The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 | Page 3

to
me not only to trim the parts immediately affected, but to render the
play more harmonious and consistent. It is no presumption to take the
Poet for superior to his work and capable of thinking he could better
it--neither, so believing, to imagine one can see that he has been
successful.
A main argument for the acceptance of the Folio edition as the Poet's
last presentment of his work, lies in the fact that there are passages in it

which are not in the Quarto, and are very plainly from his hand. If we
accept these, what right have we to regard the omission from the Folio
of passages in the Quarto as not proceeding from the same hand? Had
there been omissions only, we might well have doubted; but the
insertions greatly tend to remove the doubt. I cannot even imagine the
arguments which would prevail upon me to accept the latter and refuse
the former. Omission itself shows for a master-hand: see the
magnificent passage omitted, and rightly, by Milton from the opening
of his Comus.
'But when a man has published two forms of a thing, may we not judge
between him and himself, and take the reading we like better?'
Assuredly. Take either the Quarto or the Folio; both are Shakspere's.
Take any reading from either, and defend it. But do not mix up the two,
retaining what he omits along with what he inserts, and print them so.
This is what the editors do--and the thing is not Shakspere's. With
homage like this, no artist could be other than indignant. It is well to
show every difference, even to one of spelling where it might indicate
possibly a different word, but there ought to be no mingling of
differences. If I prefer the reading of the Quarto to that of the Folio, as
may sometimes well happen where blunders so abound, I say I
_prefer_--I do not dare to substitute. My student shall owe nothing of
his text to any but the editors of the Folio, John Heminge and Henrie
Condell.
I desire to take him with me. I intend a continuous, but ever-varying,
while one-ended lesson. We shall follow the play step by step, avoiding
almost nothing that suggests difficulty, and noting everything that
seems to throw light on the character of a person of the drama. The
pointing I consider a matter to be dealt with as any one pleases--for the
sake of sense, of more sense, of better sense, as much as if the text were
a Greek manuscript without any division of words. This position I need
not argue with anyone who has given but a cursory glance to the
original page, or knows anything of printers' pointing. I hold hard by
the word, for that is, or may be, grain: the pointing as we have it is
merest chaff, and more likely to be wrong than right. Here also,
however, I change nothing in the text, only suggest in the notes. Nor do
I remark on any of the pointing where all that is required is the
attention of the student.

Doubtless many will consider not a few of the notes unnecessary. But
what may be unnecessary to one, may be welcome to another, and it is
impossible to tell what a student may or may not know. At the same
time those form a large class who imagine they know a thing when they
do not understand it enough to see there is a difficulty in it: to such, an
attempt at explanation must of course seem foolish.
A number in the margin refers to a passage of the play or in the notes,
and is the number of the page where the passage is to be found. If the
student finds, for instance, against a certain line upon page 8, the
number 12, and turns to page 12, he will there find the number 8
against a certain line: the two lines or passages are to be compared, and
will be found in some way parallel, or mutually explanatory.
Wherever I refer to the Quarto, I intend the 2nd Quarto--that is
Shakspere's own authorized edition, published in his life-time. Where
occasionally I refer to the surreptitious edition, the mere inchoation of
the drama, I call it, as it is, the _1st Quarto_.
Any word or phrase or stage-direction in the 2nd Quarto differing from
that in the Folio, is placed on the margin in a line with the other: choice
between them I generally leave to my student. Omissions are mainly
given as footnotes. Each edition does something to correct the errors of
the other.
I beg my companion on this journey to let Hamlet reveal himself in the
play, to observe him as he assumes individuality by the