Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/27

 Lawrence 21 IV CONCLUSION To summarize briefly the results of the preceding pages is diffi- cult; dramatic analysis calls rather for extended exposition than for condensation. But, in view of the vast amount of Shakspere criticism which every year brings forth, it may be a convenience foe many readers to have the main results of the present essay reduced to their lowest terms and categorically set forth. In order to understand the play-scene, a careful review of the action preceding is necessary. The dumb-show is inserted with a definite dramatic purpose: to make clear to Shakspere's auctfence that Claudius knew before the spoken play that Hamlet had learned the true facts of the murder. This puts the King on his guard and lessens the likelihood of his betraying himself, thus heightening the dramatic tension during the performance of the spoken play by making it seem likely that Hamlet's plot may fail after all. There is every reason to conclude that Hamlet knew that the dumb- show was to be performed; but if it was hi tended as a test of the King's guilt, it was a failure, and came near to wrecking Hamlet's plans. The dumb-show is of a less usual type in that it offers a literal rather than a symbolical representation of the action to follow in the spoken play. Shakspere (or Kyd in the earlier 'Hamlet') made this arrangement in the interest of clearness and vividness; to have a symbolical pantomime of the play within the main play would have been too confusing. It is not admissible to suppose that Claudius and Gertrude did not pay attention to the dumb- show, and analysis of the situation shows why neither of them man- ifested discomposure upon witnessing it. The 'Murder of Gonzago' is intentionally archaic and artificial in type, because it was neces- sary to convey the illusion of a stage-play presented before the actors in the main stage-play. Shakspere informs us that it was especially prepared by Hamlet for the occasion; Hamlet has com- manded the performance of this particular piece, trained the actors, and urged the King and Queen to be present; twice Hamlet says that the action will be strikingly like that of the murder, and several times he alludes to a speech which is to be from his pen and inserted in the play. This removes the reproach of too great coincidence between the events of the murder and the 'Mouse-Trap,' and serves to concentrate attention upon the spoken play. The exact identi-