The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 | Page 4

concretion of
characteristics. I warn him that any popular notion concerning him
which he may bring with him, will be only obstructive to a perception
of the true idea of the grandest of all Shakspere's presentations.
It will amuse this and that man to remark how often I speak of Hamlet
as if he were a real man and not the invention of Shakspere--for indeed
the Hamlet of the old story is no more that of Shakspere than a lump of
coal is a diamond; but I imagine, if he tried the thing himself, he would
find it hardly possible to avoid so speaking, and at the same time say
what he had to say.
I give hearty thanks to the press-reader, a gentleman whose name I do
not know, not only for keen watchfulness over the printing-difficulties
of the book, but for saving me from several blunders in derivation.
BORDIGHERA: _December_, 1884.
[Transcriber's Note: In the paper original, each left-facing page

contained the text of the play, with sidenotes and footnote references,
and the corresponding right-facing page contained the footnotes
themselves and additional commentary. In this electronic text, the
play-text pages are numbered (contrary to custom in electronic texts),
to allow use of the cross-references provided in the sidenotes and
footnotes. In the play text, sidenotes towards the left of the page are
those marginal cross-references described earlier, and sidenotes toward
the right of the page are the differences noted a few paragraphs later.]
[Page 1]

THE TRAGEDIE
OF
HAMLET
PRINCE OF DENMARKE.
[Page 2]

_ACTUS PRIMUS._
_Enter Barnardo and Francisco two Centinels_[1].
_Barnardo._ Who's there?
_Fran._[2] Nay answer me: Stand and vnfold yourselfe.
_Bar._ Long liue the King.[3]
_Fran._ _Barnardo?_
_Bar._ He.
_Fran._ You come most carefully vpon your houre.
_Bar._ 'Tis now strook twelue, get thee to bed Francisco.
_Fran._ For this releefe much thankes: 'Tis [Sidenote: 42] bitter cold,
And I am sicke at heart.[4]
_Barn._ Haue you had quiet Guard?[5]
_Fran._ Not a Mouse stirring.
_Barn._ Well, goodnight. If you do meet Horatio and _Marcellus_, the
Riuals[6] of my Watch, bid them make hast.
_Enter Horatio and Marcellus._
_Fran._ I thinke I heare them. Stand: who's there? [Sidenote: Stand ho,
who is there?]
_Hor._ Friends to this ground.
_Mar._ And Leige-men to the Dane.

_Fran._ Giue you good night.
_Mar._ O farwel honest Soldier, who hath [Sidenote: souldiers] relieu'd
you?
[Footnote 1: --meeting. Almost dark.]
[Footnote 2: --on the post, and with the right of challenge.]
[Footnote 3: The watchword.]
[Footnote 4: The key-note to the play--as in _Macbeth_: 'Fair is foul
and foul is fair.' The whole nation is troubled by late events at court.]
[Footnote 5: --thinking of the apparition.]
[Footnote 6: Companions.]
[Page 4]
_Fra._ Barnardo ha's my place: giue you good-night. [Sidenote: hath]
_Exit Fran._
_Mar._ Holla Barnardo.
_Bar._ Say, what is Horatio there?
_Hor._ A peece of him.
_Bar._ Welcome _Horatio_, welcome good Marcellus.
_Mar._ What, ha's this thing appear'd againe to [Sidenote: Hor.[1]]
night.
_Bar._ I haue seene nothing.
_Mar._ Horatio saies, 'tis but our Fantasie, And will not let beleefe take
hold of him Touching this dreaded sight, twice seene of vs, Therefore I
haue intreated him along With vs, to watch the minutes of this Night,
That if againe this Apparition come, [Sidenote: 6] He may approue our
eyes, and speake to it.[2]
_Hor._ Tush, tush, 'twill not appeare.
_Bar._ Sit downe a-while, And let vs once againe assaile your eares,
That are so fortified against our Story, What we two Nights haue seene.
[Sidenote: have two nights seen]
_Hor._ Well, sit we downe, And let vs heare Barnardo speake of this.
_Barn._ Last night of all, When yond same Starre that's Westward from
the Pole Had made his course t'illume that part of Heauen Where now it
burnes, Marcellus and my selfe, The Bell then beating one.[3]
_Mar._ Peace, breake thee of: Enter the Ghost. [Sidenote: Enter Ghost]
Looke where it comes againe.
_Barn._ In the same figure, like the King that's dead.
[Footnote 1: Better, I think; for the tone is scoffing, and Horatio is the

incredulous one who has not seen it.]
[Footnote 2: --being a scholar, and able to address it as an apparition
ought to be addressed--Marcellus thinking, perhaps, with others, that a
ghost required Latin.]
[Footnote 3: _1st Q._ 'towling one.]
[Page 6]
[Sidenote: 4] _Mar._ Thou art a Scholler; speake to it _Horatio._
_Barn._ Lookes it not like the King? Marke it Horatio. [Sidenote:
Looks a not] _Hora._ Most like: It harrowes me with fear and wonder.
[Sidenote: horrowes[1]]
_Barn._ It would be spoke too.[2]
_Mar._ Question it _Horatio._ [Sidenote: Speak to it _Horatio_]
_Hor._ What art thou that vsurp'st this time of night,[3] Together with
that Faire and Warlike forme[4] In which the Maiesty of buried
Denmarke Did sometimes[5] march: