Does Horatio really not know Laertes? He’s seen Ophelia, for sure. But I guess, yeah, Laertes left at the top of the play and I suppose it is possible that he could have missed him.

But it is curious that Hamlet describes him as just a noble youth. It would be more logical to describe him as Ophelia’s brother or Polonius’ son. Horatio should have a sense of those people even if he didn’t have much contact with Laertes.

However – it would sort of give the game away early if Hamlet mentioned Ophelia at this moment. Better to describe Laertes on his own merits and then realize it is his sister going in the ground.

My favorite bit of Kenneth Branagh’s delightful film, A Midwinter’s Tale, is when one of the (not very professional) actors confesses that whenever he forgets a line or what he’s supposed to do, he says, “Crouch we here awhile and lurk.” And then crouches behind something and waits. I do not think this line exists anywhere in the canon – at least not exactly – but I do so love it.

And it DOES sound a great deal like “Couch we awhile, and mark.”

And one could use it for just such an eventuality just as easily.

This is kind of a fun way to say that someone is rich or well-to-do. It’s like a way that only someone of estate would say it.
It makes me think about all those articles and studies that point out how the wealthy never want to call themselves rich – they like to say things like “comfortable.” I can imagine that “of some estate” might well fit into that same category.

It’s unlikely that he would say this to the gravedigger – as one would presume that the gravedigger would know all this very well. Not that Hamlet would be above a condescending passing on of obvious knowledge – but it feels more likely that he’s saying this to Horatio. Which reminds me of my pet theory that Horatio is more foreigner than friend. He affords the opportunity for Hamlet to explain customs and traditions that would not require explanations to a native Dane. Horatio allows Hamlet to give us some context.

The place I came to write is surprise closing in five minutes. My own rites are being a bit maimed against my will today. I have not had time to do any of the things I came here to do. So. This line analysis is a bit lame, the ritual has been maimed and we will have to proceed again tomorrow.

The logistics of this are tricky. If the King, Queen and courtiers are following the body – then the body would seem to be the first “person” out onstage but he doesn’t say anything about it until after he’s acknowledged the king and train.
I suppose, the way to do it is for those two “But soft”s to be the seeing of the coffin and then he circles back around to the coffin once he’s processed who’s here.
So it’s: dead body, King, Queen, courtiers…
Wait, if they’re here who is that dead body? Who is dead that those folks are here?
And wait – what’s missing?
Some of the usual trappings.
So was this dead body a suicide?
It’s a lot to follow that train of thought.
But it is logical.

I’m looking at the text on Genius.com. I used to photocopy pages from my New Penguin edition but this has become easier. I just look at it on my smartphone and boom. I know the next line.
The problem with this convenience, though, is that it has no context. There are no indications of where Genius pulled their text from – which edition, which copy. There are major variations between editions, especially with this play, as there are three original sources – the first folio, the 2nd Quarto and the 1st, known as the Bad Quarto. And almost every edition is some combination of all three – cobbled together by an editor. But who edited the Genius text?
I mean, we, the Genius users, can edit the notes – but the actual text?

There are none of the deep cut textual notations that are characteristic of the Arden edition – so there is nothing to clue us in to editorial choices or variations.

I’m wondering about this now because the stage direction of the funeral processions entrance happens right before this line in the Genius “edition.” Is it always thus?
I imagine there are editions that might read: Here comes the King, the Queen, the courtiers.
But this edition has chosen (or not chosen, just pulled from some unknown source) to set the king apart from the rest. To insert a period where there might, in other cases, be a comma.
I might need to look at some actual editions.

I bet Hamlet wasn’t expecting to see the king here – since he didn’t know Ophelia had died – he’s not camped out here waiting for him.
But that raises the question of why Hamlet is in the graveyard. Are he and Horatio just out taking a stroll? That’s how I’ve always imagined it. They’re just out for a walk when they, by accident, stumble into a graveyard.
But what if that’s not it? What if they’re there on purpose? Like – to see what happened to Polonius’ body? Maybe to visit his grave to beg his pardon or ask his forgiveness? I’d like a Hamlet who turned up for that reason. I’m not sure it’s actually likely – but I like it.
One reason I know he’s NOT there is to have a psychological/philosophical discussion about death. That just happens to him when he turns up. I suppose he could have had a tip-off that the king is headed that way and he’s there to head him off – but he doesn’t know WHY Claudius is turning up there.

I don’t know why we don’t use this word to get people out of the way anymore. We know what it means. But somehow if we’re going to use it, we have to add the verb. It has to be Step Aside or Move Aside. I don’t know why Aside on its own wouldn’t do the trick.

This repetition of “but soft” is funny – because he’s definitely the only one talking.
So he tells himself to be quiet and then tells himself to be quiet again?
It could be that the first one is to quiet himself – and then when Horatio or the gravedigger look like they’ve about to ask why he tells them to hush up.
Certainly it could be said twice just for emphasis, just for rhythm. But there could also be business!