The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - George MacDonald (best ereader for pc .txt) 📗

have made up his mind, and to await only fit time and opportunity; but he is yet to receive confirmation strong as holy writ.

This is the first chance Hamlet has had-within the play-of killing the king, and any imputation of faulty irresolution therein is simply silly. It shows the soundness of Hamlet's reason, and the steadiness of his will, that he refuses to be carried away by passion, or the temptation of opportunity. The sight of the man on his knees might well start fresh doubt of his guilt, or even wake the thought of sparing a repentant sinner. He knows also that in taking vengeance on her husband he could not avoid compromising his mother. Besides, a man like Hamlet could not fail to perceive how the killing of his uncle, and in such an attitude, would look to others.

It may be judged, however, that the reason he gives to himself for not slaying the king, was only an excuse, that his soul revolted from the idea of assassination, and was calmed in a measure by the doubt whether a man could thus pray-in supposed privacy, we must remember-and be a murderer. Not even yet had he proof positive , absolute, conclusive: the king might well take offence at the play, even were he innocent; and in any case Hamlet would desire presentable proof: he had positively none to show the people in justification of vengeance.

As in excitement a man's moods may be opalescent in their changes, and as the most contrary feelings may coexist in varying degrees, all might be in a mind, which I have suggested as present in that of Hamlet.

To have been capable of the kind of action most of his critics would demand of a man, Hamlet must have been the weakling they imagine him. When at length, after a righteous delay, partly willed, partly inevitable, he holds documents in the king's handwriting as proofs of his treachery- proofs which can be shown -giving him both right and power over the life of the traitor, then, and only then, is he in cool blood absolutely satisfied as to his duty-which conviction, working with opportunity, and that opportunity plainly the last, brings the end; the righteous deed is done, and done righteously, the doer blameless in the doing of it. The Poet is not careful of what is called poetic justice in his play, though therein is no failure; what he is careful of is personal rightness in the hero of it.]

[Footnote 8: 1st Q .

King My wordes fly vp, my sinnes remaine below.
No King on earth is safe, if Gods his foe. Exit King .

So he goes to make himself safe by more crime! His repentance is mainly fear.]

[Page 166]

Tell him his prankes haue been too broad to beare with, And that your Grace hath scree'nd, and stoode betweene Much heate, and him. Ile silence me e'ene heere:
[Sidenote: euen heere,] Pray you be round[1] with him.[2] [Sidenote: Enter Hamlet .]

Ham. within . Mother, mother, mother.[3]

Qu . Ile warrant you, feare me not. [Sidenote: Ger . Ile wait you,] Withdraw, I heare him comming.

Enter Hamlet .[4]

Ham .[5] Now Mother, what's the matter?

Qu . Hamlet , thou hast thy Father much offended. [Sidenote: Ger .]

Ham . Mother, you haue my Father much offended.

Qu . Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue. [Sidenote: Ger .]

Ham. Go, go, you question with an idle tongue.
[Sidenote: with a wicked tongue.]

Qu . Why how now Hamlet ?[6] [Sidenote: Ger .]

Ham . Whats the matter now?

Qu . Haue you forgot me?[7] [Sidenote: Ger. ]

Ham . No by the Rood, not so: You are the Queene, your Husbands Brothers wife, But would you were not so. You are my Mother.[8]
[Sidenote: And would it were]

Qu . Nay, then Ile set those to you that can speake.[9]
[Sidenote: Ger .]

Ham . Come, come, and sit you downe, you shall not boudge: You go not till I set you vp a glasse, Where you may see the inmost part of you? [Sidenote: the most part]

Qu . What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murther [Sidenote: Ger .] me?[10] Helpe, helpe, hoa. [Sidenote: Helpe how.]

Pol . What hoa, helpe, helpe, helpe. [Sidenote: What how helpe.]

Ham . How now, a Rat? dead for a Ducate, dead.[11]

[Footnote 1: The Quarto has not 'with him.']

[Footnote 2: He goes behind the arras. ]

[Footnote 3: The Quarto has not this speech. ]

[Footnote 4: Not in Quarto. ]

[Footnote 5: 1st Q.

Ham . Mother, mother, O are you here?
How i'st with you mother?

Queene How i'st with you?

Ham , I'le tell you, but first weele make all safe.

Here, evidently, he bolts the doors.]

[Footnote 6: 1st Q.

Queene How now boy?

Ham . How now mother! come here, sit downe, for you
shall heare me speake.]

[Footnote 7: -'that you speak to me in such fashion?']

[Footnote 8: Point thus : 'so: you'-'would you were not so, for you are my mother.'- with emphasis on 'my.' The whole is spoken sadly.]

[Footnote 9: -'speak so that you must mind them.']

[Footnote 10: The apprehension comes from the combined action of her conscience and the notion of his madness.]

[Footnote 11: There is no precipitancy here-only instant resolve and execution. It is another outcome and embodiment of Hamlet's rare faculty for action, showing his delay the more admirable. There is here neither time nor call for delay. Whoever the man behind the arras might be, he had, by spying upon him in the privacy of his mother's room, forfeited to Hamlet his right to live; he had heard what he had said to his mother, and his death was necessary; for, if he left the room, Hamlet's last chance of fulfilling his vow to the Ghost was gone: if the play had not sealed, what he had now spoken must seal his doom. But the decree had in fact already gone forth against his life. 158.]

[Page 168]

Pol. Oh I am slaine. [1] Killes Polonius. [2]

Qu. Oh me, what hast thou done? [Sidenote: Ger. ]

Ham. Nay I know not, is it the King?[3]

Qu. Oh what a rash, and bloody deed is this? [Sidenote: Ger. ]

Ham. A bloody deed, almost as bad good Mother, [Sidenote: 56] As kill a King,[4] and marrie with his Brother.

Qu. As kill a King? [Sidenote: Ger. ]

Ham. I Lady, 'twas my word.[5] [Sidenote: it was] Thou wretched, rash, intruding foole farewell, I tooke thee for thy Betters,[3] take thy Fortune, [Sidenote: better,] Thou find'st to be too busie, is some danger, Leaue wringing of your hands, peace, sit you downe, And let me wring your heart, for so I shall If it be made of penetrable stuffe; If damned Custome haue not braz'd it so, That it is proofe and bulwarke against Sense. [Sidenote: it be]

Qu. What haue I done, that thou dar'st wag thy tong,
[Sidenote: Ger. ] In noise so rude against me?[6]

Ham. Such an Act That blurres the grace and blush of Modestie,[7] Calls Vertue Hypocrite, takes off the Rose From the faire forehead of an innocent loue, And makes a blister there.[8] Makes marriage vowes
[Sidenote: And sets a] As false as Dicers Oathes. Oh such a deed, As from the body of Contraction[9] pluckes The very soule, and sweete Religion makes A rapsidie of words. Heauens face doth glow, [Sidenote: dooes] Yea this solidity and compound masse, [Sidenote: Ore this] With tristfull visage as against the doome,
[Sidenote: