Page:Hamlet - The Arden Shakespeare - 1899.djvu/131

Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours.

Oph. Madam, I wish it may.
[Exit Queen.^{[a 1]}

Pol. Ophelia, walk you here.—Gracious,^{[b 1]} so please you,^{[a 2]}
We will bestow ourselves. [To Ophelia] Read on this book,
That show of such an exercise^{[b 2]} may colour 45
Your loneliness.^{[a 3]} We are oft to blame in this,—
'Tis too much proved,—that with devotion's visage
And pious action we do sugar^{[a 4]} o'er
The devil himself.

King. [Aside.]^{[a 5]} Oh, 'tis too^{[a 6]} true!
How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience! 50
The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art,
Is not more ugly to^{[b 3]} the thing that helps it
Than is my deed to my most painted word.
O heavy burden!

Pol. I hear him coming; let's^{[a 7]} withdraw, my lord. 55
[Exeunt King and Polonius.

Enter Hamlet.^{[a 8]}

Ham. To be, or not to be:^{[b 4]} that is the question:

1. Exit Queen] Theobald, omitted Q, F.
2. 43. please you] Q, please ye F.
3. 46. loneliness] F, lowlines Q.
4. 48. sugar] Q, surge F.
5. 49. Aside] Capell, at line 50 Pope.
6. 49. 'tis too] Q, 'tis F.
7. 55. let's] F, omitted Q.
8. Enter Hamlet] F, after burden, line 54, Q.

1. 43. Gracious] addressed to the King.
2. 45, exercise] act of devotion (the book being one of prayers), as in King Richard III. III. vii. 64: "his holy exercise."
3. 52. to] compared to, as in I. ii. 140.
4. 56. To be, or not to be:] Explained by Johnson as a future life, or non-existence after death; by Malone, to live, or to commit suicide. G. Macdonald regards the words as the dose of a preceding train of thought, not to be connected with what follows.