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Line 2423 - 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 2023-2950 ed. Frank N. Clary

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

2423 Ham. Such an act	3.4.40

1870 Abbott

Abbott

2423-8 Such an act . . . such a deede] Abbott (1870, §279): “‘In the first case such as is used, because which follows; in the second, such that, because as follows. So Ham. [3.4.40-45 2423-8)]: ‘Such an act that . . . such a deed as.’”

1872 cln1

cln1: WT //

2423-4 such . . . That] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “Compare WT [1.2.263-64 (354-55)]: ‘Such allow’d infirmities that honesty Is never free of.’”

1891 dtn

dtn

2423-4 Deighton (ed. 1891): “you have committed a deed of a nature that dims the grace of all modest blushes; the modesty of all your sex is robbed of much of its grace by the fact of a woman having done such a deed.”

1903 p&c

p&c

2423 Porter & clarke (ed. 1903): “An eloquent free use of the ‘Hystorie’: ‘What treason is this O most infamous woman . . . that like a vile wanton . . . altogether impudent and given over to her pleasure runnes spreading forth her armes joyfully to imbrace the trayterous villainous tyrant . . . insteede of the deare father of your . . . sonne’.”

1934 cam3

cam3: xref.

2423 Such an act etc.] Wilson (ed. 1934): “The ‘act’ is not named, but what follows suggests that Ham. has both adultery and incest in mind; cf. note [1.5.42 (729)].”

1939 kit2

kit2

2423 Kittredge (ed. 1939): “Hamlet upraids his mother for her adultery. He no longer accuses her of murder.”

1953 Joseph

Joseph

2423-31 Such an act . . . of words] Joseph (1953, p. 95): her question (2421), “brings the reply which she would have received from the average Elizabethan homilist, from any Elizabethan of average sensibility, aware that his own mother was violating the seventh commandment in her second illegal marriage [quotes 2423-31]. But he still does not specify what he mean in plain unfigurative language” until she asks again.

1980 pen2

pen2: xref.

2423 act] Spencer (ed. 1980): “(presumably incest; the accusation of adultery is scarcely evidenced: see the note to [1.5.42 (729)].”

1985 cam4

cam4: xrefs.

2423 Such an act] Edwards (ed. 1985): “In the speech which follows, Hamlet quite certainly implies the breaking of marriage vows (see note to [1.5.46 (733)]. But when Gertrude directly asks him ‘what act?’ (3.4.52 [2435]), he does not directly answer ‘adultery,’ but charges her with inconstancy, immoderate sexual desire, and a lack of any sense of value, in exchanging King Hamlet for Claudius. He does not pursue the charge of adultery, but nothing he says shows him forgetting it. Gertrude’s collapse in [3.4.88-91 (2464-67)]—which Hamlet scarcely notices – shows contrition for a worse sin than a hasty second marriage. She must recognise her son’s unstated accusation.”

2003 ShSt

Parker: 2427, 2426, 2543 xref

2423 Parker (2003, p. 130): “The contrast of black and ’faire’ in Hamlet’s portraits of two brothers is thus joined by the adulterous declining of the queen--described in F and Q2 as an ’act’ that sets a ’blister’ or blemish on the ’faire’ forehead of an ’innocent loue’ (166-67). Q1’s ’Forbear the adulterous bed to night’ (172) makes even clearer the attempt by her son to remove her from the adulterate mingling or mixture of coupling with this second husband. .”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2 ≈ kit2

2423 such an act] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “In his language from here to 99 the act Hamlet dwells on is the Queen’s remarriage, not the murder.”