sound, and cannons shot

off ivithin.

Give him the cup.

Ham.

play this bout

'11

first;

set

it

by awhile.

Come.

Another

Laer.

hit

touch, a touch,

what say you

do

295

They play.

confess.

King. Our son shall win.

Queen.

Here, Hamlet, take

The

Gertrude, do not drink

Queen.

King.

off.

(after cup).

Malone.

.]

pray you, pardon me.

madam

it is

too late

by and

293.

Drum, trumpets and shot.

Florish, a
Trumpets sound, and shot goes off. F
Coine.']
Come:
296.
, Come, Q.

(after kit, line 292),

295. set /V] Q, set V.

299.

/i<r(7;-/]

by.

touch, a touch,] F, omitted Q

confess'] V, coitfest Q.
napkin] Q, Heere''s a napkin V.
301. madam!] Dyce
Madam Rowe.
303, 307. Aside] Rowe.

the poison'd cup

297.

lord

dare not drink yet,

Trumpets

pcece goes

my

will,

[Aside.'] It is

Ham.

300

King.

queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet.

Ham. Good madam

294.

He 's fat, and scant of breath.

my napkin, rub thy brows

In fact the poison.

See

line 337.

acted the character of Hamlet."

H.
Wyeth proposes faint Plehwe, referring to iv. vii. 158, conjectures A^?/.
299. napkin] handkerchief, as in
;

"There is
298. /rz/] Clar. Pres.
a tradition that this line was appropriate to Richard Burbage, who first
:

Here

Madam. Q,

Othello, in.

iii.

290.

HAMLET

222
Queen. Come,

My

Laer.

let

lord,

me

I '11

wipe thy

hit

Laer. [Aside.]

Ham. Come,

305

him now.
do not think

yet

almost 'gainst

'tis

for the third, Laertes

my

't.

conscience.

you but dally

pray you, pass with your best violence

Laer.

[act v.

And

face.

Kifig.

Osr.

am afeard you make a wanton of me.

3 o
Say you so? come on.
\They play.
i

Nothing, neither way.

Laer.

Have

at

you now
wounds Hamlet ;
!

[Laertes

then, in scuffling,

and Hamlet wounds

they change rapiers,

Laertes.

King.

Part them

Ham. Nay, come,

again.

Look

Osr.

Hor. They

bleed

lord

they are incensed.

on

both

to the

The Queen falls.

queen there, ho

How

sides.

is

my

it,

315

'gainst] F, it is
307. 'lis
against Q.
308. third
you]
Stesvens, /Aird Laertes, }'oii doe Q, third. Laertes, you .
310. afeard]F,
sure Q.
Rowe, omitted Q.
313. Laertes wounds .
In scuffling
.]
they change Rapiers F ; They catch one anothers Rapiers, and both are
wounded, Leartes falles downe, the Queene falles downe and dies
i.
314. come, again] F ; come againe Q, Yi 2-4.
The Queen falls] Capell ;
omitted Q, F.
315. is it] Q, is't] F.
.

310. wanton] treat me like an

indulged^ boy.
313. Stage direction] Of several
methods of exchanging rapiers adopted
by actors, or described by commenlators,
that suggested by H. von
F"riesen (Sh. Jahrbiich, 1869) seems
to accord best with the stage direction of
I.
The writer derives it
from his recollections of the fencingschool.
" As soon as your opponent
has made a pass, and is about to
return to his guard, you strike the
most powerful battute possible {i.e. a
_

blow descending along the blade of

opponent)
advance the left

3-our

foot close to the outer side of the right

foot of your opponent, seize with the
left

hand the guard of your opponent's

The opponent meets the

attack with the same manceuvre, and
gets his assailant's weapon in his
hand in the same way." The combatants change places, and continue
to fight.
(Furness's translation ^bbreviated.)

rapier.

to

314. ho!] Supposed by Staunton

be a signal to stop the combat.

How

Laertes

is 't,

Why,

Laer.

"

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen]
Osr.

woodcock

as

223

mine own

to

springe,

Osric
I

am

mine own treachery.

justly kill'd with

Ham. How does

the queen

She swounds

King.
Queen. No,

the

no,

The drink,
Ham. O villany
Treachery
Laer. It

No

is

the drink

Ho

seek

here,

let

out

it

In thee there

them

bleed.

my

dear

320
I

am

poison'd.

