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.

1780 malsi

malsi

2576 I . . . England] Malone (1780, p. 359): “Shakespeare does not inform us how Hamlet came to know that he was to be sent to England. Rosencrantz and Guildensterne were made acquainted with the king’s intentions for the first time in tbe very last scene; and they do not appear to have had any communication with the prince since that time. Add to this, that in a subsequent scene, when the king, after the death of Polonius, informs Hamlet he was to go to England, he expresses great surprize, as if he had not heard any thing of it before.—This last, however, may, perhaps, be accounted for, as contributing to his design of passing for a madman. Malone.”

1785 v1785

v1785 = malsi

1790 mal

mal = v1785

1793 v1793

v1793 = v1785

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

1807 Pye

Pye: malsi

2576 I . . . England] Pye (1807, pp. 321-2): <p.321> “As Mr. Malone justly observes, it does not appear how Hamlet knew the king’s intention. Most likely, Shakespear, as </p.321><p.322> he knew he intended to send him there, forgot he had not made it known to Hamlet.” </p.322>

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813

1826 sing1

sing1

2576 I . . . England] Singer (ed. 1826): “The manner in which Hamlet came to know that he was to be sent to England is not developed. He expresses surprise when the king mentions it in a future scene; but his design of passing for a madman may account for this.”

1856b sing2

sing2 = sing1

1857 fieb

fieb

2576 I . . . England] Fiebig (ed. 1857): “Shakespeare does not inform us how Hamlet came to know that he was to be sent to England. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were made acquainted with the King’s intentions for the first time in the very last scene; and they do not appear to have had any communication with the prince since that time. Add to this, that in a subsequent scene, when the King, after the death of Polonius, informs Hamlet he was to go to England, the latter expresses great surprise, as if he had not heard any thing of it before (p. 155). —This last, however, may perhaps, be accounted for, as contributing to his design of passing for a madman.”

1868 c&mc

c&mc: contra mal + AWW //

2576 I . . . England] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1868, rpt. 1878): “Malone makes it s subject of complaint that ‘Shakespeare does not inform us how Hamlet came to know that he was to be sent to England.’ But King Claudius has twice mentioned his determination that the prince shall be dispatched thither, first to Polonius, then to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; and such personages as these would be sure not to leave a court decree unbuzzed about, especially as since the first royal expression of resolve a whole day has elapsed. Moreover, Hamlet’s succeeding words, ‘There’s letters seal’d,’ imply that the decree has been officially announced to him; and though subsequently (Act iv., sc. 3) he chooses to express surprise when the king announces that he is to set out for England immediately, this is but in consonance with his assumed flightiness of manner and contemptuous flippancy when speaking to his ‘uncle-father.’ Shakespeare, like the all-accomplished dramatist that he is, gives certain points to be inferred without prolix detail, when he has ingeniously provided for their being suggested to the imagination of his readers or audience. See Note 55, Act 5, AWW [0000].”

1870 Miles

Miles

2576 I . . . England] Miles (1870, p. 52): “He must have overheard, on his way [to the Queen’s closet], the interview between the King and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; he must have witnessed or overheard them ‘making love’ to their pitiful employment. For scarcely in any other way could he have foreknown the royal determination, which he immediately refers to.”

1872 cln1

cln1: xref.

2576 I must to England] Clark and Wright (ed. 1872): “It does not appear how Hamlet had found out that he was to be sent to England. In [4.3.42 (2703)], he affects to hear of the king’s purpose for the first time.”

1875 Marshall

Marshall = mal, Ulrici + magenta underlined (incl. contra Ulrici)

2576 I . . . England] Marshall (1875, pp. 188-9): <p.188> “Malone has the following note (vol. vii., page 405, note 3, ed. 1821) on the words ‘I must to England’: ‘Shakespeare does not inform us how Hamlet came to know that he was to be sent to England. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were made acquainted with the King’s intentions for the fist time in the very last scene; and they do not appear to have had any communication with the Prince since that time. Add to this, that in a subsequent scene, when the King, after the death of Polonius, informs Hamlet he was to go to England, he expresses great surprise, as if he had not heard anything of it before,—This last, however, may, perhaps, be accounted for, as contributing to his design of passing for a madman.’

