This concerns the Arden Shakespeare edition of Hamlet, Second Series, edited by Harold Jenkins, reprinted by Thomson, 2003, paperback. Hereafter called "Arden" or "Arden edition" in these comments.
The Arden edition describes itself as the definitive edition of Hamlet, and is one of the most popular and respected publications of Hamlet on the market, to my understanding. It is a valuable book, in its way. It has some useful commentary, and good citations of sources.
It is not a good presentation of Hamlet, however.
This list provides some error correction for the Arden, for the benefit of those who are using that popular book. The term "error" is used here to mean something that incorrectly presents the meaning of the play. This does not mean printing errors, if any exist, in the Arden edition, and no attention is paid to purely scholarly issues, such as whether citations are correct, which they presumably are. Items in this list are mostly responses to Arden notes, but some items refer to Arden's unnoted text.
My comments here are necessarily brief. See the Notes to my Hamlet (Regained) playtext for additional discussion of many points.
"Q2" as used here means the Second Quarto printing of Hamlet. "Folio" means the First Folio version, and "Q1" means the First Quarto version.
The numbers at the left in the list below, correspond to the line numbers in the Arden edition. The Arden format is imitated for clarity, with a line number, then the word or phrase quoted from the play text, then a right square bracket to mark the end of the quote from the play text.
Arden is certainly by no means alone in misinterpretations of Hamlet. Misinterpretation of Hamlet has been universal - and Arden ought not be held to any prominent criticism for that, above any other publication. And indeed, I have devoted special attention to the Arden edition because it's the only one I've found that seems worth the bother.
- This critical analysis of the Arden Hamlet is an original work.
- © Copyright 2006 by Jeffrey Paul Jordan
It is forbidden for any publisher competing with Arden to make any use of my remarks in an attempt to gain commercial advantage, nor may any others make any use of my remarks for commercial purposes without express permission. All copyright laws and regulations apply, worldwide.
- Act I Scene 1
22. A piece of him]- The sentinels do not shake hands at the changing of the guard; it is military, not a social occasion. The atmosphere is tense, not chummy.
39. yond same star]- The star is very likely Capella.
- Arden is wrong to assert no need for identification of a particular star. Capella is relevant to the play. Capella is Alpha Aurigae, and in Greek mythology Auriga is the charioteer. The chariot was invented by Erichthonius, who is associated with serpents, so this reference by Barnardo alludes, albeit very indirectly, to the death of Hamlet Sr. Further, when maids viewed the serpents, they went mad. It's an indirect allusion to the Ghost, who appears only three lines after.
63. the very armour]- Horatio has seen "the very armour," itself, on public display as part of the memorial exhibits for Hamlet Sr since his death. The steel armor did not, of course, magically evaporate when Hamlet Sr took it off after the battle, and there have been, of course, memorial exhibits for Hamlet Sr, as any sensible person would expect.
66. sledded Polacks]- The first word is properly "sleided."
- It means, arranged in rows or columns, like threads for weaving cloth. From sley, a weaver's term. The Poles were in good military formation, for combat, arrayed in orderly lines. A variant spelling of sley includes an "a" although the uncertainties of Elizabethan spelling may make that observation unnecessary. The author knew the word. See Pericles Act IV: "Be't when she weaved the sleided silk," also, Lover's Complaint stanza 7: "With sleided silk ..." The parley turned angry and became a battle, which Hamlet Sr won, against a well-arrayed military force of Poles, in icy conditions. The weaving term implies a large number of Poles, many lines of men.
- There is an intended pun on "sledded" in connection with "ice." The pun has been universally mistaken as the main meaning, which it is not.
75. toils]- also
- 75. and subject]
- The sentinels mean that in watching, they are "working" the land all night, not letting the land "sleep." It's their personal complaint, depersonalized and projected. The figure of speech is, as though the sentinels were a cruel master, forcing his servant, the land, to work for him all night.
94. return'd]- Not a loose usage.
When the lands were wagered they were placed up for grabs, with no immediate owner. Had Fortinbras Sr won, the lands would indeed have returned to him after being temporarily in that ownerless state.
99. unimproved]- The meaning is that Fortinbras is "unimproved" in comparison with his father. He has the same warlike nature as his father, rather than being more civilized or domesticated or restrained. "Unimproved mettle" should be handled as a phase, it means "no better than his father," or "just like his father." Arden persistently attempts to interpret individual words out of context, where the meaning is properly found through phrases.
110. rummage]- Arden dismisses the spelling, however, the Q2 spelling of "Romeage" is allusive to Roman Catholicism, and the "Rome" in the word is intentional. Purgatory is a concept of Roman Catholicism, and "Romeage" - with that spelling - is a word that alludes to the Ghost. Not to imply "Romeage" belongs in the play text of a modern-spelling edition, but the original spelling in Q2 requires a meaningful note in any worthwhile edition of the play.
115. A mote it is]- Q2 moth is correct.
- It means, "an unpredictable thing, like a fluttering moth seen at night." Horatio is not talking about the Ghost, itself, but rather what it portends. Horatio is wondering where this moth will alight. In practical experience, it's unpredictable where a moth will land.
Moth represents unpredictability. The "trouble" Horatio speaks of is not eye irritation, it's uncertainty about the future. His mind's eye can't see where the moth will land; he can't envision what the future will be, that the omen of the Ghost foretells. A nice pun, as well, on "mote." The Folio editor went with the pun, as everybody does, but missed the author's fine metaphor with moth. We can be additionally confident about moth because of what follows in the play, about the Ghost. It's well known that although the flight of a moth is generally unpredictable, moths are attracted to light, such as firelight. That's exactly where this Ghost moth tells Hamlet he landed, in "sulfurous and tormenting flames."
Like a moth to a flame, is the common expression.
Act I Scene 2
31. gait]- Q2 gate is correct, it means "access."
- It's an important word to understand, because Claudius sends to Norway to suppress Fortinbras's access to Denmark, but then has the table turned on him and agrees to allow Fortinbras free access. Claudius's inept diplomacy gives a result exactly the opposite of what he originally says here he wants. Gate as "access" must be understood to appreciate this important point, and to properly understand the characterization of Claudius as an incompetent King.
32. lists]- The earlier usage is not particularly relevant here, Claudius means a census has been taken, which would be mainly for tax purposes, also for church rolls. Claudius is making bureaucratic excuses for why Fortinbras shouldn't be allowed to attack.
32. (full) proportions]- Means the land has been officially divided into administrative districts, and is not just "territory," but rather a full part of the kingdom. The phrase, rather than only the single word, should be noted.
38. dilated]- Means the ambassadors are allowed to expand on the articles. The ambassadors do expand on the articles, with the result of Fortinbras getting a free pass into Denmark, exactly opposite to Claudius's originally expressed desire.
42. Laertes]- The Arden comment is seriously wrong, it misrepresents the character of Claudius in the play. Claudius is oppressing Laertes, not honoring him. Although Claudius repeatedly calls on Laertes, he talks over him and prevents Laertes from speaking. While Claudius talks, other people have to be quiet, and Claudius likes that. Claudius's important diplomatic mission leaves him swelled with pride, which is shown in the play by having him talk over Laertes. One must get this point correct to properly present Claudius's character.
69. Denmark]- Gertrude means Claudius, of course, as the main meaning, since Hamlet and Claudius have just spoken, Hamlet in a disagreeable way. Arden fails to observe the meaning in context. Of course it is not possible to determine the meanings of words taken out of context, as Arden habitually attempts. An undertone meaning of the country, in connection with Hamlet's desire to return to Wittenberg, is present, but only as an undertone.
82. shapes]- Q2 chapes is correct.
A chape is a cloak, an outward covering, which is exactly the point of Hamlet's utterances in this passage. Further, a chape is the piece on a scabbard that protects the point of the sword, so this word anticipates the unbated foil at the fencing match.
83. denote]- Q2 devote is correct.
Hamlet means it isn't his appearance that devotes him to the memory of his father, but that his true devotion is inward. Hamlet's point is his devotion to his father.
107. unprevailing]- Does not mean "unavailing," it means what it says.
129. sullied]- Q2 "sallied" is correct, and is not a spelling variant.
- Hamlet's complaint is that he feels attacked by the sudden rush of unhappy events in his life.
From sally: "to rush forth suddenly, as when attacking."
Hamlet feels attacked by the world, which he sees as rushing against him. There is a pun on "solid" in connection with "melt." The Folio editor got the pun, but missed the main meaning, as everyone does.
130. ...dew]- In popular parlance, dew rises.
- Hamlet is saying he wishes he could rise above it all. A thought of rising to Heaven is unmistakably implicit, as Hamlet immediately goes on to mention God and the subject of suicide.
186. once]- There is no conflict, because although Horatio may have seen Hamlet Sr in person only once, he could have seen him any number of times in portraits. Surviving portraits of high-ranking persons from the Elizabethan era are often well done and highly detailed.
204. truncheon]- Means the royal scepter, which is symbolic of a war club. It is not a staff.
204. distill'd]- Means changed or rendered; "dissolved" is a poor choice of synonym, more likely to confuse than enlighten, it only substitutes one metaphor for another.
209. Where, as]- Should be one word, Whereas. Horatio is making a formal or legalistic argument to Hamlet that the Ghost does appear.
216. it]- Should have been changed to its. It's foolish, in a modern-spelling edition, to leave archaic forms in the text that the reader will automatically take to be typos. That's what notes are for.
255. My father's spirit]- The historical religious disagreement absolutely cannot be dismissed out of hand, as "not dramatically relevant." [sic!] This note, alone, reveals that Arden has suffered a gross incomprehension of a key element of the play. The Catholics believed the souls of the dead could return as ghosts. The Protestants contended otherwise, that what appeared to be ghosts were manifestations of the Devil. This devil/ghost uncertainty is fundamental to the play, expressly stated in the course of events, and certainly derives from the religious disagreement in Elizabethan times, the author's milieu. The Catholic - Protestant difference of opinion must be squarely faced and dealt with in a proper presentation of the play. At least Arden manages to allude to the issue, strangely, while mistakenly trying to avoid it.
Act I Scene 3
2. as]- Means "the way that."
3. convoy is assistant]- Q2 convey, in is correct.
- Laertes means: ...the way that the winds give benefit (to me) and convey (me to my destination, please also act,) in assistant (of me.)
- assistant means "being an assistant."
9. suppliance]- Means "supplication." Laertes is making reference to his own behavior in France.
21. sanity]- Q2 safety is correct.
- The passage is not written to a metronome; an editorial fantasy of strict meter, that does not exist in reality, is no excuse for quibbling with real evidence of the author's word choice. Q2 is closest to the author's own hand, and its wording must not be altered based on mere rationalization, or through accumulated idleness by editors through the centuries, if the writing is going to continue to be called Shakespeare. Q2 wording must not be altered - if we're going to call the result Shakespeare - except in those few instances where printing error is the only rational conclusion, or in the handful of instances where credible evidence exists for authorial change that post-dates Q2. This is patently not such an instance. Safety gives an entirely sensible meaning, harmonious with the context. Safety is the right word, if it's Shakespeare we're after.
Indeed, there is reason to think the author intentionally departed from meter to make a flat prose statement at that point, in order to draw attention to what was said. Laertes is ludicrously asserting that for Hamlet to marry Ophelia would somehow be a threat to the safety of the whole country. It's an idiotic thing for him to say. The author is in the process of characterizing Laertes as a male chauvinist, and a babbler, who has a low opinion of his sister. A prose statement for emphasis, to highlight the absurdity of his remark, is well in keeping with that characterization. The odd, and - I beg your pardon - unprofessional practice of editors, over a long period of time, to take words and phrases out of context, and try to interpret them in isolation, with no appreciation of the meaning of the associated passage, has reached the point that it is robbing readers of a rational understanding of the play. Readers are being cheated.
It's long past the time when a stop should have been put to such indefensible, unscrupulous behavior by editors (however well-meaning and unintentional.) At some point, higher ethical standards must apply if Shakespeare, and Hamlet, are to continue to exist in authentic form for the immortal future. The only proper approach to Hamlet is first to get the meaning of a passage, in the context of the play, including discernible undertones (using Q2 as the preferred guide) and only then to be concerned with niceties of specific wording. Anything less is unacceptable, unethical, and a serious disservice to readers who have been led to expect "Shakespeare." Not that editors are intentionally committing offenses against the future, but it really is time for a wake-up call.
We return you now to . . . .
42. Contagious blastments]- "Contagious" means transmitted from one person to another, and "blastment" means swelling. The phrase refers to pregnancy.
- An undertone of Hamlet's madness later being transmitted to Ophelia.
49. like]- Should be omitted, editorial in Folio. Ophelia is not likening Laertes to a libertine, she's calling him one.
- also
- 49. puff'd]
- Ophelia cleverly tossed the idea of "swelled up" back at Laertes. This is significant to Ophelia's characterization as a smart girl.
65. courage]- An allusion to the Ghost.
- Courage has a synonym in "spirit," and there are phrases that mean "man of spirit": a blade, a dashing young fellow. A courage, referring to a person, is a "man of spirit." The man of spirit in the play, the spirit man, is the Ghost. Notice that the Ghost is both newly hatched, in that it has only recently left Hamlet Sr's body, and unfledged, in that it does not yet have wings in Heaven. This is a nice verbal accomplishment by the author: amid Polonius's long-winded advice to his son, up pops the Ghost. BOO!
- Thus we know the word "courage" was intended by the author, as Q2 shows, however obscure its derivation as a reference to a person.
86. yourself shall keep the key]- Ophelia considers her talk with her brother private; this is relevant to Polonius's immediate inquiry, which she resents. That which is locked in memory is kept there. Relevant to Polonius's later disgraceful and flagrant intrusion into Ophelia's privacy in taking her love letters, and Polonius's general characterization.
