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Line 2383 - Commentary Note (CN)

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.

Notes for lines 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary

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

2383 With-drawe, I heare him comming.	3.4.7

1780 malsi

malsi: Hystory of Hamblet

2383 With-drawe . . . comming] Malone (1780, pp. 357-8): <p.357> “The concealment of Polonius in the queen’s chamber, during the conversation between Hamlet and his mother, and the manner of his death, were suggested by the following passage in The Hystory of Hamblet, bl. let. sig. D.: ‘The counsellor entered secretly into the queen’s chamber, and there hid himselfe behind the arras, and long before the queene and Hamlet came thither; who being craftie and politique, as soone, as hee was within the chamber, doubting some treason, and fearing if he should speake severely and wisely to his mother, touching his secret practises, hee should be understood, and by that meanes intercepted, used his ordinary manner of dissimulation, and began to come [r. crowe] like a cocke, beating with his arms (in such manner as cockes use to strike with their wings) upon the hangings of the chamber; whereby feeling something stirring under them, he cried a rat, a rat, and presently drawing his sworde, thrust it into the hangings; which done, pulled the counsellour (halfe-deade) out of the heeles, made an end of killing him, and being slaine, cut his body in pieces, </p/357><p.358> which he caused to be boyled, and then cast it into an open vault or privie.’ Malone.”

1854 del2

del2

2383 coming] Delius (ed. 1854): “Polonius hides himself]] Wo Polonius sich verbirgt, sagt er selbst genauer in Q. A.: I’ll shroud myself behind the arras, d. h. hinter eben solch einer Tapete, hinter welcher er vorher mit dem König das Zwiegespräch Hamlet’s und Ophelia’s belauscht hatte. Vgl. A. 3, Sc. 1.mit dem König das Zwiegespräch Hamlet’s und Ophelia’s [When Polonius conceals himself, he expresses himself more precisely in Quarto A: I’ll shroud myself behind the arras, i. e., the same sort of curtain behind which he and the king had listened to the dialogue between Hamlet and Ophelia.]

1857 fieb

fieb=malsi for With-drawe . . .comming (2383) minus page ref. for History and phrase “or privie”

1860 stau

stau ≈ mal (Hystory of Hamblet) without attribution

2383 Staunton (ed. 1860): “The incident of concealing himself to overhear the conversation between Hamlet and the Queen, was suggested by the ‘Hystorie of Hamblet.’—Meane time the counsellor entred secretly into the queenes chamber, and there hid himselfe behind the arras, not long before the queene and Hamblet came thither, who being craftie and pollitique, as soone as hee was within the chamber, doubting some treason, and fearing if he should speake severely and wisely to his mother touching his secret practices he should be understood, and by that means intercepted, used his ordinary manner of dissimulation, and began to come like a cocke beating with his armes (in such manner as cockes use to strike with their wings) upon the hangings of the chamber; whereby, feeling something stirring under them, he cried, A rat, a rat! and presently drawing his sworde, thrust it into the hangings; which done, pulled the counsellor (halfe dead) out by the heeles, made an end of killing him,’ &c.”

1877 v1877

v1877 ≈ stau without attribution

2384 Furness (ed. 1877): “See Appendix, The Hystorie of Hamlet, p. 97.”

1934 cam3

cam3: rowe1, cap (emendations); xref.

2383 Wilson (ed. 1934): “Polonius . . . arras and later SD’s at [3.4.24-26 (2404-07)] are derived from Rowe and Capell.”

1982 ard2

ard2: xrefs.; Belleforest

2384 Jenkins (ed. 1982): “Cf. [3.3.28 (2303), 4.1.9 (2595)]. Q1 has here ‘I’le shrowde my selfe behinde the Arras.’ In Belleforest the spy hid under a quilt (loudier), on which the Amleth jumped.”