Hamlet (46 page)

285
distempered
out of humor (Hamlet chooses to understand the sense of “drunk”)

287
choler
anger (provoked by an excess of bile, one of the four bodily humours)

289
signify
communicate

290
purgation
cleansing the body through bloodletting or the use of emetics or laxatives (Hamlet plays on the idea of eliciting confession; the senses of legal and spiritual purging are also relevant)

292
frame
order

292
start
swerve/recoil

298
breed
kind/courtly breeding

298
wholesome
healthy, sane

300
pardon
permission (to leave)

308
amazement
bewilderment/alarm

308
admiration
astonishment, wonder

309
wonderful
astonishing/excellent

312
closet
private room

315
trade
dealings (a deliberately derogatory term here)

317
pickers and stealers
hands

319
liberty
freedom from mental anguish (but a suggestive image of literal imprisonment)

319
deny
refuse to tell

324
“
While … grows”
the rest of the proverb is “the horse starves”

327
withdraw
speak privately

328
recover … toil
a hunting metaphor: the hunter would get to the windward side of the prey (
recover the wind
), allowing it to scent him and thus driving the animal in the opposite direction and into a net (
toil
)

330
if … unmannerly
i.e. if I am overly bold in my behavior it is my love for you that is to blame

339
ventages
holes (or
stops
)

348
mystery
secret/craft, skill (playing an instrument)

348
sound
question/produce music from

349
compass
range

352
fret
irritate/provide with frets (ridges for fingering on a lute)

355
presently
straightaway

358
By th’mass
by the Mass (a common oath)

364
fool … bent
indulge me in my foolishness to the limit/force me to play the fool to the limit of my ability (or endurance)

373
nature
natural feelings

374
Nero
Roman emperor who murdered his mother

378
How … shent
however much I rebuke and punish her verbally

378
somever
to whatever extent

379
give them seals
i.e. by acting upon them

Act 3 Scene 3

1
him
i.e. his behavior

3
dispatch
make ready/deal with promptly

5
terms … estate
conditions or responsibilities of my position as king

8
provide
prepare, equip

9
fear
concern, responsibility

12
single and peculiar
individual and private

14
noyance
vexation/harm

15
weal
welfare

16
cease
cessation/decease

17
gulf
whirlpool

18
massy
massive/weighty

21
mortised
fastened securely

22
annexment
adjunct, hanger-on

22
petty consequence
trivial attachment

23
attends
accompanies

23
boist’rous
massive/turbulent

25
Arm you
prepare yourselves

31
process
proceedings

31
tax him home
reprove him thoroughly

33
meet
fitting

35
of vantage
in addition/from an advantageous position

39
rank
foul-smelling/rotten

40
primal eldest curse
God’s curse on Cain, the first murderer, who killed his brother Abel (biblical)

42
inclination … will
my urge and determination to pray are equally strong

44
bound
directed/tied/sworn

49
Whereto … offence?
What is the point of mercy if not to confront sin face-to-face?

52
forestallèd
prevented

55
turn
need, purpose

57
effects
benefits, acquisitions

59
th’offence
i.e. the profits gained from committing the offense

60
currents
courses, practices

61
gilded
golden/bearing bribes

61
by
to one side

64
There
i.e.
above
, in heaven

64
shuffling
evasion, deceit

64
the action lies
the sin is laid bare/the case is admissible (legal metaphor, continued with
evidence
)

66
to … forehead
in the very face

67
give in
give, submit

67
rests
remains

71
limèd
caught as a bird is trapped by bird-lime (sticky substance spread on branches)

72
assay
a great effort/an attempt

76
pat
opportunely, conveniently

78
would be scanned
needs to be examined/would be interpreted as follows

80
foul
sinful/treacherous/shameful; most editors prefer Quarto’s “sole”

82
hire and salary
i.e. as if Hamlet had hired Claudius to do the murder and was now giving him his wages

83
grossly … bread
i.e. in the grips of worldly pleasures, with no spiritual preparation (such as fasting)

