Line 1170 - 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 1018-2022 ed. Eric Rasmussen
| 1170 Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy star, | 2.2.141 |
|---|
1569 Taverner
Taverner: Erasmus
1170 Taverner (1569, p. 61v): “Aequalem tibi vxorem quaere. Marry the like. What inconueniences proceede of unegall mariages, as when the olde persone marieth with the yonge, the poore with the riche, the ignoble with the noble, who seeth not?”
1773 v1773
v1773
1170 out of thy star,] Steevens (ed. 1773): “All princes were alike out of her sphere. I give it thus:Lord Hamlet is a prince: —out of thy sphere” Steevens
1775- mmal1
mmal
1170 out of thy star,] Malone (ms notes, f.51v): “Ld. Hamlet is a prince out of thy sphere The Folio & Q. read starre—Perhaps Shakespeare wrote state
1778 v1778
v1778 = v1773+
1170 out of thy star,] Steevens (ed. 1778): “Two of the quartos, and the first folio, read star.”
1785 Mason
Mason : Steevens
1170 Lord...star,]
Mason (1785, p. 380-381): <p.380> “I should wish to restore the old and natural way of pointing this line, and so reject the alteration adopted by Steevens, for which there is no reason. Are all persons who have the title of
prince, on the continent of Europe, out of the sphere of
a lord’s, or even of a
gentleman’s </p.380><p.381> daughter? Certainly not; but as Hamlet was the heir apparent of the crown, he was a
prince out of the sphere of Ophelia, we should certainly read, ‘Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of sphere.’”
1790 mal
mal : v1785 +
1170 out of thy star,] Malone (ed. 1790): “The quarto 1604, and the first folio, for sphere, have star. The correction was made by the editor of the second folio. Mr. Steevens observes, that ‘all princes were alike out of her sphere,’ and therefore points thus: ‘Lord Hamlet is a prince: —out of thy sphere;’ I see no need of departing from the ancient punctuation. The poet clearly means that lord Hamlet is a prince, and, being a prince, is out of Ophelia’s sphere.”
1793 v1793
v1793 = mal (first two sentences only, and changing “editor” to “editors”)
1815 Becket
Becket
1170 out of thy star] Becket (1815, p. 33): “Out of thy star is most like the language of Shakspeare. The meaning is— ‘beyond what you can look or aspire to.’ He has ‘fortune’s star,’ in a former scene.”
1821 v1821
v1821 = v1813+
1170 out of thy star,] Boswell (ed. 1821): “The old copies, I think, are right. Out of thy star, is placed above thee by fortune. We have fortune’s star before before [621+16].”
1826 sing1
sing1 ≈ v1821
1170 out of thy star,] Singer (ed. 1826): “This was changed to the sphere in the 4to. 1632, and that reading is followed by the modern editions. ‘Out of thy star,’ is placed above thee by destiny. We have fortune’s star in a former scene. Aumerle in King Richard III. says:—’Shall I so much dishonour my fair stars.’ [R2 4.1.21. (1944)]”
1847 verp
verp
1170 Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy star]
Verplanck (ed. 1847): “Not within thy destiny; in allusion to the then common notion of starry influence on the destiny of life. Thus, all the old editions, until the second folio, 1632, where ‘star’ was altered to ‘sphere,’ which has kept its place in most modern editions.”
1856 hud1 (1851-6)
hud1 ≠ sing1
1170 out of thy star,] Hudson (ed. 1851-6): “That is, not within thy destiny; alluding to the supposed influence of the stars on the fortune of life.”
1856b sing2
sing2=sing1 minus R2 parallel and +
1170 out of thy star,] Singer(ed. 1856): “In the Letter written to hoax Malvolio we have, ‘in my stars I am above thee’.”
1857 dyce1
dyce1: standard
1170 out of thy star,] Dyce(ed. 1857): “The editors of the second folio substituted ‘—out of thy Spere,’ &c.”
1861 wh1
wh1 ≈ sing1
1170 out of thy star,] White (ed. 1861): “ —out of thy star’:—So all the old copies (even the 4to. of1603) precedent to the folio of 1632, which has, ‘out of thy sphere’—at once a plausible reading and a gloss.”
