Do you have an edition of Hamlet at hand?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around different editions of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," specifically focusing on a particular passage from Act I, Scene I. Participants are seeking and sharing variations in wording and annotations from various editions, as well as discussing the implications of these differences.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks specific lines from "Hamlet" and requests help identifying variations in wording from different editions.
  • Another participant provides their version of the lines, indicating their edition is "Shakespeare Made Easy."
  • Several participants share links to online resources, suggesting that Google and Project Gutenberg can be helpful for finding texts.
  • A participant expresses a desire for a variety of sources to clarify the differences in wording, particularly around the terms "comart" and "compart." They propose a connection between these terms and the administration of lands.
  • There is a discussion about the word "design'd," with one participant noting that it does not appear in the First Folio or Second Quarto editions, which both use "design." This raises questions about editorial choices in different versions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the wording of the passage, as multiple editions are referenced with differing terms. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best interpretation of the text and the implications of the variations.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the challenges posed by the existence of multiple editions, transcriptions, and facsimiles of "Hamlet," which complicate their search for accurate text. There is also mention of potential typos and editorial decisions that affect the understanding of the passage.

honestrosewater
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Long story short: I had some. I had to donate them. I don't want to buy them again if I don't need them. I only need a few lines right now. It's perfectly kosher, IMHO. So...

If anyone has a version other than the First Folio or Second Quarto, I'll grant you one wish if you tell me what it says within the question marks:

Did forfeit (with his life) all ?these/those? his lands
Which he stood seized ?of/on?, to the conqueror.
Against the which a moiety competent
Was gagEd by our King, which had ?returned/return?
To the inheritance of Fortinbras,
Had he been vanquisher; as by the same ?compart/compact/Cov’nant?
And carriage of the article ?design/designed?
To locate it: This is Horatio speaking to Marcellus in Act I, Scene I, after the Ghost has entered and exited for the first time. It's a rather long speech, which begins with "That can I. At least the whisper goes so...", and you may find it around line #105. It'll be on the first page or two, so you can just scan for the first lengthy speech.

If you have an annotated edition and there are notes about this part, I would love it if you could give me the details regarding the options in question. This would be extremely helpful, because I want to make an informed decision.

Thanks so much. :smile:
 
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My copy gives:

Did forfeit (with his life) all those his lands
Which he stood seized of to the conqueror.
Against the which a moiety competent
Was gagEd by our King, which had returned
To the inheritance of Fortinbras,
Had he been vanquisher; as by the same cov’nant

My edition: Shakespeare made easy :blushing:
 
http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/virtualclassroom/Law/legalhamlet/act1-1.htm

Google is your friend. :smile:
 
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Thanks, Doc Al. I just realized that I had forgotten a line, but don't worry about it, I bet that your says "design'd" anyway. :smile: (You have one wish.)
 
TheStatutoryApe said:
http://www.shakespearefellowship.org/virtualclassroom/Law/legalhamlet/act1-1.htm

Google is your friend. :smile:
O, the shame. I thought I was the Google Queen. :redface: You rock, mister Ape! :biggrin:
Okay, I'll use this site later, so it's a big help. It addresses the comart issue, but not the others. I kind of wanted comart to be a typo of compart, which meant to divide into parts. This fits with carriage, the administration of those parts:
as by the same compart and carriage of the article design(ed),
as by the same division and admistration (of lands) of the article design(ed)​
which is what the compact did. It has the right rhythm too. Bah, I want all the choices not mentioned so far.

I still would like a variety of sources on this one. It is giving me problems.
 
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honestrosewater said:
I bet that your says "design'd" anyway.
Yep, the next line is:
And carriage of the article designed,​
 
Doc Al said:
Yep, the next line is:
And carriage of the article designed,​
And design'd is in neither F1 nor Q2! It's design in both! They just changed it for some reason. :rolleyes:
 
dduardo said:
Project Gutenberg is your friend:

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1524

They have a huge collection of ebooks in all types of formats.
Thanks, I love PG but wasn't familiar with the Collins Edition. This is crazy - between the editions, transcriptions of the editions, and facsimiles, I'm going to have over a dozen tabs open at once. They get hard to keep track of after a while.
 
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