William Shakespeare - The Complete Works/William Shakespeare - The Complete Works on CD-ROM.iso/library/line/ham/ham7.txt

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Act 2 Scene 2

The King gives instructions to Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern ù who have been at university with
Hamlet ù and tells them how they are to watch
the Prince. Polonius ushers in the ambassadors
who were sent to Norway in Act 1, scene 2. They
have returned, and can describe the Norwegian
KingÆs treatment of his own headstrong nephew.
Their business is quickly done, and when they
leave the stage Polonius remains behind to tell
Claudius and Gertrude what he has found out
about HamletÆs love for Ophelia, and of his own
plans to trap the Prince. When Hamlet comes on to
the stage, Polonius engages him in conversation;
but he can make no sense of the younger manÆs
oblique insults, and so he departs. Hamlet is at
first pleased to meet his old friends from the
university, but he quickly becomes suspicious of
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Polonius returns,
bringing news of a company of actors, and Hamlet
is glad to welcome these. They are his old friends,
and after they have demonstrated something of
their acting skills, Hamlet speaks of the play they
are to perform. He indicates to the audience that
this is to be, in some way, a trap for the King.
2    Moreover that: besides the fact that.
12    since so neighboured to: since then (their
ôyoung daysö) you have been so closely acquainted
with. The KingÆs appeal sounds very reasonable
ù HamletÆs old friends ought to understand his
ways (ôhaviourö).
13    vouchsafe your rest: agree to stay.
16    occasions: any chance opportunity.
glean: pick up.
18    opened: revealed.
lies . . . remedy: we can put right.
21    adheres: stays close to.
22    gentry: gentlemanliness, courtesy.
23    expend: spend.
24    supply and profit of our hope: hopefully
we shall profit.
26    fits: is appropriate.
27    ôYou have the power to order rather than
request us to do what you want.ö Guildenstern
seems to adopt the KingÆs rather unwieldy
language.
27    of: over.
28    dread: respected.
30    in the full bent: to the best of our abilities.
The ôbentö in archery is the extreme to which the
bow can be drawn.
36    some: some one of you. Gertrude speaks
to the Attendants.
38    practices: devices ù both harmless
entertainments and deceits.
42    still: always.
44    For orthodox Elizabethan Christians, duty
to God and to the monarch were interdependent.
47    Hunts . . . do: is not so good at sniffing
things out as it used to be; ôpolicyö (= statecraft)
often has undertones of ôsubtle cunningö.
52    fruit: dessert.
53    grace: honour. The King takes up the
banqueting metaphor.
55    head: fountainhead.
distemper: disorderly behaviour.
56    doubt: suspect.
58    sift him: interrogate Polonius.
59    brother Norway: brother-king of Norway.
61    Upon our first: as soon as we raised the
subject ù as they had been instructed in Act 1
scene 2.
63    preparation Ægainst: army raised ù
levied ù to make war on.
the Polack: the King of Poland.
66    impotence: feebleness.
67    borne in hand: deceived.
arrests: prohibitions.
69    fine: conclusion.
71    give . . . against: challenge.
77    quiet pass: safe passage. Shakespeare
seems to have thought that Denmark lay between
Norway and Poland.
79    regards . . . allowance: terms relating to
safety and permission.
80    likes: pleases. Claudius uses the royal
plural.
81    at . . . time: when we have more time to
think about it.
83    well-took: well done, successful.
87    expostulate: inquire into.
88    What . . . duty is: i.e. the nature of
kingship and the duty of a subject.
91    wit: intelligence. Polonius utters a wise
maxim ù but rarely follows his own advice.
95    What . . . mad: it would be mad to try (to
define true madness).
96    let that go: drop the subject. A satire by
the Roman poet Horace argues that the true
madness is that of the whole world, not just the
deviant individual. Polonius is wise to let the topic
ôgo byö.
art: tricks of rhetoric.
99    figure: rhetorical figure of speech ù
Polonius proceeds to use more ôfiguresö in a
speech which is tediously artful.
102    ôSomething has had the effect of making
Hamlet mad, and madness is a weakness.ö
105    ôThis is the way it is; and what we have
now . . .ö Polonius has himself lost the ômatterö in
all the wordiness of his ôartö.
