Notes for lines 2951-end ed. Hardin A. Aasand
| 3846 So tell him, with th’occurrants more and lesse | 5.2.357 |
|---|
3847 Which haue solicited, the rest is silence. < O, o, o, o. Dyes>
mtby2 1723- ms. notes in pope1
mtby2
3847 silence. ] Thirlby (ms. notes in Pope, ed. 1723): “This point after silence [pope1 uses a comma] and another p. [3708: foils:] shew that this play at least was printed from Rowe’s edition corrected.”
1747 warb
warb
3847 solicited] Warburton (ed. 1747) : “brought on the event.”
1750 Edwards
Edwards : warb
3847 solicited] Edwards (1750 [3rd ed.], p. 159; rpt. 7th ed., 1972, p. 245): “‘brought on the event.’ Vol. 8. P. 265.”
1765 Heath
Heath
3847 solicited]
Heath (1765, p. 551) : <p. 551> “That is, incited me to the act of vengeance I have just performed.” </p. 551>
1765 john1
john1 = warb
3847 solicited]
1773 v1773
v1773 = john1
3847 solicited]
1774 capn
capn
3846 occurrants] Capell (1774:1:1:Glossary) : “Occurrences.”
capn
3847 solicited]
Capell (17741:1:150) : <p. 150> “Previous to these [
noblesse, rights of memory]
, and among the words which Hamlet expires, is one of uncertain signification, put (as we may imagine) intentionally, to express a mind that was breaking: but as some meaning must be affix’d to it, we may conjecture, that “
sollicited “ is put for—incited, mov’d
me to what is done. “ </p. 150>
1778 v1778
v1778
3846 occurrants] Steevens (ed. 1778) : “i.e. incidents. The word is now disused. So, in The Hog hath lost his Pearl , 1614: ‘Such strange occurrents of my fore-past life.’ Again, in the Barons’ Wars , by Drayton, Canto I. ‘With each occurrent right in his degree.’ STEEVENS “
v1778 = v1773
3847 solicited]
1784 ays1
ays1 ≈ v1778 (only “incidents. The word is now disused.”) w/o attribution
3846 occurants]
ays1 = v1778 w/o attribution
3847 solicited]
1785 v1785
v1785 = v1778
3846 occurants]
v1785 = v1778
3847 solicited]
1785 Mason
Mason : warb
3847 solicited]
Mason (1785, p. 397) : <p. 397>“Warburton says that
solicited , means
brought on the euent ; but that is a meaning the word cannot import.
That have solicited , means, that have excited ;—but the sentence is left imperfect.” </p. 397>
1787 ann
ann = v1785
3846 occurants]
ann = v1785
3847 solicited]
1790 mal
mal = v1785
3846 occurants]
mal : warb
3847 solicited] malone (ed. 1790) : “What Hamlet would have said, the poet has not given us any ground for conjecturing. By solicited , Dr. Warburton understands, brought on the euent . The words seem to mean no more than— which haue incited me to —. MALONE”
1791- rann
rann : standard
3846 occurants] Rann (ed. 1791-) : “incidents.”
rann : standard
3847 solicited] Rann (ed. 1791-) : “ brought on these events; incited me to the act of vengeance I have just performed; moved me to what is done.”
1793 v1793
v1793 = v1785
3846 occurants]
v1793 = v1785 ; Mason ; mal
3847 solicited]
1803 v1803
v1803 = v1793 +
3846 occurants] Steevens (apud Reed, ed. 1803) : “Again, in Chapman’s version of the twenty-fourth Iliad : ‘Of good occurrents and none ill am I ambassadresse.’ STEEVENS”
v1803 = v1793
3847 solicited]
1805 Seymour
Seymour
3846 occurants]
Seymour (1805, 2:205) : <p. 205> “Occurrents, I find in the translation of Tacitus, by Greenway, 1622— ‘Whereupon I entend to deliuer some few things done in Augustus’ later times, then Neroe’s Raigne, and other
occurrents, as they fell out.’”
1813 v1813
v1813 = v1803
3846 occurants]
v1813 = v1803
3847 solicited]
1819 Jackson
Jackson : v1813 (warb ; malone)
3847 solicited] Jackson (1819, p. 363-4) : “This hemistic, hitherto so corrupt as to preclude the possibility of guessing Hamlet’s meaning, proves what slight dependence should be placed on words not susceptible of other than forced elucidation. In the present instance, Dr. Warburton defines solicited, to mean—brought on the euent! and Mr. Malone explains it—which have incited me to! Thus, because solicited is an English word, it must be the Author’s, and a forced or tortured explication given of it, to gain a desired construction of the passage.
