Read it through once

This is a Conduct in most of our Author's Tragedies, and in many other of our Tragedy Writers, that is quite unnatural and absurd; I mean, introducing an Army on the Stage. Although our Imagination will bear a great Degree of Illusion, yet we can never so far impose on our Knowledge, and our Senses, as to imagine the Stage to contain an Army: Therefore in such a Case, the Recital of it, or seeing the Commander, and an Officer or Two of it, is the best Method of conducting such a Circumstance. _Fortinbrass's_ Troops are here brought in, I believe, to give Occasion for his appearing in the last Scene, and also to give Rise to _Hamlet's_ reflections thereon, (p. 327.) which tend to give some Reasons for his deferring the Punishment of the Usurper.