Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Part 4

Hamlet's Expression of his Friendship for _Horatio_, has great Beauties; it is with Simplicity and Strength, and the Diction has all the Graces of Poetry. It was well imagin'd, that he should let his Friend know the Secret of his Father's Murder, because, thus his Request to him, to observe the King's Behaviour at the Play, is very naturally introduc'd as a prudent Desire of the Prince's. The Friendship of _Eneas_ for _Achates_ in the _Eneid_, is found Fault with much for the same Reasons that some Criticks might carp at this of _Hamlet's_ for _Horatio_, viz.

that neither of them are found to perform any great Acts of Friendship to their respective Friends. But, I think, that the Friendship of _Hamlet_ and _Horatio_ is far superior to that of _Eneas_ and _Achates_, as appears in the last Scene, where _Horatio's_ Behaviour is exceeding Tender, and his Affection for the Prince likely to prove very useful to his Memory.

Hamlet's whole Conduct, during the Play which is acted before the King, has, in my Opinion, too much Levity in it. His Madness is of too light a Kind, although I know he says, he must be idle; but among other Things, his Pun to _Polonius_ is not tolerable. I might also justly find Fault with the want of Decency in his Discourses to _Ophelia_, without being thought too severe. The Scene represented by the Players is in wretched Verse. This we may, without incurring the Denomination of an ill-natur'd Critick, venture to p.r.o.nounce, that in almost every Place where _Shakespeare_ has attempted Rhime, either in the Body of his Plays, or at the Ends of Acts or Scenes, he falls far short of the Beauty and Force of his Blank Verse: One would think they were written by two different Persons. I believe we may justly take Notice, that Rhime never arrived at its true Beauty, never came to its Perfection in _England_, until long since _Shakespeare's_ Time.

The King's rising with such Precipitation, and quitting the Play upon seeing the Resemblance of his own foul Crime, is very much in Nature, and confirms the Penetration of our Author's Hero.

Page 302.

Hamlet's Pleasantry upon his being certified that his Uncle is Guilty, is not a-propos in my Opinion. We are to take Notice that the Poet has mix'd a Vein of Humour in the Prince's Character, which is to be seen in many Places of this Play. What was his Reason for so doing, I cannot say, unless it was to follow his Favourite _Foible_, viz. that of raising a Laugh.

Page 306.

The Prince's Resolution upon his going to his Mother, is beautifully express'd, and suitable to his Character.

Page 306, 307.

What _Rosincrantz_ says of the Importance of the King's Life, is express'd by a very just Image.

Page 307.

The King's seeming so very much touch'd with a Sense of his Crime, is supposed to be owing to the Representation he had been present at; but I do not well see how _Hamlet_ is introduced so as to find him at Prayers.

It is not natural, that a King's Privacy should be so intruded on, not even by any of his Family, especially, that it should be done without his perceiving it.

Page 309.

Hamlet's Speech upon seeing the King at Prayers, has always given me great Offence. There is something so very b.l.o.o.d.y in it, so inhuman, so unworthy of a Hero, that I wish our Poet had omitted it. To desire to destroy a Man's Soul, to make him eternally miserable, by cutting him off from all hopes of Repentance; this surely, in a Christian Prince, is such a Piece of Revenge, as no Tenderness for any Parent can justify. To put the Usurper to Death, to deprive him of the Fruits of his vile Crime, and to rescue the Throne of _Denmark_ from Pollution, was highly requisite: But there our young Prince's Desires should have stop'd, nor should he have wished to pursue the Criminal in the other World, but rather have hoped for his Conversion, before his putting him to Death; for even with his Repentance, there was at least Purgatory for him to pa.s.s through, as we find even in a virtuous Prince, the Father of _Hamlet_.

Page 310.

_Enter the Queen and_ Polonius, _and afterwards_ Hamlet.

