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Line 612 - Commentary Note (CN)

Commentary notes (CN):

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

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

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

612 Ham. The King doth wake to night and takes his rowse.	1.4.8

1632 Howell

Howell: reference from mason; cald

612-13 The King. . . reeles] Howell (1632, rpt. 1726, p. 236): “The King feasted my Lord once, and it lasted from eleven of the clock till towards the evening; during which time the King began thirty five healths; the first to the Emperor, the second to his Nephew of England; and so went over al the Kings and Queens of Christendom, but he never remembered the Prince Palgrave’s health, or his Niece’s all the while. The King was taken away at last in his chair, but my Lord of Leicester bore up stoutly all the while; so that when there came two of the King’s Guard to take him by the Arms, as he was going down the stairs, my Lord shook them off, and went alone.”

Ed. note: From a letter “To my Lord Viscount S. from Hamburgh” Sect. VI.2, dated 9 Oct. 1632.

1736 Stubbs

Stubbs

612-18 The King . . . ist,] Stubbs (1736, p. 21): “The King’s taking his Rowse seems introduced to fill up a necessary Space of Time, and also perhaps to blacken still more the Character of the Usurper, who had revived a sottish Custom (as appears by the Prince’s Remarks upon it) omitted by several of his Predeccessors; for it would have been improper to have had the Ghost appear the Minute the Prince was come to the Platform. Some Time was requisite to prepare the Minds of the Spectators, that they might collect all their Faculties to behold this important Scene, on which turns the whole Play, with due Attention and Seriousness; . . . .”

[continued in 618-21 cn]

1774 capn

capn ≈ theo1 295 on Wittenburg without attribution

612-18 The King . . . ist,] Capell (1774, 1:1:125): “The manners of the Danes in old time are well preserv’d by the Poet, with respect to the article that is the subject of this speech; but in other matters he departs from them strangely , making christians of heathens, and ascribing to them customs and usages that are remot enough from the age of his Hamlet, according to chronicle: We have seen him talking of ‘Wittenburg,’ and of a ‘school’ at that place . [then ref. to 610, which see]. . . ”

1778 v1778

v1778

612-18 The King . . . ist,] Steevens (ed. 1778): “A rouse is a large dose of liquor, a debauch. So, in [Oth. 2.3.64 (1178)]: ‘—they have given me a rouse already.’ It should seem from the following passage in Decker’s Gull’s Hornbook, 1609, that the word rouse was of Danish extraction: ‘Teach me, thou soveraigne stinker, how to take the German upsy freeze, the Danish rousa, the Switzer’s stoop of rhenish, &c.’ ”

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

612-18 The King . . . ist,]

1785 Mason

Mason See n. 621+3

612-13 The King. . . reeles] Mason (1785, p.377; rpt. 1973, pp. 433-4): “It appears from one of Howell’s letters, dated at Hamburgh in the year 1632, that the then King of Denmark, had not degenerated from his jovial predecessor.—In his account of an entertainment given by his Majesty to the Earl of Leicester, he tells us, that the King, after beginning thirty five toasts, was carried away in his chair, and that all the officers of the court were drunk.”

1787 ann

ann = v1785

612-18 The King . . . ist,]

1790 mal

mal = v1785

612-18 The King . . . ist,]

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal + Ritson

612 rowse] Ritson (apud Steevens, ed. 1793): “So, in Marlowe’s Tragical Historie of Doctor Faustus: ‘He tooke his rouse with stoopes of Rhennish wine.”

Ed. note: Ritson’s note is at 310 in v1793 but more properly belongs here because of the Rhennish connection. Since I could not locate this point in Ritson’s 1792 work, I assume that he communicated it directly to Steevens.

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

612-18 The King . . . ist,]

1805 Seymour

Seymour

612 rowse] Seymour (1805, 2:156): “A stimulating draught, what bestirs his sluggish spirit.”

1805 Gifford

Gifford See n. 310

612 rowse]

1807 Mason

Mason 1807 = Mason 1785

612-13 The King. . . reeles]

1807 Douce

Douce: standard

612 rowse] Douce (1807, 2:205): “This word is used in the various significations of a riotous noise, a drunken debauch, and a large portion of liquor. We had it probably from our Saxon or Danish progenitors; and though the original word is lost, it remains in the German rausch. Hence our carouse; roister is of the same family, and perhaps the word row, which was very much used a few years since. The Greeks too had their [Greek].”

