Page 310 - Hamlet: The Cambridge Dover Wilson Shakespeare

3.2. N O T E S 203

S.D. The K. grows restive at the repeated reference to
second marriages. In his reply Ham. quibbles on
'offence' as at I. 5. 136. v. G.
236. The Mouse-trap N.E.D. quotes many instances
of this in the 'tropical' sense of 'a device for enticing
a person to his destruction or defeat.'
Marry, how?—tropically (Fi) Q2 'mary how
tropically,' Q i 'mary how trapically.' Qi suggests a
quibble on 'trap,' perhaps in reference to 'marry trap'
(= 'an exclamation of insult when a man was caught in
5
his own stratagem,' Dr Johnson), cf. M. W. W. 1.1. 15 -
'
56 I will say "marry trap" with you,' i.e. I will give
you tit for tat. v. G. 'tropically.'
238. Gonzago v. Introd. p. xxiii.
241-42.* let the galled'.. .unzvrung Tilley (525)
quotes Euphues 'well I knowe none will winch excepte
shee bee gawled, neither any bee offended vnlesse shee
be guiltie' (Bond, i. 257), and 'rubbe there no more,
least I winch, for deny I wil not that I am wroung on the
withers' {ibid. ii. 151). The coincidence of 'winch'
(v. next note), 'galled,' 'guilty,' 'offended' (offence),
'wrung' and 'withers' suggests borrowing.
F
241.* wince (£>i) £>2, i 'winch' MSH. p. 288.
'winch' =obs. form of 'wince.' In Sh.'s day 'wince'
=ldck.
243.* nephew to the king i.e. the Hamlet not the
Claudius of the Gonzago story. Bradley (137 n.) points
out that though the court, as is clear from 3. 2. 300 ff,
3. 3. 1—26, and 4. 7. 1—5, 30 ff., see 'in the play-scene
a gross and menacing insult to the King.. .no one shows
any sign of perceiving in it also an accusation of murder.'
And he adds 'surely that is strange.' The clue is in this
passage. Ham. arranges two meanings to the Play, one
for the K. (and Hor.), the other for the rest of the
spectators, who see a king being murdered by his
nephew. In other words Ham. prepares the Court for
the assassination of Claudius which was intended to