We are now come to a Scene, which I have always much admired. I cannot think it possible, that such an Incident could have been managed better, nor more conformably to Reason and Nature. The Prince, conscious of his own good Intentions, and the Justness of the Cause he undertakes to plead, speaks with that Force and a.s.surance which Virtue always gives; and yet manages his Expressions so as not to treat his Mother in a disrespectful Manner. What can be expressed with more Beauty and more Dignity, than the Difference between his Uncle and Father! The Contrast in the Description of them both, is exquisitely fine: And his inforcing the Heinousness of his Mother's Crime with so much Vehemence, and her guilty half Confessions of her Wickedness, and at last her thorough Remorse, are all Strokes from the Hand of a great Master in the Imitation of Nature.

His being obliged to break off his Discourse by the coming in of his Father's Ghost once more, adds a certain Weight and Gravity to this Scene, which works up in the Minds of the Audience all the Pa.s.sions which do the greatest Honour to human Nature. Add to this, the august and solemn Manner with which the Prince addresses the Spectre after his Invocation of the Celestial Ministers.

The Ghost's not being seen by the Queen, was very proper; for we could hardly suppose, that a Woman, and a guilty one especially, could be able to bear so terrible a Sight without the Loss of her Reason. Besides that, I believe, the Poet had also some Eye to a vulgar Notion, that Spirits are only seen by those with whom their Business is, let there be never so many Persons in Company. This Compliance with these popular Fancies, still gives an Air of Probability to the Whole. The Prince shews an extreme Tenderness for his Father in these Lines,

_On Him! on Him!_ &c.

_His Form and Cause conjoin'd_, &c.

and really performs all the strictest Rules of Filial Piety thro' out the whole Play, both to Father and Mother; and particularly, to the Latter in this Scene, whilst he endeavours to bring her to Repentance.

In a Word, We have in this important Scene, our Indignation raised against a vile Murderer, our Compa.s.sion caus'd for the inhuman Death of a virtuous Prince; our Affection is heighten'd for the Hero of the Play; and, not to enter into more Particulars, we are moved in the strongest Manner, by every Thing that can gain Access to our Hearts.

Hamlet's killing _Polonius_, was in Conformity to the Plan _Shakespeare_ built his Play upon; and the Prince behaves himself on that Occasion, as one who seems to have his Thoughts bent on Things of more Importance. I wish the Poet had omitted _Hamlet's_ last Reflection on the Occasion, _viz. This Counsellor, &c._ It has too much Levity in it; and his _tugging_ him away into another Room, is unbecoming the Gravity of the rest of the Scene, and is a Circ.u.mstance too much calculated to raise a Laugh, which it always does. We must observe, that _Polonius_ is far from a good Character, and that his Death is absolutely necessary towards the _Denouement_ of the whole Piece. And our Hero had not put him to Death, had not he thought it to have been the Usurper hid behind the _Arras_; so that upon the Whole, this is no Blemish to his Character.

Hamlet's Behaviour to the King, &c. (Act _fourth_, p 320 and Sequel,) concerning _Polonius's_ Body, is too jocose and trivial.

Page 326. _Enter_ Fortinbra.s.s _with an Army_.

This is a Conduct in most of our Author's Tragedies, and in many other of our Tragedy Writers, that is quite unnatural and absurd; I mean, introducing an Army on the Stage. Although our Imagination will bear a great Degree of Illusion, yet we can never so far impose on our Knowledge, and our Senses, as to imagine the Stage to contain an Army: Therefore in such a Case, the Recital of it, or seeing the Commander, and an Officer or Two of it, is the best Method of conducting such a Circ.u.mstance. _Fortinbra.s.s's_ Troops are here brought in, I believe, to give Occasion for his appearing in the last Scene, and also to give Rise to _Hamlet's_ reflections thereon, (p. 327.) which tend to give some Reasons for his deferring the Punishment of the Usurper.

