CHAPTER VIII

THE REAL OR ASSUMED MADNESS OF HAMLET

Critics in Opposition.-The Court of Claudius.-Eminent Physi-

cians.-A Modern Instance.-Shakespeare's Unaided

Genius; Refutation. A Recent Discovery.-His Intention.

-Striking Contrasts and Resemblances.-Lear and Ophelia;

Hamlet and Edgar.-The Original Amleth.-Intermittent

Flashes. Objection Refuted.-Theory of Insanity Opposed

to Canons of Dramatic Art.-An Insane Hamlet affords

no Tragic Motive

.

Page

53

CHAPTER IX

HAMLET'S ALLEGED DEFECT OF CHARACTER

The Old Subjective School.-Goethe, Coleridge, Ulrici.-Objec-

tions.-Theory of the Recent Objective School.-Klein,

Werder.-Exposition.-A man of Action and Energy of

Will.-The Ghost's Threefold Command.-How prove the

Guilt of Claudius.-Christian Principles and Nature of the

Revenge.-Cause of Delay not Subjective.-Original Amleth

in Contrast with the Christian Hamlet.-The Former Proper

to the Subjective School; the Latter to the Objective. The

Recent Theory Preferable.-One Defect.

CHAPTER X

THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET

Divergent Opinions.-Causes.-Hamlet and Prince Hal.-Con-

trasts and Resemblances.-In Happier Days.-Natural Dis-

position. Temperament.-Prudence, Self-command, Sin-

cerity, Affection, Filial Devotion, Reverence for his Father.

-Mental Gifts and Culture.-Love of Honesty.-Horatio.-

Repugnance to Life at Court.-Interest, Admiration, Sym-

pathy

. 63

72

Part Second

A New Commentary on the Tragedy

SCENE FIRST.

of Hamlet

ACT I

Weird Expectations.-Attraction of the Preternatural.—Ob-

jective Reality of the Ghost.-Horatio's Scepticism.-A

Strange Visitor.-The Latin Tongue.-Whispered Reports.

-"I'll Cross It".-A Good Spirit.-A Triple Appeal.-

"The Hallowed Season."-A Christian Horace.-Popular

Beliefs.-Horatio and a Rationalistic Critic.

SCENE SECOND.

A Public Audience.-Speech of Claudius.-Reproachful

Bearing.-Pious Preachment.-"My Cousin and My Son".

-"Frailty, Thy Name is Woman".- Haunting Suspicions.

-Immersed in Grief.-Overcomes Temptation.-A Dual

Affliction.-Incestuous Union.-A Startling Disclosure.-

Presentiments of Evil.-Midnight Watch..

SCENE THIRD.

Calumnious Strokes. Brotherly Affection. Laertes'

Speech. Admonition Countered.-Paternal Counsel.-Bor-

rowed Precepts.-Instinctive Prying.-Mistrusted Love.-

Ophelia's Bewilderment.-Hamlet's Fixed Judgment.

SCENE FOURTH.

"A Vicious Mole of Nature".-On the Ramparts of Elsi-

nore.-Clang of Trumpets.-Moralizings.-"Angels and

Ministers of Grace".-"Spirit of Health or Goblin

damn'd". "Royal Dane".-Impassioned Pleadings.-

"I'll follow Thee'.-Silent Beckoning.-A Conflict.-Reso-

lute of Will.

SCENE FIFTH.

A Purgatorial Visitor.-A Challenge.-Nature of the Re-

venge. Christian Principles.-An Error.-Secrets of the

X

Page

85

100

118

126

Page

Grave.-A Triple Complaint.-A Strict Injunction.-

Reality of the Ghost.-A Rationalist's Argument.-A

Sworn Resolve.-Hamlet's Tablets.-A Difficult Situa-

tion. Theories.-Curiosity of Friends.-"By St. Pat-

rick."-Irish Missionaries in Northern Germany.-St.

Patrick's Purgatory.-A Famous Pilgrimage.-Bollandists.

-Chroniclers.-The Shakespeare of Spain.-The Crusad-

er's Oath.-Hamlet's Insistence.-"The Fellow in the

Cellerage."-The Philosophy of Hamlet and Horatio.- L

The Masquerade.-"The Time is out of Joint."-A Lead-

ing Error.

SCENE FIRST.

ACT II

The Agent's Instructions.-Social Life.-A Burlesque of

Lord Burghley.-A Special Purpose.-A Revelation.-An

Unannounced Visitor.-Ophelia Tested.-A Secret Dis-

closed.-Mistakes of Polonius.

SCENE SECOND.

New Arrivals.-Secret Purpose.-Ambassadors.-Anxiety

of Polonius.-Hamlet's Letter.-A Ruse.-An Intruder.-

A Humorous Dialogue.-The Spies.-An Error.-A Two-

fold Norm.-A Positivist.-King and Beggar.-A Secret

Mission.-"How Like an Angel."-A Contrast.-The "In-

hibition."-Theatrical Rivalry.-Toying with Polonius.-

Testing the Players.-Polonius a Critic.-In Mental Con-

flict.-Man and Superman.-"The Play's the Thing."-

"It may be the Devil.".