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

612-18 The King . . . ist,]

1819 cald1

cald1: Mason without attribution; Steevens without attribution; Reed; Ritson; Marlowe + in magenta underlined

612 rowse] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Of rouse, noticed before [310], and Rhenish wine, each of which are also mentioned here [612-14], we may further instance; ‘Sparring out his legges, yea and distending all his entralls, like a bladder, for the grand carowse.’ Tho. Thompson’s Diet for a Drunkard. Sermon, 4to. 1612, p. 63. ‘They found that Helicon still had That virtue it did anciently retaine, When Orpheus, Linus, and th’ Ascrean swaine, Tooke lusty rowses, which hath made their rimes To last,’ &c. Drayton Muses Elysium, Nymphall III. 4to. 1630, p. 25.

“What was the royal practice in Denmark near the time at which this play was written, may be seen in Howell’s Letters: [quotes]. . . .

“Again, in Dr. Muffett’s Health Improvement, republished, as he says, when almost forgotten, by Dr. Bennet, 4to. 1655, p. 294.

[About the habits of the Danish court in sitting so long at meals: but since the issue of sitting long is not in question, I doubt we need this quotation.]

“ ‘Thou dost out drink the youth of Norway at Their marriage feasts—out quarrell One that rides post and is stopp’d by a cart.’ Cotgrave’s Treasury, 12mo. 1655, p. 181. [This does not seem relevant either. He goes off on tangents.]

“In a collection of characters, entitled ‘Looke to it, for He stab ye,’ without date, we have ‘You that will drink Keynaldo unto deth, The Dane that would carouse out of his boote.’ [This is minimally relevant but does not seem to add anything.]

“Whether from a quotation in Roger Ascham’s Letters, with which Mr. Reed furnishes us, we may conjecture what the liquor was that was used so profusely on these occasions, we know not; but he tells us, that ‘The Emperor of Germany, who had his head in the glass five times as long as any of us, never drank less than a good quart at once of Rhenish wine.’ Mr. Ritson also instances, ‘He tooke his rouse with stoopes of Rhennish wine.’ Marlowe’s Tragical Historie of Doctor Faustus.’

“And to the visit in this country of the same monarch, of whom Howell spoke in his letters, Mr. Reed also refers the introduction of drunkenness (he might say that at least) into the court of James I. [long quotation on drunkenness in court . . . . ] Sir John Harington to Mr. Secretary Harlow, 1606. Nugæ Antiq. 12mo. 1779. II.26.” </p. 30>

Ed. note: cald1 has a longer note from Howell’s letters than Mason and identifies them more thoroughly. “Hamburgh, October, 1632, 8vo. 1726. Sect. VI.2, p. 236.” See cald2 facsimile

1819 mclr2

mclr2:

612 - 621+22 Coleridge (1819): “In addition to the other excellencies of Hamlet’s speech concerning the wassel music, so finely revealing predominant idealism, the ratiocinative meditativeness, of his character, it has the advantage of giving nature and probability to the impassioned continuity of the speech instantly directed to the ghost. [What a good point this is.] The momentum had been given to his mental activity—the full current of the thoughts and words had set in—and the very forgetfulness, in the fervor [sic] of his argumentation, of the purpose for which he was there, aided in preventing the appearance from benumming [?] the mind—consequently, it acted as a new impulse, a sudden stroke which increased the velocity of the body already in motion while it altered the direction. — The co-presence of Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo is most judiciously contrived—for it renders the courage of Hamlet and his impetuous eloquence perfectly intelligible. The knowledge, the unthought of consciousness, the sensation, of human auditors, of flesh and blood sympathists, as acts as a support, a stimulation, a Tergo, while the front of the mind, the whole consciousness of the speaker, is filled by the solemn apparition. Add too, that the apparition itself has by its frequent previous appearances been brought nearer to a thing of this world. This accrescence of objectivity in a ghost that yet retains all its ghostly attributes & fearful subjectivity is truly wonderful.

