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Line 637 - 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.”

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Notes for lines 0-1017 ed. Bernice W. Kliman

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

637 That thou dead corse, againe in compleat steele	1.4.52

1602 Dekker

Dekker

637 compleat steele] According to Warton (see 1801 below), Dekker used this phrase in Untrussing of the Humorous Poet, perhaps derived from Ham.

1736 Stubbs

Stubbs See cn 624-43

637

1773 v1773

v1773

637 compleat steele] Steevens (ed. 1773) “It is probable that Shakespear introduced his ghost in armour, that he might appear more solemn by such discrimination from the other characters; though it was really the custom of the Danish kings to be buried in that manner. Vide Olaus Wormius, cap.7.

‘Struem regi nec vestibus, nec odoribus cumulant, sua cuique arma, quorundam igni et equus adjicitur. —sed postquam magnanimus ille Danorum rex colem sibi magnitudinis conspicuæ extruxisset (cui post obitum regio diademate exornatum, armis indutum, inferendum esset cadaver,’ &c. Steevens.”

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773

637 compleat steele]

1784 Davies

Davies: v1773 +

637 compleat steele] Davies (1784, 3:18): “Mr. Steevens, from Olaus Wormius, proves it to be a custom of the Danish kings to be buried in their armour. Seward, Earl of Northumberland, who lived in the days of Edward the Confessor, was, by his desire, buried armed at all points. But, what is more strange, Fuller, in his Worthies, relates, that one of our old savage warriors would go to bed, dressed in his armour, to his new-married bride.”

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

637 compleat steele]

1787 ann

ann = v1785

637 compleat steele]

1790 mal

mal = v1785

637 compleat steele]

1793 v1793

v1793 = mal

637 compleat steele]

1793- mSteevens

mSteevens as in v1803

637 complete steel] Steevens (ms. notes in Steevens, ed. 1793): “Thus also is the adjective complete accented by Chapman in his version of the fifth Iliad: ‘And made his cómplete armour cast a far more cómplete light.’

“Again, in the nineteenth Iliad: ‘Grave silence strook the cómplete court.’”

1801 Todd/Milton

Todd/Milton

637 compleat steele] Warton (apud Todd, 1801, 5:311) on Comus 421 says, “This phrase is supposed to be borrowed from Hamlet. Criticks must show their reading, in quoting books: but I rather think it was a common expression for ‘armed from head to foot.’ It occurs in Dekker’s Vntrussing of the Humorous Poet, 1802. ‘—First, to arme our wittes With compleat steele of Iudgment, and our tongues With sound artillerie of phrases, &c.’ This play was acted by the lord Chamberlaine’s servants, and the choir-boys of saint Paul’s, in 1602. Hamlet appeared at least before 1598. Again, in a play, The Weakest goeth to the Wall, 1618. ‘At his first comming, arm’d in complete steele, Chaleng’d the duke Medina at his tent, &c.’ Hence an expression in our author’s [Milton’s] Apology, which also confirms what we here find. §.i. ‘Zeal, whose substance is ethereal, arming in compleat diamond, ascends the fiery chariot, &c.’ Prose-W. i.114. T. Warton.”

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793 +

637 compleat steele] Steevens (ed. 1803): “Thus also is the adjective cómplete accented by Chapman in his version of the fifth Iliad: ‘And made his cómplete armour cast a far more cómplete light.’ Again, in the nineteenth Iliad: ‘Grave silence strook the cómplete court.’ ”

1807 Douce

Douce: v1803 (minus all but what is on the accent)

637 compleat steele] Douce (1807, 2:220): “This word is accented in both ways by our old poets as suited the metre. Thus in Sylvester’s Du Bartas, edit. folio, 1621, p. 120: ‘Who arms himself so cómplete every way.’ But in [Jn. 2.1.433 (748)] we have: ‘Such as she is, in beauty, virtue, birth, Is the young Dauphin, every way compléte: If not compléte, oh say, he is not she.’ ”

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

637 compleat steele]

1819 cald1

CALD1: Steevens on accent + in magenta

Steevens: Olaus Wormius, cap.7 [cald1 says c.4].

637 compleat steele] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “This acccentuation of the word cómplete occurs frequently in our author and his contemporaries. See [MM 1.3.3 (292)] Duke.”

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813

637 compleat steele]

1826 sing1

sing1 ≈ Steevens v1773; v1778

637 compleat steele] Singer (ed. 1726): “It appears from Olaus Wormius, cap. vii. that it was the custom to bury the Danish kings in their armour. The accentuation of cómplete and canónized on the first syllable is not peculiar to Shakspeare, but the practice of several of his contemporaries.”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1 +

637 compleat steele] Caldecott (ed. 1832): “[3H6 4.4.? (0000)] Duch.”

1843- mcol2

mcol2: standard

637 Collier (1843-): “The same accent in the following line from‘The Weakest Goeth to the Wall’ edit 1610 sig H ‘At his first comming arm’d in complete steele Chaleng’d the Duke Medina in his tent.’”

-1845 mHunter

mHunter

637 Hunter (-1845, fol. 226r): “Meaning no more than ‘in a complete suit of armour’” and he adds an analogue from ‘The Prophecy of Cadwallader (1604).

1854 del2

del2: Steevens on accent without attribution

637 compleat] Delius (ed. 1854): “cómplete betont Sh.” [Sh. accents on the 1st syllable]

1854 Walker

Walker

637 compleat] Walker (1854, 2: 21) mentions complete within a discussion of creäture.

