"Well--thou couldst do worse than study the sciences, or try thy hand at the arts," says Laertes. He starts oiling a pan while the water boils, tilting it this way and that to let the oil spread evenly across the surface. "I've been playing upon the viol again, of late. A part of me cringes at my failures, but I cannot improve without them, and so I must accept them as my stern tutors."