84
broad blown
in full bloom

85
audit
account

86
circumstance … thought
situation and way of thinking/limited condition and way of thinking/indirect way of thinking

87
heavy
grave/gloomy

88
take him
kill Claudius

89
seasoned
prepared

89
passage
journey into the next world

91
hent
time to be seized at/opportunity

92
drunk asleep
in a drunken stupor

95
relish
trace, flavor

98
stays
awaits

99
physic
medicine (either Claudius’ prayer or Hamlet’s postponement of the murder)

Act 3 Scene 4

1
straight
straightaway

1
lay home
speak plainly, take to task

2
broad
unrestrained

4
heat
i.e. Claudius’ anger

5
round
blunt/severe

18
rood
Christian cross

19
queen
perhaps this puns on “quean” (i.e. whore)

23
glass
mirror

28
Dead … ducat
i.e. I’ll bet a ducat (gold coin) he’ll soon be dead/I’ll kill him for a mere ducat

39
busy
interfering, prying

43
brazed
covered with brass, hardened

44
proof
armor

44
proof … sense
fortified against feeling

46
rude
violent/harsh/offensive

53
contraction
binding agreement (specifically the marriage contract)

55
rhapsody
confused mass

55
glow
i.e. blush for shame

56
this … mass
i.e. the earth

57
tristful
sorrowful

57
as … doom
as if in anticipation of doomsday

60
index
table of contents that prefaces the body of a book

62
counterfeit presentment
painted representation

64
Hyperion
Greek god of the sun, and one of the Titans

64
front
forehead/face

65
Mars
Roman god of war

66
station
manner of standing

66
Mercury
winged messenger of the Roman gods

67
New-lighted
newly alighted

69
seal
i.e. mark of approval

72
ear
i.e. of corn

73
Blasting
withering

74
leave
cease

75
batten
feed greedily

75
moor
marshland/waste ground (may play on the sense of “dark-skinned person” to contrast with the
fair mountain
)

77
heyday … blood
(youthful) period of sexual excitement

80
cozened
cheated

80
hoodman-blind
blind-man’s-buff (Hamlet imagines a blindfolded Gertrude being tricked into picking the wrong man)

82
mutine
mutiny

82
matron
mature married woman

85
compulsive … charge
compelling sexual passion (of youth) attacks

86
frost
i.e. age

87
panders
acts as a go-between for/ministers to the gratification of

87
will
sexual desire

90
grainèd
ingrained, indelible

91
leave their tinct
abandon their color

93
enseamèd
saturated with grease or pig’s fat, i.e. soiled from sexual activity

94
Stewed
soaked/slowly boiled (puns on “stew”—i.e. brothel)

94
honeying
exchanging endearments

94
making love
talking amorously/having sex

95
nasty
filthy/lewd/repellent

95
sty
pigsty/place inhabited by whores and lustful people

100
tithe
tenth part

101
precedent lord
previous husband (
precedent
may have connotations of “exemplary/higher ranking”)

101
vice
epitome of wickedness/buffoon or trickster from morality plays

102
cutpurse
pickpocket

103
diadem
crown

106
shreds and patches
paltry bits and pieces/the multicolored clothing of a fool or clown

112
important
urgent, pressing

117
Conceit
imagination

122
th’incorporal
the insubstantial

123
spirits
vital spirits, a bodily fluid thought to be vital for life

124
as … th’alarm
like soldiers awoken abruptly by a call to arms

125
like … excrements
as if growths of hair had lives of their own

130
His … conjoined
the combination of his appearance and his reason (for wanting revenge)
131 capable
responsive

132
piteous
pity-inspiring

132
convert … effects
divert me from the grim deeds I intend to carry out

134
want
lack

134
colour
character, quality/motive, grounds/hue (colorless
tears
rather than red
blood
)

141
habit
clothing/demeanor

141
as
as when/as if

143
coinage
invention

144
cunning
skillful/crafty

149
reword
repeat

150
gambol
spring away

151
unction
ointment

152
trespass
sin