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    The Dumb-Show in

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    Victor informatico
    The document discusses different perspectives on the "dumb-show" scene in Hamlet. It argues that Claudius would not have been alarmed by the dumb-show alone, as it was brief and without words, and he had no reason to think it depicted his own crime. It also suggests the dumb-show may have taken place on an upper stage, out of Claudius' view, though there is no evidence this was traditional. Overall, it maintains that Claudius remained calm until the play-within-a-play made explicit what was depicted silently in the dumb-show.

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    The Dumb-Show in

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    Victor informatico
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    The document discusses different perspectives on the "dumb-show" scene in Hamlet. It argues that Claudius would not have been alarmed by the dumb-show alone, as it was brief and without words, and he had no reason to think it depicted his own crime. It also suggests the dumb-show may have taken place on an upper stage, out of Claudius' view, though there is no evidence this was traditional. Overall, it maintains that Claudius remained calm until the play-within-a-play made explicit what was depicted silently in the dumb-show.

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    The document discusses different perspectives on the "dumb-show" scene in Hamlet. It argues that Claudius would not have been alarmed by the dumb-show alone, as it was brief and without words, and he had no reason to think it depicted his own crime. It also suggests the dumb-show may have taken place on an upper stage, out of Claudius' view, though there is no evidence this was traditional. Overall, it maintains that Claudius remained calm until the play-within-a-play made explicit what was depicted silently in the dumb-show.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    35 views5 pages

    The Dumb-Show in

    Uploaded by

    Victor informatico
    The document discusses different perspectives on the "dumb-show" scene in Hamlet. It argues that Claudius would not have been alarmed by the dumb-show alone, as it was brief and without words, and he had no reason to think it depicted his own crime. It also suggests the dumb-show may have taken place on an upper stage, out of Claudius' view, though there is no evidence this was traditional. Overall, it maintains that Claudius remained calm until the play-within-a-play made explicit what was depicted silently in the dumb-show.

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    of 5

     

    Early  Journal  Content  on  JSTOR,  Free  to  Anyone  in  the  World  
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    THE DUMB-SHOW IN HAMLET
    In a delightfullyingeniousand thoroughlyunconvincingpaper in
    the Modern Language Reviewfor October, 1917, Dr. W. W. Greg
    contends that "Claudius did not murderhis brotherby pouring
    poisoninto hisears," forifhe had done so he wouldhave takenalarm
    at the representation ofthisactionin the dumb-showwithoutwaiting
    fora second representationof it in the spoken play; consequently,
    that "the Ghost's storywas not a revelation,but a merefigmentof
    Hamlet's brain"; that as Hamlet was already familiarwith The
    MurderofGonzago,it was fromthat play that his feveredimagination
    supplied the incident,and hence we have the amazing coincidence
    of the exactlysimilarstory.'
    In answerto all this,Mr. J. Dover Wilson,in the Aprilnumberof
    the same journal,employsand amplifiesthefamiliarexplanationthat
    Claudius did not see the dumb-show;it seemsthat he was speaking
    aside with the Queen and Polonius, as he himselfclearlyprovesby
    askingHamlet, whilethe play itselfis in progress,"Have you heard
    the argument? Is thereno offencein't ?" As Ophelia had already
    divined,the dumb-showis the argument. Dr. Greg had dismissed
    this explanation,firstproposedby Halliwell,as whollyunwarranted;
    and even if it is not, we mustadmit that it does somewhatblur and
    confusethe pictureto have Claudius too obviouslyand too conven-
    iently happen to play the part of a box occupant at the Metro-
    politan Opera House duringthis crucialmoment.
    Whateverdifficulty thereis in the way of this explanationcould
    be overcomeby supposingthat the thronechairs of the King and
    Queen were placed in the innerstage, as they would be, I presume,
    in orderthat they mightbe removedand the prie-dieusubstituted
    forthe next scene, and that the dumb-showwas acted on the upper
    1 The "amazing coincidence" may be explained, I believe, by a liberal interpretation
    of Hamlet's much discussed "dozen or sixteen lines." That Shakespeare did not mean
    to imply by this a special passage, but some sort---anysort-of alteration which would
    account in the minds of[the audience for the precise similarity,is now usually conceded:
    and a proof of it might be found in the fact that after mentioning The Murder of Gonzago
    Hamlet says, "I'll have these players Play somethinglike the murder of my father."
    The Ghost's revelation enabled Hamlet to make "something like" into an "exact coin-
    cidence."
    51] 51 [MODERN PHILOLOGY,May, 1919
    52 HENRY DAVID GRAY