“Hamlet wishes Fortinbras to be made acquainted with all the events that have led to this fatal catastrophe, and with which Horatio only is acquainted. Self-justification he anxiously wishes, but death makes such rapid appraoches, he finds this impossible. On Horatio, then, he depends: to his friendship he commits his innocence, and which he expects will be proved by an exposition of the treachery so successfully practised against him, and which cuts him off in his early prime of life: thus, anxious to leave an unblemished reputation, and to live int he memory of Fortinbras, he says,—’—he has my dying voice: So tell him, with the occurrents, more or less, Which have so limited.’
“He would have said,
my earthly career, or,
the number of my years; but unable, he concludes,
The rest is silence. </p. 363> <p. 364>
“The ingenuity of the Poet could not produce any two words more expressive of meaning, so as to convey an idea of what his arrested breath would have uttered.
“The words so limited and solicited can be said but to vary in one leter, a c for an m: and which error, no doublt, arose from a c being in the m compartment; for that of the m is immediately under the c: thus, the word appearing in the proof so licited, the corrector conceived it to be a broken word, and marked the so and licited to be joined.”</p. 364>
1819 cald1
cald1: standard
3846 occurants] Caldecott (ed. 1819) : “The word in use at that day for occurrences. ‘ A news-monger tels him there are excellent and happy occurrents abroad.’ Is. Healy’s’ Theophrastus, 18mo. 1610, p. 32.”
cald1: standard
3847 solicited] Caldecott (ed. 1819) : “Which have importunately and irresistibly urged on— he would have said, ‘this sad catastrophe.’”
1821 v1821
v1821 = v1813
3846 occurants]
v1821 = v1813
3847 solicited]
v1821
3846 occurants] Boswell (ed. 1821, 21:Glossary): “occurrences.”
v1821
3846 more and lesse] Boswell (ed. 1821, 21:Glossary): “greater and less.”
1826 sing1
sing1 = v1821
3847 solicited]
1832 cald2
cald2 = cald1
3846 occurants]
cald2 = cald1
3847 solicited]
1833 valpy
valpy≈ standard
3846 occurants] Valpy (ed. 1833): “For occurrences.”
valpy≈ standard
3847 solicited] Valpy (ed. 1833): “Incited.”
1844 verp
verp : standard +
3846, 3847occurants, solicited]
Verplanck (ed. 1844): “
Hooker and Bacon use ‘occurrents’ for events, occurrences; as here. ‘Solicited,’ for excited, prompted. Hamlet’s conduct was importunately urged on, in the sense of the ‘supernatural soliciting,’ in Macbeth.
In the same sense, Milton speaks of resisting Satan’s ‘sollicitations, ‘ i.e. his temptations, strong inducements to evil.”
1846 Ulrici
Ulrici
3844-47 Ulrici (1846, p. 227): <p. 227>“After his long and hard struggle—when, satiated and weary of life, he has resigned human hope, and confessed that [cites 3507-10] and after declaring his readiness to submit to the will of Providence, for [cites 3669-3671] he dies in calm aspiration and glory; not merely with a sure hope of divine forgiveness and happiness, but, as his last words to Horatio assure us, with a certainty that his name would still survive unspotted and pure, and that better times are in store for his beloved Denmark.” </p. 227>
1854 del2
del2
3846 occurants] Delius (ed. 1854) : “occurrents more or less sind die grösseren oder kleineren Begebenheiten, die veranlasst.—Was sie veranlasst haben, sagt der Sterbende nicht mehr; er lässt den Satz mit solicited unvollendet und fügt hinzu, das das Uebrige, d.h. das Unausgesprochene, dem Stillsenweigen anheim fällt.” [occurrents more or less are the great or small negotiations, which he caused. What they have arranged says the one dying no more; he leaves the sentence unfinished with solicited and adds that the remaining, that is the unspeaking, fall to the silence.]
