The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 61

[Footnote 4: Here the servant goes, and the rest of the speech Horatio speaks _solus_. He had expected to hear from Hamlet.]

[Footnote 5: 'and it please'--_if it please_. _An_ for _if_ is merely _and_.]

[Footnote 6: 'I am told.']

[Footnote 7: _Not in Q_.]

[Footnote 8: This gives an approximate clue to the time between the second and third acts: it needs not have been a week.]

[Footnote 9: Note once more the unfailing readiness of Hamlet where there was no question as to the fitness of the action seemingly required. This is the man who by too much thinking, forsooth, has rendered himself incapable of action!--so far ahead of the foremost behind him, that, when the pirate, not liking such close quarters, 'on the instant got clear,' he is the only one on her deck! There was no question here as to what ought to be done: the pirate grappled them; he boarded her. Thereafter, with his prompt faculty for dealing with men, he soon comes to an understanding with his captors, and they agree, upon some certain condition, to put him on sh.o.r.e.

He writes in unusual spirits; for he has now gained full, presentable, and indisputable proof of the treachery which before he scarcely doubted, but could not demonstrate. The present instance of it has to do with himself, not his father, but in itself would justify the slaying of his uncle, whose plausible way had possibly perplexed him so that he could not thoroughly believe him the villain he was: bad as he must be, could he actually have killed his own brother, and _such_ a brother? A better man than Laertes might have acted more promptly than Hamlet, and so happened to _do_ right; but he would not have _been_ right, for the proof was _not_ sufficient.]

[Footnote 10: The value Hamlet sets on his discovery, evident in his joyous urgency to share it with his friend, is explicable only on the ground of the relief it is to his mind to be now at length quite certain of his duty.]

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_make thee dumbe, yet are they much too light for the bore of the Matter.[1] These good Fellowes will bring_ [Sidenote: the bord of]

_thee where I am. Rosincrance and Guildensterne, hold their course for England. Of them I haue much to tell thee, Farewell.

He that thou knowest thine._ [Sidenote: _So that thou knowest thine Hamlet._]

Hamlet.

Come, I will giue you way for these your Letters, [Sidenote: _Hor_. Come I will you way]

And do't the speedier, that you may direct me To him from whom you brought them. _Exit_. [Sidenote: _Exeunt._]

_Enter King and Laertes._[2]

_King_. Now must your conscience my acquittance seal, And you must put me in your heart for Friend, Sith you haue heard, and with a knowing eare,[3]

That he which hath your n.o.ble Father slaine, Pursued my life.[4]

_Laer_. It well appeares. But tell me, Why you proceeded not against these feates,[5] [Sidenote: proceede]

So crimefull, and so Capitall in Nature,[6] [Sidenote: criminall]

As by your Safety, Wisedome, all things else, [Sidenote: safetie, greatnes, wisdome,]

You mainly[7] were stirr'd vp?

_King_. O for two speciall Reasons, Which may to you (perhaps) seeme much vnsinnowed,[8]

And yet to me they are strong. The Queen his Mother, [Sidenote: But yet tha'r strong]

Liues almost by his lookes: and for my selfe, My Vertue or my Plague, be it either which,[9]

She's so coniunctiue to my life and soule; [Sidenote: she is so concliue]

That as the Starre moues not but in his Sphere,[10]

I could not but by her. The other Motiue, Why to a publike count I might not go, [Sidenote: 186] Is the great loue the generall gender[11] beare him, Who dipping all his Faults in their affection,

[Footnote 1: Note here also Hamlet's feeling of the importance of what has pa.s.sed since he parted with his friend. 'The bullet of my words, though it will strike thee dumb, is much too small for the bore of the reality (the facts) whence it will issue.']

[Footnote 2: While we have been present at the interview between Horatio and the sailors, the king has been persuading Laertes.]

[Footnote 3: an ear of judgment.]

[Footnote 4: 'thought then to have killed me.']

[Footnote 5: _faits_, deeds.]

[Footnote 6: 'deeds so deserving of death, not merely in the eye of the law, but in their own nature.']

[Footnote 7: powerfully.]

[Footnote 8: 'unsinewed.']

[Footnote 9: 'either-which.']

[Footnote 10: 'moves not but in the moving of his sphere,'--The stars were popularly supposed to be fixed in a solid crystalline sphere, and moved in its motion only. The queen, Claudius implies, is his sphere; he could not move but by her.]

[Footnote 11: Here used in the sense of the Fr. _'genre'--sort_. It is not the only instance of the word so used by Shakspere.

The king would rouse in Laertes jealousy of Hamlet.]

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Would like the Spring that turneth Wood to Stone, [Sidenote: Worke like]

Conuert his Gyues to Graces.[1] So that my Arrowes Too slightly timbred for so loud a Winde, [Sidenote: for so loued Arm'd[2]]

Would haue reuerted to my Bow againe, And not where I had arm'd them.[2]

[Sidenote: But not have aym'd them.]

_Laer_. And so haue I a n.o.ble Father lost, A Sister driuen into desperate tearmes,[3]

Who was (if praises may go backe againe) [Sidenote: whose worth, if]

Stood Challenger on mount of all the Age For her perfections. But my reuenge will come.

_King_. Breake not your sleepes for that, You must not thinke That we are made of stuffe, so flat, and dull, That we can let our Beard be shooke with danger,[4]

And thinke it pastime. You shortly shall heare more,[5]

I lou'd your Father, and we loue our Selfe, And that I hope will teach you to imagine----[6]

_Enter a Messenger_. [Sidenote: _with letters._]

How now? What Newes?

_Mes._ Letters my Lord from _Hamlet_.[7] This to [Sidenote: _Messen_. These to]

your Maiesty: this to the Queene.

_King_. From _Hamlet_? Who brought them?

_Mes_. Saylors my Lord they say, I saw them not: They were giuen me by _Claudio_, he recciu'd them.[8]

[Sidenote: them Of him that brought them.]

_King. Laertes_ you shall heare them:[9]

Leaue vs. _Exit Messenger_[10]

_High and Mighty, you shall know I am set naked on your Kingdome. To morrow shall I begge leaue to see your Kingly Eyes[11] When I shall (first asking your Pardon thereunto) recount th'Occasions_ [Sidenote: the occasion of my suddaine returne.]

_of my sodaine, and more strange returne._[12]