106    Perpend: take note of this.
107    while she is mine: i.e. until she is married.
109    gather and surmise: draw your own
conclusions.
109s.d.    He reads a letter: HamletÆs letter to
Ophelia is a parody of contemporary love-letters.
It is necessary to the plot ù a dramatic device
which has little relevance to the character of the
Prince.
111    beautified: made beautiful; it is ôa vile
phraseö because it implies the use of cosmetics.
112    these: i.e. the lines ù his letter.
in . . . &c: The letter (ô&cö serves for a formal
phrase of greeting) is to be kept next to her heart.
115    be faithful: tell you truly.
116    Doubt: suspect.
117    move: Ptolemaic astronomy taught that
the sun moved round the earth.
120    ill at these numbers: bad at making poetry
like this. English love-poets of the 1590s used
such ômetaphysicalö ideas in their verse.
121    reckon: give an account of.
123    whilst. . . him: so long as my body belongs
to me. The Elizabethans were fond of the notion of
the human body as a complex mechanism.
127    more above: in addition.
128    fell out: happened.
132    would fain: very much wish to.
137    played . . . table-book: i.e. been the
means of communicating. A ôtable-bookö (see 1,
5, 107) was a notebook.
138    winking: closed my eyes.
139    idle sight: carelessly, uncomprehending.
140    round: directly.
142    out of thy star: of higher birth (the
position of the stars was thought to determine
social status; Polonius demonstrates his humility
before the Queen).
precepts: orders.
144    resort: visitation.
148    Polonius describes the classical symptoms
of a melancholy caused by unrequited love:
depression (ôsadnessö) with loss of appetite
(ôfastö) and insomnia (ôwatchö). These bring
about general weakness and delirium
(ôlightnessö), and lead in a downward course
(ôdeclensionö) to insanity.
158    Polonius is prepared to bet his life on his
judgement.
161    centre: centre of the earth.
try: test.
162    four: several (no precise number is
intended).
164    loose: Polonius speaks like a farmer.
165    arras: tapestry wall-hanging (named after
the town of Arras).
167    thereon: on account of that.
168    assistant for a state: minister of state.
170    sadly: seriously.
172    board: accost.
presently: at once.
give me leave: Polonius hastens the departure of
Claudius and Gertrude.
173    does: is.
174    God-a-mercy: A polite response (= God
have mercy on you) to the greeting of a social
inferior.
176    a fishmonger: HamletÆs intention is
undoubtedly offensive, although his meaning is
obscure. There seems to be sexual innuendo in the
lines, which may have some method in their
madness ù as Polonius suspects (line 208).
183    sun . . . dog: Hamlet appears to be
reading from his book (which scholars have been
unable to identify).
184    a good kissing carrion: a carcass (like
that of the dead dog) that is ripe for the sun to
shine on.
186    walk iÆthÆsun: go about in public.
189    How . . . by that: what do you think of that
. . . Polonius is triumphant in his exclamation.
Still: always.
harping: constantly sounding one note.
190    a said: he said.
193    near: like.
196    matter: subject. Hamlet wilfully
misunderstands.
199    satirical slave: No particular writer has
been identified; the sentiments are commonplace.
201    purging: exuding.
gum: sap (from the bark of the plum-tree).
203    hams: thighs.
204    honesty: decency.
205    set down: written down.
206    old as: as old as.
208    method: some kind of sense.
walk out of the air: come inside. Polonius treats
Hamlet like an invalid who should avoid cold air.
210    pregnant: meaningful. The image is
continued in ôdelivered ofö.
214    suddenly: immediately.
229    ôLike any ordinary men.ö
231    button: The button at the top of a hat was
the highest point.
235    favour: i.e. sexual favours.
236    privates: private parts (i.e. the sexual
organs) of the body.
238    strumpet: It was commonplace to speak in
such a way of the fickleness of Fortune.
241    Then . . . near: then the world must be
coming to an end.
248    confines: places of confinement.
249    wards: cells.
257    count: consider.
259    the very substance . . . dream: all that an
ambitious man achieves is no more than a shadow
of what he dreamed of.