[^Dies.

the door be lock'd

'

\^Laertes falls.

slain

world can do thee good

in the
is

drink,

Hamlet, thou art

Hamlet.

medicine

the

drink,

Hamlet,

to see

not half an hour of

325

life

The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,

Unbated and envenom'd the foul practice
Hath turn'd itself on me lo, here I lie,
;

Never to
I

can

rise

again

no

more.

thy mother's poison'd

The

the

king,

330

king

's

to

blame.

Ham. The

point envenom'd too

Then, venom, to thy work

All.

Treason

treason

\Stabs the King:

King. Oh, yet defend me, friends

am

but hurt.

335

wvie ozun] Q, inincY.

omitted Q, F.
321. Dies] Rowc
322.
Theobald, hoiv (^, hoe (^ 4, How? F.
323. Laertes falls] Capell
omitted (), F.
Hamlet] F, heere Hamlet, Q.
324. here, Hamlet.
326. hour of] V, houres Q.
327. thy] F, 7ny Q.
333, Stabs the King]
Rowe, Hurts the King F, omitted Q.
317.

Ho !^

317. woodcock] %iiQ. I. iii. 115.

328. Utibated^^iiQ \\\ vii. 139.
328. practice] artifice, stratagem,

See

IV. vii. 68.

332.

The point] Staunton supposes

Hamlet

first to note that the button

gone, and reads, "The point
envenom'd too
333. to thy work] Theobald (ed. 2)
read " do thy work."

is

HAMLET

224

Ham.

[act v.

damned Dane,

Here, thou incestuous, murderous,

Drink off
Follow

this potion

my

mother

thy union here

Is

\^King

He

Laer.

is

justly served

dies.

a poison temper'd by himself.

It is

Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet 340

Mine and my father's death come not upon thee,
\pies.
Nor thine on me
I follow thee.
Ham. Heaven make thee free of it
Wretched queen, adieu
I am dead, Horatio.
;

You

that look pale and tremble

That

are but

Had

mutes or audience

but time (as this

fell

Is strict in his arrest) oh,

But

let it be.

Horatio,

sergeant, death,

am

you

tell

dead

Thou livest; report me and my cause

To the unsatisfied.
Never believe

Hor.
I

am more

Here

's

Roman

an antique

yet some liquor

it

than a Dane

As thou 'rt

me

the cup

go

let

350

aright

left.

Ham.
Give

345

to this act,

could

at this chance,

by heaven,

I '11

man,
have

't.

(= here?) murderous] F, omitted Q.

337. 0^]
336. Hert\ F, Hmre
F, 0/ Q (== off?); union']
i, ; the Onixe Q.
338. King dies] F,
you,
] Pope,
omitted Q.
348. you
342. Dies] F, omitted Q.
Q, you.
F.
351. Never believe] Q, F ;
350. cause aright] Q, causes right F.

Never

believe

Hanmer.

Calde337. union] see line 283.

the
cott suggests a play on the word
potion effects the union of the King
;

and Queen.
words.

The

in the stage direction for the

dumb-

show preceding

III.

147.

Du

Malone

Bartas

drad Serjant of

compares
Death,

"And

th' eternall

ludge,"

and Shakespeare's Sonnets, Ixxiv.

"When that fell arrest Without all
"Serbail shall carrj' me away."
:

a play
word occurs

346. viutes] performers in

who have no

347. sergeant]
Silvester's

the play, Act

ii.

geants" is of frequent occurrence in

Elizabethan literature as the name for
officers

who

arrest debtors.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

225

good Horatio, what a wounded name,

355
Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind

me!
If

me

thou didst ever hold

Absent thee from

And

in

thy heart,

felicity awhile.

world

harsh

this

in

draw

thy

breath

in

pain,

To

my

tell

story.

\^March afar

What
Young

Osr.

war-like noise

shot within.

is

360

this?

come

conquest

with

Fortinbras,

and

off,

from

Poland,

To

the ambassadors of England gives

This war-like volley.

Ham.

Oh,

The potent poison

1

Horatio

die,

my

quite o'er-crows

spirit

cannot live to hear the news from England;

But

On

do prophesy the election lights

he has my dying voice
Fortinbras

365

So tell him, with the

Which have solicited

occurrents,

the

rest

more and

less,

[Dies.

silence.

is

Horatio
355. good Hoyatio\Y, god Horatio i^, God Horatio Q(\/^-6, God!
360. March
Capell.
356. live\ F, I leave (^ ; nie !'\ Jennens, 7ne? Q, ine. F.
march a farre offQ, March afarre off, and shout within F.
.] Steevens,
.

