Page 269 - Hamlet: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

ifa N O T E S 1.5.
81. nature in thee i.e. any natural affection at all.
v. G. 'nature' and Introd. p. xxxiii.
84. hozosomever v. note 1. 2. 249, pursues v. note
1-4- 53-
85. Taint not thy mind An ominous injunction;
cf. Tzo. Nt. 3. 4. 13 'tainted in's wits.'
85-8. nor let thy soul.. .sting her This means that
Ham. must strike at his uncle "without in any way
harming his mother, a condition which complicates the
task greatly.
91. S.D. falls upon his knees LI. 94-5 make it clear
that Ham. rises from his knees.
92-3. 0 all you host... Ofie! Cf. Introd. p. lii.
93-7. heart, .-.sinews.. .distracted globe By a
natural transition Ham.'s mind turns in upon himself
and his own distraught and half-paralysed condition;
as he strives to rise, he presses his hand first to his heart,
then to his head.
96. whiles (Qx) F i 'while'
100. forms.. .pressures i. e.sketches.. .impressions.
107—109. My tables The whole speech is built up
round the 'tables,' the note-book which young men of
the age carried to record sights or sayings of interest,
especially when on travel. The image is first applied
metaphorically to the memory; 11.99-101 then describe
theusual contentsof such table-books; lastly atthethought
of his uncle's face Ham. takes out the actual tables he has
about him and in bitter jest sets down Smiling Villainy
as one of the wonders of Denmark, shutting the book
with a snap at 'So, uncle, there you are!' He may
re-open it for what follows; but it seems more appro-
priate that the 'Word' (v. next note) should be only
inscribed 'within the book and volume of his brain';
more seemly to the occasion of a solemn oath and more
ironical. Cf. Introd. pp. xli-xliii.
n o . * Word Q2, F i 'word.' Hitherto not satis-
factorily explained. Steevens suggests 'watchword' and