265    Hamlet now pursues the argument to
ridiculous lengths: if ambition is as insubstantial as
Rosencrantz asserts, then the real people must be
those without ambition (ôbeggarsö), and the
ambitious men (ômonarchsö and ôheroesö) must
be shadows of these. The heroes are
ôoutstretchedö because their ambition makes them
stretch out beyond themselves.
267    fay: faith.
reason: carry on this kind of argument.
268    wait upon: escort, attend.
269    sort: class.
270    to . . . man: to tell you the truth.
271    the beaten way: Hamlet abandons his
verbal tricks and approaches more directly.
272    make you: are you doing.
275    too dear: not worth.
277    inclining: wish.
free: voluntary.
280    but: Hamlet already suspects Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern, and assumes that they will not
give him a straight answer.
282    colour: disguise.
285    conjure you: ask you solemnly.
286    rights of: what is due to.
consonancy: harmonious agreement.
288    what more dear: whatever there is that is
more precious.
a better proposer: one more skilled at framing
oaths.
289    even: straightforward.
292    have an eye of: am watching.
293    hold not off: speak freely.
295    By anticipating their answer, Hamlet will
forestall (ôpreventö) the revelation (ôdiscoveryö),
and they will not need to break their promise of
secrecy.
299    forgone . . . exercises: neglected my usual
exercise.
299, 300    goes . . . disposition: I am so
depressed. HamletÆs description of his melancholy
gathers together some classical common-places,
and makes of them a new and uniquely powerful
account of this state of mind.
300    frame: structure.
301    a sterile promontory: The image is of a
barren outcrop of land jutting out into an unknown
sea.
302    brave: splendid.
303    fretted: adorned. The term is especially
used to describe ceilings with gilded decoration,
and critics have suggested that in this speech
Hamlet points to the Elizabethan theatre ù
perhaps ShakespeareÆs own Globe ù as an
emblem.
golden fire: Ceilings (and the canopy over the
Elizabethan stage known as ôthe heavensö) were
sometimes painted with the sun and stars in gold.
304    pestilent . . . vapours: It was a common
belief that infectious diseases were carried on the
air.
305    piece of work: masterpiece of
craftsmanship.
307    express: direct. The adjective seems to
apply to ômovingö rather than ôformö.
308    apprehension: power of understanding.
309    paragon: pattern of excellence.
310    quintessence of dust: dust in its finest
form; the ôquintessenceö is the fifth, most refined,
form of the four elements ù and in Genesis 3: 19
the man is told that ôdust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou be turned againö.
318    Lenten entertainment: a poor reception.
Lent is a time of fasting (and in the seventeenth
century, London theatres were closed during Lent).
319    coted: overtook (the metaphor is from
hound coursing).
322    tribute of: receive what is due to him. The
Prince proceeds to list some of the stock
characters in any acting company, and their
characteristic actions.
323    target: small shield.
324    gratis: for nothing.
Humorous: passionate (it was thought that
passions arose from an imbalance of the four
temperamental humours).
326    tickle a thÆ sear: easily amused; the image
is of a gun whose trigger catch (ôsearö) is very
sensitive (ôtickleö).
say: speak. The stock female character was
evidently garrulous.
327    blank verse: iambic pentameters ù the
regular form of dramatic verse (as used in
Hamlet).
halt: go lame, i.e. scan badly.
329    wont: accustomed.
330    the tragedians of the city: the London
company. Denmark is temporarily forgotten, and
Shakespeare seems to show a personal interest in
the fortunes of the players.
331    chances it: does it happen.
travel: are on tour.
residence: permanent theatre.
333    their inhibition: they have been stopped
from acting.
334    late innovation: recent uprising
(Shakespeare seems to be alluding to the rebellion
led by the Earl of Essex in February, 1601).
335    estimation: popularity.
336    followed: frequented.
339    These lines about the child actors and the
ôWar of the Theatresö (line 343) were omitted in
Q2 ù perhaps because they were no longer
immediately topical. The ôchildrenö were boys
culled from the royal chapel choirs, and given
special training in the art of elocution. They began
performing in London at the Blackfriars Theatre
towards the end of 1600.
339    their . . . pace: the standard of their work
is as high as ever it was.
340    eyrie: nestful.
little eyases: young hawks (which squawk loudly).
