Page 260 - Hamlet: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

x.2. N O T E S

180. Thrift, thrift To catch the full scorn of this,
cf. 3. 2. 60 'Where thrift may follow fawning,' and
182 'base respects of thrift, but none of love.'
186. I saw him once, etc. Cf. Introd. p. xlviii. Percy
Simpson (M.L.R. xiii. 321) suggests that Hor. is about
to refer to some particular occasion when he had seen
him, but that Ham. interrupts. He would read, there-
fore, I saw him once—a' was a goodly king—'
'
198. the dead waste (Q2, Fi) Q i 'the dead vast,'
which most edd. follow, quoting Temp. I. 2. 327 'that
vast of night.' The two words are variant forms, and
the sense is the same, i.e. the desolate hours about
midnight when all nature sleeps. MSH. p. 290.
2
Marston, Malcontent, .3.' 'Tis now about the immodest
waist of night,' seems to be a parody of this and 3. 2. 391.
204. his truncheon Cf. M. for M. 2. 2. 61 'the
marshal's truncheon.' As commander-in-chief of the
Danish forces the King was of marshal's rank.
211. knew = recognised. Cf. 5. 2. 7 and G.
212. are not more like i.e. than the apparition was
to the late king. Hor. is careful not to identify the two,
and generally calls the Ghost 'it.'
213. watch (Q2: some copies) Fi'watcht.'MSH.
pp. 93-4, 267. The platform was the regular station for
the guard. Cf. head-note 1. 1.
216. // head The old genitive.
222. writ down in our duty i.e. part of our prescribed
obligation as soldiers. Cf. Cor. 1. 7. 1 'keep your
duties/As I have set them down.'
224. Indeed, indeed Bradley (pp. 148-49) notes
the habit of iteration as a characteristic of Ham.'s
brooding speech. Cf. 1. 237 below, and 2.2.193, 219-
20; 3. 1. 92. MSH. pp. 79-82.
226. Armed, say you? This 'troubles' Ham.; c£.
note 1. 1. 39 S.D. In the rapid dialogue that ensues he
tests the witnesses searchingly on the point.
229. Then.. .his face. Not a question in Q2, but-