1819 Coleridge

Coleridge = mclr2

612-42 Ham. The King . . . doe] Coleridge (1819, rpt. 1987, 5.2:299): “In addition to the other excellencies of Hamlet’s Speech concerning the Wassel Music, so finely revealing the predominant idealism, <the ratiocinative meditativeness,> of his character, it has the advantage of giving nature the probability to the impassioned continuity of the Speech instantly directed to the Ghost. The momentum had been given to his mental Activity—the full current of the thoughts & words had set in—and the very forgetfulness, in the fervor of his Argumentation, of the purpose for which he was there, aided in preventing the Appearance from benumming the mind—Consequently, it acted as a new impulse, a sudden Stroke which increased the velocity of the body already in motion while it altered the direction.—The co-presence of Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo is most judiciously contrived—for it renders the courage of Hamlet and his impetuous eloquence perfectly intelligible/. The knowledge, the unthought-of consciousness, the Sensation, of human Auditors, of Flesh and Blood Sympathists, acts as a support, a stimulation a tergo, while the front of the Mind, the whole Consciousness of the Speaker, is filled by the solemn Apparition. Add too, that the Apparition itself has by its frequent appearances been brought nearer to a Thing of this World. This accrescence of Objectivity in a Ghost that yet retains all its ghostly attributes & fearful Subjectivity, is truly wonderful.”

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813

612-18 The King . . . ist,]

1826 sing1

sing1

612 wake] Singer (ed. 1826): “To wake signified to revel at night. Vide Florio in voce Veggia.” On rouse, he refers to 310, where he provides the Q1 reading and a long note, with some new material. Gifford + Peacham and Rabelais (see 310 cn).

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1 +

612 wake] caldecott (ed. 1832): “This term probably here imports more than simply vigilae, and must have reference to such festivities as were used on the opening, consecration, or wake-day of our churches; ‘encœnia templorum, in quibus noctem sæpe choreis pervigilem ducunt bacchantes.’ Skinn[er], or those under the same name indulged in at funerals; and particularly in our sister island. Waka, Sulo-goth, is vigilare and Wakstuga vigilæ super mortuo: quæque dum meditationi fragilitatis humanæ impendi deberent, ludis et compotationibus fere transigebantur. Angli veteres wake-plays appellarunt. Etymol. Junian. Hare’s Gloss.”

cald2 = cald1

612 rowse]

1833 valpy

valpy ≈ Seymour without attribution + in magenta

612 rowse] Valpy (ed. 1833): “Jovial draught.”

1839 knt1

knt1: standard

612-6 wake . . . rowse] “This passage, descriptive of Danish intemperance, occurs without alteration in the quarto of 1603.”

1844 Dyce

Dyce = cald2 +

612 wake] Dyce (1844, pp. 209-10): <p. 209> “Caldecott is the only commentator who has a note on ‘wake;’ [he quotes] </p. 209 > <p. 210>

“In the present passage, ‘wake’ evidently means ‘hold a late revel.’ So, in poets of a much earlier date, we find the words watch and watching employed as equivalent to ‘debauch at night;’ ‘Hatefull of harte he was to sobernes, Cherishyng surfetes, watche and glotony,’ &c. Lydgate’s Fall of Prynces, b. ii. fol. 1. ed. Wayland. ‘Withdraw your hand fro riotous watchyng.’ Id. b. ix. fol. xxxi. ‘His hede was heuy for watchynge ouer nyghte.’ Skelton’s Bowge of Courts, —Works, i. 43, ed. Dyce. So also in a tract of later date than the present play; ‘Late watchings in Tauerns will wrinckle that face.’ The Wandering Jew, 1640, sig. d.” </p. 210>

1853 Dyce

Dyce: Gifford n. 310

612 rowse] Dyce (1853, p. 136): “Whatever may have been the original meaning of ‘rouse,’ and whatever may be its precise signification in the above line (see a long note on the word by Gifford—Massinger’s Works, i. 239, ed. 1813), it undoubtedly was sometimes used in the sense of a large draught of liquor; ‘Where slightly passing by the Thespian spring, Many long after did but onely sup; Nature then fruitfully forth these men did bring, To fetch deepe rowses from Jones plenteous cup.’ Drayton’s Verses prefixed to Chapman’s Hesiod, 1618.”

1854 del2

del2: standard

612-13 rowse . . . reeles] Delius (ed. 1854): “Wie rouse zugleich den Trunk und das Zechgelage bezeichnet (s. Anm. 43 zu A. 1. Sc. 2 [310]), so bezeichnet auch wassel das zum Trinken bestimmte und gewürzte Mischgetränk, und das Trinkgelage selbst. In seiner Trunkenheit taumelt der König da bei den lärmenden Hopser (swaggering up-spring). Der Tanzkommt als ein deutscher, in Chapman’s Alphonsus vor: We Germans have no changes in our dances,—An almain and an upspring, that is all.” [Just as rouse means drink as well as drinking party (see n. 310) so wassel means a spiced mixed beverage to be drunk and a drinking bout. In his drunkenness the king staggers the noisy jumping dance (swaggering up-spring). The dance appears to be German: in Chapman’s Alphonsus: We Germans have no changes in our dances,—An almain and an upspring, that is all.”