369.

solicited

O,

o,o.

0,

356.

of

"

F
No

Jennens, solicited,
Dies] F, omitted (^.
]

support
1 10:
glory lives behind the back of
//w] Staunton

j-z^fl//

cites

Much Ado,

in

ill.

i.

such."
364. oV;--rr<?w.f] triumphs over (as a
victorious cock). To several examples
cited by Steevens and Malone, add
The .Spanish Mandevile, 1618, p.

135

and

" Being
suffering

15

somewhat haughtie,
no man to overcrow

Q,

solicited.

him."

Qq

Q6.\\.or?, rez.6.

siknce.'\

Q,

Pope, and

4-6,

silence.

other

ore-grozves.

368. occurre/tts] occurrences, inciBeaumont and Fletcher,

dents.

Beggar's Bush,
to
stranger.
my country."
.

i.

all

i.

"kept me

the occurrents of

369. solicited] invited,

as in Richard II. I. ii. 2.

prompted,

HAMLET

226
Hor.

Now

cracks

noble heart.

[act v.

Good

sweet

night,

370

prince,

And

flights of angels sing thee to thy rest

Why

does the drum come hither?

Enter Fortinbras,

tJie

Where

is

and

this sight

within.

drum,

attendattts.

What

Hor.
If

\March

EnglisJi Ambassadors, luith

colours,

For.

is it

ye would see

aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.

For. This quarry cries on havoc.

What

feast

is

toward

375

in thine eternal cell,

That thou so many princes

So bloodily hast struck

at a shot

The sight is dismal;

come too late

First Avib.

And

O proud Death!

our affairs from England

The ears are senseless that should give us hearing, 3 80

To tell him his commandment is fulfill'd,
That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.
Where should we have our thanks ?
Not from his mouth,
Hor.
Had it the ability of life to thank you
;

He

never gave

commandment

for their death.

385

omitted Q, F.
372. March within] Capell
370. cracks'] Q, c7-acke F.
Enter Fortenbrassee, with the
Enter Fortinbras
] F (substantially).
F.
378. First]
Embassadors. Q.
375- ^'^"^] Q>
373- J'^l F> Jw/QCapell ; omitted Q, F.
;

^"

370. cracks]

So

Co7'iolamis, v.

iii.

9: " with a crack'd heart."

371. sing] Warburton reads wz^.
havoc] His
375. This quarry
White's
of F may refer to Death.
explanation seems right "This heap
of dead proclaims an indiscriminate
.

slaughter."

For "cry on" compare

Othello, v. i. 48, Richai-d III. v. iii.

"This pile of
Clar. Press:
231.
corpses urges to merciless slaughter."
376. towarcT] see i. i. 77.
376. eternal] Perhaps used in the
sense which expresses abhorrehce ;
see note on i. v. 21.
383. /iw ;<??<M] The King's mouth.

PRINCE OF DENMARK

sen.]

But

since, so

You from

jump upon

227

bloody question,

this

the Polack wars, and

you from England,

Are here arrived, give order that these bodies

High on a stage be placed to the view
;

And

me

speak to the yet unknowing world 390

these things came about; so shall you hear

let

How

Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,

Of accidental judgments, casual slaughters,
Of deaths put on by cunning and forced cause,
And,

in this upshot,

purposes mistook

Fall'n

on the inventors' heads

Truly

deliver.

Let us haste to hear

For.

And

call the

395
can

all this

it,

noblest to the audience.

For me, with sorrow

embrace

have some rights of memory

my

fortune

kingdom, 400
Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me,
Hor. Of that I shall have also cause to speak,
And from his mouth whose voice will draw on
I

more
But

same be presently perform'd.

let this

Even

in this

while

men's

minds

are

wild

lest

mischance,
390. to the yet']Y

yet Q.
Rites F.
401.
,

to

4(X).

fi'g/its] (),

also]

Q, shall have alwayes F.

more

405
394. forced

F, for no cause Q.
now to] Q, are to F.
402. shall have
403. on more] F, no more Q.
405.
cause']

while] Q, whiles F.
386. jump] see i. i. 65.
392. carnal] changed to cittcll in
Qq 4, 5. This line refers to the
King's incestuous marriage and the
murder of his brother the next, to
the death
of Ophelia (accidental
judgments) and of Polonius (casual
slaughter)
that which follows, to the
;

deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

394.

put on]

instigated.

Compare

Coriola7ius,
11.
i.
272 ; for other
examples see Schmidt,
400. 0/ memory] traditional and
remembered,

HAMLET

228

On

plots

and

errors,

[act v.

sen.

happen.

Let four captains

For.

Bear Hamlet,

like

a soldier, to the stage

For he was likely, had he been put on,

To have proved most royally and for
:

The

soldiers'

Speak loudly

Take up
Becomes

music and the

his passage,

war

410

for him.

the bodies.
the

rites of

field,

Such

a sight as this

but here shows

much

amiss.

Go, bid the soldiers shoot.

\^A

dead vmrck.

Exeunt, bearing' off the bodies

after which a peal of ordnance

is

shot

off.

412. bodies'] Q,
410. )-ites\ F, right Q.
409. 7-oyaUy\ F, royall Q.
Exeunt
;
414. Stage direction] Capell (substantially) ; Exeunt
Marching after the which, a Peale of Ordenance are shot off. F.

body F.

406. 0)t] Perhaps

quence of "
of."

"as the conse"on the top

perhaps

408. put on] set to

brought to

work

(as King),

trial,

409. passage) departure, as in ni.

iii.

86.

APPENDIX

The "Travelling" of the Players

(n.

ii.

347).

(1603) reads as follows:

Ham. How comes

restie

that they travell

it

Do

they grow

No my

Lord, their reputation holds as it was wont.

then ?
Gil. Yfaith my Lord, noveltie carries it away,
For the principall publike audience that
Came to them, are turned to private playes,
And to the humour of children.
Gil.

Ham. How

Q(i6o4):

Ham. How chances

in reputation,

Ros.

thinke their

it

they trauaile

their residence both

was better both wayes.

inhibition, comes by the meanes of the

and

profit

late innouasion.

Ham. Doe
I

Ros.

they hold the same estimation they did when

the Citty are they so followed,
indeed are they not.

was

No

in

F (1623) repeats
(1604) so far, and adds all that
follows as given in the text (pp. 99-101) to and including
the words " Hercules and his load too."

The

discussion of this matter by Prof W. Hall Griffin

The Athenaum, April 25, 1896, seems to me highly
satisfactory.
At Michaelmas 1600 Henry Evans took
in

possession of the Blackfriars Theatre, a private theatre,

which he leased from Richard Burbage, and there he set
up " a companie of boyes," who became exceedingly
popular.
This is referred to in Q. r,
220

230

APPENDIX

(1604) refers to an inhibition and an innovation.

this is a veiled allusion to the popularity of the
children, an innovation, which had almost the effect of
If we must find an express inhibition,
an inhibition.
that due to the visitation of the Plague, 1603, may answer
In January 1604 the children became "the
the purpose.
Children of her Majesty's Revels " in 1603 Shakespeare's
company became the King's servants. It was inexpedient
that the King's servants should censure the Queen's chilHence the omission of any reference to boy
dren.
actors in Q 1604.

Probably

The passage in F refers not only to boy actors, but

probably also to the " war of the theatres," in which
Jonson, Marston, Dekker took prominent parts.
The
children performed Cynthia's Revels, 1600, and The Poetaster, 1601.
Jonson admits that he had " tax'd " the
"
players, but only some of them, and that " sparingly
(see Apologeticall Dialogue appended to The Poetaster).
A far less probable suggestion as to the " inhibition " is,
that it refers to the disgrace of Shakespeare's company at
court in 1601, owing to the share they had taken, by a
performance of Richard II., in the conspiracy of Essex.
See S. Lee's Life of Shakespeare, pp. 213-217.

APPENDIX

II

Some Passages from the Quarto of

1603

It may be of interest to give a few passages from the

Quarto of 1603, which differ considerably from the received
For II. 77-100 the
text, or are wholly absent from it.
i.

1603 gives:

Of.

yong Prince Hamlet, the only

Hee
The

floure of

Demnark,

bereft of all the wealth he had,

lewell that ador'nd his feature most
Is filcht and stolne away, his wit 's bereft him,
Hee found mee walking in the gallery all alone,
is

There comes hee to mee with a distracted looke,

His garters lagging downe, his shooes untide.
And fixt his eyes so stedfast on my face,
As if they had vow'd, this is their latest obiect.
Small while he stoode, but gripes me by the wrist,

And there he holdes my pulse till with a sigh

He doth unclaspe his holde, and parts away
Silent, as

is

the mid time of the night

And

as he went, his eie was still on mee,

For thus his head over his shoulder looked.
He seemed to finde the way without his eies
For out of doores he went without their helpe.

