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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 12.2627  Tuesday, 20 November 2001

From:           Mike Jensen <jensensh@hotmail.com>
Date:           Monday, 19 Nov 2001 08:11:12 -0800
Subject: 12.2619 Re: Laertes
Comment:        Re: SHK 12.2619 Re: Laertes

Stephen,

I wonder if you can remember any of J. M. Nosworthy's other reasons for
suggesting that

>the text of Hamlet betrays evidence of being specifically revised for a
>tour which the company knew would include the university towns of Oxford
>and Cambridge. In consequence the play adopts a positive, sometimes
>flattering image of students and student life.

My first thought when reading this was to see if all three versions of
*Hamlet* have references to Wittenberg, and Hamlet calling Horatio his
fellow student.  All three do. References are from Bernice W. Kliman and
Paul Bertram's ever useful *Three Text Hamlet,* New York: AMS Press,
1991.

Wittenberg: Line 301
Student: Line 365

Am I wrong in thinking that for Nosworthy's suggestion to be correct, at
least as I understood your retelling of it, that he would have to
postulate a now lost 4th version of the play which has
contaminated/influenced the other three?  Possible, of course, but it
seems needlessly complicated.  Until I haue sounder proofs (Q1), and
grounds more relatiue (Q2 & F), I'll be slow to accept this theory of
the text.

All the best,
Mike Jensen

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