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Line 1859-60 - 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.

1859-60 lings, vvho for the most part are capable of \| nothing but inexplica-

1765 john1

john1

1859-60 Johnson (ed. 1765): “The meaner people then seem to have sat below, as they now sit in the upper gallery, who not well understanding poetical langauge, were sometimes gratified by a mimical and mute representation of the drama, previous to the dialogue.”

1860 inexplicable] Johnson (ed. 1765): “ I believe the meaning is, shews, without words to explain them.”

1773 v1773

v1773 = john +

Steevens ( ed. 1773): “Before each act of the tragedy of Jocasta, translated from Euripides, by Geo. Gascoigne and Fra. Kinwelmersh, the order of these dumb shews is very minutely described. This play was presented at Gray’s Inn by them in 1566. The dumb shews included in it are chiefly emblematical, nor do they exhibit a picture of one single scene, which is afterwards performed on the stage. In some other pieces I have observed, that these exhibitions serve to introduce such circumstances as the limits of the play would not admit to be represented. In short, they sometimes supplied deficiencies, and, at others, filled up the space of time which was necessary to pass while business was supposed to be transacted in foreign parts. With this method of preserving the unity of time, our ancestors appear to have been satisfied. Ben Jonson mentions the groundlings with equal contempt. ‘The understanding gentlemen of the ground here.’ The groundling, in its primitive signification, means a fish which always keeps at the bottom of the water. “

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773+

Steevens (ed. 1778): “Before each act of the tragedy of Jocasta, translated from Euripides, by Geo. Gascoigne and Fra. Kinwelmersh, the order of these dumb shews is very minutely described. This play was presented at Gray’s Inn by them in 1566. The mute exhibitions in it are chiefly emblematical, nor do they display a picture of one single scene which is afterwards performed on the stage. In some other pieces I have observed, that these exhibitions serve to introduce such circumstances as the limits of the play would not admit to be represented.

Thus in Herod and Antipater, 1622: “--Let me now /Intreat your worthy patience to contain /Much in imagination; and, what words /Cannot have time to utter, let your eyes, /Out of this DUMB SHOW, tell your memories.”

In short, dumb shews sometimes supplied deficiencies, and, at others, filled up the space of time which was necessary to pass while business was supposed to be transacted in foreign parts. With this method of preserving one of the unities, our ancestors appear to have been satisfied. Ben Jonson mentions the groundlings with equal contempt. “The understanding gentlemen of the ground here.”

Again, in The Case is Alter’d, 1609:--“a rude barbarous crew that have no brains, and yet grounded judgements; they will hiss any thing that mounts above their grounded capacities.”

Again, in Lady Alimony, 1659:--”Be your stage-curtains artificially drawn, and so covertly shrowded that the squint-ey’d groundling may not peep in?” In our early play-houses the pit had neither floor nor benches. Hence the term of groundlings for those who frequented it.

The groundling, in its primitive signification, means a fish which always keeps at the bottom of the water.

1784 ays1

ays1=john

1784 davies

davies

Davies (1784, p. 83): "Those dumb representations, as they are well explained, from authority, by Mr. Steevens, did not resemble either ancient or modern pantomimes. The ancient mimes were so expert at the representation of thought by action, that, in process of time, they became greater favourites, with the people of Rome, than the comedians themselves. Some of them had the art to represent the action of an entire play, such as the Hercules surens, to the delight and astonishment of the spectators. So great a darling of the Romans was Pylades, in representing characters by dancing with emotion, that, it is said, Augustus reconciled the people to many disagreeable imposts by recalling him from banishment, a penalty he had incurred by pointing to a spectator, with his finger, who had displeased him."

1819 cald1

cald1

Caldecott (ed. 1819): “The part of the audience that answered to our upper gallery. The groundling and gallery commoner are classed together in Decker’s Guls Hornbook, 1609, p. 27.”

1826 sing1

sing1

1859-60 Singer (ed. 1826): “The first quarto reads, ‘of the ignorant.’ Our ancient theatres were far from the commodious elegant structures which later times have seen. The pit was, truly what its name denotes, an unfloored space in the area of the house, sunk considerably beneath the level of the stage; and, by ancient representations, one may judge that it was necessary to elevate the head very much to get a view of the performance. Hence this part of the audience were called groundlings. Jonson, in the Induction to Bartholomew Fair, calls them ‘the understanding gentlemen of the ground;’ and Shirley, ‘grave understanders.’ ‘No Shows, no dance, and what you must delight in, Grave understanders, here’s no target-fighting.’ Sir W. Cornwallis calls th ignorant earthlings. ‘I have not been ashamed to adventure mine eares with a ballad-singer,-- the profit to see earthlings satisfied with such coarse stuffe,’ &c.--Essay 15, ed. 1632.”

1832 cald2

cald2=cald1 +

Caldecott (ed. 1832): “A contemptuous denomination of those spectators, that filled that part of the theatre, called groundstands, in which they stood, having no seats, and for admission paid a penny: in estimation answering to our upper gallery: they also in terms corresponded with the parterre or pit of the French theatre. ‘Besides all our galleries and groundstands are furnished, and the groundlings within the yard grow infinitely unruly.’ Lady Alimony. I. 1. Nares’s Gloss. Cites the Induction to Barthol.

1847 verp

verp

1858-60 to spleet the eares of the groundlings . . . . dumbe showes, and noyse] Verplanck (ed. 1847): “The pit, in the early theatres, had neither floor nor benches, and was frequented by the poorer classes. Ben Jonson speaks with equal contempt of the ‘understanding gentlemen of the ground.’ Of the ‘dumb shows,’ we have a specimen in the play-scene of this tragedy.” Quotes Dr. Johnson from Illust. Shak.

1856 hud1 (1851-6)

hudson

Hudson (ed. 1856): "Our ancient theatres were far from the commodious, elegant structures which later times have seem. The pit was, truly, what its name denotes, an unfloored space in the area of the house, sunk considerably beneath the level of the stage. Hence this part of the audience were called groundlings. Jonson, in the Induction to Bartholomew Fair, calls them ’the understanding gentlemen of the ground;’ and Shirley, ’grave understanders.’"

1885 macd

macd

1859-60 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “receptive”