And
III.

ii.

so did leave me.

53.

The Quarto 1603 adds

to

Hamlet's criticism

Clown the following

And then you have some agen, that keepes one sute
Of ieasts, as a man is knowne by one sute of
Apparell, and Gentlemen quotes his ieasts downe
In their tables, before they come to the play, as thus

of the Stage

231

APPENDIX

232

Cannot you stay

till

eate

II

my

porrige?

and, you

owe me

quarters wages and, my coate wants a culHson

your beere is sowre: and, blabbering with his
:

And

lips,

And

thus keeping in his cinkapase of ieasts,

the warme Clowne cannot

When, God knows,

make

iest,

Vnlesse by chance, as the blinde

hare:
Maisters tell him of it.

man

catcheth a

Dr. B. Nicholson has argued that Kemp is the clown

specially hit at
he had left Shakespeare's company.
When he returned, these specialised jests were omitted.
Dr. Nicholson further argues that the praise of Yorick is
the praise of Tarlton, who died in 1588, and that on
Kemp's return to the company the praise of Tarlton was
made less pointed by altering the period during which
Yorick's skull had lain in the earth from twelve to twentythree years.
;

III. iii.

36-72.

Q. 1603 reads:

that this wet that falles upon my face

Would wash the crime cleere from my conscience
When I looke up to heaven, I see my trespasse,
The earth doth still crie out upon my fact,
Pay me the murder of a brother and a king,
And the adulterous fault I have committed:
these are sinnes that are unpardonable
say thy sinnes were blacker then is ieat,
Yet may contrition make them as white as snowe
1 but still to persever in a sinne,
It is an act gainst the universall power,
Most wretched man, stoope, bend thee to thy prayer,
Aske grace of heaven to keepe thee from despaire.

King.

Why

III. iv. 136.

From Exit Ghost to the close of the scene
1603 gives the following:

Queene. Alas,

it is

the weaknesse of thy braine,

hearts griefes

Which makes thy tongue to blazon thy

APPENDIX
But as
I

never

: :

II

233

soulc, I sweare by heaven,

of this most horride murder

have a

knew

But Hamlet,

this

is

onely fantasie,

And for my love forget these idle fits.

Ham. Idle, no mother, my pulse doth beate

like yours.
not madnesse that possesseth Hamlet.
mother, if ever you did my deare father love,
Forbeare the adulterous bed to night,
It is

And win your selfe by little as you may,

In time it may be you wil lothe him quite
And mother, but assist mee in revenge,
And in his death your infamy shall die.
I vow by that majesty,
That knowes our thoughts, and lookes into our
1 will conceale, consent, and doe my best.

Queene. Hamlet,

hearts,

What stratagem soe're thou shalt devise.

Ham. It is enough, mother, good night:
Come sir, I 'le provide you a grave,

Who

was

in life, a foolish

prating knave.

The following is absent from the later texts, but the

information here given by Horatio to the Queen is given
by Hamlet to Horatio in the received text in V. ii. This
scene follows iv. v.
Enter HORATio and

the

QUEENE.

Hor. Madame, your sonne is safe arriv'de in Denmarke,

This letter I even now receiv'd of him,
Whereas he writes how he escap't the danger.
And subtle treason that the king had plotted.
Being crossed by the contention of the windes.
He found the Packet sent to the king of Jinglatid,
Wherein he saw himselfe betray 'd to death.
As at his next conversion with your grace,
He will relate the circumstance at full,
Queene.

Then

perceive there

's

treason in his lookes

That seem'd to sugar o're his villanic

But I will soothe and please him for a time,
For murderous mindes are alwayes jealous.
But know not you Horatio where he is ?

APPENDIX

234

II

Hor. Yes Madame, and he hath appoynted me

To meete him on the east side of the Cittie
To morrow morning,
Queene.

faile

not,

good

Horatio,

and

withall,

com-

mend me

mothers care to him, bid him a while

presence, lest that he
Faile in that he goes about.
Hor. Madam, never make doubt of that
I thinke by this the news be come to court
He is arriv'de, observe the king, and you shall
Ouickely finde Hamlet being here.
Things fell not to his minde.
Queene. But what became of Gildersione and Rossencraft ?
Hor. He being set ashore, they went for England,
And in the Packet there writ down that doome
To be perform'd on them that poynted for him
And by great chance he had his fathers seale,
So all was done without discoverie.
Queene. Thankes be to heaven for blessing of the prince,
Horatio once againe I take my leave,
With thowsand mothers blessings to my sonne.
Hor. Madam adue.

