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''Taint not thy mind'' - since I can do a better job of that than you ever could, yourself.

''Taint not thy mind'' - since I can do a better job of that than you ever could, yourself.

''contrive'' = invent; imagine.  (From Middle English, from Old French, 'controver' ("imagine" or "invent.")  In other words, plot a scheme, a contrivance.  The word ''contrive'' goes back to Latin 'contropare' ("compare.")  At root, It implies the Ghost saying to Hamlet, "don't compare your soul to Gertrude's," that is, "don't put your soul up against Gertrude's."  That's odd.  Why not?

''contrive'' = invent; imagine.  (From Middle English, from Old French, 'controver' ("imagine" or "invent.")  In other words, plot a scheme, a contrivance.  The word ''contrive'' goes back to Latin 'contropare' ("compare.")  At root, It implies the Ghost saying to Hamlet, "don't compare your soul to Gertrude's," that is, "don't put your soul up against Gertrude's."  That's odd.  Why not?

We've seen that Hamlet obeys his mother.  That's why Hamlet is still here, and not in Wittenberg.  The point will be made again, later in the play, that Hamlet obeys his mother.  The Ghost is afraid that if Hamlet "puts his soul up against Gertrude's" she'll order him not to do it, and Hamlet will obey her.

We've seen that Hamlet obeys his mother.  That's why Hamlet is still here at Elsinore, and not in Wittenberg.  The point will be made again, later in the play, that Hamlet obeys his mother.  The Ghost is afraid that if Hamlet "puts his soul up against Gertrude's" she'll order him not to do it, and Hamlet will obey her.

The best equivalent of ''contrive'' is probably "devise," since there is a Devise/Device Motif in the play.  To contrive something is to devise it.

The best equivalent of ''contrive'' is probably "devise," since there is a Devise/Device Motif in the play.  To contrive something is to devise it.