1856 hud1

hud1 standard

612 rowse] Hudson (ed. 1856): “Rouse is the same as carouse. See sc. 2, note 15 [310].

hud1 wake ≈ sing1 without attribution

612 wake] Hudson (ed. 1856): “To wake is to hold a late revel or debauch.”

1856 sing2

sing2 ≈ sing1, ≈ cald2 without attribution in blue

612 wake] Singer (ed. 1856): “Wake here evidently signifies a late revel. A wake originally was a nightly festival kept on the day of dedication of a church, vigilia: hence it came to signify any other night festival. To wake signified to revel at night. Vide Florio in voce Veggia.”

Ed. note: Where sing1 started with wassel and ended with a sentence on wake; sing2 begins with wake somewhat expanded from info from cald2. Then sing2 continues with a ref. to his earlier note on rouse and ends with a much shorter note on wassel

1860 stau

stau: sing2 without attribution

612 wake] Staunton (ed. 1860): “‘Wake’ here means a wake-feast or watch festival, originally a nocturnal entertainment held to celebrate the dedication of the church (vigilia); but it subsequently came to be used for any night revel.

stau

612 rowse] see 310, where I put the stau note.

1862 N&Q

Le Trouveur

612-18 The King . . . ist,] le Trouveur (1862, p. 502): “It has been suggested by critics, that there is a covert allusion in these lines [also quotes 3734-9], and in other passages of the play, to the habits of the tipsy king, Christain IV, brother of James I.’s Danish wife. But whence did Shakspeare derive his account of the ‘custom’? And was it the custom of the Danish Court only, or of others? And had it any special meaning?

“In Gfrörer’s Life of Guslavus Adolphus (Stuttgart, 1837, p. 150), I find the following. He is describing the reception of a Swedish envoy by the same kind, Cjristian IV, in 1616; a few years after the appearance of the play of Hamlet.

“‘At a solemn banquet which was given in his honour, and at which he occupied a place by the King’s right hand, Shytte (the envoy) rose up, addressed Christian IV. in Latin and drank brotherhood to him in the name of his own sovereign. Christian arose, answered the speech of the envoy, pledged him, and, with the sound of cannon and kettledrums, emptied the goblet to the bottom. This custom (adds Gfrörer) was not then a mere ceremony in the North. Gustavus might feel assured, that the Danish king would not give him trouble, at least for some time to come.’

“If this be true, and if Shakspeare knew it, then the passage in the fifth act has a dramatic force of his own. The king is giving a solemn (and treacherous) assurance of good faith to Hamlet. Jean le Trouveur.”

1865 hal

hal = dyce1, cald on drinking from n. 613; Steevens on Decker, + Taylor the water poet

612 rowse] Halliwell (ed. 1865): “‘And because death should not terrifie him. they had given him many rowses and carowses of wine and beere; for it is the custome there to make such poore wretches drunke, wherby they may be senceless eyther of Gods mercy or their owne misery; but being prayed for by others, they themselves may die resolutely, or (to be feared) desperately.’—The Workes of Taylor, the Water-Poet, 1630.

hal copies without correcting dyce1’s erroneous statement that Caldecott is the only one to comment on wake, I am not sure whether or not with attribution. The quotation from Taylor does not seem very illuminating in this context.

1867 Keightley

Keightley

612 wake] Keightley (1867, p. 288): “Here ‘wake’ is like watch (see [Mac. 2.2.68 (735)]), sits up late.”

1868 c&mc

c&mc: standard; LLL from mal 613

612 wake] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868): “‘Hold a late revel.’ A ‘wake’ originalyl meant a church night-festival, and came to signify any kind of night reveling. See [LLL 5.2.318 (2243), n. 88] for this, and for the expression ‘keeps wassail.’ For ‘rouse,’ see [310 n.].”

1870 rug1

rug1 : mclr2 paraphrase +

612 - 621+22 Moberly (ed. 1870): “Coleridge remarks on this speech that it stirs Hamlet’s mind with a certain degree of emotion to serve as a starting-point for his horror at the apparition. This would be an actor’s instinct in Shakspere; as an unprepared burst of vehement passion runs the risk of exciting ridicule. The speech is also the first instance of the remarkable reflective and generalizing spirit which marks Hamlet’s character throughout, to the ruin of his active energies.”