Laertes's Character is a very odd one; it is not easy to say, whether it is good or bad; but his consenting to the villainous Contrivance of the Usurper's to murder _Hamlet_, (p. 342.) makes him much more a bad Man than a good one. For surely Revenge for such an accidental Murder as was that of his Father's (which from the Queen, it is to be supposed he was acquainted with all the Circ.u.mstances of) could never justify him in any treacherous Practices. It is a very nice Conduct in the Poet to make the Usurper build his Scheme upon the generous unsuspicious Temper of the Person he intends to murder, and thus to raise the Prince's Character by the Confession of his Enemy, to make the Villain ten Times more odious from his own Mouth. The Contrivance of the Foil unbated (i.e. without a b.u.t.ton) is methinks too gross a Deceit to go down even with a Man of the most unsuspicious Nature.

The Scenes of _Ophelia's_ Madness are to me very shocking, in so n.o.ble a Piece as this. I am not against her having been represented mad; but surely, it might have been done with less Levity and more Decency.

Mistakes are less tolerable from such a Genius as _Shakespeare's_ and especially in the very Pieces which give us such strong Proofs of his exalted Capacity. Mr. _Warburton's_ Note (in Mr. _Theobalds_) on _Laertes's_ Rebellion, is very judicious, (as indeed are all those of that Gentleman) only I cannot think _Laertes_ (for the Reasons I have given) a good Character.

ACT V.

The Scene of the Grave-Diggers. (p. 344.) I know is much applauded, but in my humble Opinion, is very unbecoming such a Piece as this, and is only pardonable as it gives Rise to _Hamlet's_ fine moral Reflections upon the Infirmity of human Nature.

Page 354.

Hamlet's Return to _Denmark_ is not ill contriv'd; but I cannot think that his Stratagem is natural or easy, by which he brings that Destruction upon the Heads of his Enemies, which was to have fallen upon himself. It was possible, but not very probable; because methinks, their Commission was kept in a very negligent Manner, to be thus got from them without their knowing it. Their Punishment was just, because they had devoted themselves to the Service of the Usurper in whatever he should command, as appears in several Pa.s.sages.

It does not appear whether _Ophelia's_ Madness was chiefly for her Father's Death, or for the Loss of _Hamlet_. It is not often that young Women run mad for the Loss of their Fathers. It is more natural to suppose, that like _Chimene_ in the _Cid_, her great Sorrow proceeded from her Father's being kill'd by the Man she lov'd, and thereby making it indecent for her ever to marry him.

Page 351.

In _Hamlet's_ leaping into _Ophelia's_ Grave, (which is express'd with great Energy and Force of Pa.s.sion) we have the first real Proof of his Love for her, which during this whole Piece has been forced to submit to Pa.s.sions of greater Weight and Force, and here is suffered to break out chiefly, as it is necessary towards the Winding up of the Piece. It is but an Under-Pa.s.sion in the Play, and seems to be introduced more to conform to the Plan our Poet built upon, than for any Thing else; tho'

as the whole Play is managed, it conduces towards the Conclusion, as well as it diversifies, and adds Beauties to the whole Piece.

Page 357.

The Scene of the Fop _Osrick_ is certainly intended as a Satire upon the young Courtiers of those Days, and is humourously express'd, but is, I think, improper for Tragedy.

Hamlet's feeling, as it were, a Presage in his own Breast, of the Misfortune impending from his accepting _Laertes's_ Challenge, is beautiful; and we are to note, that our Author in several of his Plays, has brought in the chief Personages as having a sort of prophetick Idea of their Death; as in _Romeo_ and _Juliet_. It was (I doubt not) the Opinion of the Age he lived in.

Laertes's Death, and the Queen's, are truly poetical Justice, and very naturally brought about; although I do not conceive it to be so easy to change Rapiers in a Scuffle, without knowing it at the Time.

The Death of the Queen is particularly according to the strictest Rules of Justice, for she loses her Life by the Villany of the very Person, who had been the Cause of all her Crimes.

Page 364.

Since the Poet deferred so long the Usurper's Death, we must own, that he has very naturally effected it, and still added fresh Crimes to those the Murderer had already committed.

Upon _Laertes's_ Repentance for contriving the Death of _Hamlet_, one cannot but feel some Sentiments of Pity for him; but who can see or read the Death of the young Prince without melting into Tears and Compa.s.sion?