That even our loves should with our fortunes change; Whether love lead fortune, or else fortune love. For who not needs shall never lack a friend; But, orderly to end where I begun, Our wills and fates do so contrary run, Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own: But die thy thoughts, when thy first lord is dead. P. Queen. Nor earth to me give foods, nor heaven light! Sport and repose lock from me, day and night! To desperation turn my trust and hope! Ham. If she should break it now, P. King. "Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here a while: My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile The tedious day with sleep. P. Queen. [Sleeps. Sleep rock thy brain; And never come mischance between us twain! [Exit. Ham. Madam, how like you this play? 5 Nor earth to me give food,] This is the correct reading of the quartos 1604, &c.: the folios, "Nor earth to give me food," &c. 6 AN ANCHOR'S cheer in prison be my scope!] This and the preceding line "An anchor's cheer" are in all the quartos but the first, but not in the folio. is an Anchoret's sustenance; and in the old copies it stands, "And anchor's cheer," &c. Queen. The lady doth protest' too much, methinks. Ham. O! but she'll keep her word. King. Have you heard the argument? Is there no offence in't? Ham. No, no; they do but jest, poison in jest: no offence i'the world. King. What do you call the play? Ham. The mouse-trap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonzago is the duke's names; his wife, Baptista. You shall see anon: 'tis a knavish piece of work; but what of that? your majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not let the galled jade wince, our withers are unwrung. Enter LUCIANUS. This is one Lucianus, nephew to the king. Oph. You are as good as a chorus, my lord'. Ham. I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see the puppets dallying. Oph. You are keen, my lord, you are keen. Ham. It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge. Oph. Still better, and worse. Ham. So you must take your husbands'.-Begin, murderer: leave thy damnable faces, and begin. The lady DOTH PROTEST] The folio, "The lady protests." This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna: Gonzago is the duke's name.] In the quarto, 1603, the scene of the play within a play is laid in Guiana, (the short-hand writer having, perhaps, mis-heard the name) and the two principal characters are called Duke and Duchess in one place, and King and Queen in another in the prefixes they are Duke and Duchess. The same confusion of rank prevails in the other quarto editions, excepting that Gonzago and Baptista are styled in the prefixes King and Queen. : You are as good as a chorus, my lord.] So the quartos, including that of 1603 the folio reads, "You are a good chorus, my lord." The answer of Hamlet refers, of course, to the dialogue invented for puppets in puppet-shows, which was called interpreting between them. The quartos, 1 So you MUST take your husbands.] i. e. For better for worse. 1604, &c. and the folios, have mistake for "must take," which last is a reading suggested by Theobald. It is authorised by the quarto, 1603, where it stands, "So you must take your husband." Luc. Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time agreeing; Confederate season3, else no creature seeing; On wholesome life usurp immediately. [Pours the Poison into the Sleeper's Ears. Ham. He poisons him i'the garden for his estate. His name's Gonzago: the story is extant, and written in very choice Italian1. You shall see anon, how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife. Oph. The king rises. Ham. What! frighted with false fire3? Queen. How fares my lord? Pol. Give o'er the play. King. Give me some light!-away! All. Lights, lights, lights"! [Exeunt all but HAMLET and HORATIO. Ham. Why, let the stricken deer go weep, The hart ungalled play; For some must watch, while some must sleep: Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers, (if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me') with two Pro 2 The croaking raven doth bellow for revenge.] This perhaps was a quotation from some other play in Hamlet's memory: it does not seem to belong to that under representation, for Lucianus does not begin with it. 3 CONFEDERATE season,] The quartos, the first excepted, misread, “considerate season." The first quarto and first folio agree. 4 written in very choice Italian :] The folio," and writ in choice Italian." 5 What! frighted with false fire ?] This speech is only in the quarto, 1603, and in the folio. • All. Lights, lights, lights!] That is, there was a general call for lights. In the quartos, 1604, &c. the speech is given to Polonius only. ? (if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me)] This phrase seems to have been equivalent of old to a total change, and it is found in several writers of the time. vincial roses on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, sir? Hor. Half a share. Ham. A whole one, Io. For thou dost know, O Damon dear1o! This realm dismantled was Of Jove himself; and now reigns here A very, very-peacock'. Hor. You might have rhymed. Ham. O good Horatio! I'll take the ghost's word for a thousand pound. Didst perceive? Hor. Very well, my lord. Ham. Upon the talk of the poisoning, Hor. I did very well note him. Ham. Ah, ha!-Come; some music! come; the recorders! 8 For if the king like not the comedy, Why then, belike,—he likes it not, perdy2.— - on my razed shoes,] The folio has rac'd, and the quartos raz'd: possibly all ought to read raised, as several writers show that shoes with thick cork soles were used to give people additional height. On the stage, as one of “a cry,” or company, of players, this might be important, especially to R. Burbage, the original actor of Hamlet, who was of short stature. "Razed shoes" may, however, possibly mean slashed shoes. A whole one, I.] Alluding to the shares or proportions into which the receipts at a theatre were divided, and given to the performers, according to their several rates of interest or rank in the company. 10 For thou dost know, O Damon dear!] Probably a quotation from some ballad or play on the story of Damon and Pythias. Richard Edwards was the author of such a drama, first printed in 1571, (not in 1582, as Steevens tells us, when, in fact, the second impression came out) and included in Dodsley's Old Plays, Vol. i. p. 180, last edit. 1 A very, very—peacock.] The word "peacock" presents a difficulty. It is printed in the old quartos paiock and paiocke, and paiocke also in the folio, 1623, which the folio, 1632, alters to pajock. Pope introduced peacock, but if that were the word intended, it is somewhat singular that, being of such common occurrence, it should have been misprinted at first, and afterwards reiterated in the later impressions of the play. "Peacock" seems to answer the sense better than any other word, the allusion being, perhaps, not, as Pope says, to the birds choosing a peacock instead of an eagle for king, but to the fable of the crow which adorned itself with peacock's feathers. The king has usurped the throne and royal habiliments of his murdered brother, and is yet to be stripped of his borrowed plumes. 2 he likes it not, PERDY.] "Perdy" is a common corruption of par Dieu. See Vol. iv. p. 484. This couplet is probably a quotation. Enter ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN. Come; some music! Guil. Good my lord, vouchsafe me a word with you. Ham. Sir, a whole history. Guil. The king, sir,— Ham. Ay, sir, what of him? Guil. Is in his retirement marvellous distempered. Ham. With drink, sir? Guil. No, my lord, with choler3. Ham. Your wisdom should show itself more richer, to signify this to his doctor; for, for me to put him to his purgation would, perhaps, plunge him into more choler. Guil. Good my lord, put your discourse into some frame, and start not so wildly from my affair. Ham. I am tame, sir :-pronounce. Guil. The queen your mother, in most great affliction of spirit, hath sent me to you. Ham. You are welcome. Guil. Nay, good my lord, this courtesy is not of the right breed. If it shall please you to make me a wholesome answer, I will do your mother's commandment; if not, your pardon and my return shall be the end of my business. Ham. Sir, I cannot. Guil. What, my lord? Ham. Make you a wholesome answer; my wit's diseased: but, sir, such answer as I can make, you shall command; or, rather, as you say, my mother: therefore no more, but to the matter. My mother, you say, Ros. Then, thus she says. Your behaviour hath struck her into amazement and admiration. Ham. O wonderful son, that can so astonish a 3 No, my lord, with choler.] The folio inserts rather before "with choler." In Hamlet's next speech the folio reads "into far more choler." |