Scene 8 Folio Differences
This page shows the notable differences that appear in the First Folio publication of Hamlet as compared to the Second Quarto publication, in Scene 8, with analysis of those differences. These Folio Difference Notes are coordinated with the regular Notes on the Scene page.
For an introduction to this material, see the page About the Folio Differences.
051
Your {lowliness} [loneliness]; we are oft' to blame in this,
lowliness
loneliness
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053
And pious action, we do {sugar} [surge] o'er
sugar
surge
The First Folio word "surge" can't be instantly dismissed as a misprint, since "surge" can mean "rise above." It would give Polonius saying, "with devotion's visage And pious action, we do 'rise above' The Devil, himself." The phrasing makes sense.
However, the meaning is different from what seems to be required by the passage. The eavesdropping plan is designed to draw Hamlet to Ophelia, not rise above Hamlet.
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