Kristylesan's List: Hamlet

• What, have you given him any hard words of late?
• No, my good lord, but, as you did command,
   I did repel his fetters and denied
   His access to me.

• not to
• 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 unvalued persons do,Carve for himself; for on his choice depends20The safety and health of this whole state;
• • Why is Hamlet's will not his own? How is he subject to his birth?
• • Consider the loss to your reputation if you act in an improper way with Hamlet
• Then weigh what loss your honour may sustain,If with too credent ear you list his songs,30Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure openTo his unmaster'd importunity.
• But, good my brother,Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven;Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,Himself the primrose path of dalliance tr
• • Don't tell me what to do and then be careless yourself with the family reputation
• This above all: to thine ownself be true,
• green girl
• • Fruit that is upripe is green- not ready yet
• That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay,Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly;Or--not to
• • You have taken his sweet-talk for sterling silver-something valuable.  Take care of yourself more carefully or you will ruin us all.
• not to
• you'll tender me a foo
• When the blood burns, how prodigal the soulLends the tongue vows:

  • Men will say anything-use sweet-talk-to get what they want.
• 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.
• • He forbids her to see/speak to Hamlet and she obeys

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• It beckons you to go away with it,As if it some impartment did desireTo you alone
• • The ghost is trying to get Hamlet alone and the others are afraid and don't want him to go.
• It waves you to a more removed ground:But do not go with it.
• What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff
• draw you into madness?
• My fate cries out,
• • Hamlet insists on going because he needs to-his fate cries out.

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• • model commentary
• Where wilt thou lead me? speak; I'll go no further.
• • Claudius used his charm to bewitch and seduce the Queen. For her to go from King Hamlet to Claudius was a falling off because Hamlet's love was dignified by marriage and he was a better person.
• Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,--O wicked wit and gifts, that have the powerSo to seduce!--won to his shameful lustThe will of my most seeming-virtuous queen:O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there!From me, whose love was of that dignityThat it went hand in hand even with the vowI made to her in marriage, and to decline50Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poorTo those of mine!
• Let not the royal bed of Denmark beA couch for luxury and damned incest.But, howsoever thou pursuest this act,Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contriveAgainst thy mother aught: leave her to heavenAnd to those thorns that in her bosom lodge,To prick and sting her.
• • The ghost is telling Hamlet not to allow this incest to continue but not to judge and condemn the Queen because she was bewitched.  He says to leave her to her own guilt and god.
• O earth! what else

  • What else can possibly go wrong? What else must I endure?
• O most pernicious woman!

  • Pernicious means destructive and injurious.  Does Hamlet blame his mother?
• The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,That ever I was born to set it right!

  • Things seem surreal.  Hamlet is cursing the fact that he was born to do this task of killing his uncle to avenge his father's death.

7 more annotations...

• At 'closes in the consequence,' at 'friend or so,'and 'gentleman.'

  • Notice Reynaldo's tone here.  What does he think about Polonius?