Reading Notes - Cambridge School Shakespeare - Hamlet - No.5

Act 1

Scene 2

C 向挪威国王派出信使，阻止F进攻丹麦。他命令L替他宣布此要求。L想回法国。P说他已经勉强同意了。

(Claudius) Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose, to suppress
His further gait herein [^further gait herein], in that the levies,
The lists, and full proportions [^full proportions]are all made
Out of his subject; and we here dispatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway,
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the King, more than the scope
Of these dilated articles allow. [Gives a paper.]
Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty.

**Cornelius. **[with Voltemand] In that, and all things, will we show our duty.

**Claudius. **We doubt it nothing. Heartily farewell.

[Exeunt Voltemand and Cornelius.]

And now, Laertes, what's the news with you?
You told us of some suit. What is't, Laertes?
You cannot speak of reason to the Dane
And lose your voice. What wouldst thou beg, Laertes,
That shall not be my offer, not thy asking?
The head is not more native^[1] to the heart,
The hand more instrumental to the mouth,
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.
What wouldst thou have, Laertes?

Laertes. My dread lord,
Your leave and favour to return to France;
From whence though willingly I came to Denmark
To show my duty in your coronation,
Yet now I must confess, that duty done,
My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France
And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon.

Claudius. Have you your father's leave? What says Polonius?
Polonius. He hath, my lord, wrung from me my slow leave^[2]
By laboursome petition, and at last
Upon his will I seal'd my hard consent.
I do beseech you give him leave to go.

[^further gait herein]: further gait herein: going further

[^full proportions]: full proportions: army necessary for this campaign

练习

1. profile performance 是否该嘲笑C强调自己的男人气概？
   挪威的国王和C类似，都是继承了自己兄弟的王位。C说他“impotent and bedrid"。讨论C应以何种方式向观众表现出其性格。例如，当他念这段台词时，可拥抱G，并显示自己的男性气质和力量。

2. writing
   写一份C给“old Norway" 的dilated articles^[3]，

以国王向国王的正式问候开头。写清楚目前的政治形势。然后提出要求：挪威国王必须阻止Forinbras对丹麦国土的索取。在此封”article"中加入丹麦式地名，你也可以加入其他元素使其更加真实，就像Cornelius 和Voltemand真的要把这封信送给挪威国王一样。

3. profile 到目前为止，Claudius, Gertrude, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Ophedia,Cornelius 和Voltmand都有自己的位置。请按丹麦的社会地位给以上人物排序。说出理由，并讨论不同观点。也可以按照其他标准来排，例如dramatic importance, age, 或者 moral。

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1. native: related ↩

2. slow leave: persistent asking ↩

3. dilated articles: clear, full statements ↩