Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

(Biblical Allusion & Author Intention in Shakespeare as Writer) In Hamlet and other plays, are biblical plot echoes there due to the author’s conscious intention? Or did he absorb so many biblical ideas/phrases/plot structures that it was often (a-hem) unconscious/unintentional/accidental? —Hamlet has more explicit (chapter-&-verse) biblical allusions than any other of Shakespeare’s plays (in part because it’s so long). —Many would claim: if an allusion is explicit, the playwright probably intended it. —But if it’s a plot echo of Jonah, or King David, or Emmaus, with no explicit quote/allusion to those parts of the bible, is it unconscious/not intended? —If conscious, did he make these plot echoes more subtle/inexplicit for aesthetic reasons (not to sound too preachy)? Or sometimes to make a risky political statement, but avoid the censors? —If unconscious, what does that mean? —If I internalize driving on one side of the road because that’s how it’s done in my cu...

SHAKESPEARE’S PUB SIGN, AUSTIN TX "And thereof comes the proverb: 'Blessing of your heart, you brew good ale.'" - Two Gentlemen of Verona 3.1 One of my favorite elementary school teachers (beloved spouse) is attending the International Literacy Association (#ILA) #conference in Austin, TX, and invited me along. Heard some good #jazz and #blues on 6th Street last night (and saw many fun signs with creative pub names. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [Originally posted around the week of 7/20/18 on LinkedIn ] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Links to a description of my book project: On LinkedIn : https://lnkd.in/eJGBtqV On this blog : https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/05/hamlets-bible-my-book-project-im.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #Shakespeare #Bars #Austin #Signage #TEXAS #PUB #ALE

What came first: warlike Denmark, or Sabbath-violating? In Hamlet, 1.1, Marcellus talks about “post-haste” preparations for war, urgent (enforced) labor that "Does not divide the Sunday from the week." Some questions: 1. If a nation truly honors the Sabbath in all its depth of meaning, why would they choose war over humility and reconciliation, as the gospels teach love of even enemies? 2. Yes, the pragmatic might put all else aside to make needed preparations for war; but isn’t war itself a sign of failure on a grand scale of human values and of transcendent spiritual values, which urge people to love one another as they love themselves? 3. Didn't Claudius violate the spirit of the Sabbath by killing his brother? And King Hamlet, by giving in to “emulate pride” and killing Old Fortinbras, whose son would later seek vengeance and the land back, leaving Denmark with the looming threat of war? Doesn’t this show how the rotten fruits of sin are passed down through g...

Some interpreters of Hamlet assume that ~Hamlet’s praise of his father should be trusted (that King Hamlet was mostly good); and that ~the prince was obliged to avenge his father's murder. Yet Horatio describes the king as “pricked on by a most emulate pride”; the ghost describes himself as in a state of sin when he died, not having confessed or received the sacraments. This leads some to question the king’s legacy. Hamlet's hyperbolic praise compares his father to pagan gods: Idolatry, or mere Renaissance tradition? Does this merit scrutiny? The dead king doesn't seem to have been a loving father involved in the life of his son; he seems harsh and demanding, while Yorick seems the loving surrogate father. The prince’s analogies of pagan gods might imply that he idolizes his father too much before the sea-voyage, after which Hamlet is silent about his father. This would support the Jonah plot echo: From the belly of the fish, Jonah mentions vanity (or in some tr...

PAPER ACCEPTED FOR 2018 SEPTEMBER SW CCL I recently had another paper accepted, this one for the the 2018 Southwest Conference on Christianity and Literature at Oklahoma Baptist University in late September. The theme of the conference is "Gathering in the Strange: Literary Vision in a Disenchanted World." Related to the theme of "the Strange," my paper will examine four works that echo aspects of the biblical Emmaus story about meeting Christ in the stranger. I have briefly written about two of these in past LinkedIn posts: In The Merchant of Venice https://lnkd.in/dynRAwu and in Hamlet https://lnkd.in/egrcrUa I'll also examine Emmaus plot elements in Flannery O'Connor's short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and in (gasp!) the Disney film, Moana; this is especially striking once spotted in Moana. Welcoming the stranger exposes one to danger and enemies. But if we neglect the stranger out of fear, then we miss the chance to...