[1] Act i. Scene i.] Actus Primus. Scæna prima. Ff. Omitted in Qq. See note [I]
Elsinore.] Capell.
A platform ...] Malone. An open Place before the Palace. Rowe. A Platform before the Palace. Theobald. Platform of the Castle. Capell.
Francisco at ...] Francisco upon ... Capell. Enter Barnardo, and Francisco, two Centinels. Qq Ff.
[2] Who's] Ff Q6. Whose The rest.
[3] Who's ... He] As in Qq Ff. Two lines of verse in Capell, the first ending unfold.
[4] Bernardo?] Barnardo? F1 F2 Q6 F3. Barnardo. The rest.
[5] carefully] chearfully F3 F4.
[6] now struck] new-struck Elze (Steevens conj.)
struck] strooke Qq. strook F1.
[7] Well, ... haste.] As in Qq. Prose in Ff.
[8] Horatio ... rivals] Horatio, and Marcellus The rival Warner conj.
[10] Give you] om. Q (1676).
[11] O, farewell ... night.] Arranged as by Capell. Two lines in Qq Ff.
[12] soldier] Ff. souldiers Qq.
[13] Who hath] Who has Q (1676).
hath my] Qq. ha's my F1 F2 has my F3 F4.
[14] [Exit.] Exit Fran. Qq F1. Exit Francisco. F2 F3 F4.
Say,] Say. Knight.
[15] Say, ... there?] As in Capell. One line in Qq Ff.
[16] [Giving his hand. Warburton.
[17] Mar.] (Q1) Ff. Hora. Qq.
What, has] Q2 Q3 Ff Q6. What has Q4 Q5.
to-night?] to night? Qq. to night. Ff.
[18] our] a Q4 Q5 Q6.
[19] sight] spright Warburton conj.
[20] along With us to] along, With us to Qq. along With us, to Ff.
[21] Tush, tush,] om. Q (1676).
[22] story, What ... seen.] story. Mar. What ... seen—Hanmer.
[23] have two nights] (Q1) Qq. two nights have Ff.
sit we] let's Q (1676).
[24] yond] yon F3 F4.
[25] to illume] t' illume Q2 Q3 Q4 Ff. t' illumin Q5. t' illumine Q6. to Illumine (Q1). to enlighten Q (1676).
[26] beating] towling (Q1). tolling Collier MS. See note (II).
one,—] one— Rowe. one. Qq Ff.
[Castle-bell tolls one. Ingleby conj.
Enter Ghost.] Qq. Enter the Ghost. Ff, after off; line 40. Enter the Ghost armed. Collier MS.
[27] Peace ... again!] As in Qq. Two lines in Ff.
off] of Q2 Q3 F1 (Capell's copy).
[28] Ber. Looks ... Horatio.] Omitted in Q4 Q5 Q6.
Looks it] Lookes a Q2 Q3. Looke it F2.
[29] harrows] F3 F4. horrowes Qq. harrowes F1 F2. horrors (Q1). startles Q (1676).
[30] Question] (Q1) Ff. Speake to Qq.
[31] usurp'st] usurpest Q (1676).
[33] speak, speak!] speak; Pope.
[Exit Ghost.] Qq. Exit the Ghost. Ff.
[34] on't] of it Q4 Q5 Q6.
[35] Before ... believe] I could not believe this Q (1676).
not] nor F2.
[36] true] try'd Warburton.
[37] very] om. F2 F3 F4.
[38] he] om. Ff.
[39] smote] smot Q2 Q3 F1 F2 F3.
sledded] Ff. sleaded (Q1) Qq. sturdy Leo conj.
Polacks] Malone. pollax (Q1) Q2 Q3 Q4. Pollax Q5 F1 F2 Q6. Polax F3. Pole-axe F4. Pole-axe Rowe. Polack Pope.
[40] 'Tis strange.] 'Tis strange— Rowe. om. Seymour conj.
[41] jump] (Q1) Qq. just Ff.
jump at this dead] at the same Q (1676).
dead] same F2 Q6 F3 F4. dread Anon. conj.
[42] hath he gone by] he passed throught (Q1) Staunton.
[43] thought to] it Collier MS. See note(II).
[44] gross and] om. Q (1676).
my] (Q1) Ff. mine Qq.
[45] Good now,] Pray Q (1676).
[46] subject] subjects Pope.
