uncertainty which attaches to the future. It might have been, "Shall have spoke." The example chosen above affords a good | Have spoke is subjunctive, to indicate the illustration of the difference between this form and the ordinary perfect. The Redeemer has ascended" could properly be said only by his disciples immediately after his ascension. The Redeemer is ascended" states a fact which belongs to all time; he is (and ever shall be) an ascended Redeemer. Thus also the announcement of the angel to the Maries, "He is risen, as he said," is a much more pregnant rendering than "has risen" would have been. 221. Censure me.-Judge me. See Hamlet, Part i., line 182. 222. The better.-Better by that, or on that account; for the, here, is not the article, but represents thý, the ablative of the definite article in A.-S.: thý bettera, the better, eo melius; thý ma, the more, eo majus; thý laesse, the less, eo minus. See Dalgleish's "English Grammar," Section 75 (a). 226. Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more.-I rose against Cæsar, not because my love to him had grown less, but because I loved Rome more than I loved Cæsar. rather. Would you rather have. See note on Part i., line 44. Had you 230. There is tears for his love.-The use of the singular verb is with the plural noun tears may be defended on two grounds: -1st, That tears is here the concrete put for the abstract, sorrow; 2nd, That the verb is is required by the singular nouns following, "joy," "honour," and "death." 232. So....that, for so....as. That is a relative. See notes to Part i., lines 24, 123, 253; ii., lines 34, 102. The 239. Enrolled in the Capitol. question, that is, the reasons which form a justification of his death, are to be found in the Capitol, where the Fasti, or chronicles of his consulship, are preserved." But the subsequent part of the sentence would seem to refer to a special record of the event, for which, however, as yet there could not have been time or opportunity. 264. Not a man depart, save I alone, till Antony have spoke.-Depart is third person singular imperative. Save I alone is a nominative absolute="I alone saved, or excepted." See Part iii., line 415. 269. I am beholding to you.—I am indebted to you. The modern equivalent of beholding is beholden;" which, Dr. Craik points out, is a corruption of ge-healden, the passive participle of ge-healdan, to hold, preserve, and has no connection with our verb to behold. Similarly becoming, suitable, is from ge-cweman; believe, from ge-lyfan; betoken, from ge-tacnian. 277. Can say. Note the incredulity indicated by this expression. 'Let us hear whether it is possible for Antony to say anything in Cæsar's favour." At this stage, the citizens are completely with Brutus. This scene is remarkable for the ingenuity with which Antony first wins the citizens over to his side, and afterwards (while professing his earnest desire to restrain them) succeeds in stirring them up "to mutiny and rage." He expresses his real design at the end of the scene, after the citizens leave him : 4. He pretends to be unwilling to wrong Brutus and Cassius; he will rather wrong the dead," himself, and them (whom he skilfully conjoins with himself and Cæsar). 5. By his feigned reluctance to read Cæsar's will, he excites a strong desire to have it read. 6. He then shows them Cæsar's mantle, commenting pathetically upon its history, and the rents in it; and seeing them moved by this, he overpowers them, a fortiori, with the sight of his "marred" body. 7. He disclaims all power of moving eloquence; but he reminds them of what Brutus would have done had he been in his place, how he would have made the very stones of Rome to rise and mutiny." 8. As they rush off to avenge Cæsar's death, he recalls them to hear "the will." This completes the work. 282. The evil that men do lives after them, &c.-How much more apt are we to remember what is base in men's characters than what is good and pure! Shakespeare expresses the same thought under a different figure when he says, modern idiom, So poor as do him reverence. Poor is poor in spirit, humbleminded. 329. If I were disposed.-To imply the contrary fact, and make believe that he is not so disposed. 332. Who here introduces a principal clause and they. See Dalgleish's "Gram "Men's evil manners live in brass; their matical Analysis," Section 80 (c). virtues We write in water." Henry VIII., Act iv., Scene 2. 286. If it were so, it was.-This at first sight appears to be a wrong consecution of tenses ; but in point of fact these two verbs are not really interdependent. This is made plain by the following expansion: Prot. If it were so (namely, that Cæsar was ambitious), Apod. (I would admit that) it was a grievous fault. 338. Let but the commons hear this testament. A clause of condition, equivalent to, " If only the commons were to hear this testament." 358. I have o'ershot myself-I have gone farther than I intended. 390. The most unkindest.-A double superlative. Double comparatives are common in Shakespeare. See Richard II., Part i., line 114; Merchant of Venice, Part iii., line 172. 