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Line 321 - Commentary Note (CN)

Commentary notes (CN):

1. SMALL CAPS Indicate editions. Notes for each commentator are divided into three parts:

In the 1st two lines of a record, when the name of the source text (the siglum) is printed in SMALL CAPS, the comment comes from an EDITION; when it is in normal font, it is derived from a book, article, ms. record or other source. We occasionally use small caps for ms. sources and for works related to editions. See bibliographies for complete information (in process).

2. How comments are related to predecessors' comments. In the second line of a record, a label "without attribution" indicates that a prior writer made the same or a similar point; such similarities do not usually indicate plagiarism because many writers do not, as a practice, indicate the sources of their glosses. We provide the designation ("standard") to indicate a gloss in common use. We use ≈ for "equivalent to" and = for "exactly alike."

3. Original comment. When the second line is blank after the writer's siglum, we are signaling that we have not seen that writer's gloss prior to that date. We welcome correction on this point.

4. Words from the play under discussion (lemmata). In the third line or lines of a record, the lemmata after the TLN (Through Line Number] are from Q2. When the difference between Q2 and the authors' lemma(ta) is significant, we include the writer's lemma(ta). When the gloss is for a whole line or lines, only the line number(s) appear. Through Line Numbers are numbers straight through a play and include stage directions. Most modern editions still use the system of starting line numbers afresh for every scene and do not assign line numbers to stage directions.

5. Bibliographic information. In the third line of the record, where we record the gloss, we provide concise bibliographic information, expanded in the bibliographies, several of which are in process.

6. References to other lines or other works. For a writer's reference to a passage elsewhere in Ham. we provide, in brackets, Through Line Numbers (TLN) from the Norton F1 (used by permission); we call these xref, i.e., cross references. We call references to Shakespearean plays other than Ham. “parallels” (//) and indicate Riverside act, scene and line number as well as TLN. We call references to non-Shakespearean works “analogues.”

7. Further information: See the Introduction for explanations of other abbreviations. Click here for more information about browsing the entries and here for more information about the special symbols used in Hamletworks. Click the question mark icon above to remove this help message.

Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman

For explanation of sigla, such as jen, see the editions bib.

321 Possesse it {meerely that} <meerely. That> it should come {thus} <to this:>	1.2.137

1709 Tatler

Anon: Tatler (larger numbers are from Bond’s collection; smaller from Stubbs)

321-43 Anon. (Tatler 13 Dec. 1709, 2:146-8; 16-17): <2:146> <p. 16> “The young Prince was not yet acquainted with all the Guilt of his Mother, but turns his </2:146> <2:147> </p. 16> <p. 17> Thoughts on her sudden Forgetfulness of his Father, and the Indecency of her hasty Marriage [quotes soliloquy, beginning ‘—That it should come to this!’]. The several Emotions of Mind, and Breaks of Passion, in this Speech, are admirable. He has touched upon every Circumstance that aggravated the Fact, and seemed capable of hurrying the Thoughts of a Son into Distraction. His Father’s Tenderness for his Mother, expressed in so delicate a Particular; his Mother’s Fondness for his Father no less exquisitely described; the great and amiable Figure of his dead Parent drawn by a true Filial Piety; his Disdain of so unworthy a Successor to his Bed: But above all, the Shortness of the Time between his Father’s Death and his Mother’s Second Marriage, brought together with so much Disorder; make up as noble a Part as any in that celebrated Tragedy. The </2:147> <2:148> Circumstance of Time I never could enough admire. The Widowhood had lasted for Two Months. This is his First Reflection: But as his Indignation rises, he sinks to scarce Two months: Afterwards into a Month; and at last, into a Little Month. But all this so naturally, that the Reader accompanies him in the Violence of his Passion, and finds the Time lessen insensibly, according to the different Workings of his Disdain. I have not mentioned the Incest of her Marriage, which is so obvious a Provocation; but can’t forbear taking Notice, that when his Fury is at it’s Height, he cries, Frailty, thy Name is Woman! As railing at the Sex in general, rather than giving himself Leave to think his Mother worse than others.—Desiderantur multa.” </2:148> </p. 17>

1726 theon

theon: pope1; // Lr., Ant.

321 meerely . . . thus] Theobald (1726, pp. 18-19): <p. 18> “Besides that the hemistich—that it should come thus,—is very mean and bald, as well as very indifferent English; I think, the Editor [Pope, ed. 1723] ought to have taken Notice, that there is a various Reading of old Date; which I verily believe to be the true One, because it makes the Passage much more elegant, and connective with what follows. The whole Passage should be pointed, and stand thus; ‘How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable, Seem to me all the Uses of this World! Fie on’t! oh, fie! ’Tis an unweeded Garden, That grows to Seed: Things rank, and gross in Nature, Possess it merely.—That it should come to this!—But Two Months dead! &c.’

