Notes for lines 1018-2022 ed. Eric Rasmussen
| 1112 Pol. This busines is <very> well ended. | 2.2.85 |
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| 1113 My Liege and Maddam, to expostulate | 2.2.86 |
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1733 theo1
theo1 : warburton
1112 This busines is well ended] Warburton (apud ed. 1733): “There seem to me in this Speech most remarkable Strokes of Humour. I never read it without Astonishment at the Author’s admirable Art of preserving the Unity of Character. It is so just a Satire on impertinent Oratory, (especially, of that then in Vogue) which was of the formal Cut, and proceeded by Definition, Division, and Subdivision, that I think, every Body must be charm’d with it. Then as to the Jingles, and the Play on Words, let us but look into the Sermons of Dr. Donne, (the wittiest Man of that Age,) and we shall find them full of this Vein: only, there they are to be admired, here to be laugh’d at. Then, with what Art is Polonius made to pride himself in his Wit: A foolish Figure — But, farewel it.
“Again, how finely is he sneering the formal Oratory in Fashion, when he makes this reflection on Hamlet’s Raving [quotes ’if this be madness’ TLN 1243] As if Method in a Discourse (which the Wits of that Age thought the most essential part of good Writing;) would make Amends for the Madness of it. This in the mouth of Polonius is exceeding satirical. Tho’ it was Madness, yet he could comfort himself with the Reflection that at least it was Method. Mr. Warburton:”
1736 Stubbs
Stubbs
1112-1207] Stubbs (1736, p. 34): “Polonius’s Character, is admirably well kept up in that Scene, where he pretends to have discovered the Cause of the Prince’s Madness, and would much deserve Applause, were such a Character allowable in such a piece as this.”
1747 warb
warb ≠ theo
1112 Warburton (ed. 1747): “The strokes of humour in this speech are admirable. Polonius’s character is that of a weak, pedant, minister of state. His declamation is a fine satire on the impertinent oratory then in vogue, which placed reason in the formality of method, and wit in the gingle and play of words. With what art is he made to pride himself in his wit : That he is mad, ’tis true; ’tis true, ’tis pity; And pity ’tis, ’tis true; A foolish figure; But farewel it. — And how exquisitely does the poet ridicule the reasoning in fashion, where he makes Polonius remark on Hamlet ’s madness; Though this be madness, yet there’s method in’t:
“As if method, which the wits of that age thought the most essential quality of a good discourse,would make amends for the madness. It was madness indeed, yet Polonius could comfort himself with this reflexion, that at least it was method. It is certain Shakespear excels in nothing more than in the preservation of his characters; To this life and variety of character (says our great poet in his admirable preface to Shakespear) we must add the wonderful preservation of it. We have said what is the character of Polonius ; and it is allowed on all hands to be drawn with wonderful life and spirit, yet the unity of it has been thought by some to be grosly violated in the excellent Precepts and Instructions which Shakespear makes his statesman give to his son and servant in the middle of the first, and beginning of the second act. But I will venture to say, these criticks have not entered into the poet’s art and address in this particular. He had a mind to ornament his scenes with those fine lessons of social life; but his Polonius was too weak to be the author of them, tho’ he was pedant enough to have met with them in his reading, and fop enough to get them by heart and retail them for his own. And this the poet has finely shewn us was the case, where, in the middle of Polonius ’s instructions to his servant, he makes him, tho’ without having received any interruption, forget his lesson, and say, And then, Sir, does he this; He does —what was I about to say?I was about to say something — where did I leave?— The servant replies, At, closes in the consequence. This sets Polonius right, and he goes on, At, closes in the consequence — Ay marry, He closes thus; — I know the gentleman, &c. which shews they were words got by heart which he was repeating. Otherwise closes in the consequence, which conveys no particular idea of the subject he was upon, could never have made him recollect where he broke off. This is an extraordinary instance of the poet’s art, and attention to the preservation of Character.”
