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.

1726 theon

theon

1388-1391 These...thither.] Theobald (1726, pp. 66-67): “I’ll give the Reading first as I think it ought to be restor’d, and then assign the Reasons.

“These now are the FACTION, and so berattle the common STAGERS (so they call them,) that Many wearing Rapiers are afraid of Goose-quills, and dare scarce come thither.

“The Poet, as it were, here steps out of Denmark into England, and makes Rosencraus, in talking of Theatres, allude to the Plays performed at home by the Children of the King’s Chappel; who were in great Estimation at that Time of day, and out-rival’d the Gentlemen of the Profession. The Variation of Fashion into Faction we owe to Mr. Hughs; I think it much the more forcible and expressive Term: implying, that those Children were not only in Fashion and Esteem; but were a Prevailing Faction against the other Playhouses, or had a Faction made by the Town in their Favour. As to the other Alteration of common Stages into common Stagers, which is a Conjecture of my own, my Reason for it is this: The Poet certainly cannot intend by his Many wearing Rapiers, that Gentlemen-Spectators were afraid to go to the common Theatres, for Fear of the Resentment of these Children, who so berattled the common Stages. What greater Affront could Shakespeare put upon his Audience, than to suppose any of them were of such tame and cowardly Spirits? No, if I understand him, he seems to me to hint, that this young Fry were so pert upon the profest Actors, that even they, tho’ they wore Swords, were afraid of going near them, least they should be banter’d, or insulted, past Sufferance. What farther induces me to think, it should be common Stagers, rather than common Stages, is, that, in the Speech immediately following, Hamlet, speaking of these Children, retorts upon them, ––– If they should grow themselves to common PLAYERS--- and does not say, If they should come themselves to the common PLAYHOUSES, or Stages.”

1819 cald1

cald1

1388 tyrannically clapped ]Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Receive outrageous, extravagant applause for that, which, from the very nature of the thing, as above explained, could not convey to an auditory the nice marks and discriminations of character, with any thing like adequate expression.”

1843 col1

col1

1388 and are most tyranically clapped for’t] Collier (ms. notes, ed. 1843): “alluding perhaps to the manner in which the tryouts were applauded in miracle plays tc.”

1872 cln1

cln1

1388 tyrannically clapped] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): probably means ’violently applauded.’ the tyrant’s part in the old plays was a noisy one. Bottom says, ’My chief humour is for a tyrant : I could play Ercles rarely, or a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.’ (Midsummer Night’s Dream, i. 2. 31.) Compare Beaumont and Fletcher, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, v.1: ‘An thou hadst but seen little Ned of Aldgate, drum Ned, how he made it roar again, and laid on like a tyrant.’ "

1882 elze

elze

1388 most tyrannically] Elze (ed. 1882): “Compare The Puritan, I, 4 (Malone’s Supplement, II, 553): I warrant my kinsman’s talking of me, for my left ear burns most tyrannically.”

1890 irv

irv

1388 tyrannically clapped ] Symons (in IRVING & MARSHALL ed. 1890): “Tyrannically is used for outrageously, after the manner of a stage-tyrant. Elze compares The Puritan, i. 4: ‘I warrant my kinsman’s talking of me, for my left ear burns most tyrannically.’”

1899 ard1

ard1

1388 tyrannically] Dowden (ed. 1899): “outrageously; probably alluding to what Bottom calls ‘a tyrant’s vein,’ or ‘ a part to make all split’(Rolfe).”