“This is an Exclamation that our Poet makes his Lear, when in the Height of Agony for his Daughter’s Ingratitude to him, stopping short his Passion, break into: Lear pag. 27 [1.4.301-4. (820-3)], ‘—Old fond Eyes, Beweep her once again, I’ll pluck you out, And cast you, with the Waters hat you lose, To temper Clay—Ha!—Is it come to this!’ So likewise Cleopatra, when Anthony is rating and taxing her with Incontinence, for suffering Caesar’s Agent to kiss her hand, surprized at the Extremity of his Jealousy, cries out, pag. 381 [3.13.115 (2292)]. ‘—Oh! Is’t come to this?’ So Hamlet, here, having made his general Reflexion upon the Grossness of the World, breaks into an Interjection of Surprize at once, and turns his Thoughts upon his Mother’s Conduct with Regard to her second Marriage: And so proceeds gradually to the Consideration of her late Husband’s </p. 18> <p. 19> Tenderness of her, and a Comparison betwixt him and her present Consort.” </p. 19>

simply has exclamation after the hemistich. Same visually in v1793.

1736 Stubbs

Stubbs = Tatler

321- Stubbs (1736, pp. 15-17) simply copies virtually all of the Tatler comments. with attribution to “The Remarks of a very eminent Author which are in the Spirit of True Criticism” (p. 15), then quotes all of 1st soliloquy. Then Stubbs, before quoting Tatler, refers to the “Author in the Tatler,” without stating which issue.

1747 warb

warb

321 meerely] Warburton (ed. 1747, 8:316 n. 1)) says that mere in Oth. 2.2.3 [1100] means “total.”

1773 v1773

v1773: Tmp 1:6 n. 8 ≈ warb on Oth.

321 meerely] Steevens (ed. 1773, 1:6 n. 8), re Tmp. 1.1.56 (65): merely “In this place signifies absolutely. In which sense it is used in Hamlet, Act I. sc.3. [he means 1.2]. ‘—Things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely.’ — So in Ben Jonson’s Poetaster: ‘—at request Of some mere friends, some honourable Romans.’ Steevens.”

Ed. note: Steevens adopted the Capell scene divisions in 1773.

1778 v1778 Tmp.

v1778 Tmp. = v1773 Tmp.,

321 meerely]

1785 v1785 Tmp.

v1785 Tmp. = v1778 Tmp.

321 meerely]

Ed. note: Again, the wrong scene designation.

1790 mal Cor.

mal Cor. ≈ v1778 Tmp. without attribution

321 meerely] Malone (ed. 1790): “—merely] is entirely. See Vol. VII. p.233, n.4 [Cor. 3.1.303 (2043)], where the definition is absolutely.] Malone.”

1791- rann

rann = v1785 without attribution

321 meerely]

1793 v1793

v1793 = v1785 Tmp.; mal without attribution

321 meerely] Steevens (ed. 1793) “is entirely, absolutely. See [Tmp. 1.1.56 (65)] Vol. III. p.9, n.5; and [Cor. 3.1.303 (2043)] Vol. xii. p.131, n.6. Steevens.”

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

321 meerely]

1807 Pye

Pye = Steevens v1793 +

321 meerely] Pye (1807, p. 309): “It [i.e., Steevens’ definition] is very true, but why repeat the information so often?”

Ed. note: Pye means notes in Tmp., Cor. &c.

1807 Douce

Douce: Steevens; Littleton

321 meerely] Douce (1807, 1:1): Mr. Steevens has remarked that merely in this place [Tmp 1.1.56 (65)] signifies absolutely. His interpretation is confirmed by the word merus in Littleton’s dictionary, where it is rendered downright.”

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

321 meerely]

1819 cald1

cald1 ≈ v1813

321 meerely] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Wholly. See Tmp. 1.1.[56 (65)] Anton.”

1821 v1821

v1821 ≈ Steevens

321 meerely] Steevens (ed. 1821): “is entirely, absolutely. Steevens.”

1826 sing1

sing1: standard

321 meerely] Singer (ed. 1826): “i.e. absolutely, solely, wholly. Mere, Lat.”

1833 valpy

valpy: standard

321 meerely] Valpy (ed. 1833): “Entirely.”

1854 del2

del2: standard gloss +

321 meerely] Delius (ed. 1854): “merely = ganz und gar. Die metrischen Unregelmässigkeiten, nach denen bald ein halber Versfuss fehlt, bald su viel steht, bezeichnen hier, wie in andern Monologen das Abspringen des Gedankens von einem Gegenstande auf den andern, vermittelt durch solche Uebergangspausen.” [merely means wholly. The metrical irregularity, with now a missing half verse foot, then another with too many feet, is exhibted here, as in other soliloqiues that spring from thinking of one subject then another, mediated through such connecting pauses.]

1856 hud1

hud1 ≈ sing1

321 meerely]

1856b sing2

sing2 ≈ sing1

321 meerely]

1870 Abbott

Abbott

321 meerely] Abbott (§ 14-15): “The Adjectives just, mere, proper and very were sometimes used as in the Latin. . . . Mere = ‘unmixed with anything else:’ hence, by inference, “intact,’ ‘complete.’ . . . [quotes Mac. 4.3.152 (1984) ] The word now means ‘unmixed,’ and therefore, by inference, ‘nothing but,’ ‘bare,’ ‘insignificant.’ But, in accordance with its original meaning, ‘not merely, in Bacon, is used for ‘not entirely.” See [321].