1866 bailey
bailey
1170 Lord Hamlet is a Prince out of thy star]
Bailey (1866, pp.5-7): <p.5> “‘Lord Hamlet is a prince out of thy
star.’ Act ii.sc.2. </p.5><p.6> This is the folio reading of the quarto 1604, and of the first folio : the second folio alters
star to
sphere.
“Since star has really no meaning thus placed, the emendation adopted by the second folio and by Malone is a decided improvement; but it has occurred to me that a more expressive reading would be attained, and one more likely to be genuine, by the change of a single letter in the word star. Substitute o for t and you have: ‘Lord Hamlet is a prince out of thy soar.’ It is not to be concealed, however, that Shakespeare does not elsewhere employ soar*( note appears at the bottom of p.6 *In ‘Cymbeline,’ the noun soar ought to be found; but it has there been displaced by scar, with the same destruction of meaning as star has occasioned here.) as a noun, and this is a valid objection; but the author who makes dare into a substantive, would not have hesitated, it may be presumed, to do the same by soar.
“It is some support to my proposal that Milton, who was born eight years before Shakespeare’s death, uses the word as a noun: ‘Whithin soar Of tow’ring eagles, to all the fowls he seems A phoenix.’ Paradise Lost, b 5.
“The following extract from Davenant, although lending no support to the grammatical innovation, is so apposite in point of sentiment, that I think it </p.6><p.7> will leave an impression favorable to the emendation suggested: ‘Thy love’s high
soaring cannot be a crime, Nor can we if a spinster loves a king, Say that her love ambitiously does climb; Love seeks no honour, but does honour bring.’
Gondibert.* (note appears at the bottom of p.7 *
Richardson’s Dictionary, article
Soar.) Any one present in the scene might have pleaded this on behalf of Ophelia, against her father’s declaration.”
1866a dyce2
dyce2 = v1821, dyce1
1872 hud2
hud2 = hud1
1170 out of thy star,] Hudson (ed. 1872): “Not within thy destiny; alluding to the supposed influence of the stars on the fortune of life.”
1872 cln1
cln1 ≈ wh1 +
1170 star] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): "So the earlier quartos and the first folio. The second folio altered it to ’ sphere.’ ’ Star ’ means probably ’ the position in which fortune has placed you.’ Compare Twelfth Night, ii. 5. 156 : ’ In my stars I am above thee,’ i.e. in my position. We have had ’ fortune’s star,’ i. 4. 32."
1877 clns
clns
1170 out of thy star] Neil (ed. 1877): “Out of thy sphere — beyond thy reach, moving in another sphere.”
1881 hud3
hud3 = hud2
1170 out of thy star,] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Not within thy destiny; alluding to the supposed influence of the stars on the fortune of life.”
1882 elze
elze
1170 out of thy star,] Elze (ed. 1882): “Compare Dekker, The Honest Whore, Part II, I, 1 (Middleton, ed. Dyce, III, 130): Is’t not strange that a fellow of his star should be seen here so long in Italy?”
1890 irv
irv ≈ cln1
1170 out of thy star,] Symons (in Irving & Marshalled. 1890): “Compare Twelfth Night, ii. 5. 55: ‘In my stars I am above thee.’ The word star, used as it is here for position – ‘the position in which fortune has placed you’ –has no doubt some connection with the astrological significance of the stars. Especially after the confirmation afforded by the parallel passage in Twelfth Night, the emendation of F. 2-sphere-seems quite unnecessary.
1899 ard1
ard1 ≈irv
1170 out of thy star,] Dowden (ed. 1899): “above thee in fortune. See Twelfth Night, II. v. 156: ‘In my stars I am above thee.’ Nash, in Pierce Pennilesse, speaks of the strict division of ranks in Denmark with reference to marriage: ‘It is death there for anie bur a hubandman to marry a husbandmans’ daughter, or a gentleman’s child to joyne with any but the sonne of a gentleman.’”
1934a cam3
cam3
1170 out of thy star,] Wilson (ed. 1934): “The modern ‘out of thy sphere’ preserves the same astrological notion. Cf. Tw. Nt. [2.5.156. (1161)]; All’s Well, [1.1.87-9. (90-95)]”