On 12/12/06 10:10, "Penny McCarthy" <penmc@BTCONNECT.COM> wrote:
Just to confuse Charles further, I recommend reading James Hirsh, ‘Shakespeare and the History of Soliloquies’ (AUP 2003), in which it is argued that ‘soliloquies’, talking as though in a thought-bubble to oneself, was not an available concept at the time; and that Hamlet is speaking to be heard by the King and Polonius in hiding. He wants them to think he is contemplating suicide. Not all these interpretations are compatible, it’s true – but it’s worth trying to believe a few of them before breakfast; and maybe not deciding on the preferred one before elevenses. (Good heavens! My word processor has never heard of elevenses.)
Best wishes, Penny.
Penny: to further confound us, we have the Q1 version of Hamlet:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:To_be_or_not_to_be_%28Q1%29.jpg
“To be or not to be, I [aye] there’s the point
“To die to fleepe, is that all? I [aye] all
”No to fleepe, to dreame, I [aye] mary there it goes
“For in that dreame of death, when we awake
“And borne before an everlafting Iudge ...”
Charles: worth knowing the history/controversy/texts of the Q1, Q2 and Folio variants before making firm interpretations.
Part of Frank Shaw’s proof that Hamlet’s setting was Irish-Danish: “And now I’ll do it PAT while he’s praying.”
Stan Kelly-Bootle