One keeps in mind the Ghost is in armor, and the men are aware of the possibility of a military attack on Denmark. Agricultural cliches appear in historical descriptions of lopsided battles, along the lines of "our army went through the enemy like a scythe through a wheat field," or more simply, "we mowed them down." Horatio can be understood as meaning he feels "defeated" by the Ghost in that "agricultural" way, like he is a weed run over by a harrow. | One keeps in mind the Ghost is in armor, and the men are aware of the possibility of a military attack on Denmark. Agricultural cliches appear in historical descriptions of lopsided battles, along the lines of "our army went through the enemy like a scythe through a wheat field," or more simply, "we mowed them down." Horatio can be understood as meaning he feels "defeated" by the Ghost in that "agricultural" way, like he is a weed run over by a harrow. |