HAMLET.

I. What are the dates of the 1st and 2nd editions of Hamlet? State some of the most important variations between them. Is the conception of any of the characters materially altered in the 2nd edition ?

2. Write a short essay on the character of Hamlet, particularly discussing (1) whether his madness was real or feigned; and (2) his treatment of Ophelia.

3. Does Shakespeare intend to represent the Queen as cognisant of the murder of her husband? Can you quote any passages from the older play bearing on this point?

4. Paraphrase and explain the following passages:

(a)

These men

Carrying...his own scandal (i. 4. 30-38).

(b) To sleep! perchance to dream...bodkin (iii. 1. 65-76). (c) The rabble call him lord...shall be king

(iv. 5. 102-106). (d) If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come; the readiness is all; since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is't to leave betimes? (v. 2. 231.)

5. Explain fully the following passages; with especial reference to any difficulties in grammar, meaning, or allusion: (a) A little more than kin, and less than kind. (i. 2. 65.) (b) The king doth wake to-night, and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering upspring reels.

(i. 4. 8.)

Derive rouse, wassail. (c) Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd. (i. 5. 77.) (d) Your ladyship is nearer to heaven, than when I saw you last, by the altitude of a chopine. (ii. 2.)

:

(e) To split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant: it out-herods Herod. Pray you, avoid it. (iii. 2. 11.) (f) Marry, this is miching mallecho: it means mischief. (iii. 2. 147.)

(g) Why, let the stricken deer go weep,
The hart ungalled play:

For some must watch, while some must sleep;
So runs the world away. (iii. 2. 282.)

Would not this, sir, and a forest of feathers (if the rest of my fortunes turn Turk with me), with two provincial roses on my razed shoes, get me a fellowship in a cry of players, sir?

(h) A pick-axe and a spade, a spade,

For and a shrouding-sheet. (v. I. 102.)

(iii. 2. 286.)

(i) Woo't weep? woo't fight? woo't fast? woo't tear thyself?
Woo't drink up eisel, eat a crocodile? (v. I. 298.)

6. Explain fully the difficulties in the following passage: Hamlet. How chances it they travel?...than they can sing. (ii. 2. 343–363.)

7. In whose speeches do the following lines occur? Where you can, give the context. (a) It started like a guilty thing; (b) Like Niobe, all tears; (c) Rich, not gaudy; (d) More honoured in the breach than the observance; (e) Brevity is the soul of wit; (f) Lay not that flattering unction to your soul.

HAMLET.

I. Trace the history of the tale of Hamlet from its first appearance to the time of Shakespeare.

Mention the chief particulars in which "the Hystorie of Hamblet" agrees with the story of Shakespeare's play and those in which it differs from it.

2. What notice have we of a play on the story of Hamlet already existing in Shakespeare's time? Give and support your views, as to whether the quarto edition of 1603 is, (1) a faulty and incomplete version of the whole piece, or (2) an earlier sketch, or (3) whether it is based on the older play. Mention the most important differences between this and the play as we have it, (1) as to passages introduced or omitted, (2) as to the conception of any of the characters.

3. Write a short treatise, illustrated by quotations, on the mental condition of Hamlet as conceived by Shakespeare. The characters of Horatio and Laertes have been said to be contrasts to that of Hamlet in different ways. Illustrate this.

4. Give your idea of the kind of personage and the stamp of mind which Shakespeare meant to depict in Polonius, and account for Hamlet's marked contempt and aversion for him.

5. Coleridge remarks the art with which the opening scenes of Shakespeare's plays are adapted to set the mind of the spectator in the most suitable key for entering on the piece.

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Discuss this with reference to the opening scene of Hamlet.
BER. Who's there?

FRAN.

BER.

FRAN.

Nay, answer me: stand, and unfold yourself.
Long live the king!

Bernardo?

BER. He.

FRAN. You come most carefully upon your hour.

BER. 'Tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, Francisco.
FRAN. For this relief much thanks: 'tis bitter cold,

And I am sick at heart.

If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,

The rivals of my watch, bid them make haste. (i. 1.) Write a full comment upon this passage, pointing out (1) the words on which the actor should lay the chief stress, (2) the marks of anxiety in Bernardo and Marcellus. Is any system pursued as to the portions which are in metre and those which are not? Trace the history of the word "rivals." Illustrate the phrase―upon your hour.