392. Ingratitude.-How skilfully this is The use of were implies that Antony as- put! It was not the daggers of his mursumed the contrary fact. derers so much as their ingratitude that vanquished him. 298. When that the poor have cried.-When (it has happened) that the poor have cried. 425. That love my friend.-First person, to agree with I, the subject of the whole sentence, with which man is in apposition. 310. Withholds you....to mourn. The modern idiom is, "Withholds you from mourning;" but "mourning" is also the 434. Would ruffle up, &c.-The subject infinitive, only in a different case. of ruffle is the relative "who" understood. 315. Methinks, &c.-That there is much The relative is frequently omitted when it reason in his sayings seems to me. is the object of its clause, rarely when it is the subject, and then only when the correlative immediately precedes the relative clause. 458. To walk abroad-In which to walk abroad. The phrase is both attributive and adverbial; attributive to them (the arbours and orchards), and adverbial of purpose to hath left. PART III. Line 4. Wherein my letters....were | ing upon else If you were not Brutus. slighted off-Whereby my letters (i.e., by The forms were, should, would, had (past your condemning him) were pushed aside, in form, though relating to present time) disregarded. must always be used when the supposition is contrary to the fact. 8. His comment-His for "its." 10. Condemned to have-Condemned for having; in either case, it is the infinitive of cause. So with to sell and to mart in next line. 'To have an itching palm" is a metonymy for covetousness. 14. That speak this.-Second person, to agree with you: You that speak this are Brutus. 28. I had rather be.-See note on Part i., line 44; ii., line 226. 30. Bay not me.-It has been proposed to read "Bait not me;" but the change is unnecessary, as bay is used in O. E. for baiting (a bear). It is characteristic of Shakespeare to make Cassius retort upon Brutus by using the same word he had 15. Were.-Conditional mood, depend-used, but in a different sense. 34. To make conditions.-Either to administer affairs generally, or specially to arrange the conditions on which offices shall be conferred. 59. Noble men. - This is the old reading. Mr. Collier changes it to abler men; and Dr. Craik accepts it, on the ground that, while Cassius had said nothing about 66 noble men," abler" was the very expression he had used (in line 33). True; but Brutus had just misquoted the expression as better," and afterwards shows supreme indifference as to which word was used. Indeed, it seems to be a subordinate purpose of the scene to show how little notion men have of the precise words they have used in the heat of passion, or heard in a moment of excitement. Cassius is divided between elder and better, neither of which he had used. Brutus, who holds the meaning more important than the particular word, begins with better, and at last points his shaft with an ironical noble. 63. If you did.-The if is somewhat equivocal. It may mean "whether you did or not," or "though you did." The latter is preferable. 111. Plutus.-The Latinized form of Pluto (Gr. IIAOUTwv), the god of riches. Dearer than Plutus' mine means of more value than the wealth of the god of riches. 119. Dishonour shall be humour.. 66 What would be dishonour in other men shall be set down to caprice in you." The humours or fluids of the body were supposed to determine the temper of the mind. The bile (xon) was one of these humours, whence choler, choleric, and melancholy. (See VOCABULARY.) The same idea appears in Cassius's reference to "blood illtempered" in line 126, and to 'humour" in line 133. 146. How'scaped I killing when I crossed you so?-Cassius here acknowledges how forbearing Brutus had been. Cassius did not know how great a sorrow was weighing Brutus down while he was venting his illhumour upon him; and Brutus was too much of a man to mention it until after the reconciliation. This is one of the finest incidental touches of pathos in the play. 152. That tidings.-Shakespeare several times uses tidings" as a singular noun. See Richard II., Part i., line 339; King John, Part ii., line 92. 66 163. To our work alive-Let us turn to our work as regards the living, leaving our lamentations for the dead. 189. Taken at the flood, and omitted, in line 190, are condensed clauses of condition -"If it be taken at the flood,” and “If it be omitted." 199. Which we will niggard.-Which relates to nature. We will stint nature with a minimum of rest. 208. Never come. -Third person of the imperative. 249. If thou dost nod, thou break'st.— This use of the present for the future, of the indicative for the subjunctive, indicates the extreme and near probability of the event supposed. See Part i., line 275. 266. Now I have taken heart thou vanishest.