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Line 3610, etc. - 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 2951-end ed. Hardin A. Aasand

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

3610+11 {of him, his semblable is his mirrour, & who els would trace him, his}	5.2.119

3610+12 {vmbrage, nothing more.}

1747 warb

warb

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more] Warburton (ed. 1747) : “This is designed as a specimen, and ridicule of the court-jargon, amongst the precieux of that time.” His paraphrase is as follows: “Sir, he suffers nothing in your account of him, though to enumerate his good qualities particularly would be endless; yet when we had done our best it would still come short of him. However, in strictness of truth, he is a great genius, and of a character so rarely to be met with, that to find any thing like him we must look into his mirrour, and his imitators will appear no more than his shadows.”

1760 John2

John2

3610+11 semblable] Johnson (2nd ed. 1760, semblable): “a. semblable, Fr.] Like; resembling. Shakespeare.”

1765 john1

john1 = warb

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more

1773 v1773

v1773 = john1

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more

-1778 mmal1

mmal1

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour ] Malone (ms. notes, -1778) : “The following lines in Machen’s Dumb Knight are perhaps the best comment on Osrick’s fantastical” [the note ends in my xerox; did something get cut off from the BL copy we received?]

1778 v1778

v1778 = 1773

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more

1784 ays1

ays1 = v1778

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more]

1785 v1785

v1785 = v1778

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more

1787 ann

ann = v1785

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more

1790 mal

mal = v1785

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more ]

-1790 mWesley

mWesley

3610+6-3610+12 Wesley (typescript of ms. notes in ed. 1785): “No, no, no. This is not even a true paraphrase, as any tolerable critick will discover. What Warburton means by ‘the sense in English’ I doubt if he himself understood. In what language is the text?”

1791- rann

rann : standard

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more]Rann (ed 1791-) : “ This is designed as a specimen, and ridicule of the court-jargon of that time. The sense in English, is, ‘Sir, he suffers nothing in your account of him, though to enumerate his good qualities particularly would be endless, and yet he is but his good qualities particularly would be endless, and yet he is but young in respect of the rapid progress he hath made in all polite attainments. However, in strictness of truth, he is a great genius, and of a character so rarely to be met with, that to find any thing like him we must look into his mirrour, and his imitators will appear no more than than his shadows.’”

1793 v1793

v1793 = v1785

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more]

1803 v1803

v1803 = v1793

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more]

1813 v1813

v1813 = v1803

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more]

1819 cald1

cald1 : warb (minus However . . . shadows) + magenta underlined

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more] Caldecott (ed. 1819) : “‘His qualifications lose nothing in your detail of them: though to make an exact enumeration would distract the arithmetic and utmost powers of memory; and yet these most elaborate efforts would appear no better than sluggish inaptitutde, in comparison with his quick conceptions, and the rapidity of his mind.’ But it has been rendered very naturally and simply by Dr. Warburton: [cites WARB’s note up to “short of him”].

cald1

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour ] Caldecott (ed. 1819) : “The qualities, with which he is imbued, or tinctured, are of a description so scarce and choice, that, to say the truth of him, in himself, in his own glass alone, can he be reflected, and an attempt by whomsoever else to delineate him, would prove but the faintest shadow.”

1821 v1821

v1821 = v1813

3610+6-3610+12 Ham. Sir . . . more]

1822 Nares

Nares : standard

3610+11 Semblable] Nares (1822; 1906): “s. Likeness. Intended, however, by Shakespeare, as a specimen of ridiculous affectation.’His semblable is his mirror; and who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more.’ [Ham. 5.2.118]

“He means to say, ‘Nothing really resembles him but his mirror, whoever else attempts it, is his shadow only.’”

1832 cald2

cald2 = cald1

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour ]

1864-68 c&mc

c&mc

3610+11-3610+12 who els . . . more] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1864-68, rpt. 1874-78): “‘Whoever else would endeavour to give but a faint image of him, is his shadow, nothign more.’ ‘Trace’ is here used so as to include the senses of ‘follow closely,’ ‘keep up with’ (see Note 38, Act iii, [H8], ‘emulate,’ ‘imitate,’ ‘represent,’ ‘give a reflection of.’”

