The World card does show two "boys," cherubs, and they are indeed carrying "it" away, the "it" being the world.  The world, on that card, is a castle by the sea, on an island.  Elsinore Castle, the world of ''Hamlet,'' is a castle by the sea, on an island, since it's based on Kronborg Castle, which is exactly so.  Further, notice that the "boys," the cherubs, have wings.  One could see them as "little eyases," so to speak.

The World card does show two "boys," cherubs, and they are indeed carrying "it" away, the "it" being the world.  The world, on that card, is a castle by the sea, on an island.  Elsinore Castle, the world of ''Hamlet,'' is a castle by the sea, on an island, since it's based on Kronborg Castle, which is exactly so.  Further, notice that the "boys," the cherubs, have wings.  One could see them as "little eyases," so to speak.

That card picture provides an intriguingly apt illustration for this line and the next.  One might go so far as to conclude that Shakespeare had that picture in mind when he wrote these two lines.  It is not impossible, since cards of that design did exist in Shakespeare's time, and had for over a hundred years.  (Tarot was not used for fortune telling in Shakespeare's day.  The fortune telling aspect arose later, in France, in the 1700s.  Tarot was originally a card game, and was the direct ancestor of bridge.  The bridge term "trump" comes from the tarot term "triumph.")  Perhaps Shakespeare played tarot.  If he did not, some of his wealthy patrons probably did.

That card picture provides an intriguingly apt illustration for this line and the next, in the context of the fictional world of ''Hamlet.'' One might go so far as to conclude that Shakespeare had that picture in mind when he wrote these two lines.  It is not impossible, since cards of that design did exist in Shakespeare's time, and had for over a hundred years.  (Tarot was not used for fortune telling in Shakespeare's day.  The fortune telling aspect arose later, in France, in the 1700s.  Tarot was originally a card game, and was the direct ancestor of bridge.  The bridge term "trump" comes from the tarot term "triumph.")  Perhaps Shakespeare played tarot.  If he did not, some of his wealthy patrons probably did.