SCENE FIRST.

ACT III

Report of Spies.-Words of Irony.-A Daughter of Polo-
nius. "To Be or Not To Be.'-A Fertile Field.-Integrity
of Text.-No Intent of Suicide.-A Dilemma.-Hamlet and
Claudio. Suicides.-Not Dead but Sleeping.-"Something
after Death."-"The Undiscovered Country."-Non-Catho-
lic Critics.-The Oracle of God.-"Conscience."-Courage
or Cowardice."Enterprises of Great Pith and Moment."
-A Resolution.-A Rationalist's Objection.-Freethinkers.

--

134

. 165

. 176

-Attacks on Hamlet's Faith.-"No Friar Laurence.".

"Let Priests Resolve His Doubts.'"'-"An Aimless Wander-

er after Truth."-Ignore Hamlet's Real Character.-Law-

ful Espials.-Ophelia's Position.-"Are You Honest?"-A

Discovery.-A Test.-A Little Lie.-A Triple Farewell.-

"Get Thee to a Nunnery.".
"-Treatment of Ophelia.-A New

Stratagem.

SCENE SECOND.

Page

Identified with Hamlet.-Idealization of Art.-Negative

Laws.-Mystery and Miracle Plays.-A Secret Interview.—

Friendship for Horatio.-A Secret Purpose.-Entrance of

the Royal Party.-Plays His Role with Dexterity.—The Old

Minister's Vanity.-Assumed Merriment.-A Prologue.—

A Dark Puzzle.-The Mouse Trap.-Player-King and Con-

sort.-Effect on Gertrude.-Alarm of Claudius.-A Chal-

lenge.-Entrapped.-Hamlet's Nervous Tension.-"Come!

Some Music!"-Unrestrained Joy.-Error of a Recent

Critic. An Urgent Message.-Quondam Friends. -A Tria-

logue A Marvellous Distemper.-Mock Civility."Easy as

Lying."-Turns upon His Plaguers.-"I Will Speak Dag-

gers. "-A Nero and a Claudius.-Doubts of His Mother's

Guilt.

SCENE THIRD.

A Royal Stratagem.-Maternal Partiality.-Critical Errors.

-Theoretical Catholic.-Practical Pagan.-Attempted Re-

pentance.-"All May be Well."-Divergent Views.-"My

Offence is Rank."-"Pray I Cannot."-"Enough Rain in

Sweet Heavens."-"What's in Prayer?"-"Forgive me

my Foul Murder."-"Try what Repentance can."—An

Astounding Discovery.-Punishment more Fitting.-Pro-

phetic Spirit. Real and Fictitious Reasons.-A Twofold

Duty.

SCENE FOURTH.

In Secret Interview.-A Rash Intruder.-Thunders in the

Index.-Gertrude's Innocence or Guilt.-Her Moral Sense.

-A Contrast.-"King of Shreds and Patches."-A Comic

Stock-character.-A Ghostly Visitor.-Most Opportune.-

226

283

309

Contradictory Views.-"Confess Yourself to Heaven."—

The Visor Lifted.-Master the Devil.-A Method. The Fate

of Polonius.-A Caution.-Marshalled to Knavery.

Page

330

ACT IV

SCENE FIRST.

Interchanging Movements.-Certain Critics.-Maternal In-

genuity. The King's Alarm.-Spies Summoned.

SCENE SECOND.

. . 353

Royal Sponges.-A Trialogue.-Galling Sarcasm.-Fox-

Hunting.

SCENE THIRD.

"A Cherub That Sees Them."-Fears of Claudius.-Con-

vocation of Council.-Witticisms.-A New Project.-

Angels.-The King's Treachery.-Show of Affection.-

Claudius Humiliated.-A Refutation.-Effect of Hamlet's

Blunder. His Reasons for Departure.-Claudius in Solilo-

quy..

SCENE FOURTH.

Mental Conflict.-Man and Superman.-An Army on the

March. Contrasts.-No Parity.-Conclusion.

SCENE FIFTH.

.357

. 360

Sweet Rose of May.-The Queen's Obstinacy.-Pleadings of

Horatio. A Poetical Creation.-Nursery Rhymes.-Recent

Memories-Fears and Forebodings.-An Insurrection.-Evil

Traits of Laertes.-Claudius at His Best.-Underdone on

the Modern Stage.-A Bold Front.-Laertes Dumbfounded. *

-Wrath Allayed.-A "Document in Madness."-Ophelia's

Entrance.-Meaningless Refrains.-A Conjecture.-Asso-

ciation of Ideas.-Language of Flowers.-"He made a Good

End."-Reënkindled Grief.

SCENE SIXTH.

A Successful Counterplot.-A Mysterious Letter.-Safe

Again in Denmark.-The Incident of the Pirate Ship and

the Subjective School.-Convincing Evidence.

368

372

389