1765 john1
john1 = warb +
1112 Johnson (ed. 1765): “This account of the character of Polonius though it sufficiently reconciles the seeming inconsistency of so much wisdom with so much folly, does not perhaps correspond exactly to the ideas of our authour. The commentator makes the character of Polonius, a character only of manners, discriminated by properties superficial, accidental, and acquired. The poet intended a nobler delineation of a mixed character of manners and of nature. Polonius is a man bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observation, confident of his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining into dotage. His mode of oratory is truly represented as designed to ridicule the practice of those times, of prefaces that made no introduction, and of method that embarrassed rather than explained. This part of his character is accidental, the rest is natural. Such a man is positive and confident, because he knows that his mind was once strong, and knows not that it is become weak. Such a man excels in general principles, but fails in the particular application. He is knowing in retrospect, and ignorant in foresight. While he depends upon his memory, and can draw from his repositories of knowledge, he utters weighty sentences, and gives useful counsel; but as the mind in its enfeebled state cannot be kept long busy and intent, the old man is subject to sudden dereliction of his faculties, he loses the order of his ideas, and entangles himself in his own thoughts, till he recovers the leading principle, and falls again into his former train. This idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom, will solve all the phaenomena of the character of Polonius..”
1773 v1773
v1773 = warb, john
1784 Davies
Davies : warb, john +
1112 Davies(1784, 3:37): “In the delineation of Polonius’s character, two great writers, Dr. Warburton and Dr. Johnson, differ widely. The first makes him a weak man and a pedantic statesman. The other places him in a much superior rank: with him, Polonius is a man who has been bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observations, confident of his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, but declining into dotage; in short, it is by the advance of age alone that Dr. Johnson solves the seeming inconsistency in the conduct of Polonius. The whole argument is elaborately written; but I cannot submit to that decision, which pronounces that this statesman was ever strong in intellect or eloquent in discourse. There is but one passage in the play which favours the supposed dereliction of this man’s faculties; and that is, in the instructions he gives his servant, in the first scene of the second act, relating to his observations of his son’s conduct; but, in the recapitulation of precepts, or maxims, independent of each other, and where there is no concatenation of reasoning, a very young, as well as an old, man may easily suffer a lapse of memory. In all other situations of the character, he is ever ready and furnished with such materials as are suited to his incapacity and presumption. His logic and rhetoric, to prove that Hamlet is in love with his daughter, are sufficiently flowing, and, though weak and absurd, betray no declension of his faculties. Such powers of mind as Polonius ever had he seems to enjoy with vigour; and can boast, with Charon, the cruda viridisque senectus.--While the body remains unhurt, by disease or outward accident, the mind, by being kept in continual exercise, stretches its faculties, and improves more and more. I could produce instances in Tully and Bacon; and, with still more propriety, in Sophocles and Bishop Hoadley. but why need I go farther than Dr. Johnson himself? He is advanced some years above the age of seventy, without the least symptom of intellectual decay. Is not his last work, of the Critical and Biographical Prefaces, equal to any book he hath written?
“Mirabel’s character of Witwou’d, in the Way of the World, may help us to solve the difficulties which arise from some pertinent observations in the old statesman: ’he is a fool with a good memory; but, that failing, his folly is betrayed by not having recourse to his common-place book.’ Every man must recollect, amongst his acquaintance, some very silly people, who surprise their hearers by throwing out remarks above their usual course of converse. To this tribe of men we may apply a line of Mr. Pope: ’The fool lies hid in inconsistencies.’ The constant practice of the stage, from the revival of Hamlet, soon after the Restoration, to this day, may perhaps contribute to justify my opinion of this character. Polonius was always acted by what is termed a low comedian: By Lovell, Nokes, and Cross, in former times; who were succeeded by Griffin, Hippisley, Taswell, and Shuter; and these again by Wilson, Baddeley, and Edwin, in the present times.
“About five and twenty years since, Mr. Garrick had formed a notion, that the character of Polonius had been mistaken and misrepresented by the players, and that he was not designed by the author to excite laughter and be an object of ridicule. He imagined, I suppose, with his friend, Dr. Johnson, that his false reasoning and false wit were mere accidents in character; and that his leading feature was dotage encroaching upon wisdom, which, by the bye, is no object of theatrical satire, and far from being, what is averted by the great commentator, a noble design in the author. Full of this opinion, Mr. Garrick persuaded Woodward, on his benefit-night, to put himself in the part of Polonius. and what was the consequence?--The character, divested of his ridiculous vivacity, appeared to the audience flat and insipid. His dress was very different from what the part generally wore: the habit was grave and rich, cloth of scarlet and gold. Whether this was in imitation of some statesman of the times I will not be positive, though I have heard it so asserted. So little was the audience pleased with Woodward, or Woodward with himself, that he never after attempted Polonius."
1784 ays
ays
1113 expostulate] Ayscough (ed. 1784): “To expostulate, for to enquire or discuss.”
1785 Mason
Mason = john +
1113 Mason (1785, p. 380): “Nothing can be more just, judicious and masterly, than Johnson’s delineation of the character of Polonius in his note on this passage; and I cannot read it without heartily regretting that he did not exert his great abilities and discriminating powers, in delineating the strange, inconsistent, and indescisive character of Hamlet, to which I confess myself unequal.”
1793 v1793
v1793 = v1785 (with “[Pope]” inserted after “our great poet” in warb) + mason
1791- rann
Rann
1113 to expostulate] Rann (ed. 1791-): “—to discuss. Polonius is a man bred in courts, exercised in business, stored with observation, confident in his knowledge, proud of his eloquence, and declining into dotage. His mode of oratory is truly represented as designed to ridicule the practice of those times, or prefaces that made no introduction, and of method that embarrassed rather than explained. This part of his character is accidental, the rest is natural. Such a man is positive and confident, because he knows that his mind was once strong, and knows not that it is become weak. Such a man excels in general principles, but fails in this particular application. He is knowing in retrospect, and ignorant in foresight. While he depends upon his memory, and can draw from his repositories of knowledge, he utters weighty sentences, and gives useful counsel; but as the mind in it’s enfeebled state cannot be kept long busy and intent, the old man is subject to sudden dereliction of his faculties, he loses the order of his ideas, and entangles himself in his own thoughts, till he recovers the leading principle, and falls again into his former train. This idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom, will solve all the phaenomena of the character of Polonius.”
1807 pye
pye : john, mason
1112 Pye (1807, pp. 316-17): <p. 316>“The observations of Dr. Johnson on the character of Polonius, and M. Mason’s </p. 316><p. 317> just and modest praises of them are equally honourable to them both.”
1810-13 mclr1
mclr1: warb
1113-22,1124-35 Coleridge (ms. notes 1813 in THEOBALD
, ed
. 1773; rpt.
Coleridge, 1998, 12.4:742): <p. 742> “I have (and that most carefully) read D
r Donne’s Sermons—and find none of these Jingles. The great art of an Orator, to make whatever he talks of appear of importance, this indeed Donne has effected with consummate Skill.”</p.742>
1819 cald1
cald1 = john1 +
1112 Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Because Pope, speaking of Shakespeare, had said what is generally true, that ‘to the life and variety of his characters we must add the wonderful preservation of them,’ Warburton must make it out, Reed’s edit. XVIII. 110. that it is so in this instance; and, if you will take his word for it, you may believe it to be so here. But the idle suggestions that he makes, though rejected by Dr. Johnson, seem to have led the Doctor to take up the point; and he has certainly played the advocate with talent, and some plausibility: and, if not more convincing than his predecessor, at least entitles himself to some attention and respect. Nothing can be more easily conceivable or intelligible that the idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom: but the question is, the application of this maxim to the person and character of Polonius. To be extinguished, talent or faculty must first have existence: to be impaired, it must have had something like integrity. Now we have nothing in this drama that directly goes to establish the fact of his having at any time a clear and contrary, an opposite bearing; for the very circumstance of quality relied upon in this view, appears to us to be one of those that most strongly indicates imbecillity of mind: viz. having the memory stored with sage rules and maxims, fit for every turn and occasion, without the faculty of making application or effective use of them upon any. Warburton, though it is ill adapted to his purpose in this place, pronounces him "weak, a pedant, and a fop;" and, presently afterwards, "a ridiculous character, and acting as a small politician:" and Hamlet, repeatedly branding him with folly, is in III. 4, made to characterize him as one. "Who was in life (i. e. while living) a foolish prating knave."