“The first mention of the scheme of sending Hamlet to England occurs in [3.1.168-75 (1825-32)]. The Queen apparently was not present, only Polonius (see ante, page 41): the next allusion to it is in the third scene of the same </p.188><p.189> act, when the King broaches the plan to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The action would seem to be continuous, at any rate to the end of scene 1, if not to the end of the act. We must mark the Queen’s answer: Hamlet’s words are: I must to England; you know that?’ To which his mother replies— ‘Alack, I had forgot: ‘tis so concluded on—’ Showing that she had heard of the proposed embassy to England. Unless we suppose that an interval of time is intended to elapse between the first and second scenes of this act, she must have been informed of his intention by Claudius, when they retired so abruptly in the middle of the play represented before the Court. Hamlet could only have heard of the project in the short interval which elapsed between his leaving the King kneeling in his closet (scene 3) and his interview with his mother (Scene 4). It is quite possible that Shakespeare meant us to suppose that, while Hamlet passed through the corridors of the palace, some of the courtiers, if not Rosencrantz and Guildenstern themselves, had told him of the King’s intention. I cannot conceive that it was a mere oversight on Shakespeare’s part; for we must not forget that he revised the whole play, and this very scene in particular. Surely Malone is not justified in saying, as far as the text is concerned, that Hamlet expresses any surprise when [4.3.44-6 (2705-7)]the King tells him that everything is ready for his journey to England; he merely repeats the words, ‘For England;’ and twice afterwards, ‘Come, for England’ (line 47 and line 52); this very repetition might have warned the King that Hamlet was not without suspicion of his design; but he seems to have had no apprehension on this point. It is very likely that, by repeating these words, Hamlet desired to remind his mother of what he had said to her; and to assure her that she need have no fear of his incurring any danger from over-trusting the companions which the King had chosen for him.

“I may notice here Ulrici’s plausible conjecture that Hamlet visited England in order to obtain support of that power in a quarrel with his country: ‘He cheerfully obeys the command to visit England, evidently with the view and in the hopes of there obtaining the means and opportunity (perhaps the support of England, and a supply of money and men, for an open quarrel with his uncle) to set about the work in a manner worthy both of himself and its own importance. This hope he is evidently alluding to when he says, “‘Tis the sport to have the enginer,: &c.’— (See ‘Shakespeare’s Dramatic Art,’ by H. Ulrici, p. 220.)

“I do not think this conjecture as justifiable as it is ingenious.” </p.189>

1877 v1877

v1877 = mal; ≈ Miles +

2576 I . . . England] Furness (ed. 1877): “Stearns (Sh. Treasury, &c., p. 366): We may infer that Ham. had managed to place Hor. in some office or employment about the court where he could get at state secrets. Miles (p. 52): Ham., on is way to his mother’s closet, must have overheard the interview between the King and Ros. and Guil. For scarcely in any other way could he have foreknown this royal determination to send him away.”

1878 rlf1

rlf1 ≈ Miles + magenta underlined

2576 I . . . England] Rolfe (ed. 1878): “We are not told how Hamlet came to know this. Miles says that on his way to his mother he must have overheard the interview between the king and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. S. does not always take the trouble to make these little matters clear in the play.”

1879 Halliwell-Phillipps

Halliwell-Phillipps

2576 I . . . England] Halliwell-Phillipps (1879, p. 66): <p.66> “In the words,—’I must to England’ there is an admission of the King’s absolute power, and, after the disposal of the Chamberlain’s body, Hamlet himself is put under restraint.” </p.66>

1885 macd

macd: xrefs.

2576 I . . . England] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “The king had spoken of it both before and after the play: Horatio might have heard of it and told Hamlet. See [3.1.169 (1826) and 3.1.169 (1826)].”

1890 irv2

irv2 ≈ Marshall minus Ulrici

1891 dtn

dtn

2576 I . . . England] Deighton (ed. 1891): “we are not informed how Hamlet became aware of this, unless he overheard the king’s conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.”

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ dtn minus speculation

2576 Dowden (ed. 1899): “How Hamlet had learnt this is left untold.”

1903 p&c

p&c: xref.