341    on the top of question: louder than anyone
else.
tyrannically: excessively.
343    berattle: abuse.
common stages: public theatres. The boy actors
performed in the private playhouses, where
admission was more expensive. Ben Jonson first
used the phrase ôcommon stagesö in a play,
CynthiaÆs Revels, which was performed by
children in the winter of 1600; the play satirizes
the regular theatres ù actors, dramatists, and
audiences alike ù and initiated a period of rivalry
between ôpublicö and ôprivateö playhouses which
earned the name ôWar of the Theatresö.
344    wearing rapiers . . . goose-quills:
gentlemen wearing swords are afraid of being
ridiculed in the satires written for the children.
ôGoose-quillsö were the usual writing instruments
of the Elizabethans.
347    escotted: provided for.
quality: profession.
347    no . . . sing: after their voices break (when
they would be dismissed from the choirs).
350    means are no better: no better means of
earning a living.
351    exclaim . . . succession: insult the
condition they must come to.
353    much . . . sides: Shakespeare alludes to
the rivalry (led by the dramatists Jonson and
Dekker) between the child actors in private
playhouses and the adult companies in the public
theatres.
354    the nation: i.e. the audiences.
tarre: incite. The word is used in dog-fighting.
355    ôFor a time the only plays that made
money were those concerned with this subject.ö
356    poet: dramatist.
went to cuffs: came to (usually metaphorical)
blows.
359    much . . . brains: a great battle of wits.
361    carry it away: have any success.
362    Hercules and his load: This was the sign
of the Globe Theatre, where many of
ShakespeareÆs plays (including Hamlet) were
performed; the line seems to suggest that the boysÆ
success had affected even ShakespeareÆs company.
Hercules was the superman of classical legend,
who for a time carried the whole world on his
shoulders; such mythical characters were popular
with the dramatists writing for the childrenÆs
companies.
365    make mows: pull faces; Hamlet compares
the changed tastes of theatre audiences with the
swing in public affection for the new king of
Denmark.
367    ducats: gold coins.
little: miniature.
ÆSblood: by ChristÆs blood.
368    philosophy: science ù natural
philosophy.
369s.d.    A flourish: A fanfare of trumpets, the
actorsÆ usual announcement of their arrival.
371     Hamlet insists on shaking hands with
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, so that his
reception of them will show as warm as his
welcome to the players; his real feelings are left in
doubt.
372    appurtenance: proper accompaniment.
372    fashion and ceremony: conventional
behaviour.
373    garb: manner.
my extent: the welcome I extend.
376    entertainment: a friendly reception.
380    A madmanÆs moods were thought to be
affected by the weather; Hamlet is warning that he
has not completely lost his senses.
381    know: can tell the difference between.
handsaw: hernshaw (a kind of heron ù another
bird of prey).
383    at each ear a hearer: both of you listen.
386    Haply: perhaps.
387    twice: for the second time.
389    Hamlet pretends to be carrying on a
conversation.
392    Roscius: The most famous of Roman
actors.
395    Buzz: A contemptuous dismissal of stale
news.
398, 399, 400, 401
    Polonius lists different kinds of drama; his
catalogue starts seriously enough, but degenerates
into self-parody. However Cymbeline, one of
ShakespeareÆs last plays, can best be described as
ôtragical-comical-historical-pastoralö.
401    scene . . . unlimited: These categories are
not known; perhaps Polonius is trying to make a
distinction between works with a single location
and those where the action moves from place to
place.
401    Seneca . . . Plautus: Major Roman
dramatists, who greatly influenced ShakespeareÆs
own writing: his tragedies ù from Titus
Andronicus to King Lear ù owe much to Seneca;
and The Comedy of Errors is based on two plays
by Plautus.
402    the law . . . liberty: This phrase has never
been satisfactorily explained; Polonius seems to be
commending the actors whether they follow the
rules or play with more licence.
these: i.e. the actors.
404    Jephthah, judge of Israel: A ballad,
dating from- 1567, tells the story of Jephthah (see
Judges, 11:30û40), who sacrificed his only
daughter for political ends ù just as Polonius will
do. Hamlet quotes lines from this song.
409    passing: exceedingly.
410    Still: always.
414    that follows not: i.e. that Polonius should
love his daughter as Jephthah did.