1856 hud1 (1851-6)
hud1
3846 occurants] Hudson (ed. 1856) : “much used in the Poet’s time for euents or occurrences .—”
hud1
3846 more and lesse] Hudson (ed. 1856) : “More and less ‘ is greater and smaller : a common usage with the old writers.-—”
hud1
3847 solicited] Hudson (ed. 1856) : “Solicited is prompted or excited; as ‘this supernatural soliciting’ in Macbeth.”
1856 sing2
sing2 = sing1
3847 solicited]
1857 elze1
elze1: Mason ("Solicited means excited") : MAL ("which have incited me to")
3847 solicited] Elze (ed. 1857, 262):
elze1
3847 the rest is silence]
Elze (ed. 1857, 262): <p. 262>"Hinter diesen Worten fügen FA—FC ein viermaliges Oh! Hinzzu; FD nur ein dreimaliges. Diese Sterbeseufzer sind offenbar aus der Darstellung in den Text eingedrungen." ["After these words, F1-F3 add four sighs Oh!; F4 only three sighs. This death sigh are clearly drawn from the performance in the text."]
[Ed HLA:This seems wrong. I show F1-2 have 4 sighs and F3 -4 having 3 sighs.]
1860 Walker (see n. 2333)
Walker :
3847 solicited]
Walker (1860, 3: 274): <p. 274>“
Solicit, like many other words derived from the Latin,—as
religion for
worship or
service, &c.,—had not yet lost its strict Latin meaning: 11
e.g., [
Mac. 4.3.149-50 (1981-2)]—’How he solicits heaven, himself best knows.’ [
1H6 5.3.190 (2634)]—’Solicit Henry with her wondrous praise.’”</p. 274>
3847 solicited] Lettsom (in Walker 1860, 3: 274, n. 11) :<n 11>“The original signification of the Latin word seems to have been to move, and the various meanings attached to it by lexicographers are but modifications of this primary one. In the langauge of Shakespeare, Edward solicited, or moved, heaven by means known to himself; Suffolks proposed to solicit or move Henry by speaking of the wonderful endowments of Margaret, and Hamlet, though his speech was cut short by death, seems to have been thinking of the events that had solicited or moved him to recommend Fortinbras as successor to the throne.” </n 11>“
1861 wh1
wh1
3847 the rest is silence] White (ed. 1861) : O,o,o,o. Dyes]] At the end of this line the folio has ‘O,o,o,o’—the additon, doubtless, of some actor.”
1864-68 c&mc
c&mc ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
3847 solicited] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1864-68, rpt. 1874-78): “‘Urged this decision,’ ‘prompted this decree.’ See Note 50, Act I, [Mac.].”
1865 hal
hal
3846 occurants] Halliwell (ed. 1865) : “Occurrents, incidents. ‘Whiles these things thus passe in the East, constantius keeping his winter at Arles, after he had set forth his stage-playes and Circeian games with sumptuous furniture and provision, upon the sixth day before the Ides of October, which made up the thirtieth yeare of his Empire, peising all strange occurrents witha very heavie hand, and entertaining what doubtfull or false matter soever was presented unto him, as evident and truely knowne.’—Ammianus Marcellinus, translated by Holland , 1609.”
[Ed HLA:A new note by Halliwell, or one not attributed to a previous source?]
1869 Romdahl
Romdahl ≈ standard +
3846 occurants]
Romdahl (1869, p. 44): <p. 44>“in no other passage used by Sh.” </p. 44>
1869 tsch
tsch
3847 solicited] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “wenn der Sterbende ausreden könnte und dürfte, würde er schliessen: which have solicited i.e. summoned your friend to these more strange proceedings.” [“if the dying one could and dared to speak, he would have concluded: which have solicited i.e. summoned your friend to these more strange proceedings.”]