    stage.' There would be perhaps a certain appropriatenessin thus


    separating the dumb-showfromthe scene of the piece itself,its
    silent action taking place, as it were, in a world apart, remote,
    symbolical. And if this were indeed the arrangement,think how
    thedramaticvalue ofthewholeepisodewouldbe enhanced! Claudius
    composed and unsuspicious beside his Queen, with Hamlet and
    the othersrangedbeforehim watching,and over his very head the
    action taking place whichwas soon to be repeated beforehis eyes!
    The suspensewhichcould be created by such a situationwould be
    intenseand would be sustainedand increasedas the piece itselfwas
    given.
    Nevertheless,howeverappropriatein and of itself,and however
    excellentforits theatricaleffectiveness,
    thereis not the least warrant
    forpresumingthat it was actually so given. As the play was pre-
    sented beforethe King, the dumb-showwould not be placed where
    theKing couldnotsee it. Thereis no "above" in thestagedirection;
    and in otherdramaswherea somewhatsimilardeviceoccursthereis
    abundant evidencethat it was not a traditionalarrangement. In
    Jocastaand in Gorboducit is expresslystated that the performers in
    the dumb-showentered "upon the stage." In James IV, as in
    The Spanish Tragedy,those who were to witnessa play were sent,
    as was ChristopherSly, to the "gallery"; but we have no record
    of any such use of the upper stage as I have suggested. I believe
    that the dumb-showand spoken piece alike were presentedbefore
    Claudius,and that he did notlook theotherway to showthe audience
    that he did not see what it was fullyintendedthat he shouldsee.2
    What, then,of Claudius' calmnesswhen his crimeis firstrepre-
    sented? How are we to get over this difficulty ? My answer is
    simple: by not creatingit. As we read the stage direction,it surely
    seems that Claudius would take alarm at the businessof the dumb-
    show; but if we had none of us read or studiedthe drama, I doubt
    if our reaction duringthe briefmomentwhen the dumb-showis
    being given would be more than an excited wonderas to whether
    1Mr. Wilson assumes that the play within the play was performed on the inner
    stage, which corresponds in general position with the usual modern arrangement.
    2 It
    is a gratuitous assumption on Dr. Greg's part, and wholly unwarranted it
    seems to me, that the dumb-show was a surprise to Hamlet. He was familiar with the
    piece and was deeply concerned with its proper presentation. His comment, "Marry
    this is miching mallecho; it means mischief," indicates simply that he knows what is
    coming. He is not disconcerted, nor are his plans in the least upset.
    52
    THE DUMB SHOW IN "HAMLET" 53

