Line 2746-47 - 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.
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Notes for lines 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary
| 2746 {Gent.} <Hor.> Shee is importunat, | 4.5.3 |
|---|
2746-7 Indeede distract, her moode | will needes be pittied.
1765- mDavies
mDavies: see Davies 1784
2746-7 her moode . . . pittied] [Davies] (ms. notes in Johnson, ed. 1765, opp. 8: 257): “Her situation demands compassion—”
Transcribed by BWK, who adds: “I like this interpretation of Horatio’s line: he does not mean others will pity her and thus you’ll be criticized. Instead, delicately he suggests that the queen should show some compassion for Ophelia. If the line is by Horatio (F1) rather than a gentleman (Q2), then the commentor is right; if it’s a court gentleman, then my interp. is as good.”
1774 capn
capn: Rom. //
2747 distract] Capell (1774, 1:1: glossary, distract): “distracted. Fre. distrait or distraict.”
See [4.3.4 (2665)] for another use of term.
1784 Davies
Davies: see mDavies 1765-
2746-7 her moode . . . pittied] Davies (1784, p. 123): “‘Her insanity demands compassion and relief.’”
1791- rann
rann ≈ Davies
2746-7 her moode . . . pittied] Rann (ed. 1791-): “Her frenzy demands compassion.”
1819 cald1
cald1: TGV //
2747 moode] Caldecott (ed. 1791-): “Passionate fits. Strictly, it is mode or temper of mind; but is usually taken in an unfavourable sense, and as indicating a disordered state; as Gray’s ‘moody madness.’ ‘Whom in my mood I stabb’d into the heart.’ TGV [4.1.49 (1595)], Outlaw.”
1869 tsch
tsch: john (Smalridge analogue)
2746 importunat] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “Importunate wie lat. importunus, nach Sam. Johnson in diesem Sinne auch von Smalridge, also nicht b l o s von Sh. gebraucht. Derartige Formen scheinen den ursprünglichen Participien der Deponentia nachgebildet, wie I. 1. 83. emulate. Ital. importunatamente deutet auf ein früher ähnlich gebrauchtes importunate.” [Importunate like Latin importunus, is according to Sam. Johnson used in this sense also by Smalridge, thus not only by Sh. Such forms appear imitating original participles of deponents, as [1.1.83 (100)]. emulate. Italian importunatamente points to an earlier similarly used importunate.]
tsch: xrefs.
2746 Indeede distract] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “Dieser Ausdruck erklärt die vorige etwas harte Beschuldigung, und wird durch die Betheurung indeed noch als Entschuldigungsgrund des ungestümen Wesens hervorgehoben. S. oben 3.4.202 und 4.1.1.” [This expression explains the preceding somewhat harsh accusation and is by the assurance indeed brought forth as an excuse for wild character. See above [3.4.202 (2577+1)] and [4.1.1 (2587)].]
1872 cln1
cln1
2746 distract] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “the abbreviated form of the participle which, as we have already mentioned, is common in the case of verbs ending in a dental. Shakespeare also used the forms ‘distrtacted,’ ‘distraught.’”
cln1: xref.
2747 will] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “Compare [3.3.75 (2352)].”
1877 v1877
v1877: xref.
2746 distract]
Furness (ed. 1877): “See
[1.2.20 (198)].”
v1877: Abbott
2747 will]
Furness (ed. 1877): “See Abbott §319.”
1878 rlf1
rlf1: xref., Abbott
2746 distract] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “See on deject, [3.1.155 (1811)], or Abbott 342.”
rlf1 = v1877
2747 will] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “See Abbott 319.”
1881 hud3
hud3
2747 distract] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Distract for distracted; just as bloat and hoist before.”
1882 elze2
elze2: Brooke, Kyd, Lyly analogues
2746 distract] Elze (ed. 1882): “More frequently distraught. Compare A. Brooke, Romeus and Iuliet, ed. P.A. Daniel, p. 73, 1. 2421: —‘Therefore as one distraught | she to her mother ranne. With scratched face, and heare betorne, | but no woord speake she can.’ Kyd, The Spanish Tragedy (Dodsley, ed. Hazlitt, V, 113): —‘O Jaques, know thou that our master’s mind Is much distraught, since his Horatio died.’ Lyly, Euphues and his England, ed. Arber, p. 303: Iffida so distraught of hir wits, with these nerves fell into a phrensie.’”
1885 macd
macd
2746 Gent.] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Hor.] Hamlet absent, we find his friend looking after Ophelia. Gertrude seems less friendly towards her.”
