Ay, madam, but why is
it common?
Exploring keyness
relationships in Hamlet
Michael Davies & Mike Scott
School of English Joint Language / Literature
Research Seminar
12 December 2007
This presentation is at
www.lexically.net/downloads/corpus_linguistics/
Hamlet’s Keywords?
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Revenge
Madness
Incest
Silence
Words, words, words
Memory/Forgetting
Disease/corruption (imagery/motifs)
Land/plots/space
Delay/Action
2
MS
3
Our Research Aims
1.
2.
3.
To investigate KWs in all of
Shakespeare's plays
To come up with explanations for the
patterning of these KWs
To home in on one particular KW in
one play, Hamlet
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Corpus Processing Starting Point
KeyWords procedure in WordSmith Tools since 1996
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compares a wordlist with a wordlist of a reference
corpus of texts
examines each word-form and compares its
frequency as a percentage of the text with the
frequency of the same word-form in the reference
Most word-forms match, but some are outstandingly
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frequent
or infrequent
5
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Typically KWs reflect
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aboutness
style
but sometimes they pose a challenge
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Shakespeare’s KWs
Investigating Romeo and Juliet for Scott and Tribble
(2006)
1.
“All Shakespeare plays” is a suitable reference
corpus
2.
A large number of KWs are proper nouns:
characters in that play
3.
Others:
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theme KWs (love, death etc.)
exclamations
pronouns
copula verbs
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Methods
1.
2.
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6.
7.
Obtain all plays (OUP 1916 edition)
Convert to .txt
Use WordSmith’s WordList tool to compute wordlists
Use KeyWords tool to compute KWs for each using
all the plays as a reference corpus
Export the KWs for each into an Excel spreadsheet
Repeat 3-5 for all characters
Identify KW types; understand why they are key
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HTML from Online Library of
Liberty
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the HTML source…
<p class="p-no-indent1">Thou know&#8217;st &#8217;tis
common; all that live must die,<span
class="milestone_right"
title="Craig1916_line_72">72</span></p>
<p class="p-no-indent1">Passing through nature to
eternity.</p>
</div>
<div class="sp"><span class="ital_speaker">Ham.</span>
<p style="margin-top: -0.5em;">Ay, madam, it is
common.</p>
</div>
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Clean up process
1.
2.
Convert to XML (Dreamweaver)
Custom program:
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Remove standard headers
Convert to Unicode
Replace markup such as “know&8217;st” with
“know’st”
Find XML markup for Dramatis Personae, build
standard list of characters
Identify Act and Scene numbers, remove line
numbers; separate out stage directions
Mark up all speech beginnings and endings
Export each speech to a file for each character
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Cleaned up
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<QUEEN>
<7%>
Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,
And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.
Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust:
Thou know'st 'tis common; all that live must die,
Passing through nature to eternity.
</QUEEN>
<HAMLET>
<7%>
Ay, madam, it is common.
</HAMLET>
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WordSmith Processing
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Wordlists:
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of all the plays
of each play (batch, 37 lists)
of each character’s speeches (batch, 1313
lists)
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KeyWords
Using the first wordlist as the reference
corpus and exporting results to Excel,
make KW lists …
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of each play (batch)
of each character’s speeches (batch)
and KW databases of the plays & the
characters
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Examine KWs
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Characters:
FORTINBRAS, GERTRUDE, GUILDENSTERN, HAMLET,
HAMLET'S,HORATIO, LAERTES, OPHELIA, PYRRHUS,
ROSENCRANTZ
Places:
DENMARK, NORWAY
Pronouns:
IT, T,
I, THEE, THOU
Themes, events:
MADNESS, PLAY,PLAYERS
Other:
E'EN, LORD, MOST, MOTHER, PHRASE, VERY
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MD
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It as Keyword?
A mot(e) it is to trouble the mind’s eye.
Hamlet 1.1.111 (Q2)
Is it possible to see it as a literary keyword?
Dramatic function?
Linguistic function?
Significant? Or no matter?
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It as Keyword?
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It: neuter or non-personal pronoun
From OE and ME nominative and
accusative hit
16th Century: hit/it still interchangeable,
but largely it used
Thou/You: Pronouns and Modes of
address
Genitive: its and his and it
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It as Keyword?
It lifted vp it head, and did addresse
It selfe to motion, like as it would
speake
Hamlet
1.2. 212-13
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Macbeth’s It
If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twer well,
It were done quickly: If th' Assassination
Could trammell vp the Consequence, and catch
With his surcease, Successe: that but this blow
Might be the be all, and the end all. Heere,
But heere, vpon this Banke and Schoole of time,
Wee'ld iumpe the life to come.