109. running]- Q2 wrong is correct.
- Polonius is referring to flatulence, not horse racing. His characterization is that of a windbag, not a jockey. The Folio is in error. He means he doesn't want to do the phrase wrong by saying it so abruptly it sounds like passing gas. "Crack the wind" = break wind. A correct reading of this is significant to the author's portrayal of Polonius as a "windy" character. It's an irony in Polonius's character, that he's so gassy because he thinks short phrasing sounds gassy, so verbosity is eloquence, to him.
130. bawds]- Q2 bonds is correct.
- A proper understanding is significant to Polonius's character; after his advice to Laertes he got stuck in using financial terms, for one thing. Since bonds is in both Q2 and the Folio, Arden has no excuse for making a substitution, and Arden undermines their claim of being an authentic source for the play by making purely editorial substitutions for the known wording of the play. Breathing like means "sounding like" or "seeming to be." "Breath" is voice.
Also, there's allusion to bonds of matrimony for Ophelia and Hamlet. This pertinent allusion makes it an inarguable certainty that bonds is the correct word, exactly as Q2 shows.
Act I Scene 4
1. shrewdly]- Q2 shroudly is correct, meaning: "like a shroud of death."
- It's an important mood word to begin the scene where Hamlet encounters the Ghost. Bite means "seize" or "grip." Hamlet means the cold air grips him like a death shroud.
There is no reason to think Horatio merely echos Hamlet; indeed, the meaning of Horatio's remark is, by itself, enough to suggest Hamlet has said something significantly different. Appparently the Folio editor didn't recognize shroudly and went back to Q1, which shows "shrewd." However, Q1 is notoriously lacking in authority for its individual word choices. We can be entirely confident in respecting Q2 here, since shroudly gives a sensible reading that fits the context perfectly.
9. the . . . upspring reels]- Hamlet means the overbearing upwell of noise is enough to make a person reel.
- "swaggering" = overbearing
- "upspring" = upwell (of noise)
- "reels" = staggers (a person)
- Claudius is being characterized as resoundingly overbearing, not as a hula dancer.
12-13. Is it a custom?]- Horatio means, "here at the Castle."
- Denmark is much larger than Elsinore alone. Horatio is from a different part of Denmark, and therefore unfamiliar with Castle customs. Few people around Denmark would have drum, trumpet and cannon at their beck and call to implement the custom at every inn, and they didn't have television in those days to broadcast the royal rouse.
14. native]- Hamlet means he was born at the Castle.
49. inurn'd]- Q2 interr'd is correct.
- A Folio mistake; a vault is not a jug, Hamlet Sr was not cremated. Stone is of the earth, and a body in a stone tomb is "in terra."
75-8. The very place . . . beneath.]- Horatio is observing that a high cliff can cause a person to think about jumping, for no particular reason. Also allusion to Hell, of course, which is always "the place beneath."
87. imagination]- Q2 imagion is correct.
The suffix "-ion" means "the result of." The author has added the "-ion" suffix to the word "image." Horatio means Hamlet has grown desperate as a result of the image of his father.
Act I Scene 5
2. Ghost]- Arden neglects to consider the difference between the script, and the actor's behavior on stage. It is not known how the actor's part for Hamlet was written in earlier writings that have not survived. Was the script written so that the Ghost actor on stage had to cry like an oyster-wife? That's extremely doubtful. Hamlet makes an unmistakable distinction between script and actor's behavior in talking to the players about how to perform his Mousetrap, so Arden really ought to have been more careful on that point, since it's directly pertinent to a notable scene in the play.
16. harrow]- The Ghost means "uproot," and is saying that if he told the tale to Hamlet it would be so shocking it would uproot his soul from his body the way a plow uproots weeds.
55. lust]- Q2 but is correct. As follows.
55. radiant angel]- Means Lucifer.
56. sate itself]- Q2 sort is correct, and means "find its way," or "make its way."
The Folio error with "lust" and "sate" is either that the Folio editor misconstrued the passage based on a misunderstanding of the word "bed," or the phrasing was changed in stage performance to titillate the groundlings. The appearance of "Lust" in Q1 suggests the latter. The Q2 phrasing is correct to the author's hand, as literature. The Ghost means that virtue will make its way to a celestial, Heavenly, resting place, despite what's mentioned.
56. celestial bed]- Resting place in Heaven.
54 -7.]- The Ghost is saying that Gertrude's virtue is unalterable, and although lewdness (Claudius) courted her in the shape of Heaven (pretending virtue,) so although Gertrude is linked to Lucifer through her marriage to a murderer, Gertrude will find her way to a celestial resting place, in Heaven, and also she will pray about something that was thrown away.
The passage has undertones relevant to other things in the play, particularly an insinuation that the Ghost, himself, is only in the shape of Heaven, but linked to Lucifer; also that Hamlet, despite that link - if it's so - may sort his way to Heaven. The passage hints slightly at something we don't see in the play, the fate of Hamlet's soul. It's vital to follow Q2 here and get this right, for the undertones as well as the plain meaning.
57. prey]- Q2 pray is correct.
62. hebenon]- Q2 Hebona is correct.
- Means "the ultimate evil poison." The word indicates a basic meaning of "black:" black thoughts, black magic, "black" plants, black death (and the idea of mourning.) There is no legitimate reason to change it from Q2 as the Folio editor did, and it's demonstrable the Folio editor was wrong to change it.
As Arden suspects, it's incorrect to identify this with any particular plant; we know that, because it's expressly stated by Lucianus at the Mousetrap play that it's a rank mixture of "midnight weeds," plural. The author, then, had several plants in mind, and combined all of them, with collection at midnight, and black magic enchantment, to create the ultimate "black" evil poison. The capitalization is correct, as Q2 shows, because there is reference to Hecate for the black magic, as stated by Lucianus. Also, the word should end in a vowel because "Hecate" ends in a vowel, and the correct ending is the female "-a" because Hecate is understood to be female.
158. truepenny]- The name "Truepenny" is from Ralph Roister Doister, which is demonstrable in Hamlet's speeches in this passage, which have related utterances or short passages in RRD. For a quick example, Hamlet's "Well said, old mole" maps exactly to the utterance "Well said, Truepenny" in RRD. Hamlet first says "Truepenny" because of this line in RRD: "Ye are a slow goer, sir." Hamlet means the Ghost has not left yet, despite his adieu. The relevance of RRD is additionally demonstrable elsewhere.
163. S.D. They swear.]- They don't swear on the sword, for a good reason. The absence in the passage (Q2) of lines for them to swear is correct, and intentional. Arden's error seriously misrepresents the passage. Needs a long discussion. Basically, Hamlet suspects the voice may be that of the Devil, and keeps trying to move away from it, so as not to put his innocent friends in the position of unknowingly swearing to the Devil. Unable to escape what may be the Devil's voice, he finally gives up on the oath on the sword; thus, there is no line in the play where they swear on the sword.
166. again]- Arden is flat wrong. Read their note the other way around, and you'll have it right. Hamlet is trying again.
175. your philosophy]- Reference to natural philosophy, the former term for natural science. Also refers to Horatio's common sense personal philosophy. Neither natural science, nor Horatio's common sense, incorporate the Devil, or ghosts.
182. encumber'd]- Hamlet means with the hands held out in front, palms upward, as if carrying something. Try it yourself, while looking ahead, and you will recognize the gesture.
198. Nay . . . together]- Hamlet desires to walk close to his friends. Hamlet is not patronizing his friends as Arden suggests; he sincerely wants close company after what he's been through.
Act II Scene 1
10. encompassment]- Means "all encompassing inquiry." As long as he's sending an agent there, Polonius wants to find out everything he can, whether it's immediately relevant to Laertes or not.
35. Of general assault]- Temptation is meant, assaults on morality.
39. fetch of warrant]- Q2 wit is correct.
- Polonius means he thinks it's a bright idea, something fetched up by his intelligence. This is an important word to have correct, because of the irony, since Polonius's idea is actually astonishingly stupid.
40. sullies]- Q2 "sallies" is correct, and is not an alternate spelling.
- Same meaning as Hamlet's earlier sallied. Means "rush of attacks" on Laertes's character. A nod to "sully" is available, but "sally" is the primary meaning.
65. windlasses]- Has allusion to a torture device.
71. Observe . . . yourself]- Polonius means Reynaldo should behave himself, not misbehave as Polonius assumes Laertes is doing.
72. ply his music]- Polonius is talking about Laertes "having his fun." Music is figurative.
83. As if . . . hell]- There is no "perhaps" about it, Ophelia means Hamlet looked as though he had seen Hell.
Act II Scene 2
12. sith]- Means "because," as Arden notes the meaning to be, but strangely fails to apply it. Claudius is explaining why he used the word "transformation," that being because Hamlet has changed.
39. S.D. Enter Polonius.]- There are reasons why Ophelia isn't there despite Polonius's "we" at the end of AII S1. Polonius left her crying in her room after he forced her to give him her love letters. Also he didn't want her there to distract from him getting all the credit for his cleverness in noticing the love affair.
45. Both . . . King]- Arden's note is deficient in a way that undermines comprehension of Polonius's character and the play, itself. Polonius expressly devotes his soul to the King, as much as to God, which is highly immoral and remarkable. A correct understanding is necessary to Hamlet's mention of "Jephthah."
67. (falsely) borne in hand]- Means old Norway acted as though his infirmities didn't exist; he behaved energetically, as though it were untrue he had infirmities. Or, in other words, old Norway was not as feeble as they had been led to believe. The "delusion," as Arden chooses to call it, was in the mind of Claudius.
73. three thousand]- Q2 is correct with threescore thousand, it means 60,000 crowns, or 15,000 pounds. The money old Norway has said Fortinbras can have, is that much of the revenue from Elsinore Castle, if he can take it. Once again, Q2 is correct.
77-8. pass Through your dominions]- Old Norway and Fortinbras are conspiring in a ruse.
- Observe that the diplomatic result is exactly the opposite of what Claudius wanted to achieve. Rather than keeping Fortinbras out of Denmark, Claudius's diplomatic accomplishment is to let Fortinbras walk right in with his army, an army Fortinbras raised specifically for use against Denmark.
86. expostulate]- Polonius is misusing this word in his speechifying.
110. beautified]- Polonius has mistaken the word. Polonius thinks it's "beatified," made a saint by the church. Hence his objection, he thinks Hamlet was being profane, and he puts on a show of being religiously indignant. With his blunder, however, Polonius has accidentally made a remark relevant to Ophelia; he makes relevant remarks accidentally at several points in the play. It is part of Polonius's characterization that he is only right by accident, if at all.
128. But how . . . his love?]- It's significant to note that Polonius doesn't answer the question. His indifference to Ophelia's feelings is intrinsic to the characterization of Polonius as a deplorable parent. Indeed, he's shocked at the question; in his view Ophelia's feelings are entirely subordinate to other considerations and he thinks the King ought to understand that.
167. reading on a book]- Arden's contention that it's impossible to identify the book should not be taken too seriously. Hamlet's subsequent comments are not descriptive of the book, however.
174. a fishmonger]- Means a seller of things that smell bad; a promoter of fishy schemes. Secondary meaning, that Polonius acts like a pimp for his daughter; look back at AI S3 where Polonius speaks of Ophelia in terms of her price. It's important to observe that Hamlet is not being offensive to Ophelia in that way, but only to Polonius, to whom he's speaking. He's calling Polonius both a pimp and a fishy promoter.
181. if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog]- Hamlet means if his association with Ophelia causes her death. Sun/son pun. Hamlet uses "dog," to mean Ophelia, but not in any insulting way. He's referring to the legend of Saint Guinefort, a noble and heroic greyhound that was killed by mistake. The legend of St Guinefort includes a castle, a serpent, accidental or mistaken death, and the dog's body falling into water.
181-2. a good kissing carrion]- Arden has made the correct choice of word with "good," for the modern reader, but the interpretation is lacking, to say the least. Reveals that Hamlet and Ophelia have kissed, an important fact in the play. Reveals Hamlet's fear that his kiss of her will, under the circumstances, lead to her death. Hamlet is envisioning himself as the "kiss of death" for Ophelia.
184. Let her . . . sun]- Uses the already established pun, sun/son, as one would expect. It assuredly does not mean keeping Ophelia away from public places, it means keeping her away from Hamlet. Hamlet fears that if Ophelia is associated with him it could mean her death. The true irony is consummately sublime. Hamlet is enjoining Polonius to help keep Ophelia away from him, lest she die, while Hamlet does not know that it was Polonius who told Ophelia to avoid him. Hamlet mistakenly thinks it was Ophelia's own fickleness that motivated her decision not to see him, by comparison with his mother's apparent change of affection, which he also fails to understand.
198-9. plum-tree gum]- The gum idea is mentioned in Aristophanes, who is pertinent again, later.
229. cap]- Q2 lap is correct. As follows.
229. the very button]- Q2 is correct in both punctuation and wording.
- Button means "least thing" (to Fortune.) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are saying they are not the most favored children of Fortune, whom she coddles on her lap, but neither are they the very least thing to Fortune. Hamlet's "sole of Her shoe" remark is an expression of his own feelings. Then, Hamlet's "favours" remark is his own lewd suggestion, that Guildenstern takes up. The correct understanding of lap is significant to Hamlet's remark: he suggests that although R & G have said they're not being coddled children on Fortune's lap, they're doing something else in the area of her lap. Lap leads to Hamlet's "favours" remark, so we know that lap is the correct word, as Q2 shows. The Folio mistake undercuts the flow of dialogue, by leaving Hamlet's "favours" remark without its cue. In Q2, which is correct, "lap" cues "favours;" it's the flow of the dialogue.
