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. the Tragical History of . H A M L E T . Prince of Denmark .
(Notes)
Scene 14 [~ For England ~] (Act 4 scene 3)
hw 2661- Setting: Inside the Castle;
The King's Room;
The early morning hours.
(Claudius enters, with guards and courtiers)
---
Claudius has returned to the King's Room to receive word when R & G find Hamlet and Polonius's body. Gertrude has taken over the task of talking to the influential political friends, since they are her friends, much more than Claudius's, from her years as Queen. Claudius has summoned some guards and courtiers, since he doesn't feel safe alone now.
hw 2662, to hw 2672- Claudius: I have sent to seek him, and to find the body;
How dangerous is it that this 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 'tis so, the offender's scourge is weighed
But never the offense. To bear all smooth and even,
This sudden sending him away must seem
Deliberate pause; diseases desperate grown,
By desperate appliance are relieved,
Or not at all.
---
Claudius calls Hamlet this man, without any "son" pretense. He now speaks of Hamlet as a stranger.
Claudius phrases his loose line as a question. He intends it to be a statement, but the phrasing reflects his worry and fear about Hamlet.
Claudius justifies his actions in a speech to the courtiers and guards, both for them, and knowing they'll repeat to others what he says. Claudius claims that subjecting Hamlet to the regular judicial process, for the death of Polonius, will not result in justice. He doesn't really know that. It's easily understandable that Claudius, a murderer, doesn't trust the judicial process, though. Strong law refers to arrest, jail, and trial - regular legal proceedings. Claudius says that's too "strong" for Hamlet, but the truth is, it's too "strong" for Claudius, because of his fear of what Hamlet would reveal about him.
Distracted means "crazy." Claudius is claiming that everybody is crazy, except for him.
Claudius says the multitude base their affection on what they can see, not on judgment. He's jealous of Hamlet's handsomeness. He's right that people go mostly by what they see, but it isn't that simple. If people had seen him murder his brother, their eyes would have made a big difference for him.
Scourge means "punishment." Claudius means that people dislike an offender's punishment that they see, but they don't dislike an offense they don't see. There's truth in that. It has obvious relevance to Claudius's own act of murder. In undertone, Claudius is calling Hamlet a scourge. In the Closet Scene, Hamlet mentioned being a "scourge," and Claudius now views him that way.
Claudius says he'll try to make Hamlet's sudden departure look like the result of careful deliberation. Deliberate pause means time for careful thought, like a court deliberating a decision. The Latin roots of deliberate (scales,) and pause (end,) are relevant. Laertes said that Hamlet's "greatness weighed, his will is not his own;" here, Claudius is "weighing against" Hamlet, in sending him away, in hopes of an end of Hamlet. Pause puns with "paws;" Claudius has put his "paws" on the scales of justice, to tilt them.
Claudius speaks in terms of "disease." This echos Hamlet speaking of Claudius needing a "purgation" when Hamlet spoke to G after the Mousetrap play. Claudius is now trying to cure himself of Hamlet.
hw 2672+1- (Rosencrantz enters;
Guildenstern stands with Hamlet and others at the doorway)
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Q2 says here, for the stage direction, "Enter Rosencraus and all the rest." This is the only instance in the play where a "physical entry" is directed, and it applies to "all the rest," which includes Guildenstern. The departure, from the regular "dialogue entry," is done out of necessity, to have both R & G in view of the audience at the same time. Rosencrantz gets the usual "speaker's entry," since he will talk to Claudius. However, Guildenstern must be visible to the audience, also, despite staying with Hamlet. So, G stands with Hamlet at the doorway, or in the background, in view of the audience, as R approaches Claudius. Claudius can't see G and Hamlet yet, but the audience can see both R and G.
hw 2672+1, to hw 2680- Claudius: How now, what hath befallen?
Rosencrantz: Where the dead body is bestowed, my Lord
We cannot get from him.
Clau: But where is he?
Ros: Without, my Lord, guarded to know your pleasure.
Clau: Bring him before us.
Ros: Ho, bring in the Lord.
(Hamlet and Guildenstern enter, with the escort)
---
Hamlet and G now get their standard "dialogue entry," as Hamlet moves to his correct speaking position on the stage, and G escorts him.
Everybody is stuck on speaking of Polonius being "stowed," or bestowed, like it was an Easter egg hunt.
hw 2681, to hw 2690+1- Claudius: Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius?