417 Hamlet continues to quote the ballad
(ôchansonö) which is called ôpiousö because of its
biblical subject:

And as by lot, God wot It came to pass
most like it was Great wars there should
be, And who should be the chief but he.

422    row: stanza.
423    abridgements: interruptions ù which cut
short HamletÆs speech and shorten the time with
entertainment.
426    valanced: fringed (with a beard).
427    beard: confront.
427    my young lady: Hamlet greets the boy
actor who will play the female roles.
ByÆr lady: Our Lady (the Virgin Mary).
429    is nearer to heaven: you have grown
taller.
430    chopine: the high sole on a Venetian
fashion shoe.
430    HamletÆs witticism makes play with
several notions: (i) a sweet singing voice is called
ôgoldenö; (ii) gold coins were often clipped
(ôcrackedö) for their gold, and if this extended
inside the ring surrounding the monarchÆs head
(ôwithin the ringö) they ceased to be legal tender
(ôuncurrentö); (iii) there were many jests
comparing a womanÆs lost virginity to a cracked
coin; and (iv) if the boyÆs voice has broken, and so
ôcrackedö in its ôringö, it will be useless
(ôuncurrentö) for the womenÆs parts.
432    eÆen toÆt: have a try at it.
432    like . . . see: In fact the French were
expert at hunting with the falcon, a bird trained to
take a specific quarry.
434    straight: at once.
quality: professional skill.
438    play: HamletÆs reference is imprecise,
but a play similar to the one he describes was
written for a childrenÆs company by ShakespeareÆs
great rival, Christopher Marlowe; and the style of
MarloweÆs Dido Queen of Carthage is suggested
in the speech begun by Hamlet and finished by the
Player. Shakespeare neither parodies nor imitates
Marlowe, but strives to give the sense of a play
which Hamlet might have seen.
439    caviare to the general: Caviare was a
new delicacy at this time, and regarded as a taste
for the connoisseur, not for ordinary people.
received: considered.
441    whose . . . mine: who knew more about
these things than I do.
442    digested: organized.
443    modesty: restraint.
cunning: skill.
444    one: someone.
sallets: tasty bits ù dirty jokes.
445    matter in the phrase: fancy language.
448    more handsome than fine: showing even
more natural ability than acquired skill.
449    AeneasÆ tale: The story of the sack of
Troy is told in Book II of VirgilÆs Aeneid; the hero
recounts his tale to Dido in Act 2 of MarloweÆs
play.
450    Priam: the Trojan king.
453    Pyrrhus: This was the son of the Greek
hero Achilles, who led the final attack on Troy in
revenge for the death of his father.
thÆHyrcanian beast: The tigers of Hyrcania (a
province of Asia Minor, near the Caspian Sea)
were famous in literature for their ferocity.
455    sable arms: black armour. The terms are
from heraldry.
457    couched . . . horse: The Greeks entered
Troy in a wooden horse which proved fateful
(ôominousö) to the city.
458    complexion: figure.
459    dismal: calamitous.
460    total gules: red all over.
trickÆd: spotted.
462    The blood has been baked into a crust by
the hot air of the burning streets, whose flames
shed a cruel light, like the fires of hell, to illumine
the murder of their king.
465    oÆersized: smeared over (as with size).
466    like carbuncles: glowing fiery red.
Carbuncles (precious stones) were thought to have
their own light, and to shine in the dark.
467    grandsire: Priam was reputed to have
fathered fifty sons.
468    proceed you: now you carry on.
471    Anon: soon afterwards.
472    too short: with blows that fell too short.
antique sword: Priam, the old king, was trying to
wield the sword he had fought with in his youth
(see Aeneid ii . 509û11).
474    Repugnant to command: refusing to be
commanded.
476    fell: cruel. Priam would have been
unbalanced by the mighty broadsword.
477    unnerved: enfeebled.
senseless: without human feelings.
Ilium: the citadel of Troy.
478    flaming top: burning towers.
479    his: its.
480    Takes . . . ear: i.e. the noise makes
Pyrrhus stop.
481    declining: descending.
milky: white.
483    painted: in a picture.
484    Pyrrhus was momentarily impotent,
unable to accomplish his desire ù just as Hamlet
will know himself to be.
