70 borne in hand deluded, taken advantage of
70 arrests orders to cease military activity
72 fine conclusion
74 give ... arms attempt to use force
76 crowns gold coins (of varying values according to the countries they were used in) 77 commission authority
80 quiet pass safe passage
82 On ... allowance i.e. according to conditions regarding the safety of Denmark and your permission for such an enterprise 84 likes pleases
85 at ... time when we have the time for proper consideration
91 expostulate discuss/ask
95 wit intellect/good sense
98 for ... mad Polonius means that it would be mad to attempt to define madness, but ends up implying, rather nonsensically, that the definition of madness is "being mad"
104 figure figure of speech
109 this ... cause this defective behavior (Hamlet's madness) has a cause 110 Thus ... thus this is the current state of affairs, and now for the rest 110 Perpend consider
113 gather, and surmise collect your thoughts, draw your conclusions (or gather may be a request to Claudius and Gertrude to draw closer and look at the letter) 117 these i.e. this letter/these phrases
119 faithful i.e. to the letter/in reading the letter fully 122 Doubt in this third line the sense shifts to "suspect"
124 ill ... numbers poor at writing verse
125 reckon my groans count my groans/make my groans scan poetically 127 machine is to bodily structure belongs to
129 more above moreover
130 fell out occurred
135 fain willingly
140 played ... table-book remained silent and withheld the information/assisted in conveying messages between them 141 given ... winking closed the eyes of my heart
142 with idle sight complacently/without recognizing its significance 143 round roundly, in a forthright manner
144 bespeak address/speak angrily to
145 out ... star beyond your reach/outside your destiny
146 precepts instructions
147 resort visits
152 a watch sleeplessness
153 lightness light-headedness
153 declension decline (plays on the grammatical sense)
163 circumstances circumstantial evidence