Macbeth (1.7.1-7)
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Hamlet’s It
Ham.
[…] If it be now, 'tis not
to come: if it bee not to come, it will bee now: if it
be not now; yet it will come; the readinesse is all,
since no man ha's ought of what he leaues. What
is't to leaue be-times?
Hamlet, 5.2.168-71
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It-eration in Hamlet
1.4.1-6
Enter Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus.
Ham. The Ayre bites shrewdly: is it very cold?
Hor. It is a nipping and an eager ayre.
Ham. What hower now?
Hor. I thinke it lacks of twelue.
Mar. No, it is strooke.
Hor. Indeed I heard it not: then it drawes neere
the season,
Wherein the Spirit held his wont to walke.
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Speak to It
1.1.41-51
Mar.
Barn.
Hora.
Barn.
Mar.
Hor.
Thou art a Scholler; speake to it Horatio.
Lookes it not like the King? Marke it Horatio.
Most like: It harrowes me with fear & wonder
It would be spoke too.
Question it Horatio.
What art thou that vsurp'st this time of night,
[…] By Heauen I charge thee speake.
Mar. It is offended.
Barn. See, it stalkes away.
Hor. Stay: speake; speake: I Charge thee, speake.
Exit the Ghost
Mar. 'Tis gone, and will not answer.
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Tis Gone
1.1. 107-122
[Hor.] But soft, behold: Loe, where it comes againe:
Ile crosse it, though it blast me. Stay Illusion:
If thou hast any sound, or vse of Voyce,
Speake to me. […] Stay, and speake. Stop it
Marcellus.
Mar. Shall I strike at it with my Partizan?
Hor. Do, if it will not stand.
Barn. 'Tis heere.
Hor. 'Tis heere.
Mar 'Tis gone. [ Exit Ghost.]
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It Beckons
1.4.37-47
[ Ghost beckens Hamlet.]
Hor. It beckons you to goe away with it,
As if it some impartment did desire
To you alone.
Mar. Looke with what courteous action
It wafts you to a more remoued ground:
But doe not goe with it.
Hor. No, by no meanes.
Ham. It will not speake: then will I follow it.
Hor. Doe not my Lord.
Ham. Why, what should be the feare?
I doe not set my life at a pins fee;
And for my Soule, what can it doe to that?
Being a thing immortall as it selfe:
It waues me forth againe; Ile follow it.
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Tis strange? Thinking it over
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It and the Ghost: Uncertainty and Identity
Thingness: it and the Unnameable
Presentness: it and the present
Iteration: Repetition and Echo in Hamlet
Ambiguity & Discursivity in Hamlet
Tis strange: it is unsettling/disturbing
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It and syntax
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Sentence structures – it as
antecedent/dummy subject
Discursive
Passive
Complex relationships within sentences
Ambiguity/lack of clarity?
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It is common
1.2.66-74
Queen. Good Hamlet cast thy nightly colour off,
And let thine eye looke like a Friend on Denmarke.
Do not for euer with thy veyled lids
Seeke for thy Noble Father in the dust;
Thou know'st 'tis common, all that liues must dye,
Passing through Nature, to Eternity.
Ham. I Madam, it is common.
Queen. If it be;
Why seemes it so particular with thee.
Ham. Seemes Madam? Nay, it is: I know not
Seemes:
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Nay, it is
1.2.74-84
Ham. Seemes Madam? Nay, it is: I know not
Seemes:
'Tis not alone my Inky Cloake (good Mother)
Nor Customary suites of solemne Blacke,
Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath,
No, nor the fruitfull Riuer in the Eye,
Nor the deiected hauiour of the Visage,
Together with all Formes, Moods, shewes of Griefe,
That can denote me truly. These indeed Seeme,
For they are actions that a man might play:
But I haue that Within, which passeth show;
These, but the Trappings, and the Suites of woe. 29
Hamlet’s First Soliloquy
1.2.133-57
Fie on't? Oh fie, fie, 'tis an vnweeded Garden
That growes to Seed: Things rank, and grosse in
Nature
Possesse it meerely. That it should come to this:
But two months dead: […]
O most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to Incestuous sheets:
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But breake my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
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Hamlet’s Apology
5.2.177-86
Ham. What I haue done
That might your nature honour, and exception
Roughly awake, I heere proclaime was madnesse:
Was't Hamlet wrong'd Laertes? Neuer Hamlet.