    the King would realizeits import. We continuesure that something


    will happen when the piece itselfis performed;but it is not to be
    expected that Claudius, as a well-conductedvillain, will betray
    himselfbeforethe propermomenthas arrived.
    It is quite the customforShakespeareancriticsto scold at their
    adversariesfor treatingthe charactersin a drama as if they were
    actual people,and thento proceedto do the same thing themselves.
    Let me blandly follow the example of my bettersand ask now:
    Why, consideringClaudius as an actual murdererwho witnessesthe
    performanceof his very crime,does he sit unmoveduntil the same
    action is repeatedwiththe accompanyingwords?
    Claudius, of course,is quite unpreparedforany such exhibition.
    A group of strollingplayers has arrived at his castle, and he is
    delightedthat Hamlet is inclinedto see themperforma piece. He
    would naturallysuppose that Hamlet was seeingit forthe firsttime
    -as he himselfwas. If one willbut glanceagain at the dialoguefrom
    the King's entranceto the appearance of the dumb-show,he will
    note that Hamlet has not yet begun to play the part of interpreter
    and "chorus." That these playersshould enact the very incident
    of his own crimemightwell impressClaudius (as it does Dr. Greg)
    as a strangecoincidence,but therewas no occasion forhim to take
    alarm,nor wouldhis "conscience" be instantlyand violentlyshaken.
    The whole ear of Denmark had been ranklyabused with a false re-
    port as to this unknownand unsuspectedmurder; to Claudius, who
    knew nothingof the Ghost's revelation,the pouringof poison into
    a sleeper'sear could have a specialsignificance
    forno one but himself;
    so long as his crimewas safelyhidden,this momentarypantomime
    could arouse no suspicionregardinghim.
    It was not,so faras we know,the customto have the actionofthe
    dumb-showrepeatedin the spoken piece; indeed,we have no other
    instance (I speak under correction)wherejust that is done. Ordi-
    narily,preliminaryor supplementarymattersare the dumb-show's
    province. Whereverthe argumentis given,it is always spoken,
    as it was always in Latin comedy. There was no reason,therefore,
    why Claudius shouldinevitablytake the dumb-showto be the argu-
    ment,even thoughthe action had thus farbeen repeated. Indeed,
    the purportof the dumb-showseemsto have been none too apparent
    53
    54 HENRY DAVID GRAY

    to the other spectators. Ophelia guesses that "belike this show


    importsthe argumentof the play," but stillhopes that the Prologue
    will tell themwhat it meant. One is remindedof the openingscene
    in Munday's Downfallof Robert,Earl of Huntington, where,imme-
    diately after the elaborate pantomime,Skelton says,
    SirJohn,oncemorebidyourdumb-shows comein,
    That,as theypass,I mayexplainthemall.
    When, therefore,Hamlet begins to manifestsome knowledge of
    The Murderof Gonzago,it is quite naturalthat Claudius should ask
    him' if he has heardthe argument,and if thereis no offensein it.
    His questionshowsthat Claudius does not even yet realize that the
    business of the dumb-showis to be completelyworkedout, and is
    only beginningto suspect Hamlet's connectionwith the "Mouse-
    trap." Immediately after this the action rushes to its climax.
    Hamlet reveals his complicityin the affair; the pouringof poison
    into the sleeper's ear is now re-enacted,with the open and explicit
    statementof the deed; and Hamlet adds, "You shall see anon how
    the murderergets the love of Gonzago's wife." At last Claudius
    fullyrealizes that his crimeis known-that Hamlet himselfknows
    it-and he retiresin confusionand alarm.
    The purposeof the dumb-showthenis to do away withthespoken
    and too explicitargumentand at the same timegive the flavorof an
    old play acted by strollingplayers; and also perhaps to whet the
    curiosityof the audience as to the King's conduct when the play
    itselfis presented. The mereactionofthe dumb-show,unsupported
    by any hintof Hamlet's connectionwithit, wouldnot lead Claudius
    to any naive self-betrayal,howeverincreasinglyuncomfortablehe
    might grow duringthe whole procedure. At the start he had no
    reason to thinkof anythingbut a coincidenceor to show any too
    obvious emotion. There is thereforeno mysteryto explain,and no
    reason to fancy either that Hamlet had been self-deceived(or
    Ghost-deceived)as to the exact manner of the murder,or that
    Claudius did not see the dumb-showwhen it was presentedbefore
    him. HENRY DAVID GRAY
    LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
    I " Hamlet, of all people in the world!" exclaims Dr. Greg. But why not precisely
    Hamlet, who has just said as to the Player Queen's protestations, "0, but she'll keep
    her word" ? That denouement was still to be regarded, apparently, as possible.
    54

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