chiefly from coming to see the danger of its giving occasion, or at least support, to an altogether mistaken and unjust idea of his Hamlet. 1 I am in doubt whether this passage from 'What is a man' down to 'unused,' does not refer to the king, and whether Hamlet is not persuading himself that it can be no such objectionable thing to kill one hardly above a beast. At all events it is far more applicable to the king: it was not one of Hamlet's faults, in any case, to fail of using his reason. But he may just as well accuse himself of that too! At the same time the worst neglect of reason lies in not carrying out its conclusions, and if we cannot justify Hamlet in his delay, the passage is of good application to him. 'Bestiall oblivion' does seem to connect himself with the reflection; but how thoroughly is the thing intended by such a phrase alien from the character of Hamlet! 2 —the mental faculty of running hither and thither: 'We look before and after.' Shelley: To a Skylark. 3-the forgetfulness of such a beast as he has just mentioned. -the consequences. The scruples that come of thinking of the event, Hamlet certainly had : that they were craven scruples, that his thinking was too precise, I deny to the face of the noble self-accuser. Is that a craven scruple which, seeing no good to result from the horrid deed, shrinks from its irretrievableness, and demands at least absolute assurance of guilt? or that 'a thinking too precisely on the event,' to desire, as the prince of his people, to leave an unwounded name behind him? 5 This passage is the strongest there is on the side of the ordinary misconception of the character of Hamlet. It comes from himself; and it is as ungenerous as it is common and unfair to use such a weapon against a man. Does any but St. Paul himself say he was the chief of sinners? Consider Hamlet's condition, tormented on all sides, within and without, and think whether this outbreak against himself be not as unfair as it is natural. Lest it should be accepted against him, Shakspere did well to leave it out. In bitter disappointment, both because of what is and what is not, both because of what he has done and what he has failed to do, having for the time lost all chance, with the last vision of the Ghost still haunting his eyes, his last reproachful words yet ringing in his ears, are we bound to take his judgment of himself because it is against himself? Are we bound to take any man's judgment because it is against himself? I answer, 'No more than if it were for himself.' A good man's judgment, where he is at all perplexed, especially if his motive comes within his own question, is ready to be against himself, as a bad man's is sure to be for himself. Or because he is a philosopher, does it follow that throughout he understands himself? Were such a man in cool, untroubled conditions, we might feel compelled to take his judgment, but surely not here! A philosopher in such state as Hamlet's would understand the quality of his spiritual operations with no more certainty than another man. In his present mood, Hamlet forgets the cogency of the reasons that swayed him in the other; forgets that his uppermost feeling then was doubt, as horror, indignation, and conviction are uppermost now. Things were never so clear to Hamlet as to us. But how can he say he has strength and means-in the position in which he now finds himself? I am glad to be able to believe, let my defence of Hamlet against himself be right or wrong, that Shakspere intended the omission of the passage. I lay nothing on the great lack of logic throughout the speech, for that would not make it unfit for Hamlet in such mood, while it makes its omission from the play of less consequence to my general argument. threaten. This supports my argument as to the great soliloquy that it was death as the result of his slaying the king, or attempting to do so, not death by suicide, he was thinking of: he expected to die himself in the punishing of his uncle. He had had no chance but that when the king was on his knees. 'a fancy and illusion 'which is too small for those engaged to find room to fight on it,' 10 'continent,' containing space "This soliloquy is antithetic to the other. Here is no thought of the 'something after death.' 12 If, with this speech in his mouth, Hamlet goes coolly on board the vessel, not being compelled thereto (190, 192, 216), and possessing means to his vengeance, as here he says, and goes merely in order to hoist Rosincrance and Guildensterne with their own petard that is, if we must keep the omitted passages, then the author exposes his hero to a more depreciatory judgment than any from which I would justify him, and a conception of his character entirely inconsistent with the rest of the play. He did not observe the risk at the time he wrote the passage, but discovering it afterwards, rectified the oversight to the dissatisfaction of his critics, who have agreed in restoring what he cancelled. 246 Which as her winkes, and nods, and gestures yeeld ' them, 2 1 be Indeed would make one thinke there would be there might2 thought, Though nothing sure, yet much vnhappily. Qu. 'Twere good she were spoken with,3 4 3 Hora. To my sicke soule (as sinnes true Nature is) It spill's it selfe, in fearing to be spilt." Enter Ophelia distracted. Ophe, Where is the beauteous Maiesty of Qu. How now Ophelia ? Ophe. How shonld I your true loue know from another one? By his Cockle hat and staffe, and his Sandal shoone. Ophe. Say you? Nay pray you marke. He is dead and gone Lady, he is dead and gone, At his head a grasse-greene Turfe, at his heeles a Enter Quee. 'To my 'Each 'So 'It shee sings. stone. Enter King. O ho. Qu. Nay but Ophelia. Ophe. Pray you marke. White his Shrow'd as the Mountaine Snow. Enter King. Qu. Alas looke heere my Lord. Ophe. Larded with sweet flowers: Which bewept to the graue did not go, Larded all with ground | Song. 1 'present them,'-her words, that is-giving significance or interpretation to them. 2 If this would, and not the might of the Quarto, be the correct reading, it means that Ophelia would have something thought so and so. 3 3 —changing her mind on Horatio's representation. At first she would not speak with her. 4' minds that breed evil.' 5 —as a quotation. 6 Instance, the history of Macbeth. 7 1st Q. Enter Ofelia playing on a Lute, and her haire downe singing. Hamlet's apparent madness would seem to pass into real madness in Ophelia. King Lear's growing perturbation becomes insanity the moment he sees the pretended madman Edgar. The forms of Ophelia's madness show it was not her father's death that drove her mad, but his death by the hand of Hamlet, which, with Hamlet's banishment, destroyed all the hope the queen had been fostering in her of marrying him some day. 8 This expression is, as Dr. Johnson says. taken from cookery; but it is so used elsewhere by Shakspere that we cannot regard it here as a scintillation of Ophelia's insanity. 174 King. How do ye, pretty Lady? you Ophe. Well, God dil'd you.' They say the good dild you," Owle was a Bakers daughter.2 Lord, wee know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your Table. King. Conceit3 vpon her Father. Ophe. Pray you let's haue no words of this: Pray lets but when they aske you what it meanes, say you this: To morrow is S. Valentines day, all in the morning betime, And I a Maid at your Window to be your Valentine. Let in the Maid, that out a Maid, neuer departed more. King. Pretty Ophelia. Ophe. Indeed la? without an oath Ile make an end ont." By gis, and by S. Charity, Indeede without lay Ophe. I hope all will be well. We must bee patient, but I cannot choose but weepe, to thinke they should lay him i'th'cold ground: My brother they would shall knowe of it, and so I thanke you for your good counsell. Come, my Coach: Goodnight Ladies Goodnight sweet Ladies: Goodnight, goodnight. Exit 1st Q. 'God yeeld you,' that is, reward you. Here we have a blunder for the contraction, 'God 'ild you'—perhaps a common blunder. 2 For the silly legend, see Douce's note in Johnson and Steevens. 3 imaginative brooding * We dare no judgment on madness in life: we need not in art. 5 Preterites of don and dup, contracted from do on and do up. 6-disclaiming false modesty. "Not in Q |