—This line is ambiguous. It may mean either "Now that thou vanishest, I have taken heart," or Now that I have taken heart, thou vanishest." The former would imply that he did not take heart till after the ghost vanished; the latter, that his taking heart caused the ghost to vanish. We incline to the latter interpretation. He was at first appalled by the "monstrous apparition;" but it is plain from his cool rejoinders to the ghost that he had recovered his self-possession before it disappeared; and Brutus was philosopher enough to ascribe its disappearance to the boldness with which he replied to its intimations. This is further apparent from the desire he expresses to have held more talk with it. 294. Did take it from him." Ensign," in the previous line, is correlative both to it and to him. It is thus made to do double duty, both for the standard and for the standard-bearer. 329. I swore thee-I made thee swear. We still use swear in this transitive sense when we speak of "swearing a witness." 408. Prefer me to you.-Prefer combines the ideas of transferring and with a recommendation. 415. Save only he.. -We should say, Save only him; but this, like "Save I alone," in Part ii., line 264 (q.v.), is probably an absolute phrase he only saved, or excepted. HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK. PERSONS REPRESENTED. CLAUDIUS, king of Denmark. MARCELLUS, } officers. HAMLET, Son to the late, and nephew to the BERNARDO, PART I. Claudius, the reigning king of Denmark, is Hamlet's uncle. He has gained possession of the throne by murdering his brother, Hamlet's father, whose widow also he has married with unseemly haste. His mother's conduct fills Hamlet with indignation; his uncle's, with dark suspicion and perplexity. He is most distressed by his own inability to fathom the mysteries of the palace, or to cure the ills of the society in which he lives. His father's Ghost appears to him, and tells him that he really was murdered by Claudius. This quickens his sluggish nature. Henceforth he forsakes all occupations, all regards, but this,--how to avenge his father's murder. In furtherance of his design, he puts an antic disposition on; he pretends madness. Perplexed by scruples of conscience, given to deep meditation, and unable therefore to accomplish his purpose, he finds relief in a certain wildness of speaking and acting, which at once conceals his motives and gratifies his feelings. His eccentricities are shown most strongly in his treatment of Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius, the King's Chamberlain. He had formerly loved this lady; but now, having no heart for lovemaking, he treats her with such strange harshness and cruel merriment, that she really loses her reason. PART II. Hamlet does not quite trust the Ghost's story. He resolves, therefore, to put it to the test of proof. He has a play performed before the King and Court, in which a murder exactly like his father's is represented. The conscience-stung King shows by his conduct that he takes guilt to himself, and Hamlet is satisfied. But the King is now suspicious of Hamlet, and resolves to get rid of him. An opportunity soon occurs. Hamlet is invited to an interview with his mother. Polonius conceals himself behind the arras, to listen to the conversation. An alarm raised betrays the presence of some one there, and Hamlet kills him, believing him to be the King. This affords the King an excuse for sending Hamlet away for a time. He sends him to England, at the same time giving secret orders for his assassination. PART III. Hamlet discovers the plot, and unexpectedly returns in time to witness the burial of Ophelia, who, in her grief for her father, and for her own unhappy lot, has destroyed herself by drowning. The King now resorts to another stratagem for Hamlet's removal. He arranges a fencing-bout between him and Laertes, Ophelia's brother, in which the latter is to use a poisoned foil. To make assurance doubly sure, the King puts poison in the wine with which Hamlet is to refresh himself during the combat. In this wine the Queen, ignorant of its quality, drinks success to Hamlet, and is poisoned. Hamlet is wounded by Laertes, and, accidentally exchanging weapons, he returns the fatal thrust. Laertes, dying, confesses his own treachery, but lays the blame on the King. With his remaining strength the prince rushes upon his uncle, and stabs him with the very weapon which had been poisoned for Hamlet's own destruction. The King is thus the victim of his own plot. Hamlet really slays him in self-defence; and, his vengeance being legitimate, his conscience is clear. PART I. SCENE-ELSINORE: A ROOM OF STATE IN THE CASTLE. Enter HAMLET. Ham. Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, O God! God! Or that the Everlasting had not fixed Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature By what it fed on: and yet, within a month 10 Let me not think on't-Frailty, thy name is woman !- With which she followed my poor father's body, 20 Like Niobe, all tears;-why she, even she O God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourned longer-married with my uncle, Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Oh, most wicked speed :................ |