The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 59

[Footnote 4: A curious misprint: may we not suspect a somewhat dull joker among the compositors?]

[Footnote 6: 'a true son to your father.']

[Footnote 7: 'feel much grief for it.']

[Footnote 5: Laertes is a ranter--false everywhere.

Plainly he is introduced as the foil from which Hamlet 'shall stick fiery off.' In this speech he shows his moral condition directly the opposite of Hamlet's: he has no principle but revenge. His conduct ought to be quite satisfactory to Hamlet's critics; there is action enough in it of the very kind they would have of Hamlet; and doubtless it would be satisfactory to them but for the treachery that follows. The one, dearly loving a father who deserves immeasurably better of him than Polonius of Laertes, will not for the sake of revenge disregard either conscience, justice, or grace; the other will not delay even to inquire into the facts of his father's fate, but will act at once on hearsay, rus.h.i.+ng to a blind satisfaction that cannot even be called retaliation, caring for neither right nor wrong, cursing conscience and the will of G.o.d, and daring d.a.m.nation. He slights a.s.surance as to the hand by which his father fell, dismisses all reflection that might interfere with a stupid revenge. To make up one's mind at once, and act without ground, is weakness, not strength: this Laertes does--and is therefore just the man to be the villainous, not the innocent, tool of villainy. He who has sufficing ground and refuses to act is weak; but the ground that will satisfy the populace, of which the commonplace critic is the fair type, will not satisfy either the man of conscience or of wisdom. The ma.s.s of world-bepraised action owes its existence to the pressure of circ.u.mstance, not to the will and conscience of the man. Hamlet waits for light, even with his heart accusing him; Laertes rushes into the dark, dagger in hand, like a mad Malay: so he kill, he cares not whom.

Such a man is easily tempted to the vilest treachery, for the light that is in him is darkness; he is not a true man; he is false in himself.

This is what comes of his father's maxim:

To thine own self be true; And it must follow, _as the night the day_ (!) Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Like the aphorism 'Honesty is the best policy,' it reveals the difference between a fact and a truth. Both sayings are correct as facts, but as guides of conduct devilishly false, leading to dishonesty and treachery. To be true to the divine self in us, is indeed to be true to all; but it is only by being true to all, against the ever present and urging false self, that at length we shall see the divine self rise above the chaotic waters of our selfishness, and know it so as to be true to it.

Of Laertes we must note also that it is not all for love of his father that he is ready to cast allegiance to h.e.l.l, and kill the king: he has the voice of the people to succeed him.]

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[Sidenote: 184] It shall as leuell to your Iudgement pierce [Sidenote: peare']

As day do's to your eye.[1]

_A noise within. [2]Let her come in._

_Enter Ophelia[3]_

_Laer_. How now? what noise is that?[4]

[Sidenote: _Laer_. Let her come in. How now,]

Oh heate drie vp my Braines, teares seuen times salt, Burne out the Sence and Vertue of mine eye.

By Heauen, thy madnesse shall be payed by waight, [Sidenote: with weight]

Till our Scale turnes the beame. Oh Rose of May, [Sidenote: turne]

Deere Maid, kinde Sister, sweet _Ophelia_: Oh Heauens, is't possible, a yong Maids wits, Should be as mortall as an old mans life?[5] [Sidenote: a poore mans]

Nature is fine[6] in Loue, and where 'tis fine, It sends some precious instance of it selfe After the thing it loues.[7]

_Ophe. They bore him bare fac'd on the Beer._ [Sidenote: _Song_.] [Sidenote: bare-faste]

_Hey non nony, nony, hey nony:[8]

And on his graue raines many a teare_, [Sidenote: And in his graue rain'd]

_Fare you well my Doue._

_Laer_. Had'st thou thy wits, and did'st perswade Reuenge, it could not moue thus.

_Ophe_. You must sing downe a-downe, and [Sidenote: sing a downe a downe, And]

you call him[9] a-downe-a. Oh, how the wheele[10]

becomes it? It is the false Steward that stole his masters daughter.[11]

_Laer_. This nothings more then matter.[12]

_Ophe_. There's Rosemary,[13] that's for Remembraunce.

Pray loue remember: and there is [Sidenote: , pray you loue]

Paconcies, that's for Thoughts. [Sidenote: Pancies[14]]

_Laer_. A doc.u.ment[15] in madnesse, thoughts and remembrance fitted.

_Ophe_. There's Fennell[16] for you, and Columbines[16]: ther's Rew[17] for you, and heere's some for

[Footnote 1: 'pierce as _directly_ to your judgment.'

But the simile of the _day_ seems to favour the reading of the _Q._--'peare,' for _appear_. In the word _level_ would then be indicated the _rising_ sun.]

[Footnote 2: _Not in Q._]

[Footnote 3: _1st Q. 'Enter Ofelia as before_.']

[Footnote 4: To render it credible that Laertes could entertain the vile proposal the king is about to make, it is needful that all possible influences should be represented as combining to swell the commotion of his spirit, and overwhelm what poor judgment and yet poorer conscience he had. Altogether unprepared, he learns Ophelia's pitiful condition by the sudden sight of the harrowing change in her--and not till after that hears who killed his father and brought madness on his sister.]

[Footnote 5: _1st Q._

I'st possible a yong maides life, Should be as mortall as an olde mans sawe?]

[Footnote 6: delicate, exquisite.]

[Footnote 7: 'where 'tis fine': I suggest that the _it_ here may be impersonal: 'where _things_, where _all_ is fine,' that is, 'in a fine soul'; then the meaning would be, 'Nature is fine always in love, and where the soul also is fine, she sends from it' &c. But the _where_ may be equal, perhaps, to _whereas_. I can hardly think the phrase means merely '_and where it is in love_.' It might intend--'and where Love is fine, it sends' &c. The 'precious instance of itself,' that is, 'something that is a part and specimen of itself,' is here the 'young maid's wits': they are sent after the 'old man's life.'--These three lines are not in the Quarto. It is not disputed that they are from Shakspere's hand: if the insertion of these be his, why should the omission of others not be his also?]

[Footnote 8: _This line is not in Q._]

[Footnote 9: '_if_ you call him': I think this is not a part of the song, but is spoken of her father.]

[Footnote 10: _the burden of the song_: Steevens.]

[Footnote 11: The subject of the ballad.]

[Footnote 12: 'more than sense'--in incitation to revenge.]

[Footnote 13: --an evergreen, and carried at funerals: _Johnson_.

For you there's rosemary and rue; these keep Seeming and savour ail the winter long: Grace and remembrance be to you both.

_The Winter's Tale_, act iv. sc. 3.]

[Footnote 14: _pensees_.]

[Footnote 15: _a teaching, a lesson_--the fitting of thoughts and remembrance, namely--which he applies to his intent of revenge. Or may it not rather be meant that the putting of these two flowers together was a happy hit of her madness, presenting the fantastic emblem of a doc.u.ment or writing--the very idea of which is the keeping of thoughts in remembrance?]

[Footnote 16: --said to mean _flattery_ and _thanklessness_--perhaps given to the king.]

[Footnote 17: _Repentance_--given to the queen. Another name of the plant was _Herb-Grace_, as below, in allusion, doubtless, to its common name--_rue_ or _repentance_ being both the gift of G.o.d, and an act of grace.]

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