6. Punctuate, using dashes where necessary, the following passage; and write a paraphrase, shewing the full meaning clearly, in good English prose.

This heavy-headed revel east and west

Make us traduced and taxed of other nations

They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition and indeed it takes

From our achievements though perform'd at height
The pith and marrow of our attribute

So oft it chances in particular men

That for some vicious mole of nature in them
As in their birth wherein they are not guilty
Since nature cannot choose his origin

By the o'ergrowth of some complexion

Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason
Or by some habit that too much o'er-leavens
The form of plausive manners that these men
Carrying I say the stamp of one defect
Being nature's livery or fortune's star
Their virtues else be they as pure as grace
As infinite as man may undergo

Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault the dram of eale
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt

To his own scandal (i. 4. 17—38.)

In what early editions is this whole passage omitted? Introduce any correction you may think fit into the last clause. Punctuate and paraphrase, writing short notes where you think them necessary :

7.

But that I know love is begun by time
And that I see in passages of proof
Time qualifies the spark and fire of it
There lives within the very flame of love
A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it
And nothing is at a like goodness still
For goodness growing to a plurisy

Dies in his own too much that we would do

We should do when we would for this would changes
And hath abatements and delays as many

As there are tongues are hands are accidents
And then this should is like a spendthrift sigh
That hurts by easing (iv. 7. 112).

Explain the epithet spend-thrift. To which of the characters does this speech belong?

8. What affectations of the day are satirized in the part of Osric? Give some account of the work which set many of them going.

Write an explanatory comment on the following:

HAM. I beseech you, remember.

OSR. Nay, good my lord; for mine ease, in good faith. Sir, here is newly come to court Laertes; believe me, an absolute gentleman, full of most excellent differences, of very soft society and great showing: indeed, to speak feelingly of him, he is the card or calender of gentry, for you shall find in him the continent of what part a gentleman would see.

HAM. Sir, his definement suffers no perdition in you; though, I know, to divide him inventorially would dizzy the arithmetic of memory, and yet but yaw neither, in respect of his quick sail. But, in the verity of extolment, I take him to be a soul of great article; and his infusion of such dearth and rareness, as, to make true diction of him, his semblable is his mirror; and who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more. (v. 2. 107.)

9. Explain fully, especially noting the words in Italics:
(a) Unhousel'd, disappointed, unanel'd. (i. 5. 77.)

(b)

Perhaps he loves you now,

And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
The virtue of his will. (i. 3. 14.)

(c) For this effect defective comes by cause. (ii. 2. 103.) (d) If I had played the desk or table-book. (ii. 2. 136.) (e) HAM. For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god kissing carrion-Have you a daughter?

POL. I have, my Lord.

HAM. Let her not walk i' the sun; conception is a blessing; but not as your daughter may conceive.-Friend, look to 't. (ii. 2. 181.) (f) That with better heed and judgment

I had not quoted him. (ii. 1. III.)

(g) HAM.

Good lads, how do ye both? Ros. As the indifferent children of the earth. (ii. 2. 230.) (h) To split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise: I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant: it out-herods Herod. (iii. 2.)

(i) Your ladyship is nearer to Heaven than when I saw you last by the altitude of a chopine. (ii. 2.)

(k) HAM. The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing

GUIL. A thing, my lord!

HAM. Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after.

(iv. 2. 29.) (2) For O, for O, the hobby-horse is forgot. (iii. 2. 143.) (m) A certain convocation of politick worms. (iv. 3. 21.) 10. Explain the following expressions and grammatical peculiarities:

Discourse of reason. A vice of kings. A toy in blood. Whose judgments cried in the top of mine. Little eyases, that cry out on the top of question. This is counter, you false Danish dogs. An anchor's cheer in prison. The bloat king. Which for to prevent. All the region kites.

In what senses, now unusual, do we find the following words used in this play? Quote instances: allowance, eager, dear, comply, approve.

Give the derivations or history of the following words :-dalliance, forestalled, wholesome, ban, wanton, beaver (his beaver up), cap-à-pé, wholesome, arraign, livery.