It’s interesting that this line works on Laertes. There is a tiny hint of patronizing in it – calling Laertes a child really shouldn’t work. But I suppose in reminding Laertes of his status as the child of Polonius, the aspect of calling him a child gets subverted and Laertes has to accept the compliment of being a good child or deny being a gentleman. And this is how Claudius wins him over.

After putting on a show…
after weeks of rehearsal…
after eating many meals…
after a few drinks…
after the strike and the party…

Swoopstake! I know Claudius has said a lot of very important words here but they all fade into the background with a word like SWOOPSTAKE there in the middle. I mean…SWOOPSTAKE!
It’s like sweepstake but past tense? Or like sweepstake but with more movement?
My god English was exciting when it was in this uncodified stage! SWOOPSTAKE.
It is so much fun to say or to write or even just think!
Maybe I should get a cat and name it SWOOPSTAKE, then I could say it everyday.
“Come here, Swoopstake! Here’s your dinner, Swoopstake! Swoopstake, have you caught a mouse?”
Swoopstake, yeah.

Oh ho. The king has switched from “thou” to “you.”
What has caused this shift from informal to formal language? Is this a signal of respect? Is the king, by calling Laertes “you” all of a sudden, signaling that he is treating Laertes’ potential threat of taking the crown seriously? Is this a leveling of the playing field? A status move? It is a good one. And it works.

Could we fill up on questions? If food was short – could we drop question after question into our bellies? Or rather drop question after question into others until we were full? I suppose it’s the answers that might fill us up.

Of all the one word sentences there are, this has got to be one of the best.

One word lines remind me of Open Scenes…a series of scenes with dialogue without a clear meaning. They are often used in acting and directing classes as a training technique. Open scenes are often full sentences but one could easily have one made up entirely of one word lines. And this one would make an impact every single time. Mostly due to its meaning but the sound, too, has a nice stop in it.

You know what, man? Maybe shut up. Maybe shut up for a minute so us ladies can speak. Maybe we’ve had enough of your speaking for a lifetime. Your 5000 years are up.

Gertrude must be pretty strong. I mean to be able to hold back an incensed young man? And to continue to hold him back? Where did she get this strength? Did they train Queens in martial arts in Denmark? I’ve read that a lot of the Viking warriors were women. Maybe she’s got some Viking in her? I like a queen who can not only defend herself but also defend her husband when needed. A warrior queen.

In my current emotional state, I’d be very happy to have a warrior queen.

As obvious as it maybe, this is actually a pretty good strategy for talking with someone in this heightened state. Asking questions. Listening. Letting the incensed person say all the things they need to say. When a person comes ready to fight, they are not necessarily in a state of mind to explain their motives well. But the act of trying might, in fact, begin to flip the switch. Get a man talking, he’s less likely to do damage with his blade.

Peep is such a great word here. It is a bit – diminutive…kind of cute. And thinking of treason as cute and innocuous is a pretty clever way to derail it.
I imagine Treason as a giant warrior with lots of armor and hair and swords and what not and he storms his way into places – all beard and sharp weapons – and then he opens his mouth and out comes, “peep.” Like a little baby chick. “Peep, peep, peep.” He lunges. Peep! He attacks! Peep!
And everyone just can’t stop laughing and the giant warrior is defeated with laughs.