[47] why] (Q1) Ff. with Qq.
cast] cost (Q1) Qq.
[48] Does] Dos't F3 F4.
[49] Doth make] Makes Q (1676).
joint-labourer] joint labour Q5 Q6.
[50] emulate] emulant Seymour conj.
[51] combat] fight Pope.
[52] a] om. Pope.
[53] and] of Hanmer (Warburton).
heraldry] heraldy Q2 Q3.
[54] those] Ff. these Qq.
[57] vanquisher;] Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5. vanquisher, Ff. vanquisht; Q6.
the same] that Pope.
covenant] Cov'nant Ff. comart Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5. co-mart Q6. compact Q (1676).
[58] article design'd] F2 F3 F4. article desseigne Q2 Q3. articles deseigne Q4. Articles designe Q5 Q6. Article designe F1. articles design'd Pope. article then sign'd Collier MS. See note (II).
[59] sir] om. Pope
[60] unimproved] inapproved (Q1) Collier conj. unapproved Anon. conj.
mettle] metall Q6.
[61] lawless] lawelesse Q2 Q3. lawlesse (Q1) Q4 Q5 Q6. landlesse F1 F2 F3. landless F4.
[62] lawless ... diet, to] landless resolutes, For food; and dieted to Theobald conj. (withdrawn).
[63] is] om. Q4 Q5 Q6.
[64] As] Qq. And Ff.
[65] compulsatory] Qq. compulsative Ff.
[66] Ber. I think ... countrymen.] Qq. Omitted in Ff.
[67] e'en so] enso Q2 Q3. even so Q4 Q5 Q6.
[68] mote] Q5 Q6. moth Q2 Q3 Q4.
[69] palmy] flourishing Q (1676) and Rowe.
state] State (i.e. city) Wilson conj.
[70] tenantless] tennatlesse Q2 Q3.
and] om. Pope.
[71] streets: ...] Omission first marked by Jennens, who suggests Tremendous prodigies in heaven appear'd. Boaden proposes The heavens too spoke in silent prodigies. Hunter suggests In the heavens above strange portents did appear. Becket would transfer line 123 And prologue ... on to follow streets: line 116.
[72] As ... blood,] Stars shon with trains of fire, dews of blood fell, Rowe. Omitted by Rann. Transferred by Mitford to follow events, line 121.
and dews] shed dews Harness, reading Disasters dimm'd in line 118.
[73] As stars with ... Disasters in] Astres with ... Disasterous dimm'd Malone conj. Disastrous ... Disasters in Becket conj. A star with ... Disasters in Jackson conj. As stars with ... Did usher in Duane conj. As stars with ... Disastering Anon. apud Singer (ed. 2) conj. Astres with ... Did overcast Williams conj. Ay, stars with ... Did darken e'en or Ay, stars with ... Did enter in or Ay, stars with ... Dy'd darkening Leo conj. As stars with ... Disastrous dimm'd or And stars with ... Disastrous dimm'd Anon. conj. (N. and Q.) Asters with ... Disasters in Brae conj. (N. and Q.) As stars, with ... Disastrous, ev'n or As stars, with ... Disastrous hid Taylor conj. MS.
As stars with ... Distempered or As stars with ... Discoloured Staunton conj.
[74] in] veil'd Rowe. dim'd Capell.
[75] fierce] Q5 Q6. fearce Q4. feare Q2 Q3. fear'd Collier conj.
[76] As] Are Mitford conj.
[77] omen] omen'd Theobald. omens Becket conj.
[78] climatures] climature Dyce conj.
Re-enter Ghost.] Enter Ghost. Qq. Enter Ghost againe. Ff.
[79] [It spreads his armes. Qq. om. Ff. He spreads his arms. Q (1676).
[80] Speak ... done] As in Pope. One line in Qq Ff.
[81] That ... Speak to me] As in Qq. One line in Ff.
[82] Which ... speak!] As in Qq. One line in Ff.
[84] you] Ff. your Qq.
[85] [The cock crows.] Qq, after line 138. om. Ff.
[86] at] Ff. om. Qq.
[87] Hor ... Ber ... Hor ... Mar.] Ber ... Mar ... Ber ... Hor. Steevens conj.
[88] if it will] if't will S. Walker conj., ending lines 140, 141 Do, ... gone!
[89] [Exit Ghost.] Ff. om. Qq.
[90] For it is, as] It is ever as Q (1676).
