his.

_Hamlet's_ Letter to _Ophelia_, which _Polonius_ reads, is none of the
best Parts of this play, and is, I think, too Comick for this Piece. The
whole Conduct of _Hamlet's_ Madness is, in my Opinion, too ludicrous for
his Character, and for the situation his Mind was then really in. I must
confess, nothing is more difficult than to draw a real Madness well,
much more a feign'd one; for here the Poet in _Hamlet's_ Case, was to
paint such a Species of Madness as should not give cause of Suspicion of
the real Grief which had taken Possession of the Prince's Mind. His
Behaviour to those two Courtiers, whom the Usurper had sent to dive into
his Secret, is very natural and just, because his chief Business was to
baffle their Enquiries, as he does also in another Scene, (p. 304.)
where his falling into a sort of a Pun upon bringing in the Pipe, is a
great Fault, for it is too low and mean for Tragedy. But our Author in
this (as in all his Pieces) is glad of any Opportunity of falling in
with the prevailing Humour of the Times, which ran into false Wit, and
a constant endeavour to produce affected Moral Sentences.

He was very capable of drawing _Hamlet_ in Madness with much more
Dignity, and without any Thing of the Comick; although it is difficult,
as I said, to describe a feign'd Madness in a Tragedy, which is not to
touch on the real Cause of Grief.

Page 277.

The Scene of the Players is conducive to the whole Scheme of this
Tragedy, and is managed with great Beauty. We are to observe, that the
Speeches spoken by the Prince, and one of the Players, are dismal
Bombast, and intended, no doubt, to ridicule some Tragedy of those Days.

The Poet's stepping out of his Subject to lash the Custom of Plays being
acted by the Children of the Chapel, is not allowable in Tragedy, which
is never to be a Satire upon any modern particular _Foible_ or Vice that
prevails, but is to be severe upon Crimes and Immoralities of all Ages,
and of all Countries.

Hamlet's Speech, (p. 281.) after his Conversation with the Players, is
good; and by it we see that the Poet himself seems sensible of the Fault
in his Plot. But that avails not, unless he had found Means to help it,
which certainly might have been.

The Prince's Design of confirming by the Play, the Truth of what the
Ghost told him, is certainly well imagin'd; but as the coming of these
Players is supposed to be accidental, it could not be a Reason for his
Delay.

ACT III