266. wait upon]- Hamlet doesn't want Rosencrantz and Guildenstern [hereafter "R & G" in these comments] included with the rest of his servants because he doesn't trust R & G. Hamlet is phrasing his remarks to mislead R & G of his real meaning. His remarks have various undertones in relation to the play in general.
269. dreadfully attended]- Hamlet means with R & G attending him he's dreadfully attended at that moment, as the immediate meaning.
269-70. the beaten way]- Means defeated way, the friendship is defeated, or worn out. Hamlet is no longer friends with R & G.
290. have an eye of]- Hamlet is telling R & G to look him in the eye, not to evade eye contact.
295. moult no feather]- Means not grow wing feathers and fly away like a bird. Hamlet is saying he'll help R & G maintain their confidentiality to the King and Queen. Facetious. Since he knows, the secret has already flown, to him. The flying bird image, for a secret being lost, appears again later, in the Closet Scene. The idea of a bird carrying a secret is expressed in the old saying, "a little bird told me."
298-303. this goodly frame . . . vapours]- In this speech, Hamlet is saying that for him to have the god-like power of deciding a question of life or death, for Claudius, is not a happy thing, but has destroyed his appreciation of the glory and beauty of the world. He's finding that such god-like power to kill, and having to decide when and how, is a highly unpleasant situation, which affects his view of everything. Also, Hamlet is not lying to R & G when he says he doesn't know "wherefore" he has taken such a view of things. He's speaking of the more profound questions, of why he was born into that time and place, why he's had the task thrust upon him, and so on. He has no answer to the "why" of those abiding imponderables.
321. in peace]- The references in this speech are all to things that concern Hamlet.
"His Majesty" is Hamlet Sr.
"The adventurous knight" is Hamlet, as he contemplates the possibility of stabbing Claudius; and this remark also anticipates the fencing match.
"The lover" is Hamlet, as he sighs for Ophelia, and hopes it isn't for nothing.
The "humorous man" is Hamlet, and his "part" is to kill Claudius; he hopes to get that done "in peace."
"The clown" is Hamlet, as he jokes with people - whether they get the jokes or not - and also anticipates Hamlet's behavior at the Mousetrap play, where he will joke with Ophelia.
"The lady" is both Gertrude and Ophelia, whom he respects and wants to be able to speak their minds freely, although unfortunately he, himself, will play a major role in preventing that.
The source investigations that Arden does are all very nice, in their place, but one must first understand what speeches mean within the context of the play. Only then do sources and further references become of any interest, as a sidelight.
324. blank]- Q2 black is correct.
- We know in the play that "black" is associated with mourning. Hamlet is saying that if the Lady cannot speak her mind freely, the verse will be mournful /sad /grievous, rather than enjoyable, and should cease. There is credibly wordplay intended with "blank," since the word similarity is obvious, but black is the correct word in the play text. Ironically anticipates Hamlet's own behavior to both Ophelia and Gertrude, in the Nunnery Scene and Closet Scene respectively, where his mournful /regrettable behavior prevents both from speaking freely.
337. sir]- Should not be in the text, not authorial.
- The passage, overall, is authorial despite not being in Q2. When the Folio editor added the passage, after finding it in manuscript, he mistakenly added the word "sir" as well.
- The author dropped the passage from the manuscript for the Q2 printing because, at the time he wrote, childrens' theater had become a subject of political controversy, an issue in a Star Chamber inquiry involving the kidnapping of a boy. The questions Hamlet asks in the passage, about how the boys are maintained, allude to those Star Chamber proceedings. The author decided to skip it, for printing. The passage remained in manuscript, however, where the Folio editor found it and used it, properly so, as it is certainly genuinely authorial. But the editor should not have taken it upon himself to add the word "sir" as R does not correctly address Hamlet so. Hamlet's status is very much on his mind in connection with the death of his father, and we see later that when G calls Hamlet "sir" he immediately interrupts. The "sir" should be omitted from the text, and only noted.
338. on the top of question]- Means so that questions are smothered, not heard. Like throwing a blanket over the top of something. Could be glossed as "beyond questions."
338-9. tyranically]- Means "royally" (and implicitly casts Claudius as a tyrant.) The children enjoyed royal favor. Leads to the following comment about them being in fashion.
374. mad north-north-west]- Adapted by the author from Chaucer. Means madness about love, with special reference to Ophelia. Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls contains the line, "As wisely as I saw thee north-north-west," uttered while Chaucer's character speaks of love. The author has adapted Chaucer's line by changing "wisely" to madly. It's a rather straightforward adaptation, since Chaucer's character is, himself, "mad" or confused on the subject of love.
374-5. When the wind is southerly]- Refers to R & G, themselves. Wittenberg is nearly straight south of Elsinore on the map. Hamlet is observing that R & G blew in on a southerly wind, as the saying goes.
383-4. You say right . . . indeed.]- Hamlet is not ignoring the approach of Polonius, but rather is deceiving Polonius that he was being talked about. Hamlet not ignoring the approach of Polonius is the whole point.
386. Roscius]- Hamlet means that what Polonius tells him is old, not news to him. Roscius was an actor in ancient Rome, there's nothing new in the mention of him. No sign that Polonius is confounded, he interrupts and says what he has to say; Hamlet's meaning goes over his head.
397. For the law of writ, and the liberty]- Refers to the London area, either the city proper, where written ordinance applied, or the "liberty" outside the London sheriff's jurisdiction. The author transfers this distinction to his Denmark setting. Means in more general terms, "either in the city, or outside it." Hamlet's enjoyment of the actors while in the city was mentioned, and the actors are outside the city in traveling to Elsinore. This phrase harks back to "the late innovation." It's this exact distinction, between the "law of writ" of the city of London, and the "liberty" outside London, that led to theaters being moved outside the city proper.
409. that follows not]- What follows in the Bible story is that Jephthah killed his daughter as a "burnt offering" to his Lord. Polonius's Lord is Claudius. Arden is right about love of the daughter. Hamlet's remark has a double meaning, both directly pertinent to the play.
411-14.] Hamlet affects no misunderstanding, but simply continues to talk about his chosen subject. Hamlet is the one who introduced the subject of Jephthah, thus, any misunderstanding is on the part of Polonius in trying to follow Hamlet.
416. abridgement]- Hamlet means his abridgement of the Jephthah story, however told, the point where he leaves off. The salient event Hamlet has not expressed is Jephthah killing his own daughter. Hamlet says the chanson will show "more" not that the first row will state his special point, thus the exact referent of "chanson" is not vital.
Hamlet pretends the approach of the players causes him to break off, but he wouldn't have said the rest, anyway.
426. like French falconers . . . we see]- Q2 friendly is correct.
- Means gregarious /promiscuous /indiscriminate /unselective. Like indiscriminate falconers who release their hawks to fly at any bird they see.
433. caviare]- The word is caviary and Q2 is correct.
- This is not a noun, it's an adjective meaning "like caviar."
434-5. cried in the top of]- Means harmonized with, agreed with. Hamlet sang baritone, and others sang tenor in harmony with him, so to speak. Cried means "sang," and "in the top" means, in the upper voice range, in harmony.
441. more handsome than fine]- Means, with more natural beauty than artificial flashiness.
After saying affection Hamlet introduced an undertone about Ophelia. On the surface he means the play, but his undertone is:
"an honorable approach" = Ophelia is honorable;- "as wholesome as sweet" = Ophelia is wholesome and sweet;
- "more handsome than flashy" = Ophelia's beauty is a natural handsomeness, it isn't because she's all made up, and dressed up, and flashy.
Hamlet is alluding to Ophelia, even though that has nothing to do with the conversation. Reveals Hamlet's love for Ophelia, and anticipates the Nunnery Scene.
463. discretion]- Polonius has used the wrong word, he means "expression." Ironic undertone of Polonius accidentally congratulating Hamlet for his discretion in planning to kill Claudius with a sword.
491. her wheel]- Arden fails to note the relevance of the Carmina Burana, which reads in part, in translation:
The wheel of Fortune turns; I descend and am abased;- another to the heights is lifted; he is too much exalted
- The king sits at the peak - let him fear ruin!
- For under the axle we read "Hecuba is Queen."
498. mobbled]- Means "mob-led," led by the mob. Rather than leading the people as a queen does in normal times, Hecuba was being carried along by the mob, "led" by them. Arden errs badly in altering the Q2 spelling and thereby making the correct meaning impossible to discern from their text. If it were left entirely up to Arden, the meaning would have been lost forever.
499. The mobbled queen]- Hamlet is pondering the word, mobled. His mother is the Queen, and his concern about her being "mob-led" is why Hamlet doesn't do as Laertes does later, raise a mob to challenge Claudius. Understanding of this word is important, as it draws a fundamental distinction between Hamlet and Laertes, as to how they respectively proceed against Claudius. This word answers an important question in the play. Hamlet doesn't want his mother caught up in a mob. Hamlet's repetition, and Polonius's exclamation, are the author's attempt to draw attention to his word and insure it would be correctly understood. The author was, for four centuries, disappointed. But now you know.
504. o'erteemed]- Overpopulated. In legend Hecuba had fifty children, by some accounts. The associated thought for Hamlet is that Gertrude's loins were overpopulated in having only him: "O curs'd spite, that I was ever born..."
539. mock him]- Hamlet is being facetious, of course. Arden shows little comprehension of the humor in the play, and other publisher's editions are equally baffled. One wonders if the various editors of Hamlet somehow go mind numb in the process, for some unknown reason. 'Twould be good if philosophy could somehow find it out.
Hamlet's remark is a joke. He's joking with his friend, at Polonius's expense. One more time: it's a joke, guys.
Hamlet is so important, the greatest of all plays, and etc., that editors probably tend to approach it too grimly. I guess. Be cool, fellows, it's a fun play.
The reason why Hamlet makes the remark is because he knows how snoopy Polonius is, and expects Polonius to ask the Player what Hamlet said to him. Hamlet is telling his friend to spin Polonius a yarn when he asks. Hamlet will wink as he says the line. Nor is it difficult to surmise what the Player will say to Polonius. The Player will say to Polonius that Hamlet was telling him to pay the strictest attention to everything Polonius says, because he's so wise.
540. S.D. To Rosencrantz and Guildenstern]- Wrong, the line is to the players, only. Hamlet has been ignoring R & G and does not speak to them until R reminds Hamlet of their presence with his next line. In his enthusiasm for the actors, Hamlet forgot R & G were there.
553. her] No error, these are comments about proper interpretation.- Hamlet is talking about Gertrude, in terms of Hecuba, asking why he should care what happens to his mother. The reason is, of course, simply that she's his mother, and he can't help caring about her.
Q2 is correct at "her" because Hamlet is transferring his thoughts to his mother, Gertrude, so the word "Hecuba" is no longer appropriate in that location. That's why Q2 says "her." Arden has made the correct choice of word, but only by accident, and with no clear idea of why it's right. Foul paper fantasies have nothing to do with anything here, nor does meter. The word "her" is correct, as Q2 shows, because of the meaning of the utterance in context. The word has reference to Gertrude. The Folio error could be pondered endlessly, to little purpose. The Folio editor was probably intending to clarify, but did the opposite.
563. unpregnant]- Means "unproductive," getting no results.
565. property]- Means "kingdom."
575. the region kites]- Means all the kites in the area. Undertone of "royal." The kites would be "royal" in consuming the King's carcass; "royal" birds doing a "royal" thing, in Hamlet's view. For kite an undertone of "gossip." Hamlet should "feed" all the gossips with Claudius's death.
583. scullion]- Q2 stallion is correct.
- Means male whore, follows the word "drab" as the male variety. Connects with Hamlet's other characterization of himself as a horse, implicitly, in the "musty proverb": While the grass grows (the steed starves.) This second, implicit, "horse" reference verifies "stallion."
595-6. the devil . . . shape]- Odd that Arden would earlier disavow any relevance of the religious issue, but here deal with the basic issue in a Longer Note from a literature perspective and include mention of James I who was head of the Church of England. How that treatment conforms with Arden's earlier misguided contention that the respective religious views are irrelevant, is an enigma.
598. potent] Means "powerful."- also
- spirits] Means "ghosts."
- Hamlet means the Devil is powerful in the use of ghosts such as the play Ghost. The Arden notes are sometimes harder to interpret than the play. I give the correct plain reading of the play with the equivalents above. There is, indeed, more.
In the play, Hamlet is considering whether the Devil is taking advantage of his emotional state, since the Devil is good at taking advantage of people who are sad. "Spirits" means both "ghosts" as the plain reading, and also means "depressed moods" as the undertone. But there is no excuse for fogging potent /powerful.
600. relative] Comment, not error.- Arden is right enough, in their way. However....
- With more relative, Hamlet is expressing his suspicion that the Ghost is not really the spirit of his father. Claudius, his uncle, is more (of a) relative than the Ghost is to him, Hamlet thinks, as a possibility. More relative further means, that Hamlet will use a living relative in preference to a dead one. The living one is "more relative" in that he's still alive. There's literally more of Claudius, than the remaining "shreds and patches" of his father. As often with Arden, what they try to handle as an isolated word, out of context, is correctly interpreted through the phrase in context.
Act III Scene 1
29. closely]- Means, "soon," close to this time. Has a simultaneous second meaning of "privately."
- Claudius has blundered. Claudius has personally requested Hamlet's presence, but when Hamlet arrives, where's Claudius? Hamlet will be expecting Claudius to be in the room.
31. Affront]- There is patently an undertone of "offend" which should not have gone unremarked. The ironic undertone is of Claudius saying that he has asked Hamlet to be there for the express purpose of offending Ophelia, which is precisely what will proceed to happen.
