Act III Scene I. (III. I. 16-17.)
The soft and tender fork of a poor worm.
“Worm” is put for any creeping thing or “serpent”. Shakespeare supposes falsely, but according to the vulgar notion, that a serpent wounds with his tongue, and that his tongue is “forked”. He confounds reality and fiction, a serpent’s tongue is “soft” but not “forked” nor hurtful. If it could hurt, it could not be soft. In Midsummer-night’s Dream he has the same notion.
—With doubler tongue
Then thine, O serpent, never adder stung.