[Footnote 10: 'refuses the wrong altogether—will in his true self have nothing to do with it.' No evil thing comes of our true selves, and confession is the casting of it from us, the only true denial. He who will not confess a wrong, holds to the wrong.]
[Footnote 11: All here depends on the expression in the utterance.]
[Footnote 12: This line not in Q.]
[Footnote 13: This is Hamlet's summing up of the whole—his explanation of the speech.]
[Footnote 14: 'so far as this in your generous judgment—that you regard me as having shot &c.']
[Footnote 15: Brother is much easier to accept, though Mother might be in the simile.
To do justice to the speech we must remember that Hamlet has no quarrel whatever with Laertes, that he has expressed admiration of him, and that he is inclined to love him for Ophelia's sake. His apology has no reference to the fate of his father or his sister; Hamlet is not aware that Laertes associates him with either, and plainly the public did not know Hamlet killed Polonius; while Laertes could have no intention of alluding to the fact, seeing it would frustrate his scheme of treachery.]
[Page 264]
Laer. I am satisfied in Nature,[1]
Whose motiue in this case should stirre me most
To my Reuenge. But in my termes of Honor
I stand aloofe, and will no reconcilement,
Till by some elder Masters of knowne Honor,
I haue a voyce, and president of peace
To keepe my name vngorg'd.[2] But till that time,
[Sidenote: To my name vngord: but all that]
I do receiue your offer'd loue like loue,
And wil not wrong it.
Ham. I do embrace it freely, [Sidenote: I embrace] And will this Brothers wager frankely play. Giue vs the Foyles: Come on.[3]