43. Gracious]- Means "gracefully" or "attractively." The better to lure Hamlet. Could also be stated as, "Be gracious," meaning of "be welcoming."
45. exercise]- Means "activity." Nothing religious here, any more than exercise in fencing is religious.
45-6. colour Your loneliness]- Q2 lowliness is correct.
- Means approachableness.
- Ophelia is not to act aloof and unapproachable. An undertone of insult to Ophelia from her own father, that he considers her lowly, unimportant. Polonius knows Hamlet often reads books, so he has Ophelia pretend to read a book to help get Hamlet to approach her. Polonius hasn't the least concern whether Ophelia is lonely; we know from his characterization he's oblivious to her feelings. Polonius wouldn't notice that Ophelia was lonely if she tattooed the word on her forehead.
52. to the thing that helps it]- The makeup does not make good what's underneath, but hides it. Claudius means that no matter how attractive and deceptive his words, his act of muder is ugly underneath his words. Claudius's very point is that he fears his words cannot make good his deed. The wording of Arden's note is exactly wrong, although one might charitably infer a correct conclusion from it, somehow, if one were so inclined. I guess.
57. in the mind]- Hamlet is talking about what he believes to be noble. The Arden note is merely a disclaimer of responsibility.
58. slings]- Yes, one can in fact dismiss the possibility of misprint if you're calling it "Shakespeare," since Q2 says "slings," which gives a sensible meaning, and Q2 is closest to the author's own hand. But, if you want to title it "Hamlet by Smith, Googe, Jones, et al," entirely leaving out the name "Shakespeare," you may do whatever pleases your mood of the moment. But do have enough integrity not to use the name Shakespeare anywhere in the book in the latter event.
60. end them]- Means end them one way or the other. Hamlet is not disclaiming any chance of killing Claudius.
67. coil]- Means "shell" as in "seashell." Many seashells have a coiled or spiral appearance, and likewise a snail's shell is typically spiral. Follows from "sea of troubles," refers to the trappings of earthly existence in that "sea," also the "snail" idea as Hamlet mulls the passing of time. An allusion to "turmoil" is present, but as a secondary meaning.
69. (calamity) of so long life]- Hamlet is trying to convince himself that it's undesirable to live to old age, as he tries to motivate himself to attack Claudius even if he gets killed. But as he goes on to say, he worries about his soul.
89. Nymph . . . orisons]- Ophelia is simply pretending to read a book, as Polonius knows Hamlet often does. The familiarity of the activity is supposed to help lure Hamlet. The Arden notion of religious activity by her is patently erroneous. Strange, that Arden would earlier deny a major religious theme of the play, but here introduce religion so inappropriately. Oh, well.
Ophelia is not praying, Hamlet would not interrupt her while she was praying or if he thought she was engaged in serious religious study. We see in the Prayer Scene that Hamlet honors prayer, and that is a point beyond any dispute since it's unmistakably explicit in a major scene. The idea of religious devotionals by Ophelia here is exactly contrary to the characterizations and events of the play.
With his earlier utterance about "devotions" and "pious," Polonius refers to innocence in a general way, an innocent appearance; Polonius's line is a cue for Claudius's expression of conscience.
In terms of the play, the purpose of Polonius's line is not immediate; he is accidentally giving Claudius "rehearsal" for controlling himself in public about his conscience. It's pertinent to Claudius's behavior at the Mousetrap play, later.
As to his "orisons" remark, Hamlet is planning to offend Ophelia intentionally, and is hoping she'll forgive him. He is entirely sincere. The remark is to himself, he has not approached Ophelia yet.
92. I humbly thank you]- Hamlet's formality is because he knows the conversation is not private.
96. I never gave you aught]- Hamlet is pretending that what he gave Ophelia meant so little to him he can't remember it. Not true. He says this, quite intentionally, for Claudius to hear.
99. Their perfume lost]- This is not ironic, or at least not in the way Arden seems to think. Ophelia is remembering what Laertes said, exactly as she told Laertes she would do. She said she'd lock it in her memory, and she did. The irony is that the perfume is not really lost..
103. honest]
It should be noted, the play Ralph Roister Doister contains the line: "If ye be honest, my words can hurt you nothing." As he speaks his "honest" line, Hamlet is trying to reassure himself for what he's about to do, that what he's going to say will not really hurt Ophelia.
107-8. your honesty . . . beauty]- The Q2 phrasing is correct. The author is using "honest" and "honesty" to mean two different things. Honest means "honorable," and honesty means "truthfulness."
Honesty is a part of being honest; that is, truthfulness is a part of being honorable.
With this utterance, Hamlet means, "If you're both honorable and beautiful, you should not allow compliments on your beauty."
109. commerce]- Ophelia uses honesty here to mean "truthfulness." Her utterance means, "Could beauty be better discussed than with truthfulness?" She doesn't see why, if she's truly beautiful, people shouldn't truthfully say so. Hamlet's reply means, "The power of beauty will more easily prostitute truthfulness than the power of truth can make beauty a virtue." Hamlet means his own truthfulness was prostituted by Ophelia's beauty. In other words, her beauty caused him to lie, he claims. His resulting "lie" was in saying he loved her.
114. paradox]- Hamlet means it's a paradox that the combination of the virtues, beauty and truth, would result in a nonvirtuous thing, a lie. Hamlet is engaged in trying to persuade Ophelia "logically" that her beauty caused him to be untruthful when he said he loved her. And yes, it's an odd thing to do, to try to argue such a point logically. However, his remarks are especially intended for Claudius.
115. (the time) gives it proof]- Hamlet is talking about Ophelia and him. The time means "this instance." There is a great subtlety here: Hamlet knows Claudius is listening and Hamlet is trying to convince Claudius that he was never truthful with Ophelia, in anticipation of his attempt to assassinate Claudius, in case he fails. Hamlet is trying to keep Ophelia alive and safe even if he dies. Claudius killed his own brother. In an investigation that would follow a failed attempt by Hamlet, Claudius would have little regard for Ophelia's life, Hamlet fears, and Polonius is so insensitive to her that he would not protect her.
117-18. virtue . . . relish of it]- Q2 evocutate is correct, it means the opposite of "inoculate." It's the author's own coinage, apparently, of a word he needed. "Inoculate" means to put into; the author's evocutate means to take out of.
- Relish means "suggest." The Folio editor obviously didn't know evocutate. Hamlet is saying that truthfulness cannot be had from men, cannot be budded from them, although men will suggest it can. In other words, men will seem truthful when they're not. He's telling Ophelia that he, and all men, are liars in response to beauty such as hers. Hamlet is paying Ophelia the highest compliment on her beauty, telling her she overwhelms men, while at the same time complaining "logically" about how beautiful she is, in that her beauty made him lie that he loved her. Ophelia will perceive all that as quite weird, to the extent she's able to follow it.
121. a nunnery]- Hamlet is telling Ophelia to go to a nunnery where she will be away from men, since men will all be liars in response to her, he says, because of her overpowering beauty. Hamlet's real motive, with respect to Ophelia, is that he's worried about the fickleness of women, in connection with his mother marrying Claudius; he wants Ophelia at a nunnery where there won't be other men around to win her affection, and where she'll be safely away from Elsinore. Then, if he can kill Claudius and get away with it, he'll go to the nunnery and get Ophelia, and marry her to be his Queen.
- also
- 121. Why,]
- Interrogative, Hamlet is asking a rhetorical question. No comma.
122. breeder of sinners]- Hamlet means that if Ophelia is around men they will lie. She will figuratively "breed" sinners by causing men to lie, in response to her beauty. There is the sense of any child of hers being a sinner, but that's merely the conventional religious view, of "original sin," human imperfection, and etc. Hamlet's recurrent theme, in this passage, is Ophelia's corruption of his truthfulness, because of her beauty - and as he contortedly tries to logically argue to Ophelia (actually to Claudius) that he doesn't love her, he's lying through his teeth. He deeply loves her. The excruciating irony of the passage is that as Hamlet goes to such length to convince Claudius that he was lying to Ophelia earlier, he was really telling the truth earlier, and he's fantastically lying here, because he knows he has an audience. He's putting on a show.
122. indifferent honest]- Hamlet means he's only as honorable as average.
129. We]- Hamlet is talking about men, the male sex.
130-1. Where's your father?]- Hamlet knows where Polonius is, and his "fool" remark is pointedly intended for Polonius - and Claudius - to hear.
132. At home]- Ophelia is not lying, except just a little. Polonius lives in the castle, which is where he is. It is significant to note that in forcing Ophelia even to tell a small lie, Hamlet is corrupting her.
It isn't hard to see that Hamlet knows Claudius and Polonius are there. Hamlet is putting on a big show with his rhetoric to Ophelia because he knows he has an audience. It's not dissimilar to what Laertes later does at Ophelia's grave, when Laertes puts on a big show of grief for the people he knows are watching. Putting on a show, for an audience, is a fundamental, recurrent theme of the play. Hamlet's big show in this scene even includes his "logical proof" of beauty!
140. wise men . . . monsters]- Hamlet means a wise man would know that if he marries Ophelia, her beauty would make him lie all the time, every day, for the rest of his life, that he loves her; she'd turn him into a loving monster. Yes, it's a mad thing for Hamlet to say.
And as everybody knows, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Hamlet's fixation on Ophelia's beauty tells the whole story of how he feels about her, no matter what he says.
141. you]- Means Ophelia specifically. Follows on Hamlet's discourse of how her beauty corrupts men.
144. paintings]- The undertone is, Hamlet is saying he likes Ophelia's face as God made it, without makeup. Hamlet is phrasing his remarks so they sound the opposite to the audience he knows he has.
146. jig and amble]- Q2 gig is correct, means for a woman to sway the hips as in dancing or strolling. The undertone is, Hamlet is saying he likes the way Ophelia sways her hips as she walks.
- also
- 146. lisp]
- The undertone is, "I adore your lisp."
146-7. nickname]- The undertone is, Hamlet is flattered that Ophelia has a nickname for him (Robin.)
147-8. make your wantonness your ignorance]- The undertone is, "you're innocent in your playfulness."
150. all but one]- Hamlet knows Claudius is nearby, and his phrase is a slip during the heat of rhetoric. Nobody's perfect. The idea of putting on too big a show is a recurrent theme in the play, and it applies to Hamlet here when he says too much. The dramatic purpose is to put pressure on Claudius, with a hint that Hamlet wants to kill him, leading to Claudius's decision to send Hamlet away to England.
160. out of tune]- Q2 time is correct.
- Bells are not tuned like string instruments, they are played by ringing the right bell at the right time. For bells, timing is everything. There is the undertone of Ophelia saying she realizes she was hearing wedding bells in her imagination at the wrong time, which conclusively establishes time as the correct word, as Q2 shows.
161. feature]- Q2 stature is correct. Means "height," of youth in full bloom. There is a way to prove conclusively that stature is the right word.
168. doubt]- Means "suspect." Claudius is worried, but not afraid, yet.
174. (variable) objects]- Means different things to see, a change of scenery. Requires handling as a phrase.
175. settled]- Means "descended upon." Line 175 is best printed for the modern reader with a comma after "something."
- also
- 175. matter]
- Means "trouble." Line 175 means, "This something, the trouble that has settled in his heart..."
176. puts]- The subject is "something."
187. find him]- Find his normal self, restore him to normalcy.
190. unwatch'd]- Q2 unmatched is correct, anticipates Claudius "matching" Hamlet's madness with his mad fencing match scheme that concludes the play so tragically.
Act III Scene 2
60-2. let the candied tongue . . . fawning]- The candied tongue is that of a child. Hamlet casts such fawning as childish, and praises Horatio as a grown man. Also carries the more obvious meaning of sweet-sounding speech. The author is engaged in a wonderful subtlety in this passage. Hamlet's excessive praise of Horatio undermines Horatio's objectivity, unintentionally.
61. pregnant]- Means "productive," where kneeling will produce a result. Irony anticipating the Prayer Scene.
62. thrift]- Should have been noted: "reward."
97. My lord]- Q2 is correct. Flippant. Q1 is no authority.
110. lying down at Ophelia's feet]- Hamlet does not lie at Ophelia's feet. He couldn't keep a close eye on Claudius like that. Think carefully about it.
Observing Claudius is the whole point of his Mousetrap. If played according to the proper text, Hamlet will sit upright beside Ophelia where he can see Claudius. Q2 is correct, Ophelia's "No" ends the matter. Observe that even Q1 gives Ophelia only a "No," not that Q1 is something to rely on, by itself. The Folio editor's judgment was tainted by other plays. But Hamlet is not ordinary.
The seating arrangement is: Claudius with Gertrude at his left, Polonius at his right, and Ophelia beside Polonius. Then, Hamlet beside Ophelia. They are not sitting in a straight line, however.
The reason Hamlet declines to sit beside Gertrude is because she has a fancy hairdo and her crown, and Hamlet couldn't see over her to watch Claudius. He therefore wants to sit beside Ophelia, who's shorter, with no crown, and who as an unmarried woman wears her hair down. He can get a clear view of Claudius. The others are already seated when Hamlet approaches, and he easily notices the viewing advantage, to see Claudius. The typical head-on-the-lap stage action is done because it's entertaining, where the audience is not being analytical, but it's untrue to the authentic text, where there's a good reason for Hamlet's choice of seating in relation to events.
113. my head . . . lap]- Hamlet does not do as described. Other plays and comments are not guides since Hamlet is different, fully intended so by the author. We all know Hamlet is different.
113-4.]- Q2 is correct; the Folio is in error, probably expressing the Folio editor's notion of staging. These lines do not belong in an authentic play text, in literature form. The lines are not by Shakespeare.