tsch
3847 rest is silence] Tschischwitz (ed. 1869): “Vischer macht die Bemerkung, dass H. durch das ganze Stück hindurch zu wenig sage, wie Andere behaupten, dass er zu wenig thue. Aber dieser Heroismus des Schweigens ist ein Zug seiner Characterstärke, sie ist der eigentliche Triumph seiner kritikvollen Pietät. Hor., der diesen Zug kennt, will den Freund damit beruhigen, dass er sich selbst zu tödten bereit ist, weil dann keine Seele athmet, die um das Vergehen der Königin weiss. Aber der Prinz sieht wohl ein dass jetzt, wo alle Betheiligten hin sind, das fernere Verschweigen des Geschehenen seine eigne Ehre gerden müsse, und so bittet er schliesslich selbst den Freund, der Welt ausleger seines Todes zu werden. Die Kritik hat wohl Horatio’s Aufgabe übernommen, aber leider nicht überall mit Gerechtigkeit gegen den schweigend mit dem Schicksal ringenden Helden durchgeführt.” [Vischer makes the obseration that Hamlet throughout this piece says too little, as others maintain, that he does too little. But this heroism of silence is a temperament of his basic chaacter, which is the particular success of his critical piety. Horatio, who knows this temperament, desires to sooth his friend therewith, that he is prepared to die himself unless no soul breathes who knows about the death of the queen. But the Prince comprehends thus that now, where all are concerned, the future silence of the events must be passed honor and so he requests finally his friend himself be the world’s commentator of his death. The critic has still undertaken Horatio’s duty, but alas, not with the justness towards silence with which the struggling hero realizes destiny.]
1872 del4
del4 = del2
3846 occurants] Delius (ed. 1854) : “occurrents more or less sind die grösseren oder kleineren Begebenheiten, die veranlasst.—Was sie veranlasst haben, sagt der Sterbende nicht mehr; er lässt den Satz mit solicited unvollendet und fügt hinzu, das das Uebrige, d.h. das Unausgesprochene, dem Stillsenweigen anheimfälle. —Hinter silence setzt die Fol. ein vierfaches Oh, das Hamlet’s Todesgestöhn bezeichnet.” [occurrents more or less are the great or small negotiations, which he caused. What they have arranged says the one dying no more; he leaves the sentence unfinished with solicited and adds that the remaining, that is the unspeaking, fall to the silence.—After silence,the Fol. places four Ohs, which represent Hamlet’s dying groans]
1872 cln1
cln1
3846 occurrants] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “occurrences, circumstances. Compare Holland’s Pliny, xxv, 2:’This occurrent fell out in Lacetania, the nearest part unto vs of Spain.’”
cln1
3847 solicited] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “urged, prompted. The sentence is apparently incomplete. Compare [R2 1.2.2 (217)]: ‘Alas, the part I had in Woodstock’s blood Doth more solicit me than your exclaims.’”
cln1
3847 the rest is silence] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “The quartos have ‘which have solicited, the rest is silence.’ The folios, ‘Which have solicited. The rest is silence. O, o, o, o. Dyes.’ If Hamlet’s speech is interrupted by his death, it would be more natural that these words should be spoken by Horatio.”
1872 hud2
hud2=hud1
3846 occurants
hud2=hud1
3846 more and lesse]
1873 rug2
rug2
3846 occurants] Moberly (ed. 1873): “Tell him too all the events, smaller and greater, which have induced me to act as I have done.”
rug2
3847 the rest is silence] Moberly (ed. 1873): “To Hamlet silence would come as the most welcome and most gracious of friends, as reflief to the action-wearied soul, freedom from conflicting motives, leisure for searching out all problems, release from the toil of finding words for thought; as the one sole language of immortality, the only true utterance of the infinite.”
1874 Tyler
Tyler
3847 the rest is silence]
Tyler (1874, p. 32): <p. 32> “The philosophy then, of
Hamlet, with regard to the state of things in the world, and especially with respect to the moral condition of mankind, is pessimistic. Still, notwithstanding the general depravity, and the harsh and ungenial conditions of human life, all actions and all events are under the control of a superintending Providence. Man must execute the purpose of a Higher Power. But what is the nature of that purpose, what its intent, what its destined issue, is shrouded in mystery. Calamity and disaster fall upon men without regard to individual character. A retribution beyond death is possible; but the future destiny of mankind is obscure and doubtful.” </p. 32>
1875 Marshall
Marshall
3847 the rest is silence]
Marshall (1875, p. 109): <p. 109>“‘The rest is silence.’ These are the very words that rise to our lips as we look back upon the mighty workwhich we have thus followed, step by step, from its solemn beginning to its tragical end. Through what scenes of infinite variety have we travelled; what marvellous insight into human nature have we attained! Admiration may well be dumb, for such creative power a that which called these characters into existence seems to us almost more than human. The mind may well ponder in silence on the great problems which the history of Hamlet presents; the soul may well have wrung this noble heart with such agaony of incertitude. The contest between doubt and faith is finished; and in the boundless ocean of eternity this storm-tossed spirit, let us trust, has found rest and peace at last.” </p. 109>
1877 v1877
v1877 ≈ v1821 (steevens; only “Incidents, occurrences” and Drayton //) ; ≈ cln1 (minus “occurrences, circumstances”)
3846 occurrants]
v1877 : ≈ warb ; = Heath ; ≈ Mason (only “The sentence is left imperfect”) ; ≈ Walker (only “‘Solicit,’ like . . . Latin meaning”) & Lettsom (minus “In the language . . . Margaret” & “though his speech . . . by death”) ; ≈ cln1 (minus “urged . . . incomplete”; minus R2 quotation)
3847 solicited]
Clark & Wright (
apud Furness, ed. 1877): “Compare [
R2 1.2.2 (217)].”
