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Line 830 - Commentary Note (CN) More Information

Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman
For explanation of sigla, such as jen, see the editions bib.
830 And much offence to, touching this vision heere,1.5.137
1774 capn
capn
830 to] Capell (1774, 1:1:128): “The most emphatical word in this sentence is —‘too:’ which emphasis must be preserv’d; and yet cannot be, without making short both the syllables of the word that preceeds it, and the two words what is vulgarly call’d—an anapest; but another of that construction is not remember’d in any part of these works.”
Ed. note: Capell’s passive construction is probably one of the aspects of his style that Johnson deplored.
1805 Seymour
Seymour
830 And much offence to] Seymour (1805, 2:162): “Perhaps it is a broken sentence: ‘And much offence to—touching this vision.’”
1874 Corson
Corson: F1, cam1 +
830 to,] Corson (1874, p. 16): “The punctuation of [cam1], a period after ‘too,’ has no Q. nor F. authority, all the editions having a comma after ‘too,’ except [Q5], which has a colon. Horatio, of course, means that he intended no offence to Hamlet, in saying, ‘These are wild and hurling words, my Lord;’ and Hamlet, in his reply, flies off, and speaks with reference to the offence or wrong which, he has just learned, has been done to his father: ‘Yes, by Saint Patricke, but there is my Lord, And much offence too, touching this Vision heere:’ he then adds, ‘It is an honest Ghost, that let me tell you:’ but more than that he’ll not tell: ‘For your desire to know what is between vs, O’remaster’t as you may.’”
1877 v1877
v1877 = capn (minus all but the pt about too being most emphatic word); Corson
830 to] Furness (ed. 1877): “Capell (i.128): The most emphaticall word in this sentence is ‘too.’ Corson: There should be only a comma after this word. Hamlet refers to the wrong which, he has just learned, had been done his father: ‘Yes, by Saint Patrick, but there is, my Lord, And much offence too, touching this Vision here.’”
1885 macd
macd
830 to,] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Point thus: ‘too!—Touching’
1888 macl
macl contra Knight +
830 Maclachlan (ed. 1888) disagrees with Knight, who connects the two halves of the line, because that would reveal more about the ghost than Hamlet means to convey at this time.
1929 trav
trav
830 offence] Travers (ed. 1929): Hamlet uses the word both in Horatio’s sense and, “secretly, with that of ‘crime,’ bearing on the Ghost’s revelation.”
1939 kit2
kit2trav without attribution
830 offence] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "Hamlet’s play upon Horatio’s word is obvious. He picks it up and applies it in a different sense."
1980 pen2
pen2
830 much offence] Spencer (ed. 1980): “Hamlet deliberately mistakes Horatio’s word offence and takes it as concerning the revelation of the Ghost, which has told him of the terrible offence of Claudius.”
1982 ard2
ard2: contra WHH; xref
830 touching this vision] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “Dover Wilson suggests (WHH, p. 79) that ’Hamlet is on the point of revealing the secret’. Cf. 807-10. But the assumption that while he wishes to tell Horatio he is checked by the presence of Marcellus is an embroidery upon the text. That he does subsequently inform Horatio becomes clear from 1927-8.”
1988 bev2
bev2: standard
830 offence] Bevington (ed. 1988): “(Hamlet deliberately changes Horatio’s ’no offense taken to ’an offense against all decency.’).”
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: standard
830 touching] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “concerning”
828 830 1927