Be wary of his

APPENDIX

III

Addenda
Mr. W. J. Craig, who in knowledge of the language of
Shakespeare is, I believe, unsurpassed by any living
proof-sheets of this edition (not
agreeing with my interpretations), has noted
omissions, and has sent me a mass of valuable illustrations and additions, from which I make a scanty selection.
student, has read the

always

I.

io6

i.

head, source, as in

salt tears' head."

I.

i.

red.

AWs

Well,

I. iii.

178,

Compare

origin, cause.

"your

II.

ii.

55.

166: russet, probably gray turning to gold or to

Latham's JoJinsotis Dictionary notices that Sir I.

Newton
I.

Hence

ii.

uses russet for gray.

one brow of woe.

Brow, aspect, look.

See

Schmidt's Lexicon.
100: peevish, foolish,

ii.

I.

IV.

silly,

as in

Comedy of Errors,

93.

i.

56: shoulder of your

iii.

I.

sail.

Shoulder, the back.

See Schmidt's Lexicon.

I.

v.

48

Lost, IV.

dignity, worth, excellence.

See Lovers Labour's

236.

iii.

Schmidt thinks this may mean the

I. v. 97
globe.
world Mr. Craig suggests this little world of man. Compare Lear, III. i. 10.
:

V.

I.
I.

ii.

"

116.

Wha,

ho,

Compare Marston, The Dutch

ho

come,

bird,
236

come."

Courtezan,

APPENDIX

236

III

I. V.
133: tvhirling words. Schmidt defines whirling
"giddy." Mr. Craig prefers F hurling. But compare
1 Henry VI. I. v. 19, "My thoughts are whirl'd Hke a
potter's wheel."

old true-penny. Mr. Craig notes these words

The Retiirne from Per?iasstis, II. iv., and
Beaumont and Fletcher, The Loyal Subject, i. iii. he adds
that Truepenny is the name of a character in Ralph
Roister Doister, and is defined in Bailey's Dictionary
(1721), "a name given by way of taunt to some sorry
I.

V.

50

as occurring in

fellow."

preparation, used specially

ii. 63
combat, as in Coriolanus, I. ii. 15.
II.

for

for a force

ready

339: the humorous f)ian. Mr. Sidney Lee notes a

in Henslowe's Diary, p. 183, of "The honorable
lyfe of the humorous Earle of Gloster with his conquest of
II.

ii.

mention

Portugalle."

Mr. Craig compares Romeo

aivay.
and notices an example earlier than
any in Neiv English Dictionary, Nash, The Unfortunate
Traveller (1594), Grosart's Nash, v. 42.
II. ii.

and

381

Juliet,

II. ii.

carry

III.

i.

402,403.

it

77,

Mr. Craig quotes from Apollo Shroving

(1627), " It lifts a man up till

a hawk after a hernshaw."
II. ii.

605

John-a-dreams.

dreaming" as an epithet
1581,

b.

III.

"

in

IV.

iv.

Mr. Craig notices " JohnHall's translation of Homer,

Compare Jonson, The Fortunate

135.

in

Hke habits as they

IsleSy

lived."

ii. 33
Hide fox, defined as "hide and seek, a
by Pegge, Alphabet of Kenticisms, 1735.

child's

unbated.
IV. vii. 1 39
Compare " unrebated swords
North's Plutarch, "Coriolanus," p. 241, ed. 1603.
:

in

lesse like

ii.

Enter Skogan and Skelton,

play,"

he grow lesse and

"

APPENDIX

III

237

V.
loi
loggats.
Steevens notes " It is one of the
unlawful [new and crafty] games enumerated in the statute
of 33 Henry viii."
i.

V.

than

ii.

Mr. Craig notes an

Neiv English Dictionary

6: bilboes.

any

in

Dictionary (1538),
V.

ii.

298

stands /^z/ to

^^

earlier
:

example

Elyot,

Latin

area, the pillory, stocks, or bilboes,"

fat and scant of breath. Mr. Craig undermean not reduced to athletic condition by a

fencer's training.

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Shakespecre, William
"
The tragedy r