Hamlet sits so that he can best observe Claudius, which he could not do with his head in Ophelia's lap. His paramount concern is to observe whether Claudius reacts to the play Hamlet has so carefully arranged.
However, in theatrical production the purpose is to entertain the audience, and if it's judged the audience will be better entertained if the Hamlet actor lies with his head in Ophelia's lap, so be it, for the stage. The point here is that such action isn't true to the authentic text, in literature form. Q2 should be followed for the text, with staging discussed in notes. The literature, Q2, is the genuine Shakespeare, while staging is director's judgment. How actively the author participated in staging is unknown. We cannot say whether he approved of "head-in-the-lap" onstage despite his text.
123. only jig-maker]- Means only source of entertainment. In context, the line means, "oh god, I'm your only entertainment - at my play."
126. twice two months]- Ophelia's word "twice" is a verbal slip by her, caused by her lisp. The author did that, not as a factual statement of the passage of time, but for purposes of wordplay. The passage of time, two months, since the death of Hamlet Sr will occur "twice" - once in reality, and once again in the events of the play. The author had Ophelia misspeak, to express that concept.
Arden's comment about the passage of time between Acts is nothing short of peculiar, since Arden knows full well that the author's original was not divided into Acts at all, as he wrote it. A passage of time between Acts, as the author wrote the play, is impossible, since no such Acts exist. Arden's terms are false as a basis for judgment.
128. (suit of) sables]- Means, "sable suit of armor." Hamlet is referring back to the "sable arms" of Pyrrhus. His utterance means, after such a time as two months, he should say to Hell with mourning, put on his sable suit of armor like rugged Pyrrhus, and attack his enemy. Further means that Hamlet's mourning clothes are his sable suit of armor as he is "dressed for battle" in presenting his play as an attack on Claudius.
132-3. the hobby-horse . . . is forgot]- Said sarcastically, means people don't forget things just because authority disapproves of them, as the Puritans disapproved of the hobby horse. Pertains to Hamlet being told by Claudius to forget his father.
133. S.D. A dumb-show]- Claudius does not react to the Dumb Show because he cannot see it well enough, and there is no dialogue in a dumb show to tell him what's happening. See my Notes for Hamlet (Regained.)
135. miching malicho]- Q2 munching is correct, means "feasting."
- Recall that in his earlier remarks to the actors, Hamlet characterized a play performance as food, a feast - salad, sweet, savory, well digested, also caviar is mentioned there. That's why munching is used in Q2, and is the right word.
The second word is the Spanish malhecho.- Malhecho implies "bad actor," although that is not the dictionary meaning. As they watch the play, Hamlet is calling Claudius a "bad actor." The English equivalent would be "malefactor." Hamlet uses a Spanish word to insure Claudius won't understand.
The phrase means "feasting bad actor."
*162+. For women feare too much, euen as they loue,]- It is a horrible error to omit this line from the play text, as it is assuredly authorial, and intended to be there. Arden has naively thrown away a legitimate Shakespearean line. Arden owes all its readers an apology.
Observe that the King's speech is in six rhymed lines, and then the Queen's speech is in two segments of six rhymed lines. This unrhymed line is a divider for the Queen's speech, to match her pattern with the King's. It's a "spacer" line for the Queen. It's supposed to be there, to divide the total eighteen lines into three equal segments of six, even though there's no change of character for the Queen's twelve.
It is not a false start by the author, it's a divider for the Queen's verse, to match the pattern set by the King's, even though she says more than he did. It substitutes for a change of character.
Guys, you deleted a whole line of genuine Shakespearean verse in Hamlet. Please don't do that.
239. nephew to the King]- Hamlet's nephew is his mistake when he talks too much to Claudius. He should have said "brother." Needs considerable discussion, but not in any way that presumes it somehow to be right. Nephew was intentionally written by the author to be wrong. It's a blunder by Hamlet.
243. keen]- Means "sharp witted." Ophelia compliments Hamlet on his intelligence, that he's sharp if he could do such a thing. Of course she has noticed the keenness of his sexual interest, and that's present as an undertone of meaning.
264. S.D. Exeunt all but . . .]- Some comment is necessary concerning Claudius's exit. It's the conventional wisdom, by long tradition, that Claudius left the play because he fulfilled Hamlet's hypothesis about his conscience being caught. But that conventional wisdom is not right. It was something else that got to Claudius. See my Hamlet (Regained) Notes.
274. I ]- The meaning "Aye" is correct, agreement is being expressed, differing only in degree. Hamlet's "topping" of Horatio is enthusiasm, because he's pleased with himself; there is no argument.
275. Damon]- Reference to Damon and Pythias, legendary friends. Hamlet casts himself as Pythias, the one condemned to death for his plot against a tyrant.
286. For if . . . the comedy]- Hamlet means that if the King didn't like the play he probably doesn't like music either, so they should go ahead and have music without Claudius. Jocose.
287. it]- Refers to the music.
288. S.D. Enter . . . Guildenstern]- The reason why Hamlet doesn't give R & G immediate attention, is because the music is being played exactly as he requested, and he's listening to it. The Arden note unfortunately raises some question, most inappropriately, about that clear fact.
295 choler]- also
- 298. purgation]
- Hamlet means if he killed Claudius and sent him to Purgatory, or Hell, Claudius would then feel even more heat, making his "choler" problem even worse. The remark has undertones and associations, but this is the immediate meaning in the play.
It is not that others have inferred Claudius's anger at Hamlet, rather, this is what Claudius has told them, that the reason he got up and left was because of Hamlet.
362-3. fret . . . play upon me]- Q2 "fret me not" is correct. Hamlet says R & G neither fret him, nor can they play upon him. "Though" in Q2 means "but;" Hamlet's utterance is: "but you fret me not, (and) you cannot play upon me."
367-73.]- Arden overlooks the relevance of Aristophanes Clouds and fails to note Hamlet is insulting Polonius. Hamlet is calling Polonius a camel, a weasel and a whale, under the Mirror theme of the play. This Clouds Passage with Polonius comically anticipates the Closet Scene with Gertrude, where Hamlet says he'll place a mirror in front of her.
375. the top of my bent]- Hamlet's aside means, "they play the fool for me as much as I wish," or "as much as I can stand." Fool means "amuse," "play the fool for." He means he's had enough of foolery, and his thoughts turn more serious, as we see in his next speech.
379. witching]- It's midnight. The speech should be spoken while a church bell in the distance tolls twelve times. Hamlet's speech, following his introductory line, is twelve lines long. Recall the Act I S4 mention by Marcellus that he heard the tolling of the midnight bell, shortly before the Ghost appeared to speak to Hamlet. The Ghost will appear in the Closet Scene at the same time of night it appeared on the earlier nights, although the timing turns out to be oddly accidental.
380. breathes]- Q2 breaks is correct.
- Harks back to Hamlet talking of the Ghost bursting its cerements and "breaking out" of its sepulchre. It's the same time of night as when the Ghost earlier "broke out" and spread its "contagion" of a desire for revenge to Hamlet.
382. bitter . . . day]- Q2 is correct; "day" must be anthropomorphized to make it capable of quaking with emotion, thus the adjective properly attaches to "day."
Act III Scene 3
22. ruin]- Q2 rain is correct.
- Arden misses the wordplay on rain /reign, which their incorrect choice of "ruin" does not honor.
41-3. double business . . . both neglect]- Claudius is indeed on double business as he contemplates prayer for forgiveness for killing Hamlet Sr, while he has decided to send Hamlet to England to be killed. He's in the position of asking forgiveness for a past murder while plotting a future one. No wonder he feels himself in a bind, and doubts the efficacy of prayer in his case.
58. shove by]- Q2 show is correct; it's a legal term, as in the phrase "to show cause."
The line means that a "golden hand" may bribe its way to a lesser plea with a trivial penalty, thus escaping justice. The Folio editor did not know the legal term, but the author of Hamlet did. In the obvious context of law and justice, it's odd Arden would babble about penny pitching.
63. to the teeth and forehead]- Means the hardest parts. In popular understanding, the teeth and forehead are the hardest parts of the body. Claudius means he'd have to confess even the faults that are hardest for him, and that go hardest against him.
73. pat]- Q2 is correct with but, and Hamlet's first two lines have identical stress pattern as Q2 shows. The Folio "pat" is perhaps the editor's unwise notion for an attempt at improving the sentiment, or only a mistake, but in either event it ruins the author's poetry.
75. That would be scann'd]- Q2 scant is correct.
- Means "slight" or "inadequate."
79. hire and salary]- It must be seriously considered whether both "hire and salary" and "base and silly" are authorial. They're both in the manner, and sensible in the passage. Consider the possibility, "hire and salary" was an author's improvement that came too late for the Q2 printing, where the phrase remained "base and silly." However, the change was noted in manuscript, where the Folio editor found it and used it, properly so. Perhaps. It's worth pondering.
In the absence of such consideration, one must adopt "base and silly," as closest to the author's hand, even though to the taste of many, it's inferior. It is not impossible that the occasional Shakespearean phrase could be improved by somebody else, although in general that would be a fool's conceit.
Act III Scene 4
5. war'nt]- Q2 wait is correct.
- There is no reason to suppose any abbreviation in manuscript since the Q2 word gives a sensible reading. Means "attend" (to what Polonius said.) Ironic undertone of Polonius being bossy, and expecting the Queen to attend him, to wait upon him, and with her obliging him. The Folio editor apparently liked the word "warrant" for some reason, he wrongly substituted it twice in the play.
16-20. Nay . . . murder me?]- Gertrude's abrupt conclusion is because, for one thing, she overheard the Nunnery Scene, and is suddenly alarmed that perhaps Hamlet meant her to be the "one."
23. A rat!]- The word is part of the play's allusion to Saint Gertude of Nivelles.
37. braz'd]- Q2 brasd is correct.
- The word is braced meaning "buttressed."
42-8. takes off the rose . . . of words]- There is no suggestion of Gertrude's infidelity to Hamlet Sr as a factual matter in the play. Indeed, quite the contrary. Hamlet is engaged in accusation, but Gertrude's response is to ask what he's talking about. No fact is established. The actual fact of the play is astonishingly different.
46-7. from the body . . . soul]- The marriage contract is the exact point. Arden is wrong to blur this, the generality has a specific referent.
52. index]- Hamlet is referring to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum in Catholic history, which was a list of things prohibited, books, specifically. He's likening Gertrude's supposed action to something written large and bold in the Index L.P.
This is why "Index" is capitalized in Q2 (and is always properly capitalized.) Arden's failure to decipher "index" is a hazard of not taking the religious issues seriously in the play. The religious points must be taken seriously to get a correct presentation of the play. The Index L.P. began to take on special force in about A.D. 1571.
53. this picture, . . . this]- Hamlet is pointing at portraits on tapestries, the arrases. See the history of Kronborg Castle with its famous tapestries of kings, well known in Elizabethan times. Gertrude has the tapestries of both Hamlet Sr and Claudius in her room. Just by the way, the tapestry of Claudius is the one Polonius naturally hides behind, and Hamlet stabs through Claudius's picture, through the heart, in stabbing Polonius. Claudius tells us this later, while talking to Laertes, when he mentions "the painting of a sorrow, A face without a heart," with unintentional reference to himself. The tapestries are large depictions of the kings that the theater audience can see when Hamlet refers to them.
The tapestry which inspired that of Hamlet Sr is credibly the arras of King Abel of Denmark, who ruled Denmark A.D. 1250-1252. That arras still exists, and ought to be declared a joint Danish-English national treasure. It is probably the actual tapestry upon which Shakespeare based the picture of Hamlet Sr in the Closet Scene in Hamlet.
86. gives the charge]- Means "gives the order to advance." The compulsive ardor of youth will make a person advance where older, more reasoned judgment would not.
88. reason panders will]- Q2 pardons is correct.
- Means reason excuses what will does, when will can't help itself.
90. grained]- Q2 grieved is correct.
- Means "mournful," which is consistent with the color black. The black spots in her soul are "grieved" in mourning color. We know the depiction of Hamlet, himself, strongly associates "grief" with "black;" the author is continuing to use that here with "black" and "grieved."
92. enseamed]- Means inseamed, adjoined, sewn together. Gertrude's bed linen is "sewn" to Claudius's to make one bed, Hamlet says.
97. tithe]- Q2 kith is correct.
- The idea is kin /kind /kith. Hamlet is saying, approximately, that although Claudius is Hamlet Sr's brother, by nature he's not even a twentieth cousin. The Folio error perhaps came simply from the fraction mentioned, although a tithe is typically taken to be a tenth part.
103. S.D. Enter Ghost]- The reason why the Ghost shows up is because Polonius summoned him, accidentally. Goes back to "Truepenny," requires a long discussion. An instance on the Fortune theme.
158. in twain]- No basis for the Arden assertion. Having a broken heart does not necessarily imply that two people each get half. Gertrude's merely means she's broken hearted. In the dialogue, Gertrude's saw is a setup for Hamlet's rejoinder. Claudius never had Gertrude's heart; ironically, in relation to Hamlet's rant, Gertrude did marry Claudius as reasoned judgment, not because of passion. There are no scenes of affection between Gertrude and Claudius in the play, they're only friendly in a formal manner. Given a perfect opportunity in AIV S7 to say he loves Gertrude, Claudius defers, and other examples can be cited to prove the point of the lack of love and passion in their relationship. In Hamlet's rejoinder he does mean for Gertrude to dispose of her affection for Claudius, which he mistakenly thinks exists, but Gertrude doesn't mean that as she speaks her line.
163-7. That monster . . . put on.]- Q2 devil is correct.