3847 solicited]
Furness (ed. 1877) : “
See [Mac. 1.3.130 (240)].”
v1877 ≈ cln1 (minus “The quartos . . . ‘O, o, o, o. Dyes.’”) ; Mob
3847 the rest is silence]
Clark & Wright (
apud Furness, ed. 1877): “If Hamlet’s speech is interrupted by his death, it would be more natural that these words should be spoken by Hor.”
3847 the rest is silence]
Moberly (
apud Furness, ed. 1877):
v1877 ≈ wh1
3847 the rest is silence] O, o, o, o. Dyes
1881 hud3
hud3 = hud2
3846 occurants
hud3 = hud2
3846 more and lesse]
hud3 = hud2
3847 solicited]
hud3
3847 the rest is silence] Hudson (ed. 1881): “The old editions print ‘The rest is silence’ as the close of Hamlet’s preceding speech. The words are evidently quite out of place there: it is simply incredible that the dying Prince should so speak his least breath. This has, apparently, been felt by some others; but I am not aware that any one has made the change [making Horatio the speaker]. I saw the need of it long ago.”
1882 elze2
elze2
3847 the rest is silence] Elze (ed. 1882): “[F1] adds: O,o,o,o—i.e. the sighs of the dying man; om. [Q1]. Compare note on §173 [1965].”
1883 wh2
wh2 : standard
3846 occurants] White (ed. 1883): “the occurrences which have brought all this about.”
1884 Gould
Gould
3847 solicited]
Gould (1884, p. 41) : <p. 41> “‘Solicited’ is clearly wrong. Might it be ‘ensued’ or ‘resulted?’ ‘Eventuated’ would make a twelve-syllable line, which would be allowable.” </ p. 41>
1885 macd
macd
3846 more and lesse] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “‘greater and less’—as in the psalm, ‘The Lord preserves all, more and less, That bear to him a loving heart.’”
macd
3847 solicited] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “led to the necessity.”
macd
3847 O,o,o,o MacDonald (ed. 1885): “These interjections are not in the Quarto.”
macd
3847 Dyes] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “All Shakspere’s tragedies suggest that no action ever ends, only goes off the stage of the world on to another.”
1885 mull
mull
3847 solicited] Mull (ed. 1885): “called into action, or disturbed.”
mull : cln1
3847 the rest is silence] Mull (ed. 1885): “‘The remainder is silenced by death.’ The Cambridge editors remark, [cites cln1]. This excellent suggestion I adopt in my text.”
1889 Barnett
Barnett : standard
3846 Barnett (1889, p. 64): <p. 64> “With the occurrences which have uged me on.” </p. 64>
1890 irv2
irv2 : standard
3846 occurants] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “occurrence.”
irv2 : v1877 (STEEVENS’s Drayton // ; FURNESS’s Mac.//) + magenta underlined
3846 occurants] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “Compare [Mac. 1.3.130 (240)]: ‘As our occurents happen in degree.’ incitement, that is. Hamlet apparently breaks off in the midst of a sentence, feeling death upon him, and has but time to give utterance to his last sigh of relief or regret: ‘The rest is silence.’ The Ff. print, after these words ‘O,o, o, o’—no doubt the absurd addition of some actor, who thought four groans would add to the effect of Hamlet’s death.”
irv2
3847 solicited] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “prompted, brought on.”
1899 ard1
ard1
3846 th’ occurrants] Dowden (ed. 1899): “occurrences, incidents. Beaumont and Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, 1.1.: ‘kept me stranger . . . to all the occurrents of my country.”
ard1
3847 silence]
Dowden (ed. 1899, p. xx): <p. xx> “< O, o, o, o.
