| | In further support of the Q2 word, ''tenable,'' the idea of "holding" has long been used with respect to a military position, concerning whether a position can be held. Marcellus and Barnardo are military men, the watch duty is military, and Elsinore Castle, itself, is a military fortification. Hamlet can be understood to be telling Marcellus and Barnardo, the military men, in particular, to "hold" the secret the way they'd "hold the fort." Then, the question of Denmark "holding" Elsinore Castle is directly pertinent to the play, which makes ''tenable'' a strong word in relation to the play, overall. There is a Hold Motif in the play. | | In further support of the Q2 word, ''tenable,'' the idea of "holding" has long been used with respect to a military position, concerning whether a position can be held. Marcellus and Barnardo are military men, the watch duty is military, and Elsinore Castle, itself, is a military fortification. Hamlet can be understood to be telling Marcellus and Barnardo, the military men, in particular, to "hold" the secret the way they'd "hold the fort." Then, the question of Denmark "holding" Elsinore Castle is directly pertinent to the play, which makes ''tenable'' a strong word in relation to the play, overall. There is a Hold Motif in the play. |