Julia Schwarz
An Obligation of Will
“Perhaps he loves you now,
And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch
The virtue of his will, but you must fear,
His greatness weighed, his will is not his own.”
--Act I, Scene III
Laertes delivers these lines in a speech to Ophelia, warning her to consider carefully the sincerity of Hamlet’s intentions towards her. In the edition of Shakespeare’s works edited by Stephen Orgel and AR Braunmuller, the meaning of “will” is defined as “desire,” but this definition in no way encompasses the possibilities of the word. When Laertes speaks of the virtue of Hamlet’s “will” he may well be referring to Hamlet’s desire to make Ophelia his love or his wife, but his words instantly take on a deeper meaning.
“Will” in these lines not only means desire, which can be more unconscious than deliberate, but also can be used as Claudius uses the word in the previous scene when he remonstrates Hamlet for his obstinate grief, saying that “It shows a will most incorrect to heaven” (I.ii.95). This “will” Claudius speaks of is not Hamlet’s desire, per se, but rather his purpose, his private motivation, something that is thought out and consciously executed. The meaning of the word takes on further significance when considering that, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, up until the 19th century “will” was used as an adverb to describe “not knowing what to do or how to proceed,” and as late as 1885 “to go will,” meant “to go astray.” The word “will” in the lines above has, in fact, three possible meanings – to have an inclination or desire, to make a conscious decision toward performing some deed, and also to be unsure of how to proceed toward some elusive goal. This does not include the fourth obvious meaning, which is that a will is “a person's formal declaration of his intention as to the disposal of his property or other matters to be performed after his death” (OED, 2nd ed. s.v. "will1,” IV.23.a).
The key to deciphering the significance of the word in the lines above is to understand Laertes’ conviction that Hamlet’s will is not his own, that it is tied to his birth and position. Clearly one meaning of Laertes words is that he thinks Hamlet is not free to follow through in his desire for Ophelia because he is a Prince, and his bride must be chosen according to her position as the future Queen. But it is interesting to note that when Polonius addresses Ophelia on this same subject about 100 lines later, he describes Hamlet’s intentions as being “more light than heat” (I.iv.117) and “mere implorators of unholy suits” (I.iv.128). If Polonius’ point about Hamlet’s inability to be honorable in his intentions is the same as Laertes’, then why does Laertes use the word “will,” which denotes a “movement or attitude of the mind which is directed with conscious intention” (OED, 2nd ed. s.v. "will1,” II.5.a)? Laertes could use the flowery language of his father to denote Hamlet’s intentions or lack thereof, but he doesn’t. He gives Hamlet a will, which is more than a passing desire, and then ties his will to the situation of his birth, to the fact that he is a son with a duty. Laertes is correct in his prediction that Hamlet’s will – his capacity for action and his object of longing – will be ruled by his position has his father’s son, and not by his love for Ophelia.
This capacity for action and object of longing is, for the rest of the play, the revenge for his father’s murder. Hamlet’s will is not exactly solid, however, and the rest of the play revolves around his uncertainty about how to carrying out his will, and whether his will is leading him astray. His will, which is bequeathed to him upon the death of his father like a piece of property, not only usurps his desires as Laertes’ predicts, it also troubles his conscience and makes him exceedingly bewildered, which is appropriate, considering the wil in bewildered comes from the word will. All four meanings of “will” mentioned can be used to undersand to Laertes’ meaning when he speaks the word. This is a superb use of a delicate word, and it serves not only to foreshadow Hamlet’s actions, but also to prompt the audience to question what Hamlet’s will actually is – a motivation, a desire, a plan of action, an unwanted duty? The many meanings of “will” only underscore these questions.