Dyes>]]The Folio text was evident cut for the purpose of stage representation, and generally it may be described as more theatrical, but less literary, than the text of 1604. . . . Some actors’ additions are introduced, such as the unhappy “O, o, o, o’ of the dying Hamlet, following his words ‘The rest is silence.’”
ard1 ≈ cln1
3847 solicited]
1905 rltr
rltr : standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
1906 nlsn
nlsn: standard
3846 more and lesse] Neilson (ed. 1906, Glossary)
1929 trav
trav ≈ ard1
3847 silence]
1930 Granville-Barker
Granville-Barker
3847 the rest is silence] Granville-Barker (1930, rpt. 1946, 1: 256) takes the last words to be evidence of Hamlet’s loss of faith. “And when he comes to die, his hope is simply that the rest will be silence.” Ed. note: The declarative rather than the subjunctive argues otherwise; see Pequigney, below.
1931 crg1
crg1 ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
crg1 ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1934 Wilson
Wilson = ard1
3847 silence]
Wilson
3847 silence] Wilson (1934, 1:78): <p. 78>“Such a supposition [that Burbadge added to his lines] would explain the preposterous ‘O,o,o,o’ after ‘The rest is silence’. Scribe C, as we have seen, had vivid memories of Hamlet on the stage, and was perhaps a fonder admirer of he greatest actor of the age. If so, it would be easy to understand how he came to add to his text the dying groans—no doubt very effective—of his hero, that he might ‘lose no drop of the immortal man’.1
<n> “1The explanation is supported by a similar ‘O,o,o,o’ which appears as the final utterance of Lear in the ‘Pied Bull’ quarto of King Lear, a text that on Dr. Greg’s showing is certainly based upon a report of stage-performance; vide The Function of Bibliography in Literary Criticism, by W.W. Greg (Neophilologus, XVIII, Amsterdam).” </n>
1934 rid1
rid1 : standard
3846 th’ occurrants] Ridley (ed. 1934, Glossary):
rid1 : standard
3847 solicited] Ridley (ed. 1934, Glossary):
1934 cam3
cam3 ≈ standard
3846 more and lesse] Wilson (ed. 1934): “great and small. v.G[lossary].”
cam3
3846 more and lesse] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary): “great and small (cf. [2H4 1.1.209 (279) ‘And more and less do flock to follow him’ and [Mac. 5.4.12[2307] ‘Both more and less have given him the revolt’).”
cam3 ≈ mal
3847 Which haue solicited] Wilson (ed. 1934)
cam3 : standard
3847 solicited] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary)
cam3
3847 silence] Wilson (ed. 1934): “After this F1 ludicrously adds ‘O, o, o, o,’ MSH. pp. 13, 78-9.”
1939 kit2
kit2 ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
kit2 ≈ standard
3846 occurants] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary):
kit2 ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1937 pen1a
pen1a : standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
1938 parc
parc ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
3847 solicited]
1942 n&h
n&h ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1947 cln2
cln2 ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
cln2 ≈ standard
3846 more and lesse]
cln2 ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1951 crg2
crg2=crg1
3846 th’ occurrants]
1954 sis
sis ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
1957 pel1
pel1 : standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
pel1 : standard
3847 solicited]
1970 pel2
pel2=pel1
3846 th’ occurrants]
1974 evns1
evns1 ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
evns1 ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1980 pen2
pen2
3847 solicited] Spencer (ed. 1980): “incited me to—. Probably Hamlet breaks off in mid-sentence, intending to continue with something like ‘my various actions over the last few months’.”
pen2
3847 silence] Spencer (ed. 1980): “F somewhat incongruously adds ‘O,o,o,o’ ((presumably indicating the actor’s dying groans)).”
pen2 ≈ standard
3845 voyce]
pen2 ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
pen2 ≈ standard
3846 more and lesse]
1982 ard2
ard2
3846 th’ occurrants] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “=occurrences. ‘Common in 16th and 17th c.’ ((OED)).”
ard2
3847 silence] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “Cf. Psalm cxv.17 ((‘go down into silence’)), 2 Esdras vii. 32 ((‘dwell I silence’)).”
ard2 ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1984 chal
chal : standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
chal : standard
3847 solicited]
1985 cam4
cam4 ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants more and lesse]
cam4 ≈ standard
3847 solicited]
1989 Shakespeare on Film Newsletter
Kliman: Wajda’s Hamlet IV
3847 the rest is silence] Kliman (April 1990, p. 8): In this circular production, Fortinbras at the end dons Hamlet’s black garments and becomes the prince in a new (about to begin) performance of the play.
