Author: erainbowd

I have seen you both.

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The way Claudius says this, it sounds as if he’s watched both these guys in a show or something. Granted, I have a heavily theatrical sensibility – so of course it sounds like he’s seen them both onstage to me.

Sports are also a thing people go see. It is a spectator experience. It’s not entirely impossible that Claudius could have watched both these guys compete.

However.

When?

When have either Laertes or Hamlet had time to participate in sparring? Hamlet’s been to “England” and Laertes has been in France. Previously, it was funeral and wedding time at Elsinore. Were there games as part of those celebrations?

When exactly has Claudius seen them both?

I do not fear it.

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I wonder if murderers, on the whole, are not particularly fearful people. Like, has there been a comprehensive study of the personalities of murderers? I would think they probably aren’t ruled by fear – because fear would surely prevent them from doing something as risky as murder. Like, a fearful person may really want to murder his brother but he’d be afraid of being caught, or going to hell, or failing at it, or or or. Maybe murderers are an odd kind of optimist – the kind that assumes their actions will have no unwanted consequences.

Your grace hath laid the odds o’ the weaker side.

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It is curious that Shakespeare takes such pains to tell us that Laertes is a better fighter. Osric tells us. Horatio tells us. Hamlet tells us here. The king is about to tell us in this next bit and has told us in the way he’s built the wager. The numbers of ways we are told that Hamlet is bound to lose this fight are MANY – and from Hamlet himself, too – though he has made it clear that he thinks he has a shot due to his continual practice since Laertes went to France.

But…it is interesting that Shakespeare has taken so many pains to make sure we know who is favored to win this duel. I suspect it’s so that it’s clear that the hit that Hamlet gets is a surprise to all of them. And it makes Hamlet the underdog in the fight, which always makes people root for him even harder than they might anyway. It’s an early sports movie motif, I guess. With more exciting language.

Very well, my lord.

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How does he know the wager very well?

Because Osric told him.

Is this an opportunity for Hamlet to mess with Osric some more? He’s clearly present – the king has just told him to give them the foils. I’m guessing that this line would have to reference Osric somehow – either Hamlet delivers part of it TO Osric or nods at Osric or touches him as he receives a foil. Something.

Cousin Hamlet, you know the wager?

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Oh, now that there are plans in place for his death you’re calling him cousin? He’s family now that he’s got a death sentence hanging over him?

And he’s not calling him family in that creepy stepdad way of calling him son. Cousin is actually accurate in the sense that it was used then. It’s family. It’s relative. It’s familial and familiar. Unlike calling him “son” – it is not combative. Claudius is finally learning how to be a better stepdad moments before he’s due to lose the job.

Give them the foils, young Osric.

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It does rather feel like Claudius might be concerned Hamlet and Laertes might start fighting in an unorganized way if he doesn’t intervene. And he definitely doesn’t want a fist fight because a fist fight will make it a lot harder for Laertes to “accidentally” kill Hamlet with a poisoned sword.

It feels a bit like Claudius is trying to defuse this back and forth so they can get to the business of killing Hamlet.

No, by this hand.

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We need more body based swears. An oath like this just has a natural gesture. It begs to be performed by the body. You cannot say “by this hand” without displaying the hand somehow. We have crossing one’s heart. But no one swears by their leg or their hair or their pelvis or their belly or their sternum.

But it would be kind of beautiful silly dance if they did.

You mock me, sir.

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I think that Hamlet is trying to pay Laertes a compliment here. If he is making a joke with a little word play, Laertes isn’t the target. But when you have a mocker’s reputation and then you try to pay a compliment, it is often the case that the complimentees will be suspicious of the compliment, especially if there’s a joke built into it that’s not exactly crystal clear.

In mine ignorance Your skill shall, like a star i’ the darkest night, Stick fiery off indeed.

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I think there’s a level of wordplay that I am missing here. I can see the metaphor easily – Laertes will be so much better at this than Hamlet, he’ll shine brightly like a star in the dark. And stars are made of fire and they are in the distance – so that all makes sense.

But the stick sticks.

Because a stick can be like a cut – or a hit in this dueling game.

And given what’s about to happen here – the stick feels like an obvious reference. But why is the STAR sticking far off?

Like, it’s so far off from Hamlet’s?

Like Hamlet’s skill is so earthbound and Laertes is WAAAY off in the heavens, stuck and fiery?

I feel like I’m missing a step.