Hamlet: At supper.
Claudius: At supper? Where?
Hamlet: Not where he eats, but where he is eaten; a certain
convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only
emperor for diet; we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves
for maggots; your fat King and your lean beggar is but variable
service, two dishes but to one table; that's the end.
Claudius: Alas, alas.
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Hamlet thinks Claudius is an idiot if he can't even find Polonius's body, with all the servants and guards he has available, and knowing the area to be searched. Hamlet is right. Hamlet diverts Claudius with wordplay.
The "diet of worms" speech has allusion to the Diet of Worms in the town of Worms, Germany. This word "Diet" is from Latin, and means a formal assembly. The Diet of Worms concerned Martin Luther, who made Wittenberg famous. It was a significant event of the Reformation.
Hamlet's remarks are a threat to Claudius, that he intends for Claudius to be a "diet of worms" as well as Polonius. In undertone, the author is having Hamlet unintentionally allude to how it will end, with the King and the "beggar" both worm food. Then, the author has Claudius say alas for both of them.
hw 2690+2, to hw 2693- Hamlet: A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a King, &
eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.
Claudius: What dost thou mean by this?
Hamlet: Nothing but to show you how a King may go a progress
through the guts of a beggar.
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The mention of fish relates to Hamlet earlier calling Polonius a "fishmonger." A fishmonger is a seller of dead fish; the "fishmonger" is now, himself, a "dead fish."
Hamlet has called himself a beggar, and Claudius is the King. A progress is a trip. This again goes back to Hamlet characterizing Claudius as a capon, something a person eats. Hamlet is saying he intends to have capon for dinner, soon.
hw 2694, to hw 2700- Claudius: Where is Polonius?
Hamlet: In Heaven; send thither to see; if your messenger find him
not there, seek him in the other place yourself; but if indeed you find
him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the
stairs into the lobby.
Claudius: Go seek him there.
Hamlet: He will stay till you come.
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The other place is Hell. Hamlet is telling Claudius, in a roundabout way, to go to Hell.
Stay has a Latin root of "stand;" this goes back to Polonius bragging to Claudius "if circumstances lead me," that he would find where truth was hid. Polonius is, himself, truthfully, now a hidden circumstance.
A month is an unreasonably long time, until one would scent a dead body. Hamlet is telling a smell joke about Polonius even after he's dead. What Hamlet means is, Polonius smelled so bad in life, it will be a month after he's dead until they notice the difference.
However, Hamlet is also saying that there is such a smell of death about Elsinore, as he perceives it, that Polonius's body won't easily make a difference in that. To Hamlet, the whole place smells like death.
hw 2701, to hw 2708- Claudius: Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety
Which we do tender, as we dearly grieve
For that which thou hast done, must send thee hence.
Therefore, prepare thyself,
The bark is ready, and the wind at help,
The associates tend, and everything is bent
For England.
Hamlet: For England?
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Tender means "offer." Claudius is claiming that he's treating Hamlet in a special way to offer him safety. Dearly is an insinuation of affection for Hamlet; not true.
The word deed is the subject of must send thee hence; Claudius is claiming that Hamlet's own deed is the cause of his going to England, which is not true. It's Claudius's scheme.
A bark is a type of sailing vessel, a ship of medium size. Bent means "leaning that way," for England. "Bend" has a root meaning of "fetter," going back to Claudius saying he'd put fetters on his fear.
Hamlet is quite surprised that the trip to England is still on. He expected to be arrested for killing Polonius. The traditional (mis)interpretation, of Hamlet expecting the trip at this point, is an egregious misunderstanding of the play events, and an even more egregious deficiency of common sense. A person could get jailed for killing somebody, y'know. It's been known to happen, and even if "scholars" in their musty studies are somewhat unfamiliar with the phenomenon, Shakespeare had heard of it. And here, the "arresting officer," Claudius, is the detainee's mortal enemy, and they both know it. Of course Hamlet is surprised he'll still be allowed to leave the country, and with the "arresting officer's" help. The unexpectedness of it leads Hamlet to wonder about the voyage, and to want a look at the commission, as we'll later learn.
hw 2709, to hw 2717- Claudius: Aye, Hamlet.
Hamlet: Good.
Claudius: So is it, if thou knewest our purposes.
Hamlet: I see a cherub that sees thee; but come, for England;
Farewell, dear mother.
Claudius: Thy loving father, Hamlet.