1872 cln1

cln1 ≈ Steevens def., // Tmp. without attribution

321 meerely]

1872 hud2

hud2 ≈ hud1 +

321 meerely] Hudson (ed. 1872): “Observe how Hamlet’s brooding melancholy leads him to take a morbid pleasure in making things worse than they are.”

1875 Marshall

Marshall

321 That it should come to this] Marshall (1875, p. 125): “That all the love and tenderness which his father had lavished on Gertrude should be so rewarded! that her fond caresss should come to be such bitter mockeries! that all the honour, the happiness, the peace, the pride of his home, should be thus rudely shattered!”

Marshall

322 nay not so much, not two] Marshall (1875, p. 125): “What art, and what nature, in that hasty correction of his own words . . . .”

1877 v1877

v1877: standard gloss, Hudson; Mac. //

321 meerely] Furness (ed. 1877): “ See [Mac. 4.3.152 (1984)].”

v1873: Mac. note: Abbott; Schmidt

321 meerely] Furness (ed. 1873, rpt. 1963): “For instances of this [i.e. Abbott’s] use of ‘mere,’ see Schmidt (Lex.) and Shakespeare passim.”

1880 Tanger

Tanger

321 thus] Tanger (1880, p. 122): Q2 error “probably owing to the negligence, inattention, or criticism of the compositor.”

1881 hud3

hud3 ≈ hud1

321 meerely]

1885 macd

macd

322 two months] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Two months at the present moment.”

1885 mull

mull : standard gloss, // in Oth. without attribution + quot.

321 meerely] Mull (ed. 1885): “entirely. . . . ‘upon certain tidings importng the mere [entire] perdition of the Turkish fleet.’—[Oth. 2.2.3 (1100).]”

1929 trav

trav

321 that] Travers (ed. 1929): “will express indignant astonishment.”

1934 Wilson

Wilson MSH

321 thus] Wilson (1934, p. 253) thinks that thus might be a correction that resulted from Q2’s omission of to; thus come this > come thus.

1934 rid1

rid1

321 Possesse it meerely] Ridley (ed. 1934, Glossary): “are its only occupants”

1934 cam3

cam3

321 Wilson (ed. 1934, pp. liii-lvi) is convinced that Sh. means for Hamlet to be disappointed about Claudius’s usurpation of the throne. Even in an election, they are the only two candidates to be considered and thus Hamlet is right to be disappointed. The larger hurt, his mother’s remarriage, is his 1st thought, and Wilson believes that this unexpected complaint about her rather than about the crown would have been a nice dramatic touch for early audiences. See 3569.

1938 parc

parc

321 meerely] Parrott & Craig (ed. 1938): “entirely.”

1939 kit2

kit2: standard

321 meerely] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "entirely, utterly."

1947 cln2

cln2 ≈ standard

321 meerely] Rylands (ed. 1947): "utterly."

1957 pel1

pel1: standard

321 meerely] Farnham (ed. 1957): “completely.”

1970 pel2

pel2 = pel1

321 meerely] Farnham (ed. 1970): “completely”

1980 pen2

pen2: standard

321 meerely] Spencer (ed. 1980): “completely.”

1982 ard2

ard2:

321 meerely] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “entirely (Latin merus, unmixed).”

1985 cam4

cam4

321 meerely] Edwards (ed. 1985): "absolutely."

1987 Trewin

Trewin

321-2 meerely that it should come] Trewin (pp. 159-60), on Jonathan Miller’s production at Greenwich in 1974, notes that David Eyre had no stop after merely.

1987 oxf4

oxf4: standard

321 meerely] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "completely, entirely."

1987 Mercer

Mercer

321-40 come thus . . . she married] come to this Mercer (1987, pp. 148-51): <p. 148> Hamlet “cannot bring himself to put a name to ’this.’ ” </p. 148> Struggling to find words, Hamlet delays touching the sore spot, until, with the word ’married’ he reaches it. <p. 151> “The image of those ’unrighteous tears’ is not frantic but sternly moral, the subject is not separated from the verb by the desperate subordination of grief and dismay, but firmly attached to it: ’She married.’ ” Hamlet perceives this marriage as guilty—not just in his own view but in the whole social scheme of things. </p. 151>

1988 bev2

bev2: standard

321 meerely] Bevington (ed. 1988): “completely.”

2003 Hirschfield

Hirschfield

321-42 Hirschfeld (2003, 441-2): <p. 441> “Hamlet continues to repeat these scenes because his imagination, which he admits is ’as foul As Vulcan’s stithy’ [1934-5; 3.2.83-4], is trapped in a traumatic relay according to which the re-enactment offered through revenge confirms rather than alleviates the power of an earlier--and always ultimately incomprehensible--scene. At its most extreme the pattern makes life and death essentially the same for Hamlet.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: standard

321 meerely] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “completely, absolutely”

ard3q2: pope; F1

321 come thus] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “work out this way. Apart from Pope, most editors prefer F’s ’come to this’.”