King. Now Hamlet, where's Polonius?
[Footnote 1: 'The body is in the king's house, therefore with the king; but the king knows not where, therefore the king is not with the body.']
[Footnote 2: 'A thing of nothing' seems to have been a common phrase.]
[Footnote 3: The Quarto has not 'hide Fox, and all after.']
[Footnote 4: Hamlet darts out, with the others after him, as in a hunt.
Possibly there was a game called Hide fox, and all after.]
[Footnote 5: He is a hypocrite even to himself.]
[Footnote 6: This had all along helped to Hamlet's safety.]
[Footnote 7: 'must be made to look the result of deliberate reflection.' Claudius fears the people may imagine Hamlet treacherously used, driven to self-defence, and hurried out of sight to be disposed of.]
[Footnote 8: Emphasis on he; the point of importance with the king, is where he is, not where the body is.]
[Footnote 9: Henceforward he is guarded, or at least closely watched, according to the Folio—left much to himself according to the Quarto. 192.]