- The imagery is devil versus angel. The word "devil" at line 171, which Arden leaves unnoted, follows from this "devil." Also, Hamlet's remark, that custom destroys awareness of habit's devil, plays on Gertrude's inability to see the Ghost (and hints at what the Ghost is.)
171. lodge]- A word must be added since one is missing. This is not about error, merely comment.
Arden's choice of "lodge" is possible, although the correct word is more likely to be "fetch." See my Hamlet (Regained) Notes.
185. Pinch wanton]- The meaning is to pinch playfully.
192. paddock . . . gib]- These "witchcraft" references to Claudius relate back to "witchcraft of his wits." Hamlet is warning Gertrude that Claudius is clever in an evil way.
193. Such dear concernings]- Hamlet's point is that the concernings are dear to Gertrude, since Claudius could be a danger to her. Claudius killed his brother to get the throne, so he might kill his wife to keep it.
202. I must to England]- Hamlet knows about the trip to England because he was present from the beginning of the Prayer Scene. His presence was not marked with an entry, in Q2, because the entry in the Q2 playscript means the actor moves into his speaking postion on the stage. Hamlet was in hiding, earlier, not in speaking position. Hamlet's entry is marked (in Q2) where he steps forward into the speakers' area of the stage to deliver his lines.
The Elizabethan stage was large and open, so the entries, in the playscript, mark where an actor can speak to the audience, not where he's visible to the audience. This is the usual meaning of an entry in Q2, although some exceptions do occur. See the discussion of Hamlet stage directions on another page on this web site.
212. crafts]- Allusion to ships is inevitable, since Hamlet knows he's supposed to travel to England by ship. Anticipates the pirate encounter, also means significantly more, and provides a very nicely crafted hint of what the pirates want him to do.
212. directly]- Means in a generally direct way, not necessarily head-on. Plans, or ships, can come together in various ways. Certainly implies "soon." The two immediately pertinent "crafts" of Hamlet that are meeting, are his plan to do something about the death of Polonius, and his plan to kill Claudius.
213. packing]- To pack is to stow. Follows Hamlet's "bestow" in line 178. Hamlet means he intends to "house" the body elsewhere. Not intended to be synonymous with "lug." "Lug the guts" is a vulgarity that stands apart.
Hamlet's first thought is to take the body to Claudius's room, the "neighbor room," then kill Claudius and try to make it look as if Polonius did it. But Hamlet finds that impossible.
214. neighbor room]- Hamlet says "neighbor room" instead of "Claudius's room" because he can't stand to say the name. In the entire Closet Scene, despite all he says, he never says "Claudius." Likewise, he doesn't say "King's room" because he doesn't like to think of Claudius as King.
Act IV Scene 1
Act IV Scene I]- There is correctly a change of scene in moving from Gertrude's room to Claudius's. This - Claudius's room - is the "neighbor room" Hamlet mentioned at the end of the previous scene.
However, the new Act here is a serious blunder in the traditional organization of the play. Hamlet is best done as it was originally written: forget Acts, just do Scenes. There's no valid reason for Acts, for Hamlet.
As to rules of theatrical convention, the action is moving from one room to another. It's necessary to the plot that Gertrude exit one room and enter the other.
Because:
Gertrude didn't realize at first that when Hamlet used the vague phrase "neighbor room" he meant Claudius's room. When she does realize that, she reacts with alarm. Gertrude rushes to Claudius's room to try to help her son. She expects to find Hamlet there under arrest for murder, caught red-handed with Polonius's body, and in need of defense.
Even though to her relief Hamlet isn't there, she goes ahead and defends him, and in doing so reveals the death of Polonius. But in going to Claudius's room, and revealing the death of Polonius, she ruins Hamlet's plan to conceal Polonius's death for a while, during which time he hopes to kill Claudius (in the way he now plans to do it.) That's what Hamlet thought of after he "lugged the guts" from Gertrude's room. He hid the body to hide the fact of Polonius's death for a time. Gertrude's well-intended intervention spoils that.
This is the reason for the scene change. Gertrude is rushing to the "neighbor room," Claudius's room, to help her son, whom she expects to find under arrest for murder.
6. What, Gertrude]- It's interrogative.
18. out of haunt]- Means, "out of circulation."
25. ore]- Means gold. Gertrude is offering Hamlet's madness as a "golden" defense for him in the death of Polonius.
26. mineral]- What we'd call "ore" in modern English. In the "baseness" of Hamlet's act of murder, Gertrude has realized his "golden" defense of insanity.
27. a weeps]- Hamlet did weep, but it was not for Polonius, and Gertrude doesn't know why. She is correct, however, in the fact that he did.
40. So envious slander]- These words do not belong in the text, there is no omission and they are not necessary to meaning; "what's untimely done" is the subject of what follows. It's understood that "what's untimely done" is the killing of Polonius, and it's easily inferred that Claudius is worried about being blamed for it. The author's own passage doesn't need "help." Or, one could call it "Hamlet by Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice" and leave out the Shakespeare part.
Act IV Scene 2
Act IV Scene 2]- As mentioned above, Hamlet found his first idea unworkable, and then thought of hiding the body to conceal Polonius's death. He expected that to work, since only he and Gertrude knew Polonius was dead, and he thought she would stay in her room. But, no sooner does he get the body hidden, than people arrive looking for it, because his own mother tattled on him.
16-17. like an ape]- Q2 apple is right.
Hamlet is likening R & G to apples, and there is a reason for that, but it's too long to go into here. I'll just mention that some apples are red, and some are "gold" in color. R & G = red & gold.
26-27. the body . . . the body.]- Hamlet is talking about two kings. Claudius's body is still with him, but Hamlet Sr is not with his body. Hamlet Sr is a thing... Of nothing, i.e. a Ghost, with no body. Rosencrantz was not specific in saying which body he meant, so Hamlet plays with the idea, alluding to two other bodies that concern him.
27-9. The King is a thing . . . Of nothing.]- Hamlet Sr is a thing of no body. "Nothing" = no body. Ghost.
Act IV Scene 3- 11. S.D. Enter . . . Guildenstern]
- Guildenstern stays beside Hamlet, as the "responsible person," and only Rosencrantz approaches Claudius to talk to him. See the discussion of stage directions on another page on this web site.
41. tender]- Means "offer." Claudius is pretending to offer Hamlet safety.
47. For England?]- Hamlet is quite surprised. He expected to be thrown in the dungeon for killing Polonius. Hamlet's remarks in III.iv were before Claudius knew Polonius was dead. Polonius's death does not change Claudius's plot against Hamlet, but only makes it more urgent.
51. I see a cherub . . . them]- A cherub is a spirit, and "spirit" means Ghost. Hamlet is alluding to the Ghost. The Ghost has told Hamlet about Claudius's murderous "purposes."
52. mother]- It isn't that Hamlet suddenly remembers his mother, it's that he's putting Claudius down. And if you absolutely must know, Hamlet has actually used the truncated form of a word that's highly offensive, and he then muddles things so Claudius won't realize what he's been called. Hamlet calls Claudius that three times, and gets away with it by putting "dear" and "my" in front of it. It isn't chop-logic, it's obfuscation. Hamlet says a sincere goodbye to his mother, and crudely insults Claudius at the same time. He thinks he owes his mother a goodbye, since he thinks it's her influence that kept him out of the dungeon.
65. (coldly) set]- Coldly set means like delay in serving a meal, setting it on the table cold. Harks back to Hamlet's remark to Horatio in Act I about the funeral meats "coldly furnishing" the marriage tables. Claudius is calling for haste, before the scheme he's cooked up for Hamlet grows cold. Another example of where the phrase must be interpreted, not just a single word out of context, as Arden habitually tries to do, too often with poor results.
66. imports at full]- Means to carry the full import of (the imminent death of Hamlet.)
68. present]- Means "imminent."
Act IV Scene 4
8. softly]- Means "quietly." Not boisterously or aggressively.
20. five]- Odd, that such a note is included by Arden. Foolish. There is no actual reason to think "five" means anything else.
25-6. Two thousand . . . this straw!]- When Hamlet says "debate" he means the soldiers and money aren't just for talking. They're going to fight. Read the two lines with stress on "debate." This is in comparison with Hamlet's own cause against Claudius, which has been all talk by Hamlet so far, with no physical action. The remark is not an exclamation of astonishment, but rather a comparative observation by Hamlet. These are certainly Hamlet's lines, as he compares his own cause against Claudius, and speculation about transferring the lines to the Captain is sadly misguided. The exclamation point is uncalled for.
48. a delicate . . . prince]- Delicate means mortal, capable of being killed, and tender means young. Hamlet is saying Fortinbras could die young, but is attacking anyway. Once again, this is comparison with himself.
54. argument]- Means "reason" or "justification."
60. twenty thousand]- If error existed, it would be a printing error, accidentally repeating the "twenty thousand" from the "ducats" phrase earlier, rather than authorial error. It's unprofessional and unscholarly to blame the author for things one knows perfectly well have passed through other hands than his.
However, there is not any valid reason to call this an error. Hamlet is engaging in rhetoric, and it is simply a rhetorical number. Similar to "forty thousand" later at the graveyard. The author chose a rhetorical phrase to fit his meter. It was never intended to be literal. There is no error. It is an instance of Elizabethan "false precision," the use of a large specific number to mean "a lot." Indeed, the same kind of figure of speech is still in common use.
61. fantasy]- Means "ideal." Hamlet is still engaged in comparison, and is not characterizing his own cause against Claudius as an illusion to him.
61. trick]- Means "allure." The soldiers are motivated by the allure of fame.
64. continent]- Means land area.
Act IV Scene 5
5. There's tricks i'th' world]- When Shakespeare, the great master of words, says "there's tricks in the world" you'd better watch out!
There's a reason why Ophelia's offstage behavior is described.
10. botch the words up]- Don't botch it up! You have been warned, and you now have no excuse.
12. thought]- Thought is a noun. Ophelia is behaving in a way that looks mindless, but people wonder if there's thought behind her behavior, and if so, what thought it is.
18. toy]- Means "idea," a toy of the mind.
20. It spills . . . spilt.]- The essential point is that Gertrude must hide her alliance with Hamlet from Claudius. That is, indeed, the text.
23. sings]- Arden's commentary on Ophelia's behavior is worthless. There are a few useful comments sprinkled in the notes, but no understanding is provided. The subject requires long discussion, not possible here.
33. O ho!]- An expression of delight.
You were warned!
The word dild is short for "dildo." It has an obsolete meaning referring to the refrain of a song. Ophelia is saying she hopes God will kill Claudius, so that she can sing about Claudius's death as the refrain to her song about her father's death.
The Gentleman warned you!- "There's tricks in the world."
It's wrong to show an exit for that Gentleman. He's there all the time. He was there before Hamlet was born, and he'll be there after Hamlet dies. Doing other writing. Never show an exit for that Gentleman, in a literature Hamlet. He stepped in for a special appearance here, to warn you about Ophelia. What he's having her do is very different from what you'd normally expect.
42-3. the owl was a baker's daughter]- Ophelia means she gave too little to her "saviour" earlier, but she's wiser now.
43-4. we know what . . . may be]- Ophelia is saying that although she's wiser now, she doesn't know whether Hamlet will marry her.
44. God be at your table.]- "Table" means a slab with writing on it. Latin tabula.
- In the context of Hamlet, an inscribed slab is a gravestone.
- "At" means "at work on."
The sentence means, "I hope God is at work on your gravestone (as we speak.)"
It could be expressed as, "I hope you drop dead while we're talking."- Horrifyingly ironic, in view of Ophelia's fate. Claudius thinks she's blessing his dinner.
Ophelia! Naughty girl! You're not allowed to say that to the King!
The Gentleman warned you.
58. Saint Charity]- The Saint is meant; Saint Charity was tortured and killed as a child. Relates to "Jephthah," who burned and killed his daughter.
72. my coach]- Allusion is to a fairy tale of a downtrodden maiden whose dreams have come true.
74. S.D. Horatio]- Horatio does not leave. Gertrude's ladies in waiting follow Ophelia. Arden's assertion of what is "clear" is exactly wrong.
83. we]- The we should not be taken as royal, as it most sensibly embraces all the mourners, rather than being an assertion of royal prerogative; further, Claudius is addressing plaintive remarks to Gertrude, rather than making a speech, so the "we" with virtual certainty must include her.
- also
- 83. greenly]
- Means "lately" or "recently." Claudius is informing the audience that Polonius is buried, which it is necessary to do since it happened offstage. Regarding Arden's strange note, it is not usually considered foolish to bury a dead person. That is the customary practice.
105. word]- The word is the word of law.
152. Let her come in.]- We know with certainty Laertes speaks the line, because his followers control the door, as Arden full well knows they do: line 115.
162. instance]- Means "part."
169. A-down a-down]- Means "he's dead, he's dead."
169-70]- The remark is to Laertes. A down a means "a dead man."
170-1 It is the false steward]- Ophelia means: lying Hamlet has stolen Jesus's daughter, herself, from the nunnery.
Both "Steward" and "Master" are properly capitalized, as Q2 shows, since they refer to proper names. Ophelia had planned to go to the nunnery as Hamlet told her to, where she would be Jesus's daughter instead of Polonius's, but after Hamlet killed Polonius she decided to stay and await Hamlet's return, to have sex with him, as she understood he wanted from the Mousetrap play, and from what her father and brother told her. She characterizes Hamlet as "false" because she thinks he lied to her in telling her he loved her. In Christian terms, all men are servants/Stewards of Jesus, and Jesus is Master of all. Thus, Hamlet, the lying Steward of Jesus, has stolen Jesus's daughter, Ophelia, by preventing her going to the nunnery. She changed her mind when he killed Polonius. Undertone of Lucifer as the "false Steward," which is a traditional epithet for the Devil, needs further discussion not possible here.
