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Line 890 - 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.
890 Pol. Giue him {this} <his> money, and these notes Reynaldo.2.1.1
890 943
1736 Stubbs
Stubbs
890-967 Stubbs (1736, p. 26): “Polonius’s Discourse to Reynaldo is of a good moral Tenour, and thus far it is useful to the Audience. His forgetting what he was saying [943] as is usual with old Men, is extremely natural, and much in Character for him.”
1777 Griffith
Griffith
890-915 Giue . . . libertie] Griffith (1777, 2:285): “ . . . [T]hough he requires him to sift narrowly the manner of life, company, and conversation of Laertes, yet he does it with so becoming a tenderness and paternal respect to the character of the young man, as is extremely interesting and engaging.”
1819 mclr2
mclr2:
889-1017 Coleridge (1819; rpt. Coleridge, 1998, 12.4:846): “In all things dependant on or rather made up of fine Address, the manner is no more or otherwise rememberable than the light motions, steps, and gestures of Youth and Health.—But this is almost every thing—no wonder therefore, if that which can be put down by rule in the memory should appear mere poring, maudlin-eyed Cunning, slyness blinking thro’ the watry eye of superannuation. So in this admirable Scene. Polonius, who is throughout the Skeleton of his own former Skill and State-craft, hunts the trail of policy at a dead scent, supplied by the weak fever-smell in his own nostrils.—”
1856 hud1
hud1 = Coleridge
890-1017 Hudson (ed. 1856): “Coleridge here makes the following remark: ‘In this admirable scene, Polonius, who is throughout the skeleton of his own former skill in state-craft, hunts the trail of policy at a dead scent, supplied by the weak fever-smell in his own nostrils.’ H.”
1872 hud2
hud2 = hud1 (minus introductory clause)
890-1017
1873 rug2
rug2
890- 997 Moberly (ed. 1873): “There is a wonderfully fine contrast between the prolix slyness of Polonius’ attempt to find out what would be better unknown [892-962], and the scene of distracting and passionate misery which shows how Hamlet’s soul has been shattered by an unsought-for revelation [970-97].”
1877 v1877
v1877 = rug2 at 970
890-997 Furness (ed. 1877): “Moberly: “There is a wonderfully fine contrast between the prolix slyness of Polonius’s attempt to find out what had better be unknown [892-962], and the scene of distracting and passionate misery which shows how Hamlet’s soul has been shattered by an unsought-for revelation [970-97].”
1880 Tanger
Tanger
890 this] Tanger (1880, p. 126): F1 variant [his] “probably owing to the negligence, inattention, or criticism of the compositor.”
Ed. note: his works well as Jesús Tronch has shown.
1881 hud3
hud3 = hud2
890-1017
1929 trav
trav
890-910 Travers (ed. 1929) points out that the metrical laxness, with some prose, 12 lines of 19 ending with an unstressed syllable, could be Shn and “in accord with the character of the scene.”
1929 trav
trav
890 notes] Travers (ed. 1929): “letters.”
1934 cam3
cam3
890 Reynoldo] Wilson (ed. 1934) doesn’t mention the Q2 spelling with an o; he presumably considers it one of the a:o errors. “Called Montano in Q1 . . . . ‘Montano’ appears in Sannazaro’s Arcadia, 1504 (cf. Ophelia) and is used by Shakespeare in Oth.
1939 kit2
kit2
890 notes] Kittredge (ed. 1939): "memoranda—in continuation, no doubt, of the ’precepts’ in [523ff]."
1947 cln2
cln2
890 him] Rylands (ed. 1947): "i.e. Laertes."
cln2 = trav without attribution
890 notes] Rylands (ed. 1947): "letters."
1961 Rossiter
Rossiter
890-967 Rossiter (1961, p. 183): “He sets a spy on his son at Paris, and teaches the man how to get at the improper truth with a little cunning and prevarication. Everything here is under-hand, meanly self-interestedl nothing is frank or generous. It is also undignified, not great evil; and often ridiculous, as in Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Osric.”
1980 pen2
pen2
890 Reynaldo] Spencer (ed. 1980): “(a suitable name for a ’foxy’ character).”
1987 oxf4
oxf4
890 Reynaldo] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "This variant on ‘Reynard’ is the name of the Fox in Spenser’s Mother Hubbards Tale."
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: xref
890 him] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “The audience or reader’s guess that Polonius is talking about his son Laertes is confirmed in his speech at [896-906].”

ard3q2
890 notes] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “messages, letters (perhaps letters of introduction?); not ’banknotes’, which is a later usage”