1987 oxf4
oxf4 : OED sb.1
3846 th’ occurrants
oxf4 : contra ard2
3847 solicited] Hibbard (ed. 1987): ‘moved, urged. The sentence, which is broken off, would, presumably, have ended with some such words as ‘me to support him’.”
oxf4 : Honigmann
3847 He gives a long sigh Hibbard (ed. 1987): “In thus ‘translating’ Fs ‘O,o,o,o.’, which has been the object of unjustified derision, I follow the suggestion of E.A.J. Honigmann in Shakespeare Survey 29 (1976), 123.”
1988 bev2
bev2: standard
3846 th’ occurrants]
1988 bev2
bev2: standard
3847 solicited] Bevington (ed. 1988): “Hamlet doesn’t finish saying what the events have prompted; presumably his acts of vengeance, or his reporting those events to Fortinbras.”
1992 fol2
fol2≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants
fol2
3847 O, o, o, o.] Mowat & Werstine (ed. 1992): "This series of Os, usually omitted by editors, may simply be an indication for the actor to make the sounds appropriate to Hamlet’s dying."
1993 dent
dent ≈ standard
3846 th’ occurrants
1997 Edwards
Edwards:
3847 O, o, o, o.] Edwards (1997, p. 105, on Oth. 5.2.l. [3581]): “ . . . such repetitions were the conventional representation of an extended groan—as in the dying moments of both Hamlet and Lear.”
2008
OED
OED ≈
standard
3846 th’ occurrants]OED
B. n.
"1. Something that occurs, presents itself, or meets one (formerly sometimes in an adverse way); an event: = OCCURRENCE 3. (Common in 16th and 17th c.; now Obs. or a rare archaism.)"
2009 Pequigney
Pequigney
3846-7 So tell him . . . is silence] Pequigney (2009, personal communication): “While the mortally wounded Prince is dictating a message for Fortinbras, he is interrupted in mid-sentence by death. Hence ’the rest [of the sentence] is silence.’ That is the literal meaning of his last words; they may carry an overtone such as, all speech from me now stops (or as Q1 puts the idea, ’my tongue [has lost] his use’ [Q1CLN 2195]). And possibly, if rest can take another sense, the utterance may refer to the silent rest of the departed soul. In that case Horatio replies three lines later, ’[instead of silence, may] angels sing thee to thy rest.’ ”
Pequigney contra Hibbard
3847 O, o, o, o Pequigney (2009, personal
communication): "In the Q2 text ’the rest is’ truly ’silence.’ In F1 the silence is
broken as Hamlet continues with ’O, o, o, o.’ Hibbard, though basing
his edition on the F1 text, seems embarrassed by this signifier. He
puts in its place a stage direction: ’He gives a long sigh and dies’
(352). The ’o’s may rather denote a drawn-out O sound in a low groan.
Yet Hamlet, in dying, has a calm and clear mind; he is in full
possession of his faculties; he is busy preparing for the succession;
he gives no sign of anguish or melancholy or of mental disturbance of
any kind. What would he be sighing about? He could perhaps be groaning
from the pain of his wound and/or the poison in his system. But
hitherto he has given no indication of suffering physical pain. Most
editions and productions omit the O sound(s). Understandably, I
think."
Ed. note: Interestingly enough, shortly after Pequigney wrote this note, a Hamlet opened at Theatre for a New Audience in New York City (March 2009), and director David Esbjornson had Hamlet (Christian Camargo) die just as Pequigney describes: no histrionics, no grief, and definitely no sigh or moan. He dies quietly, and the play ends with Horatio’s flight of angels lines (3949-50).
For other O ideas, see http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2009/08/12/14-the-four-groans/, a WNYC podcast in August 2009 and listeners’ comments. Ron Rosenberg, the writer, weighs in as well as Mark Rylance, the actor, who believes that the O’s can be played many ways, and he did so in his recent Hamlet, varying from night to night.
2010 Kliman
Kliman
3847 the rest is silence] Kliman (2010): Since the ghost did not remain silent, does that mean that Hamlet could return, and if so, what would he say, and to whom? In performance, might his shadow watch over the proceedings of the next lines to the end?
3846 3847