Hamlet: My mother; father and mother is man and wife;
Man and wife is one flesh; so, my mother.
Come, for England.
(Hamlet exits)
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Hamlet says Good because an all-expenses-paid cruise to England is better than being thrown in the dungeon.
A cherub is a spirit; the "spirit" in the play is the Ghost. Hamlet means the Ghost told him about Claudius.
Hamlet's father/mother lines are typically interpreted as so-called chop-logic, that is, hairsplitting, but they are actually obfuscation of what he has really said to Claudius.
Hamlet doesn't know, at this time, of Claudius's scheme against him from the trip to England, so Hamlet credits his mother's influence with keeping him out of the dungeon. He therefore says a sincere "goodbye" to his mother, in gratitude, although she isn't there.
However, as he speaks to Claudius, Hamlet's word mother is actually the shortened form of a word that a decent person does not speak in polite company: "motherfu--er." Hamlet calls Claudius that three times, and hides it by putting "dear" or "my" in front of it, and with the father-mother obfuscation. So, Hamlet is saying a sincere goodbye to his mother, and grossly insulting Claudius at the same time. There is obvious allusion to what Hamlet believes about Claudius and Gertrude; he's incorrect there.
hw 2718, to hw 2722- Claudius: Follow him at foot,
Tempt him with speed aboard,
Delay it not, I'll have him hence tonight.
Away, for everything is sealed and done
That else leans on the affair; pray you, make haste;
(all exit to follow Hamlet, except Claudius)
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Q2 leaves the exit of R & G etc., as they follow Hamlet, to be understood. A simple "exeunt" would not be acceptable, since it would imply Claudius leaving, which he does not, and a detailed exit, for R & G and all the rest, except Claudius, was probably deemed tedious and unnecesary. Also, the original printing of Q2 puts the exits to the right of the dialogue, and there does not appear to be space on the page for a sufficiently detailed exit to be printed in the original. I add the detailed exit here.
Follow him at foot anticipates Hamlet's remark in the later Gravedigger Scene, about the peasant's toe galling the heel of the courtier.
Tempt has allusion to what Claudius has in mind for Hamlet in England. Sealed refers to the seal on the commission that we will later hear more about.
hw 2723, to hw 2733- (Claudius continues):
- And England, if my love thou holdest at ought,
As my great power thereof may give thee sense,
Since yet thy cicatrix looks raw and red,
After the Danish sword, and thy free awe
Pays homage to us, thou mayest not coldly set
Our sovereign process, which imports at full,
By letters congruing to that effect,
The present death of Hamlet; do it, England,
For like the hectic in my blood, he rages,
And thou must cure me; till I know 'tis done,
Howe'er my haps, my joys will ne'er begin.
(Claudius exits)
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A cicatrix is a scar. Claudius is referring to a war between Denmark and England, which gave England a scar.
With free awe Claudius means awe that was free to him, and something he doesn't have to pay for personally, as he does the "awe" of R & G. Instead of Claudius having to pay England, England will "pay" him, by doing what he wants, he hopes.
Coldly set means like setting a meal on the table cold, after a delay in serving. It goes back to Hamlet joking with Horatio about the funeral meats "coldly furnishing" the marriage tables when Gertrude married Claudius. Claudius is hoping for no delay by England in "serving" him with Hamlet's death.
Sovereign process means the king's order he wrote, the commission. Process is used in the legal way.
Imports has allusion to something going from one country to another, in addition to the plain reading.
Congruing means "corresponding," to the effect, or result, that Claudius wants. There is implicit wordplay on a letter as correspondence.
Present means "imminent," with allusion that Hamlet's death will be a "present" to Claudius.
Hectic means fever," with a connotation of "confusion."
Claudius says Hamlet rages, but it is he who rages. This is psychological projection. "Rage" has a root meaning of "madness."
Haps refers to luck, things that happen. This is an instance on the Fortune theme. There is wordplay on "happy" in connection with joys.
Q2 is correct for the final two lines. The Folio editor blundered in becoming "creative" to make a closing couplet where none was intended. The relevant tense is obviously the future, as Claudius expresses his hopes for what England will do.
Howe'er offers some wordplay in anticipation of events; it puns with "how err." The undertone is, "however my luck goes astray."
Claudius has not fought England, so the recent scar inflicted on England must have been from the sword of Hamlet Sr. Claudius is trying to use the reputation in England of Hamlet Sr to murder his son.
End of Scene 14
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