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Line 3802, 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.”

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Notes for lines 2951-end ed. Hardin A. Aasand

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

3802-3 Ham. The point inuenom’d to, \| then venome to thy worke.

3804 <Hurts the King.>

1846 Ulrici

Ulrici

3802-04 Ulrici (1846, pp. 220-21): <p. 220>“Accident frustrates his plans. Captured by pirates, he is set on shore in Denmark against his will, and although he seems to last to have made up his mind to act, nevertheless no one of the subsequent events is brought about by his own free volition, or according </p. 220> <p. 221>to his own intention. It is only at the very last moment, and when he is himself at the point of death, that, incensed by the discovery of the fresh crimes of the King, and on the impulse of the moment, rather than acting freely and deliberately, he mortally wounds him, and then, with a sigh for human weakness, expires.” </p. 221>

1859 stau

stau

3802 The point inuenom’d to] Staunton (ed. 1859) : “The point envenom’d too!]] “The point—envenom’d too! —’ Why should this line invariably be printed [gives line] as if Hamlet supposed the hilt was poison’d? Recurring to what Hamlet had just said, ‘Unbated and envenom’d,’ he examines the foil, and finding the button gone, exclaims, ‘The point—,’ and then, without finishing the sentence,—’unblunted’—hurries on to—’envenom’d too!’ &c. This is so obviously the sense, that one marvels it should ever have been mistaken.”

1864-68 c&mc

c&mc ≈ stau

3802 The point inuenom’d to] Clarke & Clarke (ed. 1864-68, rpt. 1874-78): “We agree with Mr. Staunton in thinking that instead of printing this, as in most editions, ‘The point envenom’d too!’ there should be a break put after the word ‘point,’ to indicate that Hamlet, recurring to what Laertes has just said (‘unbated and envenom’d’), examines the foil, and finding it without the customary button, exclaims, ‘The point,’—and then, without completing his sentence by ‘unbated,’ hurries on to ‘envenom’d too!’ Finding he has a sharp-pointed and poisoned weapon his hand, he suddenly resolves to make it the instrument of his long-deferred vengeance.”

1872 cln1

cln1 : stau

3802 The point inuenom’d to] Clark & Wright (ed. 1872): “Mr. Staunton reads ‘The point—envenom’d too!’”

1874 del4

del4 : stau

3799 vnbated and enuenom’d] Delius (ed. 1872) : “In Uebereinstimmung damit interpungirt denn auch Staunton Hamlet’s nächste Worte so, dass point von envenom’d getrennt wird. Die bisherige Interpunction war The point envenom’d too!.”[In conformity thus Staunton also punctuates Hamlet’s next words so that point was separated from envenom’d. The prevailing internal punctuation was The point envenom’d too!.]:

1877 v1877

v1877 ≈stau (only Recurring to what Laer. . . . ‘envenom’d too!’”)

3799 vnbated and enuenom’d] Furness (ed. 1877): “Staunton’s text, followed by Delius, thus reads: ‘The point—envenom’d too!—’”

1882 elze2

elze2

3804 Hurts the King Elze (ed. 1882): “[F1] adds the stage-direction: Hurts the King, which evidently has originated in the King’s exclamation: O yet defend me friends, I am but hurt.”

1885 macd

macd

3802 to,] MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Point: ‘too!’

[cites Q1 CLN 2182]

3804 Hurts the King. MacDonald (ed. 1885): “Not in Quarto.

“The true moment, now only, has at last come. Hamlet has lived to do his duty with a clear conscience, and is thereupon permitted to go. The man who asks whether this be poetic justice or no, is unworthy of an answer. ‘The Tragedie of Hamlet’ is The Drama of Moral Perplexity.”

1885 mull

mull

3802 Mull (ed. 1885): “i.e. the rapier as well as the drink poisoned?”

1899 ard1

ard1 ≈ cln1 w/o attribution

3802 point] Dowden (ed. 1899):

ard1 : VN (via cln1 or v1877)

3803 to thy worke] Dowden (ed. 1899): “Theobald (ed. 2) read ‘do thy work.’”

1939 kit2

kit2

3802 to] Kittredge (ed. 1939): “i.e., not only ‘unbated’ (as he now sees) but also ‘envenom’d.’”

kit2

3803 Kittredge (ed. 1939): “Thus Hamlet’s vengeance is, to all intends and purposes, self-defence.”

1953 Joseph

Joseph

3802-3 Joseph (1953, p. 93): The king must know that Hamlet is a dying man and “stands there coolly waiting for the collapse before any blow can be struck.” Claudius had thus put off Laertes, but the cool stance does not work this time: Hamlet strikes the blow.

1974 evns1

evns1

3804 Hurts the King] Evans (ed. 1974): “wounds.”

1980 pen2

pen2

3804 Spencer (ed. 1980): “Hamlet never really becomes a contriving revenger. He kills the King, as he had killed Polonius, on the spur of the moment.”

1982 ard2

ard2

3803 Jenkins (ed. 1982): “The hero finally achieves revenge with the same instrument, and the same venom, though not the same treachery, as he suffers it.”