1856 hud1

hud1 = sing1 minus (chapter, accents), without attribution

1856b sing2

sing2 = sing1 with the correction of the note on accents

637 compleat steele]

1860 Walker

Walker

637 compleat] Walker (1860, 291-2) <p. 292> uses 637 as an example </p. 292> of <p.291>“Disyllabic words, now accented exclusively on the last syllable, formerly accented on the first, or on either” <p.291>).

1868 c&mc

c&mc: Steevens without attribution on Olaus Wormius; standard, on purpose

637 compleat steele] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868): “Shakespeare . . . has used [the custom of burying kings in their armor] with excellent dramatic purpose in this play; making Hamlet [1.2] emphatically advert to the circumstance, and draw ominous inferences therefrom—‘Arm’d, say you!‘ [421] and ‘My father’s spirit in arms! all is not well.’ [456].”

1870 Abbott

Abbott

637 compleat] Abbott (§ 492): “Words in which the accent was nerer the beginning than with us. . . . So[637] .”

1872 cln1

cln1 ≈ cald1 without attribution on MM; ≈ Douce without attribution on Jn.

637 compleat] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “Accented on the first syllable, as in [MM 1.3.3 (292)] and on the second in [Jn. 2.1. 433 (748)].”

1877 v1877

v1877 = cln1 on accent without attribution; :Walker; :Abbott; :Douce

637 compleat] Furness (ed. 1877): “Accented on the first syllable. See Walker, Vers. 292; Crit. ii.21; Abbott § 492. Douce: It is accented on the second syllable in [Jn. 2.1.433-4 (748)].”

v1877: Steevens shortened as shown struck out with variations in magenta.

637 steele] Steevens (ed. 1773) “It is probable that Probably Sh. introduced his the Ghost in armour for the sake of greater solemnity, that he might appear more solemn by such discrimination from the other characters; though it was really the custom of the Danish kings to be buried in that manner. Vide Olaus Wormius, cap.7 vii.

‘Struem regi nec vestibus, nec odoribus cumulant, sua cuique arma, quorundam igni et equus adjicitur. —sed . . . postquam magnanimus ille Danorum . . . rex colem sibi . . . magnitudinis conspicuæ extruxisset, cui post obitum regio diademate exornatum, armis indutum, inferendum esset cadaver.’ &c. ”

1881 hud3

hud3 = hud2

637 compleat steele]

1899 ard1

ard1: standard on accent + analogue

637 compleat] Dowden (ed. 1899): “So in Massinger, The Emperor of the East, IV. iv: ‘To march ten leagues a day in cómplete armour.’”

1939 kit2

kit2: Schmidt

637 compleat] Kittredge (ed. 1939) accents the 1st syllable: "Such disyllabic adjectives throw the accent back when the next syllable in the verse is accented. See Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon pp. 1413-1415. Cf. [746, and other examples]."

Ed. note: See Schmidt on this site under "Reference Materials" on the home page.

1980 pen2

pen2: standard

637 compleat steele] Spencer (ed. 1980): “full armour.”

pen2: standard

637 compleat] Spencer (ed. 1980): “(accented on the first syllable).”

1982 ard2

ard2: xref; Walker

637 in . . . steele] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “Cf. 391, 424. Complete, like many other disyllabic adjectives, takes the stress on either syllable. See Walker, Sh.’s Versification, pp. 291-5. Hence cómplete will be normal before a noun accented on the first syllable, compléte predicatively. Cf. secure, 746; absurd 1911; profound 2588.”

1985 cam4

cam4

637 compleat steele] Edwards (ed. 1985): "full armour [’cómplete’]."

1987 oxf4

oxf4: standard

637 compleat steele] Hibbard (ed. 1987): "full armour (accent on first syllable of complete)."

1988 bev2

bev2: standard

637 compleat steele] Bevington (ed. 1988): “full armor.”

1999 Dessen&Thomson

Dessen&Thomson

637 corse] Dessen & Thomson(1999) find that this alternative to body is rarely used in SDs and “found primarily in funerals and related ceremonies.” See within speeches in Q2 and F1 (287); Q1 CLN 219 (332); Q2, F1, and Q1 CLN 441 (637); Q2, F1, and Q1 CLN 1980 (3355); and in a SD, Q2 (3408), the latter referring appropriately to a funeral (Ophelia’s). The more common alternative, body, appears in the SD for the Dumb Show, Q2 and F1 (2001); in the SD for Hamlet’s exit from his mother’s closet, Q1 CLN 1601 (2585); and frequently in all the texts (for Polonius’s body, for example).

2005 ShSt

Zimmerman

637 dead corse . . . compleat steele] Zimmerman (2005, p. 106): “Significantly, the ghost itself, in language echoing Hamlet’s own, repeatedly references corrupt and corrupting bodies--the ’garbage’ [742] of Claudius’s body preyed upon by Gertrude’s lust, the ’leprous distilment’ [749] of the poison that renders the living body of the King ’lazar-like,’ barked about ’with vile and loathsome crust’ (756-7). This image of leprosy would have a special horror for Hamlet: it is Hyperion the sun god horribly metamorphosed, his once idealized body seized by a kind of anticipatory putrefaction. ’O horrible! O horrible! Most horrible!’ [765]: certainly the disfiguring death of the sun king, but also the idea of this ’dead corse’ resurrected ’in complete steel.’”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: standard; xref

637 in compleat steele] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “dressed entirely in steel, i.e. in full armour (presumably the same suit of armour recognized by Horatio at [76-7])”