[91] morn] morne Qq. morning (Q1). day Ff.
[92] warning, ... confine:] warning, Th' extravagant ... hies To his confine, whether in sea or air, Or earth or fire Johnson conj.
[93] extravagant] extra-vagate Grey conj.
[94] on] at Q (1676).
[95] say] Qq. sayes Ff.
[96] The] (Q1) Ff. This Qq.
[97] then] om. F2F3F4.
dare stir] dare sturre Q2 Q3 Q4. dare stirre Q5. dares stirre Q6. dare walke (Q1). can walke Ff. dares walk Rowe. walks Pope.
[98] takes] Qq. talkes F1 F2. talks F3 F4.
nor] no Q6 F4.
[99] the] Ff. that (Q1) Qq.
[100] eastward] Qq. easterne Ff.
[101] advice] Ff. advise Qq.
[102] for, upon my life,] perhaps Q (1676).
[103] shall] do Rowe (ed. 2).
[104] Let's] Let F1.
[105] conveniently] (Q1) Ff. convenient Qq.
A room ...] Capell, substantially. The Palace. Rowe
Flourish.] Qq. om. Ff.
[106] Enter ...] Malone, after Capell. Enter Claudius, King of Denmarke, Gertrad the Queene, Counsaile: as Polonius, and his Sonne Laertes, Hamlet, Cum Alijs. Qq. Enter Claudius King of Denmarke, Gertrude the Queene, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, and his Sister Ophelia, Lords Attendant. Ff (Attendants F2 F3 F4).
[107] Though ... memory be] As ... memory's Seymour conj.
[108] that it us befitted] us befitted Steevens conj. it befitted us Seymour conj.
us befitted] fitted Pope.
[109] bear] bathe Collier MS.
[110] sometime] Qq. sometimes Ff.
[111] to] Qq. of Ff.
[112] an ... a] Qq. one ... one Ff. once ... once Becket conj.
a dropping] one drooping Grant White.
[113] along. For ... thanks.] along: (for ... thanks.) Pope. along (for all our thankes) Qq. along, for all our thankes. Ff.
[114] know, young] know: young S. Walker conj.
[115] Colleagued] Collogued Hanmer (Theobald conj). Co-leagued Capell. Colluded Becket conj.
this] Qq. the Ff.
his] this Long MS. and Collier MS. See note (II).
[116] with] by Pope.
bonds] Ff. bands Qq.
[117] [Enter Voltemand and Cornelius. Ff (Voltimand F2 F3 F4). om. Qq.
[118] meeting:] F4. meeting, Qq. meeting F1 F2 F3.
[119] bed-rid] bedred Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5.
[120] gait] Capell. gate Qq Ff.
herein; in] heerein, in Q2 Q3 Q4. herein, in Q5 Q6. herein. In Ff.
the] he F3 F4.
[121] subject] subjects Q6.
here] now Q (1676).
[122] Voltimand] F2 F3 F4. Valtemand Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5. Voltemand F1 Q6. Voltemar (Q1).
[123] For bearers] (Q1) Qq. For bearing Ff. Our bearers Theobald conj.
For bearers of this greeting] Ambassadors Q (1676).
[124] Giving to you ... To business] Who have ... Of treaty Q (1676). Giving to you ... Of treaty Rowe.
more than] than does Seymour conj.
[125] Of] Which Pope.
delated] Qq. dilated Ff. related (Q1) Singer (ed. 1).
allow.] allows. Johnson. allow. [Give them. Collier MS. See note (II).
[126] duty] service S. Walker conj.
[127] Cor. Vol.] Cor. Vo. Qq. Volt. Ff.
[128] it nothing] in nothing F4.
[Exeunt....] F4. Exit ... F1 F2 F3. Omitted in Qq.
[129] And] om. Q (1676).
[130] lose] Qq. loose Ff.
[131] not thy] nor thy Q (1676).
[132] head] blood Hanmer (Warburton).
native] motive Bubier conj.
[133] is ... to] to ... is Hanmer (Warburton).
[134] My dread] Qq. Dread my Ff. My Dear Q (1676).
[135] toward] Qq. towards Ff.
[136] Have ... Polonius?] One line in Qq. Two in Ff.
[137] He hath] Hath Q2 Q3.
lord,] lord: Ff.
[138] wrung ... petition] by laboursome petition, Wrung from me my slow leave Rowe and Pope.