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Line 1068 - 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 1018-2022 ed. Eric Rasmussen

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

1068 I hold my dutie as I hold my soule,	2.2.44

1774-79? capn

capn

1068 I hold my dutie] Capell (1774-79?, pp. 129-30): “The bad expression of the passage that was observ’d upon last, may have been occasion’d in part by constraint of the rime, and that plea has been urg’d for it: But the truth is,—the poet often trips in this way, as well without rime as with, it is one of the marks of him: he has done it in the place now referr’d to, should a critick examine it; and again in the page after this, at l. 15; yet the passages are as he gave them, and his meaning is plain enough in them both.”

1839 knt1

knt1

1068 I hold . . . soule,] Knight (ed. 1839): “This reading in the folio,--- meaning that Polonius holds that his duty to his king is an obligation as impreative as his duty to his God, to whom his soul is subject.”

1857 dyce1

dyce1 = capell +

1068 I hold . . . soule,] Dyce (ed. 1857):"I hold my duty, as I hold my soul, Both to my God, and to my gracious king," &c. So all the quartos (except that the earliest had ‘life’ instead of ‘soul,’ and ‘souueraigne’ instead of ‘gracious’); and, as Capell observes, in spite of the ‘bad expression,’ the poet’s ‘meaning is plain enough.’ Notes &c. i. 129. It was, however, misunderstood; for in the folio we find "Both to my God, one to my gracious King," &c.,--which strange alteration is adopted not only by Caldecott and Mr. Knight, but even by Mr. Collier.”