173-83.]- Laertes is the only recipient of flowers from Ophelia, as the dialogue shows. If flowers were given to the other characters they would say something in response but only Ophelia and Laertes have lines in the passage. Although it's played differently on stage to involve the other characters, for action, according to the written text Laertes gets all of the flowers (except the rue that Ophelia keeps.)
The flowers Ophelia gives Laertes have meanings from flower folklore, from their names, and from the author's own adopted meanings, as follows, briefly.- ~~~
- You take the remembrance and thoughts of Polonius, Laertes, I don't want them.
- Open your eyes, brother, and observe that these flowers are messages to you.
- You're a fool, brother, so farewell and good luck.
- Don't be sorry I'm gone.
- You're the "son" of Polonius, you're just like him.
- I don't love you.
- ~~~
177. fitted]- Means tangled in a fit, of madness.
180. a ]- This is not comparable to II.ii.383 which is mainstream modern usage.
181. a difference]- Arden's idea is bizarre, as there is no reason for Ophelia to be talking about coats of arms. The "difference" Ophelia means is the negative, "no regret."
Arden should, themselves, have rejected their notion, since when a father dies, the heraldic "difference" is immediately dispensed with, as it no longer serves a purpose. At the time Ophelia is talking to Laertes, with Polonius dead, there is no heraldic difference to mention, and Shakespeare knew that.
195. cast away]- Ophelia means she has no further need for moans of sadness under the oppression of her father, so she discards them.
Act IV Scene 6
9. th'ambassador]- Claudius sent Hamlet to England as his official ambassador on a pretended mission to collect the neglected tribute. There is no ruse by Hamlet that he's an ambassador, he officially is an ambassador on a mission for the King. The deception is against Hamlet, by Claudius.
Act IV Scene 7/dt>
8. safety, wisdom]- Wrong to omit Q2 greatness.
- In his plays the author never showed he felt strictly bound by formal poetic structure, and an editor errs in trying to impose on the author. The utterance is not pentameter; even with "greatness" the last two lines are nine feet. There is no valid reason to depart from Q2 here.
22. so loud a wind]- Q2 loved Arm'd is correct.
- Means "lovingly armored."
- Claudius means Hamlet is armored by the public's love of him. If Claudius shot arrows at Hamlet, politically speaking, they'd bounce off the "armor of love" that the public has dressed Hamlet in, and rebound to hurt Claudius, instead. Another Folio error joins the multitude.
26. terms]- Means "expressions," of grief. Laertes is, mistakenly, interpreting Ophelia's behavior as desperate expressions of grief.
28. challenger . . . the age]- Actually, what Arden mentions does not give the idea, at all. It's imbecilic to try to depict the gentle maiden Ophelia as a violent warlord of the opposite sex. A person would be astoundingly foolish to confuse Ophelia with Conan the Barbarian. What Laertes means, is that Ophelia, as she was, was placed on the highest pedestal.
A mount is a pedestal, for mounting a statue. Laertes is referring to the well-known expression about putting a woman on a pedestal.
42. naked]- Hamlet means like a naked sword of vengeance (or justice,) unsheathed and ready to swing. Ironic, in light of the play conclusion, the fencing match, where the "naked" unbated sword kills him. Ophelia's mention of "cockle hat and staffe, and his Sendall shoone" particularly describes a pilgrimmage to the shrine of St James of Compostela, and "the sword" is emblematically associated with St James of C. Thus, Hamlet returns with "the sword."
46. Hamlet]- Wrong to include this in the main text. Since Arden considers it incongruous, and suspects it of being an addition, they should have had the courage of their convictions (so long as Q2 is respected.) It is, of course, editorial in the Folio. It should be footnoted, only.
56. diest]- Q2 is correct with didst.
- As Laertes speaks, he imitates a sword thrust. Meaning of, "this is what you did (so I'll do the same to you.)" The imitation of a sword thrust by Laertes is what gives Claudius the idea for the fencing match, which is, of course, vital to the play.
56-7. If it be so . . . otherwise?]- Claudius is referring to Laertes, who has just spoken his feelings. Claudius is asking Laertes whether, even though he's so bloodthirsty, he'll nevertheless be guided by Claudius. The way it should be otherwise, is if Laertes had any sense.
61. checking]- Q2 the King is correct.
- Claudius means he was the King at the time of Hamlet's voyage, and is still King, and can manipulate Hamlet further.
75. siege]- Claudius means highest status, referring to Laertes being the "king" of swordplay; siege = "throne" would be right, since Claudius the King is talking about Laertes as a kind of "king."
88. forgery]- Means "daydreams." Claudius is revealing his fantasy about being a great horseman.
91. Lamord]- Comment here. Personal allusion might be intended, now lost, apparently, or highly arguable among possible candidates. Beyond that, there may be allusion to Mordred and the legend of King Arthur, Le Morte d'Arthur.
Mordred is described in different accounts as both son and nephew of Arthur, as Hamlet is both stepson and nephew of Claudius. Arthur sent Mordred away in a ship to kill him, but Mordred returned; as Hamlet returned from the ship that was supposed to carry him to his death. Mordred wrote "false letters" against Arthur; Hamlet wrote a forged order in the name of the King. In the Stanzaic Morte Arthur Mordred is accused of being crazy. The Arthurian legend concludes with the two killing each other, albeit with some variation re Arthur's fate. Further, re Ophelia's "false Steward" line, Mordred is described as a false steward when he gains the crown of England. One would not expect an exact matchup between stories so different as that of Hamlet and Arthur, so the comparison must not be carried too far, but the several points of coincidence between Hamlet and the King Arthur story as told in various accounts make it credible that an allusion to the Arthur legend was intended.
As to the mention of "Norman," perhaps allusion to a Norman of the time was meant, but also, the interest of the Norman rulers of Britain in the Arthur story is well known, historically, following the victory in England of William of Normandy, "William the Conqueror."
Arden's speculation about the emblematic "La Mort" has validity.
94. made confession of]- Means Lamord told all about Laertes's swordplay, like a person in church telling the priest all about his sins. Claudius is denigrating swordplay, cast as "sin" here, which is irony in relation to the scheme he develops for the fencing match.
96. defence]- Means "praise." Nods to the legal term, like a lawyer praising his client in defending him. Continues the irony in Claudius's depiction of swordplay as an "offensive" thing.
137. pass of practice]- Means during a pass in a non-serious competition. The match Claudius arranges is "practice" by comparison with real combat, or so it would typically be. An undertone that it is Laertes's "practice," or usual way, to be deadly with his sword.
170. cold]- Means "insensitive," nor is the cull- an error in Q2, as it has a reasonable interpretation, since "cull" means to choose. A meaning of "chosen (by God) to be cold," is readily available.
In the context of Ophelia's death, Gertrude means it's insensitive of the maids to use the word "dead" so freely as to casually put the word in a flower name. The idea of "chaste" is not irrelevant, but its application is to Ophelia.
186. our trick]- Laertes means men only, not mankind; notice the contrast with "woman" which follows. He means it's self deception by men, to pretend they don't cry.
We may note in passing that the author, himself, wrote that line, of course, about men crying, after he "killed" Ophelia. The author is telling us, he cried, when he had to "kill" Ophelia.
Shakespeare wept.
Act V Scene 1
60. to Yaughan]- Fascinating that Arden recognizes this as being in Ben Jonson's manner, while failing to see it as a mark in the Folio that Jonson is satirized as the clown gravedigger.
109. box]- Means the geometric rectangle of the grave excavation, the grave plot.
133. absolute]- Means "literal."
133-4. by the card]- Means "by the tablet," which means by the dictionary; using literal, written definitions of words. The Elizabethans had no commercially printed dictionaries of the modern kind, they wrote their own dictionaries and other information on tablets. Hamlet mentions this.
175. Yorick's]- Take the word "yore" and turn it into a name on the pattern of "Roric."
- You will get "Yoric."
- The name means, "A Danish person of earlier times." A Danish person of yore.
About "Roric" being used as the pattern: the name, Roric, means "dewy." Dew rises, in popular expression. Relates back to Hamlet's expressed wish to be dew. "Roric" is then an attractive possibility as a name for a person who has risen, to Heaven, and also who has risen in Hamlet's memory, and further risen somewhat in having his skull exposed to view. But "Roric" will not work in context because of the terminal "r" of "poor." The words run together when spoken. So, a change in the first letter of the name was called for, and the author found an excellent alternative.
If personal allusion is additionally intended, a plausible object is Gabriel Spencer, since the gravedigger clown satirizes Ben Jonson. Jonson killed Spencer in a duel. In historical terms, Hamlet's comments on Yorick can be read as regret in relation to that unfortunate event. Also, the gravedigger's indignation can be read to imply the gravedigger, himself, killed Yorick, in consequence of the wine on the head. I.e.: "He poured wine on my head (so I killed him.)"
The period of time mentioned (23 years) cannot be counted on as reliable in relation to any particular person, nor can "King's jester" be taken in any literal sense, in such a context.
181. abhorred]- The nice pun here demands a note. When Hamlet was a child he was "aboard" Yorick's back, but now Yorick's remains are "aboard" Hamlet's imagination, "abhorred" in his imagination. Yorick's skull rides the back of Hamlet's imagination, just as he physically rode Yorick's back as a child.
201. modesty]- "Humility."
209. (winter's) flaw]- Means a flaw that "belongs" to the water in that the water can take advantage of it; thus the possessive. There is no "squall" meaning; reference is simply to a hole in the wall, that leaks. Q2 water's is correct, it goes directly back to the mention of water being a decayer of bodies.
224. Shards]- Shouldn't be in the play text, not authorial. Editorial in Folio. Not in Q2, and the author's known fondness for pairing near-synonyms tells us Q2 is right.
230. sage]- Arden's peculiar suggestion, that "sage" could defeat a compositor, is a denial of common sense.
251. the Dane]- Comment.
- It is not here, chronologically, that Hamlet first assumes this title; he did so earlier in time when he forged the King's order to execute R & G and signed it as the King. The audience doesn't yet know of that, however, and one has to look back. Hamlet's proclamation of himself to Laertes has meaning in several ways: irony, imitation of his father rising from the dead, etc. Claudius can hear Hamlet, as he says it. This should be played as though Hamlet is rising from among the dead in the graveyard, of course.
252. grappling with him]- It's in keeping with the play to have Hamlet jump into the grave. Hamlet is aping Laertes in challenging him, and having both go into the grave is symbolic in anticipation of the fencing match. Burbage was doing the correct thing. It is also symbolic of how both Laertes and Hamlet mistreated Ophelia in life. The grave is only waist-deep or so, by the way, if that. The sexton Clown hasn't finished the grave yet, because he was talking instead of digging. He'll finish it later.
265. quantity]- Hamlet is not being contemptuous of brotherly love, but rather very assertive of his own. Since he's comparing his love to Laertes's, belittling Laertes's love would diminish his own. Simply means "amount." Hamlet is most assuredly not saying, "my love is 40,000 times zero."
287. The cat . . . his day.]- Means basically that the natural order of things will assert itself despite Herculean effort to the contrary. Cats will be cats, who meow, and dogs will be dogs, who lie in the afternoon sun, regardless of what man does.
However, the "dog" phrase has a horrible undertone. Relates back to Hamlet's mention of the "sun" breeding maggots in a dead dog. Hamlet means, despite his best efforts to protect Ophelia, she died anyway, while he wasn't even there. His lovely, saintly "dog" had her day, to die. He's desolated.
293. shortly]- Q2 thereby is unquestionably correct, and very important.
Claudius means the effect of the monument, for him, referring to his expectation of death for Hamlet. Undertone that Hamlet's grave will be there, by Ophelia's.
A proper funeral would take about an hour. Claudius's "hour of quiet" there, nearby to Ophelia's grave, while Hamlet is buried, gives strong depth of meaning. Claudius should gesture toward a vacant plot next to Ophelia's grave as he says it.
Thereby = "there, beside." With thereby, as he gestures, Claudius is telling us where Hamlet will be buried, offstage after the end of the play, something we would otherwise not know. Hamlet will be there, by Ophelia.
Act V Scene 2
32. fair]- "Clerkly hand?" What is that? Fair means he wrote it attractively, with good style and penmanship. Clerks use jargon and abbreviations unfathomable to the general reader and their penmanship is not always the best.
42. comma]- Means a connecting mark, a connecting symbol. As opposed to a period, which symbolizes a separation. A comma is used to link clauses and phrases spoken by a single speaker. Hamlet means, as though the amities of Denmark and England were connected thoughts, speaking as one voice. To speak as one voice, although separate entities, is the idea.
51. writ]- The term writ has legal significance, means more than simply "writing."
65. Popp'd in . . . hopes]- Things have changed, to stimulate Hamlet's ambition. This is after Hamlet impersonated the King, and achieved the prospective deaths of R & G merely by writing an order. If Hamlet now has ambition to be King, it's because he's now more aware of the power, from personal experience. Comparison with his earlier attitude must take events into account as the play proceeds. What if Hamlet could simply write an order for Claudius's death?
66. proper]- "Normal." Hamlet means the way he ought to be living, as the natural son of his own living father.
80. S.D. Osric] Comment.- The spelling is correctly either Ostricke, as Q2 shows, or "Ostrick." Indicates "ostrich," a big, showy bird with a small brain. Satirical of the courtier.
The identity of the person satirized is subsequently given, using the hat. In performance, the courtier's hat should have an ostrich plume on it.
86-8. Let a beast . . . king's mess]- It means if all people were only beasts the courtier would be the beastly king.
94. it is very hot]- The line is a setup, not a joke in itself.
