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.

1891 dtn

dtn: TN, //; Schmidt [Oth. //]

2743+50 When . . . stake] Deighton (ed. 1891): “when honour is concerned; when it is honour that is the subject of attack; cp. TN [3.1.118-119 (1331-32)], ‘Have you not set mine honour at the stake And baited it with all unmuzzled thoughts . . . ?’ Schmidt takes at the stake, as equivalent to ‘at stake,’ as in Oth. [4.2.13 (2701)].”

dtn

2743+50-2743+53 how . . . sleepe] Deighton (ed. 1891): “how unworthy is my position, then, who though my father has been murdered and my mother’s good fame destroyed,—facts which should be sufficient to stir both my reason and my passion,—still allow things to remain exactly as they were without making the smallest effort to remedy them.”

1953 Joseph

Joseph

2743+50 When honour’s at the stake] Joseph (1953, p. 38): In Divine Considerations (tr. N. Ferrar, 1638, rpt. F. Chapman, 1905, pp. 193-4), Valdesso shows that a sense of honor is a potent force for good. This is what Hamlet admires in Fortinbras and his men.

1980 pen2

pen2

2743+47-50 Rightly . . . stake] Spencer (ed. 1980): “true greatness does not consist in rushing into action on account of any trivial cause; but when the cause is one involving honour, it is noble to act, however trivial the subject of dispute may be.”

1987 oxf4

oxf4: TN, Tro., AWW //s; Dent

2743+50 honour’s . . . stake] Hibbard (ed. 1987, Appendix): “Appearing also in TN [3.1.118-119 (1331-32)], Tro. [3.3.227 (2083)], and AWW [2.3.147 (1052)], this expression became proverbial (Dent S813.2). It is evident from the context of TN and Tro. that the stake in question is that to which a bull or bear was fastened for baiting.”

1988 bev2

bev2

2743+50 at the stake] Bevington (ed. 1988): “at risk (in gambling).”

2006 ard3q2

ard3q2: TN, TC, AW //; Edwards, Dent, Hibbard

2743+50 honour’s. . . stake] Thompson & Taylor (ed. 2006): “Edwards says the metaphor is from gambling -- honour is at risk -- but Hibbard notes that Shakespeare uses this expression in three other plays (TN 3.1.119, TC 3.3.226 and AW 2.3.150) and that in TN and TC it is clear that the metaphor is from bear-baiting. It became proverbial (Dent, S813.2).”