Act III Sc. 1
“Niggard of question; but of our demands
Most free in his reply.”
Warburton transposes ‘niggard’ and ‘most free’; and certainly, unless the poet forgot himself, he was by no means ‘niggard of question’; and ‘niggard’ would also accord better than ‘free’ with ‘of demands.’ It might be better to read to for ‘of,’ as these words were often confounded.
“Good gentlemen, give him a further edge.”
Here ‘edge’ seems used in a peculiar sense, as the substantive of egg, to urge, incite.
“Affront Ophelia. Her father and myself [lawful espials].”
As ‘lawful espials’ is only in the folio, injures the measure, and is not necessary, I would omit it.
“Or to take arms against a sea of troubles.”
Though we meet in Shakespeare with incongruities as great as this, I incline to read for ‘sea’ siege, my own conjecture, as well as Pope’s. We have “All sores lay siege” (Tim. iv. 3), “Sickness did lay siege” (M. N. D. i. 1), and several other expressions; and this is almost a solitary instance of the figurative use of ‘sea’ by our poet. Assay, or assays, for ‘a sea,’ has also been proposed, “Galling the gleaned land with hot assays” (Hen. V. i. 2); and it may have been the poet’s word. If so, I should incline to read the assay.
“With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear.”
This is the reading of the folio, which I retain. ‘These,’ which gives much force to the expression, refers either to the evils he had enumerated, or is, as is so frequently the case, used in a general indefinite sense.
“In the undiscover’d country from whose bourne
No traveller returns.”
If any one refuses his assent to this very slight addition to the text, and which for the first time gives it sense, I must leave him to his own devices. Introd. p. 57.
“Ye heavenly powers, restore him!”
Sc. 2
“And the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.”
As ‘age of time’ seems not to be a very correct expression, we might feel inclined to read world for ‘time,’ but no change is required; time is the age, the world, and so ‘age of the time’ may signify period of the world, the then state of society. M. Mason read every for ‘the very.’
“And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee.”
I see not what ‘pregnant’ can mean here. It might be better to read pliant, or some such word.
“Even with the very comment of thy soul.”
So the 4tos properly read; the folio has my for ‘thy.’
“So long? Nay, then, let the Devil wear black; for
I’ll not have a suit of sables.”
When the critics shall have proved—which they have not done yet—that a dress trimmed with sable was called ‘a suit of sables,’ I will grant that Hamlet did not mean mourning, and that the negative is not needful. The passage, as I now give it, answers to the vulgar phrase, “The Devil may wear black for me.”
“Marry, this is miching malicho.”
For ‘miching malicho,’ which is nonsense, I read mucho malhecho Sp., i.e. very ill-done.
“For women fear too much; even as they love.”
A line riming with this is lost.
“So you must take your husbands.”
So the 4to 1603 reads, with an evident allusion to the Marriage Service. The others and the folio have mistake.
“On my rais’d shoes.”
So Steevens read. The folio has rac’d, the 4tos raz’d.
“A very, very paiock.”
For ‘paiock’ Pope read peacock (the usual reading), Theobald paddock, Blakeway puttock. I agree with Theobald, as the King is afterwards called a paddock, and there is probably an allusion to the poisoning. Puttock is favoured by “I chose an eagle and did avoid a puttock” (Cymb. i. 2).
“If my duty be too bold, my love is too unmannerly.”
Tyrwhitt proposed ‘be not too bold.’ I read, ‘If my duty be too bold, my love [is] too unmannerly....’
“Govern these ventages with your fingers and your thumb.”
“And do such bitter business as the day
Would quake to look on.”
The 4tos, followed by editors in general, join ‘bitter’ with ‘day.’ See Introd. p. 61.
Sc. 3
“Though inclination be as sharp as it will.”
Sc. 4
“I’ll silence me e’en here.”
The 4to 1603 reads, “I’ll shrowd myself behind the arras.” Hanmer and Hunter read ‘sconce me,’ and we have, “I’ll ensconce me behind the arras” (Mer. Wives, iii. 3). Still no change is required.
“A slave that’s not a twentieth part the tithe.”
“Enter Ghost in his night-gown.”
I have given this stage-direction from the 4to 1603, as it is quite incongruous to suppose that the Ghost appeared in armour in a room of the palace; and as Hamlet says, “My father in his habit as he lived!” As the Ghost makes but one short speech, I think, if it could be so managed, it would be more psychologic and effective for him to remain invisible, except to Hamlet mentally, and his voice only be heard by the audience.
“Lest with this piteous action you convert
My stern effects.”
I read, with Singer, affects. See on Meas. for Meas. iii. 1.
“That monster Custom, who all sense doth eate
Of habits, devil is angel yet in this.”
The verb ‘eate’ here could never have come from the poet’s pen; for it makes pure nonsense. I read create with the greatest confidence, of which the two first letters must have been effaced in the MS. We have an exact parallel in smell, ‘all’ (Tim. i. 2). See also on All’s Well, i. 1, ii. 1. ‘Sense’ seems here, as in M. for M. iv. 4, to signify kind, manner, way.
“And either master the Devil or throw him out.”
So 4to 1604, but omitting ‘master’; while 4to 1600 and the undated omit ‘either.’ Malone read curb for ‘master’—a most needless alteration.
“One word more, good my lady.”
“Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib.”
I read gib-cat, as ‘gib’ never occurs alone. We surely would not say a tom for a tom-cat, a jack for a jackass, a jackdaw, etc. See Introd. p. 58.