William Shakespeare - The Complete Works/William Shakespeare - The Complete Works on CD-ROM.iso/library/line/ham/ham16.txt

Text File | 1994-05-22 | 9.0 KB | 254 lines

Act 4 Scene 5

The Queen is told that Ophelia, anguished by the
death of her father, has gone out of her mind. The
girl herself appears, showing all the signs we have
been told about; and both Gertrude and Claudius
ù for different reasons ù are deeply distressed.
Ophelia sings, and speaks in riddles: the form of
her madness is not unlike HamletÆs ù except that
hers is real. When Ophelia has left the stage,
Claudius voices his fear that the murder of
Polonius will have serious consequences for them
all. Immediately afterwards, news is brought of the
arrival of Laertes, who is demanding retribution for
the killing of Polonius. Ophelia returns to the
stage, and LaertesÆ grief is redoubled at the sight of
his sisterÆs madness.
2    mood: state of mind.
will needs be: must be.
3    would she have: does she want.
5    tricks iÆthÆworld: strange dealings about.
hems: says ôMmmö.
6    Spurns . . . straws: takes offence at the
least little thing.
in doubt: ambiguously.
7    nothing: nonsense.
8    unshaped use: disorganized manner.
9    collection: try to sort it out.
aim: guess.
11    Which: i.e. her words.
yield: represent.
12    ôAlthough we cannot be certain, there
may be such that is dangerous.ö
15    ill-breeding: mischief-making.
17    sick: guilty. HamletÆs reproaches have had
the desired effect.
18    toy: trifle.
amiss: misfortune. The rhymed couplets here mark
off the proverbial nature of the thought or
sententia.
19    artless jealousy: uncontrolled suspicion.
20    spills: destroys.
21    beauteous Majesty: Presumably Ophelia
refers to the Queen.
23s.d.    sings: OpheliaÆs grief, as expressed in her
songs (which are snatches of old ballads), seems to
mourn both for her fatherÆs death and for the loss
of Hamlet, her own ôtrue loveö.
25    The lover is depicted as a pilgrim,
wearing in his hat a ôcockleö or scallop shell (the
sign of a pilgrim visiting the shrine of St James at
Compostela), carrying a pilgrimÆs walking-staff,
and clad in sandalled shoes (ôshoonö is an archaic
plural form).
28    mark: listen.
37    Larded: sprinkled all over.
38    did not go: Ophelia stumbles in her song,
violating its rhythm but describing the burial of
Polonius more exactly (see lines 82, 211û13).
41    good Æield you: may God yield (i.e.
reward) you.
the owl: A folk-tale tells of a bakerÆs daughter
turned into an owl because she gave short weight.
42    we know . . . we may be: See I John, 3:2:
ôNow are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we may be.ö
43    at your table: with you.
44    Conceit upon: distressed about.
47    St ValentineÆs day: 14 February. Tradition
held that young men and women alike would find a
true lover in the first person of the opposite sex to
be encountered on this day.
48    betime: early.
52    dupped: opened.
58    Gis: Jesus.
Charity: the personification of the virtue.
60    doÆt . . . toÆt: take advantage of a girl if
they are given the chance.
61    Cock: God ù but there is also a pun on
ôcockö = penis.
62    tumbled me: i.e. took my virginity.
64    a done: have done.
65    An: if.
73    close: immediately.
give her good watch: watch her carefully.
76    When . . . battalions: i.e. it never rains but
it pours. Claudius offers a variant on a common
saying; ôspiesö were single soldiers sent ahead of
the general army to reconnoitre.
79    his . . . remove: Claudius shifts the blame
for the PrinceÆs departure on to Hamlet himself.
muddied: confused ù like water in a stream or
fountain that has been stirred up.
80    Thick and unwholesome: troubled and
suspicious .
81    we: I. Again Claudius uses the royal
plural.
greenly: foolishly.
82    hugger-mugger: secretly and in haste.
83    ôBeside herself, out of her mind.ö
84    which: i.e. judgement.
pictures: only images of men.
85    as much containing: just as serious.
87    Feeds on this wonder: broods over his
bewilderment.
keeps . . . clouds: holds himself aloof.
88    wants not: does not lack.
buzzers: scandal-mongers.
90    necessity: the need to blame someone.
of matter beggarÆd: being short of hard facts.
91    ôWonÆt hesitate to accuse me.ö
92    In ear and ear: to one person after
another.
this: this whole business.
93    murdÆring-piece: gun (e.g. cannon) which
scatters its shot and kills many at once.
94    gives me superfluous death: is killing me
several times over.
95    Switzers: bodyguard (dressed in the red
and yellow uniform of the Swiss mercenary
soldiers).
97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106
    Such announcements were set-pieces in