“The poet has not here made false (i. e. tedious and encumbered)modes of reasoning, and false wit, ("formality of method and the gingle and play of words," the idols of a pedantic age) ridiculous, without uniformly subjecting the character itself, which he makes the vehicle of this purpose, to the same mputation and censure: not can any facts be pointed out sufficient to remove the strong impressions left of the natural imbecillity of his mind: and without these, the argument of Dr. Johnson proceeds upon an assumption altogether unfounded, and contradicted as well by his predecessor and associate as by his author. Had he considered Polonius as really intelligent, he would not, in the close of the foregoing scene, have pointed out a "remark of his as not being that of a weak man." Throughout this detail, as in his general conduct, unmixt folly of dotage is visible at every turn: but the lesson of life given to Laertes is a perfect hole, delivered with all the closeness and gravity of a philosophic discourse: Plenius et melius Chrysippo et Crantore: and had it been dictated by a mind any way enfeebled, at some point or other we should, as here, have seen "wisdom," according to Dr. Johnson, "encroached upon by dotage." But what he offers is a mere advocating, is what may be said, rather than what either ought to be said, or in fact exists; it is prize-fighting, and nothing like a search after truth. For, when elaborate discussion has been employed to give a sense not obvious but different from the generally received meaning, if that interpretation does not leave its impression long upon any plain mind, the presumption is that it cannot be sound. See note 71.
“This species of criticism, of which the forgotten commentaries of Warburton afford more apt and tiresome examples, reminds is of the ingenious confession, recorded by the late Mr. Cumberland, his grandson, of the great hero of this school, Bently, respecting the use he made of the great writers of antiquity. His favourite daughter Joanna, the Phoebe of Byron’s charming pastoral, and with of umberland, bishop of Kilmore, lamenting to him that he had employed so much of his time on criticism, he acknowledged the justice of the remark, and remained for a time thoughtful and seemingly embarrassed by it: at last, recollecting himself, he said, ‘Child, I am sensible I have not always turned my talents to the use for which they were given to me; but the wit and genius of those old heathens beguiled me: and, as i espaired of raising myself up to their standard upon fair ground, I thought the only chance I had of looking over their heads, was to get upon their shoulders.’Memoirs, 4to, 1806, p. 14.”
1821 v1821
v1821 = v1813 +
Malone (apud. ed 1821): “This admirable note may be illustrated by a passage which Johnson has highly praised in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act V. Sc. II.: ‘Prin. None are so surely caught, when they are catch’d, As wit turn’d fool: folly, in wisdom hatch’d, Hath wisdom’s warrant, and the help of school; And wit’s own grace, to grace a learned fool. Ros. The blood of youth burns not with such excess, As gravity’s revolt to wantonness. Mar. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note, As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote.’”
1826 sing1
sing1 = john + davies (magenta; first sentence is from Davies)
1113 expostulate] Singer (ed. 1826): “‘In the delineation of Polonius’s character, two great writers, Dr. Warburton and Dr. Johnson, differ widely. The first makes him a weak man and a pedantic statesman. The other places him in a much superior rank: with him, Polonius is a man bred in courts, excercised in business, stored with observation into dotage. His mode of oratotry is designed to ridicule the practice of those times, of pefaces that made no introduction, and of method that embarrassed rather than ecplained. This part of his character is accidental, the rest natural. Such a man is positive and confident, because he knows that his mind was once strong, and knows not that it is become weak. Such a man excels in general principles, but fails in particular application. He is knowing in retrospect, and ignorant in foresight. While he depends upon his memory, and can draw from his depositaries of knowledge, he utters weighty sentences, and gives useful counsel; but as the mind in its enfeebled state cannot be kept long busy and intent, the old man is subject to the derelication of his faculties, he loses the order of his ideas, and entantgles himself in his own thoughts, till he recover the leading principle, and fall into his former train. The idea of dotage encroaching upon wisdom, will solve all the phenomena of the character of Polonius.’”
-1845 mhun1
mhun1
1113-16 My...time] Hunter (-1845, f. 236r): “Here is an admirable ridicule of the circumvolutions with which the orators of those times were accustomed to approach this subject. Polonius is intended for one of the politicians of Shakspeare’s age, cunning, crafty, tedious, self-important, self-commended, & he finally overshoots himself. Possibly, The Earl of Suffolke. Both were Chamberlains. And Shakespeare not not seem to have been in the same favour with him as with his predecessor, if it may judge fedu The Lord Chamberlain’s Servants were appearing in the titles of Shakespeare’s plays after the cast held the offier & often before. See the Gen. Life.”
1845 hunter
hunter = mhun1
1113-16 My...time]
Hunter (1845, p. 228-9): <p. 228>“This is an admirable ridicule of the tedious exordiums which we sometimes find in the speeches of that age, scarcely a caricature. Polonius is intended for the crafty, cunning, tedious, self-important, self-commended politician, and finally, like most such men, he overshoots himself.