1891 dtn
dtn
2746 Indeede distract] Deighton (ed. 19891: “not merely importunate but quite out of her senses.”
dtn ≈ v1877 (xref.)
2746 distract] Deighton (ed. 1891): “cp. [1.2.20 (198)], ‘disjoint and out of frame.’”
dtn
2746-7 her moode . . . pittied] Deighton (ed. 1891): “it is impossible not to pity her condition.”
dtn ≈ v1877 (Abbott)
2747 will] Deighton (ed. 1891): “see Abb. §319.”
1903 p&c
p&c: contra Marshall
2746 distract] Porter & clarke (ed. 1903): “Marshall supposes an interval of at least a month before this scene, which he maintains ‘may be seen by an examination of the remaining scenes,’ and he proceeds to show that they are closely sequent one upon another, and that we find from scene 6. that Hamlet has returned, having been taken by the pirates on his second day out. ‘How long detained does not appear, but it must have been some time.’ What interval there is obviously does come in here, because there is no room for it later; but it does not follow because the action is close after this that therefore there is an interval of ‘some time’ or ‘at least a month’ here (see Duration of the Action). The supposition that Hamlet has procrastinated greatly is shown by the time actually presented in the play to be a hallucination of theorists. They take too literally his impatient goading of himself. To make Ophelia wait two months before going mad over her father’s death and her lover’s madness and departure is a fault of Shakespeare’s critics, not of Shakespeare.”
1903 rlf3
rlf3 = rlf1 minus Abbott for distract
1904 ver
ver
2746 distract] Verity (ed. 1904): “distracted, mad. Shak. uses these short forms of the p.p. often. They reflect the influence of the Latin forms; cf. distractus.”
1929 trav
trav: xref.
2746 importunat]
Travers (ed. 1929): “
and thus how unlike her former self! As to Gertrude’s unwillingness to see her now, cf. n. [3.4.30 (2411)].”
trav
2747 will . . .
be]
Travers (ed. 1929): “
will necessarily be, must be.”
1947 cln2
cln2
2746 importunat] Rylands (ed. 1947): “insistent.”
1947 yal2
yal2
2746 importunat] Cross & Brooke (ed. 1947): “persistent.”
1957 pel1
pel1
2746 distract] Farnham (ed. 1957): “insane.”
1980 pen2
pen2 ≈ hud3
2746 distract] Spencer (ed. 1980): “distracted.”
pen2
2746-7 moode . . . be ] Spencer (ed. 1980): “mental condition cannot fail to be.”
1982 ard2
ard2 ≈ pel1; xrefs.
2746 distract] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “out of her mind. Cf. [3.1.5, 4.3.16 (1652, 2682)].”
ard2
2746 mood] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “state of mind.”
1984 chal
chal ≈ pel1
2746-7 distract] Wilkes (ed. 1984): “deranged.”
1987 oxf4
oxf4: OED
2746 distract] Hibbard (ed. 1987): “mad (OED ppl.a. 4).”
1988 bev2
bev2 = pen2
2746-7 distract] Bevington (ed. 1988): “distracted.”
1993 dent
dent: xrefs.
2746 importunat] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Impatiently demanding; an echo of [1.3.32 (495)], [4.3.63 (2728)].”
dent: xrefs.
2746 distract . . . moode] Andrews (ed. 1993): “Deranged. See [2.2.555 (1595)], [3.1.5 (1652)]], [4.3.4 (2665)]. ‘Agitated emotional and mental state. Normally this word refers to a fit of passion, usually anger.”
2006 ard3q2
ard3q2: Edwards, Hibbard
2746 Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “This courtier is sometimes a woman in modern performances. F gives the Gentleman’s speeches to Horatio and his reply (14-16 [2759-61]) to the Queen. Edwards, who follows Q2’s attributions, remarks that F ’greatly coarsens the way Ophelia’s madness is introduced’; Hibbard, who follows F, claims that it ’cuts out an unnecessary part.’ Horatio does not speak again in this scene after 16 [2761] in Q2 (13 [2759] in F); many editors and directors take him off at 74 . He is not present at all in Q1’ scene, which avoids the problem of why he has apparently not mentioned Ophelia’s madness to Hamlet when they encounter her funeral in 5.1; instead, he has his own unique scene with the Queen immediately after this.”
ard3q2
2746 importunate] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “persistent in her demands.”
ard3q2
2746 distract] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “mad.”
ard3q2 = ard2
2747 mood] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “state of mind.”
ard3q2
2747 will needs be] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “must necessarily be.”
ard3q2
2747 What. . . have] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “i.e. what does she want.”
2746 2747