classical drama and in Elizabethan tragedies; their
formal rhetoric marks them off from the usual
verse.
97    overpeering: rising above.
his list: its limits.
98     flats: low-lying coastal area, where the
rising tide races inland.
impetuous: violent.
99     in a riotous head: advancing with a gang
of rebels.
101    ôAs if a new world was just about to
begin, rejecting the traditions and established
customs which are essential to support ôôevery
wordÆÆ of civilised rule.ö
104    Choose we: let us choose. Denmark was
an elective monarchy ù in which the king, though
nominated by his predecessor, had to be ratified in
his election by the voice of the people.
105    Caps: i.e. thrown in the air.
107    cry: give voice (like hounds that have
picked up a scent).
108    counter: the wrong way.
109    broke: forced open.
112    give me leave: if you donÆt mind. Laertes
is politely dismissive.
117    brands the harlot: See 3, 4, 41û3.
118    Even here: i.e. here of all places.
120    looks so giant-like: makes such a show of
violence. The classical rebellion myth describes
how the giants, by piling Mt Pelion on top of Mt
Ossa, assailed the Greek gods in heaven.
121    fear: be afraid for.
122    such divinity . . . a king: The Elizabethans
believed that the king was GodÆs representative on
earth, and was protected in his function by the
power of the Almighty; Claudius is never more
regal than at this moment.
123    but peep . . . would: only gets a glimpse of
what it would like to do.
124    his will: what it wants.
128    juggled with: played with.
130    grace: Laertes forswears the love of God,
necessary for salvation.
profoundest pit: hell. For the ôbottomless pitö see
Revelation, 9: 1.
131    To this point I stand: I have reached this
position.
132    both . . . negligence: I donÆt care what
happens to me in this world or the next.
134    throughly: thoroughly.
135    stay: prevent.
136    the world: i.e. the worldÆs will .
137    husband: manage, take care of.
138    go far with little: A commonplace saying:
ômake a little go a long way.ö
140    writ: laid down, prescribed.
141    sweepstake: as in a sweepstake ù where
the winner takes all the stakes. Claudius asks if
Laertes will use no discrimination.
draw: take from.
144    Will you: do you want to.
146    The pelican, showing natural feeling
(ôkindö) was thought to nourish (ôRepastö) its
brood (ôkindö) with its own blood. The
extravagant image is typical of the inflated
sentiments of Laertes.
150    sensibly: feelingly.
151    level: plainly.
pierce: appear.
155    Laertes would willingly (in his
characteristic exaggeration) lose his mind and his
sight.
156    virtue: power.
158    turns the beam: tilts the balance; i.e. his
revenge will exceed the injury.
162    ôThe sensitivity of human love is such that
it sends something of itself (which is precious)
after the beloved who has gone away.ö
163    instance: token.
165    For the songs, S.
169    persuade: urge me to.
170    move: persuade.
171    You must sing: Ophelia instructs the
bystanders to sing a refrain to her song (which is
apparently in two parts).
172    wheel: change in rhythm.
173    the false steward: The story (perhaps a
ballad) has not been traced. 172    ôThis
nonsense says more than words could do.ö
175    Symbolic meanings are attributed to
plants, and Ophelia distributes her offerings (either
real or imaginary) to the other characters ù
ôfennel and columbinesö, representing flattery and
marital infidelity; ôrueö, the herb signifying
repentance; ôa daisyö, the flower of unhappy love;
and ôvioletsö, the flowers of faithfulness.
178    document: lesson.
178    fitted: appropriately given to him.
181    oÆ: on.
182    with a difference: The phrase is heraldic,
referring to a variation in a coat-of-arms.
185    A line from a popular song.
186    Thought: sadness.
passion: suffering.
187    favour: charm.
194    ôThe hair on his head was pale as flax.ö
196    cast away moan: grieve uselessly.
198    of: on.
200    commune with: share in.
201    Go but apart: hold off a moment .
202    whom: whichever.
204    direct . . . hand: our own hand, or the
hand of an agent.
205    touched: i.e. with guilt.
207    satisfaction: recompense.
209    jointly labour: share the cause.
211    obscure burial: Laertes is angry because
his father has been buried ôin hugger-muggerö ù
without the conventional displays of mourning,
which he now lists.
212    trophy: memorial.
hatchment oÆer his bones: painting of coat-of-arms
displayed outside the house of mourning, and later
over the tomb.
213    ostentation: ceremony.
215    That: so that.
callÆt in question: demand an explanation.
217    go with me: Claudius has made an ally of
the rebel.