Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/82

Rh of his revenge. He feels while he questions, that it is not true that he is “pigeon liver'd, and lacks gall to make op pression bitter;” but he does lack that resolution which “makes mouths at the invisible event;” he does make, “I

would, wait upon, I will:” he does hesitate and procrastinate, and examine his motives, and make sure to his own mind of

his justification, and allow us to see the painful labour of a

noble and sensitive being, struggling to gain an unquestionable conviction of the right thing to do, in circumstances most awry and difficult; he does feel balancing motives, and pain fully hear the ring of the yes and no in his head. “Che sl, e no nel capo mi tenzona.” Shall we think the less nobly of him because his hand is not ready to shed kindred blood; because, gifted with God like discourse of reason, he does look before and after ; because

he does not take the law in his own hands upon his oppressor, until he has obtained conclusive evidence of his guilt; that

he seeks to make sure he is the natural justiciar of his murdered father, and not an assassin instigated by hatred and selfish revenge | The report given to the King and Queen by the young courtiers is

conceived to hide their failure in the mission

of inquiry. The Prince, they say, “does confess he feels himself distracted,” while he refuses to yield to them the CauSe :

“But, with a crafty madness, keeps aloof,

When we would bring him on to some confession Of his true state. He behaves

“Most like a gentleman;” “But with much forcing of his disposition,” and he is falsely stated to have been “niggard of question,” but “most free in his reply.”

They must, however, have been surprised to hear the condi F”