1869 Romdahl

Romdahl

3610+11 semblable] Romdahl (1869, p. 42): <p. 42> “equal. This French word, by Sh. and his contemporaries used sometimes as an adjective sometimes substantively, is now disused. Compare e.g. [Tim. 4.3.22 (1625); Ant 3.4.3. (1687)].” </p. 42>

1872 cln1

cln1

3610+11 semblable] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “Compare [Tim. 4.3.22 (1625)]: “His semblable, yea, himself, Timon disdains.’”

cln1

3610+11 trace] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “follow. See [1H4 3.1.48 (1573)]: ‘And bring him out that is but woman’s son Can trace me in the tedious ways of art, And hold me pace in deep experiments.’ And Gorge’s translation of Lucan, bk. I. p. 36 (ed. 1614): ‘And in their turnes next to them trace Prelates of an inferior place.’”

cln1

3610+12 vmbrage] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “shadow.”

1872 hud2

hud2

3610+11-3610+12 trace, his vmbrage] Hudson (ed. 1872): “Hamlet is talking just like Osric, only more so. To trace is to track, or keep pace with. Umbrage, from the Latin umbra, is shadow. So that the meaning here is, The only resemblance to him is in his mirror; and nothing but his shadow can keep up with him.’”

1877 v1877

v1877 : ≈ cln1(minus 1H4 quotation)

3610+11 trace] Clark & Wright (apud Furness, ed. 1877): “Follow. Compare [1H4 3.1.48 (1573)]; and Gorge’s Trans. of Lucan, bk I, p. 36 (ed. 1614): ‘And in their turnes next to them trace Prelates of an inferior place.’”

1881 hud3

Hud3 ≈ hud2

3610+11-3610+12 trace, his vmbrage] Hudson (ed. 1881): “Hamlet is talking just like Osric, only more so. To trace is to track, or keep pace with. Umbrage, from the Latin umbra, is shadow. So that the meaning here is, The only resemblance to him is in his mirror; and nothing but his shadow can keep up with him.’”

1885 macd

macd

3610+6-3610-+12 MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Hamlet answers the fool according to his folly, but outdoes him, to his discomfiture.”

macd

3610+11 semblable] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “‘—it alone can show his likeness.’”

macd ≈ standard

3610+11-3610+12 trace, his vmbrage]

1885 mull

mull ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1890 irv2

irv2 ≈ v1877 w/o attribution

3610+11 trace] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “follow.”

irv2

3610+11 semblable] Symons (in Irving & Marshall, ed. 1890): “This word is used by Shakespeare in one other place, [Tim.4.3.22 (1625)], as a substantive, and twice as an adjective, [2H4 5.1.75 (2854)], and [Ant. 3.4.3 (1687)]. As an adjective it is given in Boyer’s Dictionary as the equivalent of the French semblable.”

1891 oxf1

oxf1

3610+12 vmbrage] Craig (ed. 1891: Glossary): “sub. shadow [Hamlet’s Euphuism].”

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ cln1 w/o attribution (1H4 //)

3610+11 trace]

1905 rltr

rltr : standard

3610+11 trace]

rltr : standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1906 nlsn

nlsn: standard

3610+11 semblable] Neilson (ed. 1906, Glossary)

nlsn: standard

3610+12 vmbrage] Neilson (ed. 1906, Glossary)

1931 crg1

crg1 ≈ standard

3610+11 semblable]

crg1 ≈ standard

3610+11 trace]

crg1 ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1934 cam3

cam3

3610+6-3610+12 Wilson (ed. 1934): “Osric has mixed the metaphors of the shop and the ship; and Ham. follows suit. To paraphrase: the specification (definement) of his perfections has lost nothing at your hands, though I know they are so numerous that to make a detailed inventory of them (as a shopkeeper might) would puzzle (dizzy) the mental arithmetic of the ordinary commercial man, who would, moreover, be left staggering (‘and yet but yaw neither’) by his quick sale (with a quibble on ‘sail’); but in truth I take him to be a soul of great scope (‘article,’ with a commercial quibble: ‘the particulars of an inventory are called articles,’ Johnson), and his essence (‘infusion’) of such costliness (‘dearth’) and rarity, that indeed I can compare him nothing save his own looking-glass; for what can better describe him than a shadow? The whole speech is rattled off and intended, of course, to be a rubbish-heap of affectation; but there is more in it than has hitherto been perceived. For the individual words v.G[lossary].”

cam3 : standard

3610+11 trace] Wilson (ed. 1934):”A quibble: (a) describe, depict, (b) follow (as a shadow does).”