2576 I . . . England] Porter & clarke (ed. 1903): “Shakespeare follows the ‘Hystorie’: ‘Hamblet understanding that he should be sent into England presently doubted the occasion of his voyage and for that cause speaking to the Queene . . . assuring her . . . she would see him returne.’ The fact of the proposed journey to England has been made clear [3.3.2-5 (2273-5)] already; how Hamlet knows of it has not been shown. But the quotation given suggests what Shakespeare implies, that he ‘doubted’ or guessed it would be the next move and took this way of ascertaining it, ‘for that cause speaking to the Queene’.”

1903 rlf3

rlf3 = rlf1 minus Miles for I . . . England

1907 Werder

Werder

2576 I . . . England] Werder (1907; rpt. 1977, p. 98): <p. 98> “He must now submit to be sent away to England. Thus, as the opportunity to adopt some new method of proceeding is cut off, the old one, although somewhat worn out, must be continued, because it suits both the King and the Prince; it suits the King to consider the Prince as really insane and so to get rid of him, and it suits the Prince to continue his eccentric behaviour, although more carelessly than before and without taking any pains to dissemble, because he himself has committed a murder.” </p.98>

Werder

2576 I . . . England] Werder (1907; rpt. 1977, p. 147): <p.147> “How does the fact of Hamlet’s knowing already that he must go to England speak against him for sparing the praying King? He cannot calculate upon what shall happen before he goes or whether he can make use of the results of this journey for the accomplishment of his task.” </p.147>

1909 subb

subb

2576 I . . . England] Subbarau (ed. 1909): “These little matters, and many greater matters, too, occurring between and behind the scenes, are surely left to be imagined. It is a mistake to think that the King’s plan to send off Hamlet to England was but the growth of a day or two. Everything will be made clear in the Exposition.”

1930 Granville-Barker

Granville-Barker

2576 I must to England ] Granville-Barker (1930, rpt. 1946, 1: 249): “ . . . When he departs in custody to England, it is not so much that Claudius has defeated him as that within himself he is still a baffled man; his own primary problem is still unsolved.”

1934 cam3

cam3: xrefs.

2576 I . . . England] Wilson (ed. 1934): “Ham.’s knowledge of this has puzzled critics; but the K. had decided on the mission (for the sake of Ham.’s health) before the Play scene (v. note [3.1.169-75 (1826-32)]), and Ham. would naturally be informed of the royal pleasure in order that due preparations might be made. Moreover, Ham.’s words in ll. 204-205 imply that Ros. and Guild. have been instructed to precede him, taking the sealed commission with them, in accordance with the usual practice of such political missions. What Ham. does not know is that orders have already been issued for his leaving at once, and that Ros. and Guild. are now to accompany him as guards [3.3.2-4 (2273-75)].”

1939 kit2

kit2: xref.

2576 I . . . England]] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “The King does not announce this voyage to Hamlet until [4.3.46 (2707)], and then Hamlet pretends to take it as a novelty. The present passage shows that he had already learned of the project—how, Shakespeare does not say, but it is easy to imagine; for Hamlet was not destitute of friends among the King’s counsellors and he was ever on his guard.”

1958 mun

mun ≈ dtn + magenta underlined

2576 Munro (ed. 1958): “We are not told how Hamlet learnt this. He might have known through Court rumour or overhearing. It seems clear in [4.3.40-6 (2701-07)] that Claudius did not know that Hamlet knew.”

1982 ard2

ard2: xref.

2576 I . . . England] Jenkins (ed. 1982): “The King’s plan was already forming at [3.1.169 (1826)], but at [3.3.3 (2274)] the ‘commission’ (cf. [3.4.202-4 (2577+1 – 2577+3)] here) was still to be prepared. As to how Hamlet knew of it, since the text, as eds. note, is silent, speculation is invalid. The ‘difficult’ passes unnoticed in the theatre, and such inventiveness as making Hamlet search Polonius’s pockets is misplaced.”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: 2273-5, 1825-6 xrefs; Nunn

2576 Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “It is not clear how or when Hamlet (or indeed the Queen) learned about this plan first mentioned by the King to Polonius at 3.1.168-9 [1825-6] and announced to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern at 3.3.2-4 [2273-5], but Shakespeare often uses the convention whereby characters can be assumed to share information known to the audience. A somewhat over-literal Trevor Nunn production (London Old Vic 2004) had Hamlet discover the plan from a paper he found in Polonius’ pocket.”