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Line 2513 - 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.

2513 Ham. Doe you see nothing there?	3.4.131

1805 Seymour

Seymour

2513 Do . . . there] Seymour (1805, p. 188): “There is a palpable impropriety in the usual manner of exhibiting this scene on the stage.—Upon this question of Hamlet’s we see the queen turning anxiously and slowly her looks about the room as if she expected to find the object referred to; whereas she entertains no such apprehension, but is solely occupied in anxiety at her son’s distraction.—The actresses make the queen as mad as Hamlet, and are generally applauded for their mistake.”

1877 v1877

v1877 ≈ Seymour minus “There is . . . stage.” + magenta underlined

2413 nothing there] Furness (ed. 1877): “Seymour (ii, 188): Upon this question of Hamlet’s we see on the stage the Queen turning anxiously and slowly her looks about the room as if she expected to find the object referred to; whereas she entertains no such apprehension, but is solely occupied in anxiety at her son’s distraction. The actresses make the Queen as mad as Ham., and are generally applauded for their mistake.”

1999 Dessen & Thomson

Dessen & Thomson

2513 Dessen & Thomson(1999): “the supernatural element is most apparent when a ghost is visible to only one character, usually his or her murderer . . . or would-be avenger—as in [Ham.].” [Many plays in which the ghost is invisible to all but one character are cited.]

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: Bullough

2513 Nothing] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “In Fratricide Punished Hamlet responds ’Indeed I believe you see nothing, for you are no longer worthy to look upon his form’ (3.6; Bullough, 7.145).”