cam3 : standard

3610+11 semblable] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary)

cam3 : standard

3610+12 vmbrage] Wilson (ed. 1934, Glossary)

1939 kit2

kit2≈ standard

3610+11-3610+12 who . . . more]

kit2≈ standard

3610+11 semblable] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary):

kit2≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary):

kit2

3610+11 his . . . mirrour] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “the only person who resembles him is his own image in the looking glass.”

kit2

3610+11 trace] Kittredge (ed. 1939, Glossary): “to keep pace with.”

kit2 ≈ standard +

3610+7-3610+8 to . . . saile] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “The excellence of Laertes is a fast boat that sails steadily on; the inventory is another boat, which tries to overtake the leader, but yaws continually and thus falls far behind. A boat yaws when she steers badly, so that she does not hold her course but swings her bow from side to side and thus loses headway.”

1938 parc

parc ≈ standard

3610+11 semblable]

parc ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1942 n&h

n&h ≈ standard

3610+11 semblable]

n&h ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1947 cln2

cln2

3610+6-3610+12 Rylands (ed. 1947, Notes): “Hamlet bewilders and disconcerts Osric with court jargon equal to his own.”

cln2

3610+6-3610+12 Rylands (ed. 1947): “i.e. his graces, sir, lose nothing in your specification of them. To make a detailed inventory of them would puzzle a man’s mental arithmetic and yet lag behind his speedy progress. To praise Laertes truly, I think of him as a soul of great worth. His essential quality is so valuable and so rare that I can indeed compare him with nothing except his own looking-glass: any other representation of him would be a mere shadow, nothing more.”

1951 alex

alex ≈ standard

3610+11 semblable] Alexander (ed. 1951, Glossary)

alex ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage] Alexander (ed. 1951, Glossary)

1951 crg2

crg2=crg1

3610+11 semblable]

crg2=crg1

3610+11 trace]

crg2=crg1

3610+12 vmbrage]

1954 sis

sis ≈ standard

3610+11 semblable] Sisson (ed. 1954, Glossary):

sis ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage] Sisson (ed. 1954, Glossary):

1957 pel1

pel1 : standard

3610+11 semblable]

pel1 : standard

3610+11 trace]

pel1 : standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

pel1: kit2

3610+11 trace]

1970 pel2

pel2=pel1

3610+11 semblable]

pel2=pel1

3610+11 trace]

pel2=pel1

3610+12 vmbrage]

pel2=pel1

3610+8 neither]

pel2=pel1

3610+8 in respect of]

pel2=pel1

3610+11 trace]

1974 evns1

evns1 ≈ standard

3610+11 semblable]

evns1 ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

evns1

3610+11 who els would trace him] Evans (ed. 1974): “anyone else who tried to follow him.”

1980 pen2

pen2

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour] Spencer (ed. 1980): “the only thing that resembles him is his own image in a mirror.”

pen2≈ standard

3610+11 who els would trace him]

pen2≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1982 ard2

Ard2 ≈ standard

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour]

ard2 ≈ standard

3610+11 trace]

ard2 ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1984 chal

chal : standard

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour]

chal : standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1985 cam4

cam4 ≈ standard

3610+11 trace]

cam4 ≈ standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1987 OXF4

oxf4 : OED [2. a. Corresponding, proportional, accordant, suitable. Obs. ]

3610+11 his semblable is his mirrour] Hibbard (ed. 1987, Appendix, p. 367): <p. 367>“i.e. the only thing that really resembles him is his own image in a looking-glass ((OED semblable sb. 2)).” </p. 367>

3610+11-3610+12 who else . . . more] Hibbard (ed. 1987, Appendix A, p. 367): <p. 367>“i.e. anyone who tries to follow the path he takes can do so only as the shadow follows the substance ((OED umbrage sb. 3)).” </p. 367>

1988 bev2

bev2: standard

3610+11 semblable]

bev2: standard

3610+11-3610+12 who else . . . more]

bev2: standard

3610+12 vmbrage]

1993 dent

dent ≈ oxf4

3610+11 semblable]

dent ≈ oxf4

3610+11-3610+12 who else . . . more]

dent ≈ oxf4

3610+12 vmbrage]

1992 fol2

fol2≈ standard

3610+11-3610+12 who else . . . more] Mowat & Werstine (ed. 1992): “Hamlet’s mockingly affected language says, in essence, that Laertes is a fine man, so special that he can be matched only by his image in a mirror; everyone else in comparison to him is only his shadow.”