We can understand the word lawless in all its meaning, as regards these early and feeble attempts. What a vast change has come over Fortinbras since these fiascos! Now he is a Prince, who, with a well-disciplined army, can express his duty" in the eye of the King. He can act powerfully upon Hamlet. So immense is his influence upon Hamlet all through the play, that we may fairly say, without his help, our hero would never return to Denmark. Thus it is Fortinbras rises like a pyramid in the centre of the drama, giving it force and giving direction, until his triumphant entry, with drums sounding, at the conclusion of the tragedy.'

1 Let it be distinctly understood, Fortinbras is silently marching all through the play with Hamlet. His sudden appearance illustrates this dramatically and purposely.

CHAPTER III.

WE

E now leave Hamlet to the care of England and Fortinbras. And whilst his two enemies, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are being slowly killed by England, we will follow some of the legitimate consequences which follow the death of Polonius.

The commencement of the fourth act shows us the sad condition of Ophelia. The distinction between her madness and that of Hamlet is very great. She is really mad. The latter only appears to be insane. Ophelia is intended to be understood as thoroughly insane. And what does insanity signify? Want of coherence, want of reason, or what we term loss of rationality. Thus the madness of Ophelia represents her want of reason and coherence. The Queen refuses to speak with her. But at the entreaty of Horatio she overcomes her scruples. Ophelia1

Does not the last line contain the principle upon which all

1 It is perhaps worth calling attention to a possible, but certainly far-fetched, anagram upon Ophelia's name [HOPE (Ophe) I(n) A(fter) L(ife).]

dissent is based?

Is not dissent the collection of "words

which carry but half sense to suit different types of

mind?

The death of Polonius has, of course, produced the insanity of Ophelia. Her foundations are sapped. She carries but half sense. Nothing but the theological bias, as Mr. Herbert Spencer might term it, keeps her from utter ruin. And the Queen refuses to allow scepticism to enter her mind at first. But time, with Horatio, who is the spirit of earnestness and justice, brings Ophelia to the Queen. The latter, be it remembered, is human belief. Ophelia is the spirit of religion. She represents, in conformity to the continuity of the play, the religious beliefs of the time. And now, alas! they The Queen seems quite reckless. She is not the Queen of the first act. She has modified also her character with the development of the play. If the reader does not always try and realize the parallelism of history, he will never seize Hamlet.

are very sceptical.
are very sceptical.

"Queen. To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is,
Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss :
So full of artless jealousy is guilt,

It spills itself in fearing to be spilt."

We can grasp the state of the Queen's mind. It is impregnated with misgiving. Doubt follows doubt dramatically. The very act of not wishing to be made sceptical brings a train of scepticism with it. The defence of a daughter, whose father is always decaying, is full of danger. The very defence exposes faults in her character.

Ophelia now enters with Horatio. The latter seems to be looking after Ophelia. And here let it be remarked, Hamlet effects little unless Horatio is with him. His exile is one in which he is bereft of his friend.

The songs of Ophelia are full of the profoundest meaning. They are different forms and stages of religious dissent, unbelief, and even materialism. Goethe has told us what her chief song conveys. Doubt once entered can never depart

again. "Never departed more." The King has the perspicacity to see it "springs all from her father's death.”

"Oph. [Sings] How should I your true love know

From another one?

By his cockle hat and staff,

And his sandal shoon."

A cockle hat is a pilgrim's hat. Is Ophelia asking how one faith is to be distinguished from another one? Is it, she asks, by ritual?

The whole of the above denotes controversy and difference of opinion between Church and people. It is a divorcement of beliefs. The Queen proves this in expostulating with Ophelia. The last and next song of Ophelia is typical of controversy over Polonius. He is authority and certainty. It is polemical discussion over authority and certainty. Ophelia shows great regret for her father. At the head of Polonius, or in his place, everything is new, like green grass.1 Everything denotes hardness of belief — stonyheartedness. Belief is growing very chilly and cold. "White his shroud as the mountain snow." The coldness and far-off effect of snowy mountains well represents the increasing luke-warmness and the ever-increasing distance of certainty and belief in tradition. The King now enters. As scepticism, she says:

"Oph. Well, God 'ild you! They say the owl was a baker's daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table!"

This seems to typify new thoughts and fresh ideas resulting from scepticism.

In the last lines, "we know what we are, but know not what we may be," we read doubts as to the immortality of the soul. The King says, "Conceit upon her father." The question is one, indeed, of tradition; and he may well call it "conceit upon her father." The first two verses of the song beginning "To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day" signify increasing scepticism; a scepticism which never departs, but holds fast. They signify that once doubt has entered, and that doubt religious doubt (or Ophelia), it would never come out as it entered. Nothing less than ruin is the result.

The next two verses are an apology for nature, and the necessity of law. Can we therefore deduce our Poet's meaning to be that increase of knowledge has been the reason of the visit of scepticism? The King appears to be ignorant how long Ophelia has been in this state

66 King. How long hath she been thus ?

Oph. I hope all will be well. We must be patient: but I cannot choose but weep, to think they should lay him i' the cold ground. My brother shall know of it and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night, good night."

In all the above criticisms upon Ophelia, convinced as we are of Ophelia's identity with the state of religious belief and feeling at successive epochs of history and of the play, nevertheless in all these details we only venture to suggest to the reader anything which may throw light upon the buds and leaves of the play. Every word is the touch of a painter. We may be sure no single epithet in Ophelia's lips is without meaning. In her expression, "I hope all will be well. We must be patient," we read hope for the future mixed with misgiving; and in the next we read that there are many who believe in either the virtue of time or the growth of other violets.1 Great regret over Polonius is a notable characteristic. Lingering looks, hopeless and despairing efforts to bring him to life again. And the strong support of Laertes

1 Violets typify faith.