Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/72

Rh life-weariness under which its author is first introduced to

notice. The signature, however, is odd. “Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him,” and agrees with the spirit of Hamlet's materialist philosophy, which is

so strongly expressed in various parts of the play, and which forms so strange a contrast with the revelations from the

spirit-world, of which he is made the recipient. The de scription which Polonius gives of the course of Hamlet's madness, after his daughter has locked herself from his resort,

refused his messages and tokens, is vain and pedantic in its expression, but pregnant in meaning: “And he, repulsed, (a short tale to make,) Fell into a sadness ; then into a fast ; Thence to a watch ; thence into a weakness; Thence to a lightness; and, by this declension, Into the madness wherein now he raves.”

Translated into the dullness of medical prose, the psychological opinion of the old courtier may be thus expressed. Disap pointed and rejected in his ardent addresses to Ophelia, Hamlet became melancholy, and neglected to take food ; the result of fasting was the loss of sleep; loss of sleep and loss of food were followed by general weakness; this produced a lightness or instability of the mental functions, which passed into in sanity. The suggestion made by Polonius to test the sound ness of his view, that the Prince loved his daughter, and had fallen from his reason thereon, was sound and practical,

namely, to arrange and to watch in ambuscade interviews between him and the persons most likely to excite his emotion. Moreover, Shakespeare was in some sort bound to intrºduce these interviews, inasmuch as they formed an important part of the old history.

The Queen did not partake of the King's anxiety to ascer tain the cause of her son's madness. Polonius

When he tells her that