486    against: just before.
487    rack: cloud-formation.
489    hush: silent.
490    region: skies.
491    ôHis desire for vengeance has re-
awakened, and Pyrrhus sets to work afresh.ö
492    CyclopsÆ hammers: In classical
mythology, the Cyclops were giants who assisted
the god Vulcan to make armour for the gods.
493    Mars: The classical god of war.
for proof eterne: to be eternally resistant.
494    remorse: pity.
496    strumpet Fortune: see lines 237û8.
497    synod: assembly.
498    her wheel: The goddess Fortune is
traditionally represented with a wheel, which
constantly turns, as an emblem of inconstancy; the
ôfelliesö are the curved pieces which form the rim.
499    nave: hub.
502    shall: will have to go.
503    a jig: a comic turn, usually with song and
dance, which often followed a serious play in the
theatre.
504    Hecuba: The wife of King Priam, she
became the epitome of suffering womanhood when
she witnessed the deaths of her husband and
children at the destruction of Troy.
506    mobbled: with face muffled. Even
Hamlet seems to question this obscure word.
509    bisson rheum: blinding tears.
clout: piece of old cloth.
510    late: recently.
511    all oÆerteemed: thoroughly exhausted
with child-bearing.
513    tongue . . . steepÆd: bitter words.
520    made . . . gods: drawn pity from the stars
like milk (ômilchö    = milk-giving), and caused the
gods to share sympathetically in her sufferings ù
as they do in OvidÆs description of the scene
(Metamorphoses, XIII, 573).
522    wheÆer: whether.
526    bestowed: accommodated.
527    used: treated.
abstract: summary.
528    you were better: it would be better for
you .
531    their desert: what they deserve.
532    GodÆs bodykins: by GodÆs precious
body.
533    after: according to.
scape: escape.
whipping: Travelling players like these could be
whipped as vagabonds unless they were protected
by some nobleman as his ôservantsö.
542    for a need: if necessary.
543    study: learn.
551    God bÆ wiÆ ye: goodbye.
552    peasant: base.
554    But: merely.
dream: pretence.
555    force . . . conceit: Hamlet praises the
actorÆs skill, which controls his whole body and
expresses his feigned emotion.
555    conceit: imagination.
556    her: i.e. the soulÆs.
his visage wanned: his face turned pale.
557    aspect: looks (the word is accented on
the second syllable).
558    function: energy.
559    forms: gestures.
565    cleave the general ear: burst everyoneÆs
ears.
horrid: horrifying.
566    free: innocent.
567    amaze: bewilder.
569    muddy-mettled: dull-spirited.
peak: mope.
570    John-a-dreams: a dreamer.
unpregnant of: not stirred to action by.
572    property: body (his proper person).
573    defeat: destruction.
574    pate: head.
575    Plucks . . . beard: To pull a manÆs beard
was a great insult.
576     gives . . . lungs: calls me a downright
liar, making me swallow the insult.
577    me: to me.
578    ÆSwounds: by GodÆs wounds.
take it: accept the insult.
579    pigeon-livered . . . gall: The pigeon was
thought to secrete no gall in its liver; and gall was
said to be the cause of bitterness and rancour.
580    To . . . bitter: which would make me
resent such tyranny.
581    region kites: kites in the sky.
583    Remorseless: pitiless.
kindless: unnatural (see 1, 2, 65).
585    brave: admirable.
589    drab: prostitute.
590    scullion: kitchen servant. (The reading is
from F and Q1; Q2 has ôstallionö.)
About: get to work.
592    cunning of the scene: art of the
presentation.
593    presently: instantly.
598    Before: in front of. Hamlet seems to be
guiding the audienceÆs attention.
599    tent: probe ù as with a surgical
instrument.
blench: flinch.
600    The spirit . . . damn me: Hamlet voices
his own doubts about the Ghost he has seen: he
fears this may have been the devil who, in likeness
of the murdered King, was taking advantage of
HamletÆs natural depression in order to lead him to
eternal damnation.
604    potent . . . spirits: The devil (it was
thought) could both intensify and exploit such
moods as Hamlet has described.
606    relative: substantial, able to be
communicated.
this: the GhostÆs words.