415

420

Fort.

On plots and errors, happen.

Let four captains
Bear Hamlet, like a soldier, to the stage,
For he was likely, had he been put on,
To have proved most royally; and, for his

passage,

The soldiers' music and the rites of war
Speak loudly for him.

Take up the bodies. Such a sight as this
Becomes the field, but here shows much
amiss.

Go, bid the soldiers shoot.

A dead march. Exeunt bearing off the dead bodies; after which a peal of ordnance is shot

off.

NOTES.

ABBREVIATIONS.

Abbott.-A Shakespearian Grammar, by E. A. Abbott, London, 1879.

Clar. Clarendon Press Series, edited by W. Aldis Wright. Dowden. Hamlet, edited by E. Dowden, London, 1902. F1-The First Folio edition of Shakespere, 1623. Ff.The Folios.

N. E. D.-A New English Dictionary, edited by J. A. H. Murray, Henry Bradley, and W. A. Craigle. Oxford, 1888. Q1-First Quarto Hamlet, 1603. Q-Second Quarto, 1604. Qq-The Quartos.

Schmidt.-Shakespeare Lexicon, by A. Schmidt, London,

1886.

Var. Variorum Edition of Hamlet, edited by H. H. Fur

ness.

ACT I.

The theme of the tragedy is the avenging of the murder of the elder Hamlet, who is accordingly brought forward in the first scene as the late victorious king. The description of the ambitious activity of young Fortinbras of Norway prepares us for the part he plays after the catastrophe in V. li.

I. 1. 1. Ber. Who's there? Observe that the new comer, not the sentinel, challenges. This irregularity is taken as an indication of the suppressed excitement affecting the speakers in this first scene.

I. 1. 2. Unfold. Disclose.
I. 1. 3.

word, but

15, below.

Long live the king! This might seem the watch-
Horatio and Marcellus use other phrases in line

Rivals. Partners.

The king of Denmark.

Give you. I. e., God give you.

I. 1. 13.

I. i. 15.

The Dane.

I. i. 16.

I. i. 21.

I. i. 23.

The Folios give this speech to Marcellus.
Fantasy. Imagination.

I. i. 25. Dreaded. Full of dread. For this class of

adjectives formed from nouns by the addition of -ed, with the force of "full of," "furnished with," "capable of," see Schmidt, p. 1417.

I. i. 29.

Approve.

Confirm the testimony of.

I. i. 33. What, etc. This may be taken (1) as a clause in apposition with "story," or (2) as a case of the omission of the preposition "with."

I. i. 36. Pole. Pole star.

I. i. 42. Scholar. This is usually explained as a man who can speak Latin, that being the usual language in which evil spirits were exorcised. But Horatio does not speak Latin here, and scholar may be meant to imply merely the possession of the skill that will enable him to address it with due circumspection.

I. 1. 45. Spoke. Cf. Introduction, p. 47, 4, (c). There is a reference here to the belief that a ghost cannot speak till it has been spoken to.

I. i. 49. Sometimes.

I. i. 55.

I. i. 57.

Confirmation.

Formerly.

On . . . of. Cf. Introduction, p. 48.

Sensible. Appealing to the senses. Avouch.

I. i. 62. Parle. Parley, conference, which, in this case, issued in fighting.

I. I. 63. Smote. Defeated. Sledded Polacks. Poles, who use sledges. The Quartos read "sleaded pollax," and F1 and F2 "sledded Pollax." These readings have given rise to such Interpretations as "leaded battle-axe," "Poles using sledgehammers," etc.

I. 1. 65. Jump. Exactly. Cf. the use of jump = agree, as in Twelfth Night, V. i. 259-260. "Till each circumstance do cohere and jump." The Folios read "just."

I. i. 67. In what particular thought to work. Exactly what to think.

I. 1. 68.

Hendiadys.

Gross and scope. Gross scope, general view.

Heraldry. The regular formalities of heralds.
Seized. Possessed.

I. i. 87.

I. i. 89.

I. i. 90.

I. i. 91.

Gaged. Staked.

I. i. 92.

Moiety competent. Sufficient portion.

Inheritance. Possession.

I. i. 94. Carriage. Import. Article designed. Q2 and F, read, "article design." The reading in the text means "document drawn up" or "before-mentioned." Other suggested emendations are, "articles' design," and "articled design."

I. i. 96. to account. I. i. 98.

Unimproved mettle. Courage not hitherto turned Cf. our modern phrase, "unimproved land." Sharked up. Gathered indiscriminately, as a shark does its food. Lawless. The Folios read, "landless." I. i. 100. Stomach. Chance to show courage.

I. i. 103. Both compulsatory (Ff.) and compulsative (Qq.) are equivalents of "compulsory."

I. i. 107.

I. i. 108.

I. i. 109.

I. i. 111.

I. i. 113.

I. i. 118.

Romage. Turmoil.

Be. Subjunctive, expressing doubt.
Sort. Suit.

Question. Occasion.

State. Probably "condition."

As stars. A line or more seems to have dropped out before these words

I. i. 119. Disasters. Ominous appearances. The original astrological significance of the word still survived. Moist star. The moon, which causes the tides.

I. i. 121. Doomsday. In Matthew XXIV. 29, among the signs of the Judgement occurs, "And the moon shall not give her light."

I. i. 123. Harbingers. Forerunners; originally, the men who went ahead to prepare lodging for a king. Still. Always.

I. i. 124. Omen. I. e., the fulfilment of the omen, the calamity itself.

I. 1. 126. Our climatures. The climates, regions, where we live. The singular would be more natural, so some have emended to "climature," and others have interpreted it "those who live under the same climate."

as =

I. i. 128. Cross it. Cross its path, and so, according to popular superstition, run the risk of coming under its malign influence.