ff
∵ Scene III. A room in Polonius's house. →
as of 1603, at least, the Lord Chamberlain had his own house near the Castle
[Enter Laertes and Ophelia.] →
Polonius's son and daughter
FW465.32 "Be offalia. Be hamlet. Be the property plot. Be Yorick"
Laertes: My necessaries are embark'd: farewell: →
And, sister, as the winds give benefit →
And convoy is assistant, do not sleep, →
But let me hear from you. →
ie 'stay in touch' (mail to Paris went by ship)
Ophelia: Do you doubt that? →
Laertes: For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour, →
Hold it a fashion, and a toy in blood: →
∵ A violet in the youth of primy nature, →
ff Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting; →
The perfume and suppliance of a minute; →
No more. →
before we've heard from either O or H about any attraction between them, we first get L's dismissal (and so automatically assume L is wrong)
Ophelia: No more but so? →
Ophelia seems inexperienced, so probably much younger than 30yo Hamlet
Laertes: Think it no more: →
For nature, crescent, does not grow alone →
In thews and bulk; but as this temple waxes, →
∵ The inward service of the mind and soul →
Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now; →
And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch →
The virtue of his will: but you must fear, →
His greatness weigh'd, his will is not his own; →
∵ For he himself is subject to his birth: →
He may not, as unvalu'd persons do, →
Carve for himself; for on his choice depends →
The safety and health of this whole state; →
And therefore must his choice be circumscrib'd →
Unto the voice and yielding of that body →
Whereof he is the head. Then if he says he loves you, →
It fits your wisdom so far to believe it →
As he in his particular act and place →
May give his saying deed; which is no further →
Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal. →
∵ Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain →
If with too credent ear you list his songs, →
Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open →
To his unmaster'd importunity. →
Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister; →
And keep you in the rear of your affection, →
ff Out of the shot and danger of desire. →
The chariest maid is prodigal enough →
If she unmask her beauty to the moon: →
Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes: →
The canker galls the infants of the spring →
Too oft before their buttons be disclos'd: →
And in the morn and liquid dew of youth →
Contagious blastments are most imminent. →
∵ Be wary then; best safety lies in fear: →
Youth to itself rebels, though none else near. →
reasonable if longwinded general advice (takes after his father)
"unmask her beauty to the moon" (probably the beauty of her face, to the moon rather than the sun)
Ophelia: I shall th' effect of this good lesson keep →
As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother, →
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, →
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven; →
Whilst, like a puff'd and reckless libertine, →
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads →
∵ And recks not his own read. →
she's sassy
(opening apparent potential plot-paths that won't in fact be explored)
Laertes: O, fear me not. →
I stay too long:—but here my father comes. →
L squirms a bit at being challenged by O
(why "my" not 'our'?)
[Enter Polonius.] →
A double blessing is a double grace; →
Occasion smiles upon a second leave. →
(L speaking, not P)
Polonius: Yet here, Laertes! aboard, aboard, for shame! →
The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, →
And you are stay'd for. There,—my blessing with thee! →
[Laying his hand on Laertes's head.] →
And these few precepts in thy memory →
Look thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, →
∵ Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. →
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. →
ff Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, →
∵ Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel; →
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment →
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade. Beware →
Of entrance to a quarrel; but, being in, →
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee. →
Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice: →
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. →
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, →
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy: →
∵ For the apparel oft proclaims the man; →
And they in France of the best rank and station →
Are most select and generous chief in that. →
∵ Neither a borrower nor a lender be: →
For loan oft loses both itself and friend; →
∵ And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. →
This above all,—to thine own self be true; →
And it must follow, as the night the day, →
Thou canst not then be false to any man. →
Farewell: my blessing season this in thee! →
all cliches, which can be emphasized by having P read them from a pamphlet he gives L
Laertes: Most humbly do I take my leave, my lord. →
Polonius: The time invites you; go, your servants tend. →
(wind, time, and servants are all ready and waiting)
Laertes: Farewell, Ophelia; and remember well →
What I have said to you. →
Ophelia: 'Tis in my memory lock'd, →
And you yourself shall keep the key of it. →
(ambiguous: will she obey his advice, or just consider it?)
maybe: I'll only stay chaste if I hear you are as well
Laertes: Farewell. →
[Exit.] →
Polonius: What is't, Ophelia, he hath said to you? →
Ophelia: So please you, something touching the Lord Hamlet. →
∵ Polonius: Marry, well bethought: →
'Tis told me he hath very oft of late →
ff Given private time to you; and you yourself →
Have of your audience been most free and bounteous; →
If it be so,—as so 'tis put on me, →
And that in way of caution,—I must tell you →
You do not understand yourself so clearly →
As it behooves my daughter and your honour. →
What is between you? give me up the truth. →
P's been hearing rumors but hasn't spoken till now
Ophelia: He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders →
Of his affection to me. →
"of late" implies since returning from college
"tenders" implies offering, punning on tenderly
Polonius: Affection! pooh! you speak like a green girl, →
Unsifted in such perilous circumstance. →
Do you believe his tenders, as you call them? →
Ophelia: I do not know, my lord, what I should think. →
Polonius: Marry, I'll teach you: think yourself a baby; →
That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay, →
Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly; →
∵ Or,—not to crack the wind of the poor phrase, →
Wronging it thus,—you'll tender me a fool. →
"crack the wind" in horseracing, to run it till it's winded
('break wind' was an unwelcome echo, and Polonius is windy)
Ophelia: My lord, he hath importun'd me with love →
In honourable fashion. →
Polonius: Ay, fashion you may call it; go to, go to. →
"fashion" can mean 'fad'
"go to" = get serious
Ophelia: And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord, →
With almost all the holy vows of heaven. →
Polonius: Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know, →
When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul →
∵ Lends the tongue vows: these blazes, daughter, →
Giving more light than heat,—extinct in both, →
Even in their promise, as it is a-making,— →
You must not take for fire. From this time →
 |
| easy to trap |
"blood burns" with infatuation or lust
ff ∵ Be something scanter of your maiden presence; →
Set your entreatments at a higher rate →
Than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet, →
Believe so much in him, that he is young; →
And with a larger tether may he walk →
Than may be given you: in few, Ophelia, →
Do not believe his vows; for they are brokers,— →
Not of that dye which their investments show, →
But mere implorators of unholy suits, →
Breathing like sanctified and pious bawds, →
∵ The better to beguile. This is for all,— →
I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth →
Have you so slander any moment leisure →
∵ As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. →
Look to't, I charge you; come your ways. →
"Be something scanter" = be less giving
"entreatments" = concessions
"brokers" = blandishments
"investments" = clothes (WS neol?)
"This is for all" = once and for all
"slander" = squander
"come your ways" = come along now
Ophelia: I shall obey, my lord. →
[Exeunt.] →
videos: [Tennant] [1990] [ThisIs] [Cork]
No comments:
Post a Comment