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Line 2354 - 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 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary

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

2354 I his {sole} <foule> sonne, doe this same villaine send	3.3.77

1747 warb

warb

2354 sole] Warburton (ed. 1747): “The folio reads foule son. This will lead us to the true reading. Which is, fal’n son, i.e. disinherited. This was an aggravation of the injury; that he had not only murder’d the father, but ruin’d the son.”

1752 anon

anon: contra warb

2354 sole sonne] Anonymous (1752, p.38-9): <p.38> “So all the Editions read except the last, the Editor of which hath the following Note on this Passage.

“The Folio reads soule Son, this will lead us to the true Reading, which is, fal’n Son, i.e. disinherited. This was an Aggravation of the Injury; that he had not only murther’d the Father, but ruined the Son.” I would not willingly differ from a Gentleman of Mr. W—’s Learning and Judgment. but I cannot see any Want of an Emendation in this Place. The old Reading to me seems the more plausible. Sole in this Place is a very emphatical Expression. Hamlet means by it, that he was his only Son, and consequently ought to be his chief Avenger, instead of doing an Act of Kindness to the Assassin. Moreover Hamlet could not be said with any </p.38><p.39> Propriety to be fal’n. The King had indeed, as he expresses it, ‘Popt in between th’ Election and his Hopes. But yet had done him the Justice to appoint him his Successor in the Kingdom.—let the World take Note You are the most immediate to our Throne. Our chiefest Courtier, Cousin, and our Son.”

1765 Heath

Heath: contra warb

2354 sole] Heath (1765, p. 542): “Nothing but the utmost wantonness of criticism could have tempted Mr. Warburton to be meddling with this passage. Fal’n son, as he himself interprets it, means, ’disinherited son,’ a signification which the words, according to English idiom, can never bear, and if they could, the epithet would still be flat and wide from the present purpose. But what objection can possibly be imagined against the authentick reading, ‘I, his sole son?’ Even if there need any alteration, the reading of the folio, foule son, would rather direct us to substitute, fool son.”

1765 john1

john1/john2 : contra warb

2354 sole] Johnson (ed. 1765): “The folio gives a reading apparently corrupted from the quarto. The meaning is plain. I, his only son, who am bound to punish his murderer.”

1773 v1773

v1773 ≈ john1 minus warb

1778 v1778

v1778 = v1773

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

1790 mal

mal = v1785

1793 v1793

v1793 = v1785

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

1815 Becket

Becket

2354 sole] Becket (1815, 1:57): “‘I, his sole son,’—‘foule son’ is certainly the true reading. To foule, in old language, is to offend, do amiss. ‘I his greatly mistaken son, do, &c.’ This agrees with the context: with the whole of Hamlet’s reasoning in regard to his meditated revenge. ‘Sole’ is comparatively weak.”

1819 cald1

cald1

2354 sole] Caldecott (ed. 1819): “Such is the reading of the quartos: but foule may be offending, degenerate; though most probably a misprint.”

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813

1844 Dyce (Remarks)

Dyce (Remarks) ≈ col1, knt1

2354 sole] Dyce (1844, p. 217): “‘This is the reading of the quartos, 1604, &c. The folio has “foul son.” which may be right.’ Collier. [3.3, p. 284]

“The reading, ‘foul,’ is such a ludicrous misprint, that Mr. Knight, who has adopted so many other errors of the folio, did not venture even to mention it.”

1844 verp

verp

2354 sole] Verplanck (ed. 1844): “So all the quartos. The folio has ‘foul son;’ and it may be doubted whether this self-loathing phrase be not the more expressive, as well as truer reading.”

1857 fiebi

fieb=john for sole

1858 col3

col3

2354 sole] Collier (ed, 1858): “This is the reading of the 4tos, 1604, &c. The folio has ‘foul son,’—a blunder, of course, from the long s having been mistaken, and from the misspelling of ‘sole’ soule.”

1870 Abbott

Abbott: Lr. //

2354-5 Abbott (1870, §511): “Single lines with two or three accents are frequently interspersed amid the ordinary verses of five accents. They are, naturally, most frequent at the beginning and end of a speech.

“These lines are often found in passages of soliloquy where passion is at its height. Thus in the madness of Lr. [4.6.111-130 (2559-2572)], there are eight lines of three accents, and one of two; and the passage terminates in prose.

“‘I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven.’ – Ham. 3.3.78.”

1877 v1877

v1877 ≈ warb, Heath, capn, john, cald1, col3

2354 sole] Furness (ed. 1877): “Warburton: The Ff lead us to the true reading, which is ‘fal’n son,’ i.e. disinherited. This was an aggravation of the injury; that he had not only murdered the father, but ruined the son. Heath: If any alteration be needed the Ff would rather direct us to substitute ‘fool son.’ Capell (vol. i, Various Readings, p. 26) also conjectures ‘fool.’ Johnson: ‘I his only son, who am bound to punish his murderer.’ Caldecott: Foule (most probably a misprint) may be offending, degenerate. Collier (ed. 2): A blunder, of course, from the long s having been mistaken, and from the misspelling of ‘sole,’ soule.”

1878 rlf1

rlf1: warb, cap; AWW //

2354 sole] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “Warb. conjectured ’fal’n’ (= disinherited), and Capell ’fool.’ Cf. AWW [1.1.38 (40)]: “His sole child,” etc.”

1980 pen2

pen2

2354 sole sonne] Spencer (ed. 1980): “only son (and therefore the only person upon whom the duty of revenge lies).”