If Hamlet from himselfe be tane away:
And when he's not himselfe, do's wrong Laertes,
Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it:
Who does it then? His Madnesse? If't be so,
Hamlet is of the Faction that is wrong'd,
His madnesse is poore Hamlets Enemy.
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Think it no more
Laer. For Hamlet, and the trifling of his fauours,
Hold it a fashion and a toy in Bloude;
A Violet in the youth of Primy Nature;
Froward, not permanent; sweet not lasting
The suppliance of a minute? No more.
Ophel. No more but so.
Laer. Thinke it no more:
For nature cressant does not grow alone,
In thewes and Bulke: but as his Temple waxes,
The inward seruice of the Minde and Soule
Growes wide withall. […]
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Fear it
[Laer.] Then weight what losse your Honour may
sustaine,
If with too credent eare you list his Songs;
Or lose your Heart; or your chast Treasure open
To his vnmastred importunity.
Feare it Ophelia, feare it my deare Sister,
And keepe within the reare of your Affection;
Out of the shot and danger of Desire.
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Touching Hamlet
[Laer] Farewell Ophelia, and remember well
What I haue said to you.
Ophe. Tis in my memory lockt,
And you your selfe shall keepe the key of it.
Laer Farewell. [ Exit Laer.]
Polon What ist Ophelia he hath said to you?
Ophe. So please you, somthing touching the
L[ord]. Hamlet.
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Yong men wil doo't, if they come too't
4.5.56-65
Ophe. Indeed la? without an oath Ile make an end ont.
By gis, and by S[aint]. Charity,
Alacke, and fie for shame:
Yong men wil doo't, if they come too't,
By Cocke they are too blame.
Quoth she before you tumbled me,
You promis'd me to Wed:
So would I ha done by yonder Sunne,
And thou hadst not come to my bed.
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Now I’ll doo’t
3.3.65-75
[King] Try what Repentance can. What can it not?
Yet what can it, when one cannot repent?
Oh wretched state! Oh bosome, blacke as death!
Oh limed soule, that strugling to be free,
Art more ingag'd: Helpe Angels, make assay:
Bow stubborne knees, and heart with strings of Steele,
Be soft as sinewes of the new-borne Babe,
All may be well.
Enter Hamlet.
Ham.Now might I do it pat, now he is praying,
And now Ile doo't, and so he goes to Heauen,
And so am I reueng'd: that would be scann'd […]
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Character Echoing
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Hamlet Horatio
Claudius Polonius
Hamlet Laertes
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Hamlet’s It
Ham.
[…] If it be now, 'tis not
to come: if it bee not to come, it will bee now: if it
be not now; yet it will come; the readinesse is all,
since no man ha's ought of what he leaues. What
is't to leaue be-times?
Hamlet, 5.2.168-71
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MS
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Other Keywords in Hamlet
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Characters:
FORTINBRAS, GERTRUDE, GUILDENSTERN, HAMLET,
HAMLET'S,HORATIO, LAERTES, OPHELIA, PYRRHUS,
ROSENCRANTZ
Places:
DENMARK, NORWAY
Pronouns:
I, IT, T, THEE, THOU
Themes, events:
MADNESS, PLAY,PLAYERS
Other:
E'EN, LORD, MOST, MOTHER, PHRASE, VERY
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Itmost Characters…
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Why is IT key in the speeches of Prince Hamlet?
In the plays 0.95% (1 word in 100) but in Hamlet’s
speeches 1.48%: a 50% increase in this one
character’s speeches…
Or in the speeches of Horatio in the same play?
In the plays 0.95% but in Horatio’s speeches
2.33%: nearly 250% of the average in this one
character’s speeches!
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a constant theme,
or bunched?
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In Hamlet’s speeches, distributed
evenly:
per 1,000
1
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Plot
173 14.67
In Horatio’s speeches:
per 1,000
1
Plot
23.74
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KW databases
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the KKWs of the plays:
I, HER, SIR, YOU, KING, LOVE, SHE, T,
THY (6 or more plays each)
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the KKWs of the characters:
SIR, HER, LORD, YOU, MASTER, THOU,
CAESAR, MADAM, THY, LOVE, SHE, A,
I, OUR, WARWICK (12 or more
characters each)
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Other Plays, Other Keywords
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MD
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Conclusions?
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A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye
It is no matter
Mad call I it
It likes us well
Let it work
Do it, England!
Wo Es war, soll Ich werden
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The Key of It
Hamlet: a play written in the key of it
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