Expostulate required to be justified by a quotation, that it might not be thought a word invented for the nonce. It is of rare occurrence. I find it however in
A brief Relation of the Shipwreck of Henry May, 1593, incorporated in Captain Smith’s book on Virginia. ‘How these isles came by the name of Bermudas, or the infinite number of black hogs, or so fearful to the world that many called them the Isle of Devils, that all men did shun as hell and perdition, I will not
expostulate, nor trouble your patience with these uncertain antiquities.’ P. 172.
“It means to inquire, and when it is an inquiry from a superior in a state of displeasure we get at once to what is the present signification of the word. Thus in the manuscript book of Anecdotes collected by Sir Nicholas L’Estrange, in which we have the story of Jonson Shakespeare and the
Latin spoons, there is one, No. 77, in which the master of </p. 228><p. 229>the house, hearing a noise and disturbance, ‘comes and
expostulates the cause.’”</p. 229>
1847 verp
verp = john+
1113-1114 My liege and Madam, to expostulate . . . what duty is]
Verplanck (ed. 1847): “To ‘expostulate,’ is used in its primitive sense, to inquire. Johnson has discussed the conflicting qualities in the character of Polonius, in one of his best notes.”
1865 hal
hal
1113 to expostulate] HALLIWELL (ed. 1865): “That is, to show by discussion, to put the pros and cons, to answer demand upon the question. Expose is an old term of similar import. About to be separated. Tr. Cr. IV. 4:--’Nay, we must use expostulation kindly.’ ‘Pausanias had now opportunity to visit her and to expostulate the favourable deciet, whereby she had caused his jealousie,’ Stanley’s Aurora, 8vo. 1650. p. 44--Caldecott.
1872 hud2
hud2 ≈ verp minus johnson reference
1113 expostulate] HUD2 (ed. 1872): "Expostulate here has the right Latin sense of inquire."
1872 cln1
cln1
1113 expostulate] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “discuss fully. So in Two Gentlemen of Verona, iii. 1. 251:’ The time now serves not to expostulate.’ Shakespeare also uses the word in its modern and legitimate sense."
1881 hud3
hud3 ≈ hal without attribution ???
1113 to expostulate] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Expostulation in the Latin sense of argue or discuss.”
1882 elze
elze: abbott+
1112 This... ended.] Elze (ed. 1882): “QB [Q2](busines); FA: This businesse is very well ended; QA [Q1]: This busines is very well dispatched. The agreement of QA [Q1]and FA [F1]as to very leads to the suspicion that the reading of QA may be the authentic one and that the words Most welcome home form one of those short lines that are ‘most frequent at the beginning and end of a speech’. Dr Abbott, Sh. Gr., § 511. Jahrbuch der Deutschen Shakespeare-Gesellschaft, XVI, 235.”
1113 to expostulate] Elze (ed. 1882): “i.e. to discuss. Compare A Larum for London (The School of Shakespeare, ed. R. Simpson, Lon. 1872, p. 42):— ‘That men are slain, we’ll not expostulate: But governor, was it by your commandment?”
1885 macd
macd
1112 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Now for his turn! He sets to work at once with his rhetoric.”
1113 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “to lay down beforehand as postulates.”
1114 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “We may suppose a dash and pause after ‘Dutie is.’ Teh meaning is plain enough, though logical form is wanting.”
1890 IRV
1112 Symons (in IRVING & MARSHALL ed. 1890): “Ff. have very well, perhaps in order to mark it as a sentence of prose.
1113 Symons (in IRVING & MARSHALL ed. 1890): “That is, ‘discuss in full.’
Expostulate occurs five times in Shakespeare, which are are all inserted in
Schmidt under the meaning of
discuss. But in Richard III. Iii. 7. 192(‘More bitterly could I
expostulate’) the word is evidently used in pretty much the customary sense; in Othello, iv. 1. 217 it may be taken either way. Caldecott quotes Stanley’s Aurore, 1650, p. 44: ‘Paunsanias had now opportunity to visit her and
expostulate the favorable deceit, whereby she had caused his jealousie.’
1899 ard1
1113 expostulate] DOWDEN (ed. 1899): “discuss, as in Two Gentlemen of Verona, III. I. 251. Hunter quotes from A Brief Relation of the Shipwreck of Henry May, 1593: ‘How these isles came by the name of the Bermudas . . . I will not expostualte.’”
