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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