LAERTES He may not, as unvalued persons do,
Carve for himself, for on his choice depends
The safety and health of this whole state,
And therefore must his choice be circumscribed
Unto the voice and yielding of that body
Where of he is the head. Then if he says he loves you
It fits your wisdom so far to believe it
As he in his particular act and place
May give his saying deed, which is no further
Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal. (1.3.18-27)
Laertes is really getting into his stride here; he sounds like his father Polonius in his political conservatism, his ‘high’ view of kingship (which also makes princes sound somewhat helpless and vulnerable), his deference. (Except we haven’t heard much of Polonius yet; it’s a smart device, to establish the father’s characterisation through the son—Hamlet’s already conceded that he’s not like his father the late king.) Hamlet may not, as unvalued persons do, carve for himself. He can’t make his own decisions—literally, he can’t serve himself at the table—like ordinary people, because his choices, in this case, of a partner, a wife, potentially, have consequences for the safety and health of this whole state. Laertes is thinking in terms of the state as a body, with the king as its head, as he confirms in the next line—and therefore must his choice be circumscribed unto the voice and yielding of that body where of he is the head. Hamlet’s choices and decisions have to meet with public approval and support; they’ve got to have general consent. It’s quite pragmatic, from one perspective, and it’s expressing the kind of caution that one might expect from a next-gen statesman on the cusp of a new reign (Hamlet is a fin de siècle play: how much longer would Elizabeth be on the throne?) The state as a body is conventional—but is Denmark a healthy body?
Then if he says he loves you—lots of scope for reaction from Ophelia here, dismissive, slightly embarrassed, perhaps just going very still, or a big smile that can’t be helped, or a faltering smile: has Hamlet said so?—it fits your wisdom so far to believe it as he in his particular act and place may give his saying deed which is no further than the main voice of Denmark goes withal. You can only believe Hamlet up to a point, whatever he says, that’s what you’ve got to be mindful of, because everything he says is conditional, everything he promises is contingent upon his status and therefore upon the views and consent of others. He can say all he likes—but his actions need to have the support of the whole country behind them. Tread carefully.