94-5. hot . . . cold]- How could Arden see their own written words, right there on the page, and not realize Hamlet is playing "hot and cold?" Ah, well, they're not the only blind ones, far from it.
97. hot for]- Q2 or is certainly correct.
- The Folio is in error. Hamlet is saying: "it's hot, or is it just me?" The Folio mistake loses the humor.
98. complexion]- Hamlet means, "or is it just me?"
103. S.D. signing . . . hat]- This stage direction should not be in the text. It's stupidly wrong. We know with certainty the courtier put his hat on before line 97.
104. remember]- Hamlet is pretending dismay that the courtier can't remember what he's supposed to tell Hamlet. They're finished with the hat, for now. Matter means "trouble," and Hamlet plays it that the courtier is having trouble remembering.
114-15. but yaw neither . . . sail]- Q2 [corrected] raw is correct.
- The mere use of "sail" does not make it a nautical metaphor throughout so that other nautical terms must be used. "Quick sail" means because he, Laertes, improves so fast, thus, any attempt to describe him must remain unfinished, raw, not done. There's a wicked undertone that the assessment of Laertes is raw now, but it, and he, will be "done" at the fencing match.
125-6. Is't not possible . . . really.]- The line is spoken to the courtier. Horatio is sarcastically using "another tongue" to mean English, casting English as a foreign language to the courtier. Horatio's utterance means, "Don't you understand English?"
However ironic the play Hamlet may be, and it is indeed one of the world's superlative works of irony, reality is more ironic, still. 'Twas ever thus. For centuries, scholars of English, and professors of English, have pondered Horatio's line without being able to fathom it. But what the line means is:
"Don't you understand English?"
134. not much approve]- It is not the courtier's judgment but the judgment of the world to which Hamlet refers, if the courtier were well acquainted with him; that is, Hamlet would fear the judgment of the world if he had accepted the courtier as his friend.
136-8. I dare not . . . know himself]- Hamlet is facetiously disavowing any comparison of himself with Laertes. Whatever the philosophy of the remark if taken out of context, the Arden note only obscures the meaning of the play. "But" means "since."
160. impawned, as]- There's no reason to depart from Q2 here, where the utterance means, "Why is all this as you've stated it?" In other words, "why are you telling me?"
The reason Hamlet asks, is that the courtier hasn't yet revealed Hamlet's role in the match. The Folio change, for whatever reason it was made, only confuses the point, which is Hamlet simply asking the courtier why the courtier is telling him. One suspects the Folio editor of trying to "help" again, or simply misunderstanding. Arden's own expressed doubt about Hamlet's use of "impawned," combined with its absence from Q2, should have told them it's not authorial.
162-4. The King, sir, hath laid . . . nine]- Arden calls it insoluble, but in fact it has a very easy solution: the courtier is mistaken in a simple way, consistent with his characterization as a fool.
Fools make mistakes. The courtier has simple-mindedly subtracted 3 from 12 and gotten 9, that's all. There's no reason to think the author didn't know better. An author who is characterizing a fool will, of course, have the character make mistakes, as with the earlier gravedigger clown. This is intended to be something that those who can calculate it correctly will chuckle at, not go crazy trying to figure out as though it were somehow right.
It's a joke, people. Have another cup of tea, and perk up.
162. passes]- "Bout" is a misleading word as it has become synonymous with "match," and the "turn" meaning of "bout" is not current. A different synonym should be used, such as "rounds," although a brief note of explanation is better than any single synonym, here.
183. lapwing . . . head]- "Possibly evoked?" Good heavens. In the context of the play, Horatio means the courtier is leaving with his hat on. Horatio is facetiously observing that the courtier didn't take his hat off to Hamlet when he left, the way he did when he arrived. It's a setup for Hamlet's next line.
184. (A did) comply with]- The Q2 phrasing is absolutely correct, beyond any possible doubt, and is vital here. You lose the joke without it.
Hamlet means the courtier has such bad manners, that he didn't take his hat off at his own mother's breast when he suckled. It's a joke. Q2's mandatory - and stressed - so means "thusly," i.e. kept his hat on his head. The Folio mistake ruined the joke.
186. the drossy age]- "Scummy." Hamlet is saying he lives at a time when "the scum rises to the top," as we'd say. Or conversely, it could be stated as "scraping the bottom of the barrel."
186-7. the tune of the time]- The popular song of the moment, "the latest fashion."
- Means people like the courtier only have the latest fashion, nothing beyond it, no depth. Hamlet is saying the courtier is superficial.
188. yeasty collection]- Q2 histy is correct, means "webby."
- From Greek hist- / histo-.
- Alludes to things that collect by chance in a spider's web. Hamlet means the courtier has had no education in behavior, he's only acquired a little proper behavior by chance, like catching a few bugs in a web. The Folio editor obviously didn't know it, and tried a substitute, trying mistakenly to connect to the "bubble" idea somehow.
188-9. carries them through]- Means they can get by the lowest opinions, only. The second "through" means "gets them by."
189. (most) fanned]- Q2 profane is correct.
- The phrase means most common, least worthy of respect. Could be glossed as "popular" in the pejorative sense.
[archive only, not current opinion}
* 189. winnowed]- Q2 renowned is correct, but badly misprinted.
- The several words in the passage that begin with "t" may have led the printer to a bad start here with a "t." Perhaps. The sense is "rumored," spread by word of mouth without direct experience. Hamlet indicates that people who praise the courtier have not met him. The use of the high-flown word "renowned" to convey the meaning of "rumored" is humor. The courtier's renown is a rumor, Hamlet means. This is an instance on the Rumor theme of the play. * [archive only, not current opinion}
190-1. do but blow . . . out]- There is no "yeast" metaphor; the Folio editor made a mistake. The phrase means if you put people like the courtier to the test of personal encounter, their reputations pop like bubbles.
202-3. use some gentle entertainment]- The Arden note is understated to the point of being wrong. Gertrude wants Hamlet to greet Laertes politely. Gertrude is very sympathetic that Laertes has lost his father, and is also quite concerned about her son's behavior.
206-7. I have been in continual practice]- Arden is wrong to quibble; in Act II Hamlet says "custom of" exercises, which can be interpreted to mean his typical or usual exercises. His remark did not necessarily include fencing, which he took up as a new exercise not habitual for him.
207. the odds]- Means "the advantage" or "the handicap."
- The specification of three hits is pertinent, but a faulty synonym for reader comprehension.
208-9. how ill . . . heart]- There's more to it than divine instinct: despite the expensive bet, Claudius didn't offer Hamlet anything to participate in the match. Even when Hamlet asked the courtier, "How if I answer no?" the courtier didn't mention anything to induce Hamlet to participate. The reason for Claudius's oversight is that Claudius doesn't expect Hamlet to survive, so Claudius simply didn't think of offering Hamlet an inducement that he would never collect. Hamlet is a perceptive fellow who notices the lack of an offer to him, and wonders why. Also, in general, Hamlet is expecting another attempt on his life by Claudius.
260. better'd]- Q2 better is correct.
- No point in honoring the Folio mistake here, unless one is only looking for an excuse to justify another footnote. Arden's pain in their assay to explain "better'd" should have been a hint to them that it's a Folio error. Such explanatory contortions are not reasonable. Specific to the Arden note, the courtier expressly said it was the opinion of Laertes's own servants, not public opinion, and that is a very important point in the play, since it tells us about something that happened offstage.
The reason for the Folio mistake is because the editor thought Claudius was talking to Laertes.
266. quit in answer . . . exchange]- Claudius is, with vast irony and stupendous nerve, speaking of sportsmanship: if Hamlet loses the first two passes badly he would be expected to withdraw as a courtesy and the match would end. Claudius is announcing the "sportsmanship" rule for Hamlet.
269. an union]- Q2 onyx is correct in the literary text.
- The Q2 onyx is the poison pill, it's how Claudius poisons Hamlet's wine. The word "onyx" is used because it means "nail" as in human fingernail.
272-5. let the kettle . . . to Hamlet]- Claudius does indeed drink to Hamlet "for luck" and since his toast is a King's "rouse," the drum, trumpet, and canon all sound, as stated in Q2. Same as the Act I rouse. The way Claudius does a rouse is with all the noisemakers, as we already know. The trumpets are then sustained, as Q2 shows, and the whole noisy salute announces the beginning of the match.
Consider Fortinbras's behavior, offstage. Fortinbras begins his charge on the castle when the cannons fire. He doesn't know about the fencing match, or how casual Claudius is with the cannons, and he thinks the Danes are shooting at him. Since it's only a salute, the cannons will be loaded with blank charges, no shot. Fortinbras will get to the castle with his whole army, where he'll find that Laertes's mob broke down the doors for him. IV.v.111 "King: The doors are broke." The second volley, just after the "palpable hit," will confirm to Fortinbras that he's being fired on, while he makes his charge on the castle. Palpable, indeed. The second volley rules out any possibility of error, in Fortinbras's mind. Claudius's carelessness with the cannons, so aptly remarked upon by Hamlet in the "swaggering upspring" scene, here leads to Fortinbras taking the castle. The swaggering upspring of it all, is the loss of Elsinore. As with the supposedly-harmless foil causing tragedy inside, the supposedly-harmless cannons outside bring a tragic end to all Hamlet Sr fought for.
284. this pearl]- The earlier onyx, the poison, has now dissolved and disappeared. Claudius knows that. But Claudius said he put a valuable gem in the cup, and if it isn't found there later, suspicion will arise. Where did it go? Claudius would be on the spot. So Claudius says "pearl" here, but he drops in two gems, both a pearl and an onyx that he's palmed. Then, when the valuable gems are sought, both of them will be in the cup, just as he said. Or, if the wine spills, they'll both fall out.
We know Claudius isn't really giving Hamlet a pearl, since he expects Hamlet to die, so he must be doing something else. He's covering up for the "onxy." The vital point in relation to the play is that Claudius would have gotten away with it, through his clever hiding of the evidence.
The word, onyx, means "nail" as in human fingernail; the mineral is so named because of its color. Claudius chose to say "onyx" in the first place, when he poisoned the wine, because later when he palms a gem to cover up for the poison, an onyx can be hidden better in his hand than most other gems could. Claudius, using his wicked wits, has planned it carefully in advance. The onyx is the same color as his fingernails. It won't be noticed from a distance even if he doesn't have it completely covered in his hand. We can be entirely confident that "onyx" is exactly the word the author meant, because of how Claudius poisons the wine and then covers up for it.
Since it can't be shown in stage events that Claudius would have gotten away with it, had Hamlet drunk the wine, it's important to get the gems right, in fairness, to give the audience at least some possibility of understanding. This is vital in the literary text, where people will have leisure to think about it.
331. Drink off this potion.]- Q2 of is correct.
- Arden errs in following the Folio, which in modern usage implies Claudius drinks it all; we know he doesn't drink it all. "Off" should only be noted.
358. o'ercrows]- An important word in the play. Return to Horatio's remarks in Scene 1 about the rooster crowing at sunrise: "son rise." When the cock crows, no spirit dares stir abroad. Thus, we don't see the Ghost at the end of the play, because it's "son rise," as Hamlet (the "son") ascends to Heaven.
361. He has my . . . voice]- Foolishly wrong, since as Arden full well knows, it being mentioned in their immediately preceding note, Hamlet was not King - he was never elected! Denmark is an elective monarchy. He has no monarch's voice. What Hamlet is offering Fortinbras is moral support, which is far more profound and elemental in the play.
Even if Hamlet had survived, it's questionable whether the electors would have chosen him King, because he was reputed insane, as even the lowly gravedigger knew, and he killed Polonius.
363. solicited]- Means "tempted" or "lured."
- Hamlet is speaking of himself, means Horatio should tell Fortinbras of the events, both greater and lesser, that tempted Hamlet into disaster. The remark means, "which have lured . . . (me to this tragic fate.)" Hamlet hopes to educate Fortinbras by his mistakes. It's a brotherly gesture by Hamlet, like the brotherly gesture he made to Laertes.
388. forc'd]- Q2 for no is correct.
- Horatio is contrasting the deaths caused by cunning, that of Hamlet and Hamlet Sr, notably, with the deaths for no cause, such as Gertrude, whose death was entirely unintentional. For no is in reference to the play's theme of Fortune.
397. draw on more]- Q2 no is correct, the Folio "on" is an error.
- Horatio is not Polonius, not Fortinbras's political advisor. Horatio means Hamlet's voice will draw no more breath, to speak.
399. wild]- Means "unsettled," not yet having reached a conclusion.
- Undertone of wild speculation, wild rumor. The idea is to educate people's uncertain minds with the truth before they arrive at a wrong conclusion due to rumor. For example, if people were to hear by word of mouth simply that Hamlet stabbed Claudius, it would be misunderstood as out-and-out treason.
402. put on]- Means put on the throne, made King.
- Fortinbras is disappointed, he wanted to fight the son of the man who killed his father. He thus elevates Hamlet as a worthy enemy, which Hamlet may or may not have been. We'll never know.
Soldierly treatment is proper because a king is a war chief, the top soldier.
Hamlet is honored in death as the King he couldn't be in life.
The End.
On the general subject of "naughty words," as long as we're here, one must be extremely careful of words in the Folio, and in Q1, that have sexual connotations, where Q2 differs, because such words could have been tossed in for stage performance, to give audience members a chuckle at a phrase, even if the audience had no real idea of what was being said in the larger way. This same consideration also applies to other sources of "groundling" type words which have appeared over time.
As "page" - literature - the author's Q2 is obviously preferable to bawdy corruptions of the stage, in seeking the genuine Shakespeare, since the exact source of stage variations is lost in the mists of time and can on no account be taken as authorial, where Q2 differs.
(Regained)
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