The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1556  Monday, 19 September 2005

From: 		Gabriel Egan <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: 		Saturday, 17 Sep 2005 18:14:06 +0100
Subject: 16.1544 Hamlet an Allegory
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1544 Hamlet an Allegory

Elliott H. Stone repeats a common fallacy about the beginning of Hamlet.

 >It has been basic soldiering from time immemorial that the man on guard
 >duty always speaks first. "Halt who goes there "or "Halt what is the
 >password" or "Stand and unfold yourself". Why would our Shakespeare get
 >this wrong? Why would he make such a fundamental error?

Charles Edelman in his essay "Hamlet, soldier manque" (_Around the 
Globe_ 21 (2002) pages 44-45) quotes William Garrard's The Arte of Warre 
(1591):

"If the Round or any other Officer come to search to watch & Sentinels, 
when he doth first heare or see them approch, let him so soone as he 
doth perceive them, demand with a lowd voice, Qui va la? Who goes there?"

Gabriel Egan

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