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.

1811-12 clrlec

clrlec

2701-30 Coleridge (Lectures on Shakespeare and Milton, Lecture 12, 1812 rept. in John Payne Collier longhand transcript; rpt. Coleridge, 1987, 5.1:389-90): <p. 389>“Dr. Johnson further states that in the journe voyage to England Shakespeare merely followed the novel as he found it, as if he had no other </p.389><p.390> motive for adhering to his original: Foakes <n.> “Dr Johnson made no such statement, and C is probably recollecting a note in Sh (Reed) XVIII 270, which he was using for this lecture, . . . concerning the speech of Claudius at the end of IV iii: ‘The circumstances mentioned as inducing the king to send the prince to England, rather than elsewhere, are likewise found in The Hystory of Hamblet.’” </n.> but Shakespeare never adhered to followed a novel but where he saw the story contributed to tell or explain some great & general truth inherent in human nature. It was unquestionably an incident in the old story & there it is used merely as an incident, but Shakespeare saw how it could be applied to his own great purpose, and how it was consistent with the character of Hamlet, that after still resolving and still refusing, still determining to execute and still postponing the execution, he should finally give himself up to his destiny, and in the infirmity of his nature at last hopelessly place himself in the power and at the mercy of his enemies.”</p. 390>

1854 del2

del2

2701 this deede] Delius (ed. 1854): this deede of thine] “So die Fol.; die Qs. lassen of thine weg. Aber die Hinweisung, dass die That eine That Hamlet’s ist, giebt der Mahnung des Königs an ihn erst ihr volles Gewicht.” [The Folio edition has this; the Quartos omit of thine. However, the indication that the deed is Hamlet’s is what gives the King’s order to him its full weight.]

1980 pen2

pen2

2701 thine especiall safety] Spencer (ed. 1980): “Claudius is presumably referring to possible retribution upon Hamlet by Polonius’s son or friends than to Hamlet’s judicial prosecution for murder.”

1992 ShSu

Worden: 2280-2 xref

2701 Worden (1992, p. 14): “Guildenstern’s promise to keep Hamlet ’safe’ (3.3.8-10[TLN 2280-2, III.ii.8-10]) reveals a quick mastery of the sinister euphemism characteristic of Claudius’ regime, and anticipates the King’s decision to send the prince to England ’for thine especial safety’ (4.3.39[TLN 2701, IV.iii.40])”