postscript


 

'Postscript' occurs only in Hamlet and Twelfth Night.  It does of course occur in the context of a letter scene, but one may note the emphasis in both scenes on the recognition of handwriting. Much fuss is made about this in the comedy (TwN 2.5.86-88).  The tragedy has a condensed version of the "letter module."  Laertes asks Claudius, "Know you the hand?", and the King answers:


51 'Tis Hamlet's character. "Naked"! 
52 And in a postscript here he says "alone." 
53 Can you devise me?  (Ham.4.7.50-53)


17 September 1999

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