1872 cln1

cln1 gloss ≈ stau without attribution; LLL from mal 613 without attribution

612 wake] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “feast late. For a night-feast the word is used in [LLL 5. 2. 318 (2243)]: ‘at wakes and wassails.”

cln1

612 rowse] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “See n. [310].”

1872 hud2

hud2 = hud1

612 wake]

hud2

612 rowse] Hudson (ed. 1872): “what we now call a bumper.”

1873 rug2

rug2 = rug1

612-621+22

1877 v1877

v1877 = Gifford see n. 310

612 rowse]

1881 hud3

hud3 = hud2

612 rowse]

1885 mull

mull = cln1 without attribution

612 rowse] Mull (ed. 1885): “feast late.”

mull ≈ john without attribution; Steevens indirectly; pope + in magenta underlined

612-13 Mull (ed. 1885): “The haughty lordings, his companions, partake in the revels; but some editors regard ‘up-spring’ as the name of a dance, which makes the rendering ‘the dance reels.’ Pope and others treat the word as ‘up-start.’”

1929 trav

trav: standard + French

612 wake] Travers (ed. 1929): “(cp French ‘réveillonner): hold a night-revel.”

1938 parc

parc

612 wake] Parrott & Craig (ed. 1938): “hold a revel by night.”

1939 kit2

kit2: standard

612 doth wake . . . rowse] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "sits up late and drinks deep."

1947 cln2

cln2 = hud2 without attribution

612 rowse] Rylands (ed. 1947): "bumper."

1957 pel1

pel1: standard

612 rowse] Farnham (ed. 1957): “carousal.”

1970 pel2

pel2 = pel1

612 rowse] Farnham (ed. 1970): “carousal.”

1980 pen2

pen2: xref

612 The . . . night] Spencer (ed. 1980): “Compare 1.2.124-8.”

pen2: standard

612 doth wake] Spencer (ed. 1980): “stays awake, holds a late-night revel.”

pen2: standard

612 rowse] Spencer (ed. 1980): “bumper of wine.”

1982 ard2

ard2: standard

612 wake] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “stay up and awake, often implying nocturnal revelry.”

ard2: standard

612 takes his rowse] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “carouses. Cf. 308 and CN, 951.”

1985 cam4

cam4

612 wake] Edwards (ed. 1985): "make a night-time celebration."

1986 Tennenhouse

Tennenhouse

612-16 Tennenhouse (1986, pp. 88-90, quoted by Griffiths, p. 122): “Claudius cannot seize hold of [the] . . . symbols of power that would authorize his reign . . . . Significantly, Hamlet must explain to a startled Horatio that the sudden noise of trumpet and cannon does not signal a military invasion but rather announces Claudius’ revels: [quotes 612-16].” Tennenhouse suggests that Claudius in misusing the symbols of warfare for reveling puts himself into a Falstaffian position. “Thus Claudius acquires the features of illicit power which the history plays subordinate, if not purge, in sanctifying power.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4

612 wake] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "keep late hours, ‘make a night of it.’ "

oxf4

612 takes his rowse] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "carouses. See note at 1.2.127 [310]."

1988 bev2

bev2: standard

612 wake] Bevington (ed. 1988): “stay awake and hold revel.”

bev2: standard

612 rowse] Bevington (ed. 1988): “carouse, drinking bout.”

1992 fol2

fol2

612 doth . . . rowse] Mowat & Werstine (ed. 1992): “stays awake tonight drinking” The editors in their scene summary, p. 48, enlarge on Hamlet’s description: “ . . . Claudius drinks away the night”

1993 OED

OED

612 wake] OED 1.a. “To be or remain awake; to keep oneself, or be kept, awake. Also, to be still up and about (at night). . . . . d. With unfavourable implication: To sit up late for pleasure or revelry; to turn night into day. Obs.. . . . 1602 SHAKS. Ham. I. iv. 8 The King doth wake to night, and takes his rouse.

2002 Srigley

Srigley

612 rowse] Srigley (2002, p. 171) defines a rus, referring to drinking bouts by Christian IV, as “a binge.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: standard

612 wake] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “stay up late”

ard3q2: standard

612 takes his rowse] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “drinks deeply, carouses”