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 generations?
4. Some complain: Honoring the Sabbath and the gospels makes one naive and vulnerable. Yet in those gospels, doesn’t Jesus say we must be innocent as doves but cunning as serpents (Mt 10:16)?
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[Originally posted around the week of 7/16/18
on LinkedIn]
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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
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#Shakespeare #Bible #Hamlet #Literature #LiteraryCriticism #Drama #Theatre #EarlyModern #religion #Renaissance #EnglishLiterature #peacestudies
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 generations?
4. Some complain: Honoring the Sabbath and the gospels makes one naive and vulnerable. Yet in those gospels, doesn’t Jesus say we must be innocent as doves but cunning as serpents (Mt 10:16)?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Originally posted around the week of 7/16/18
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 #Bible #Hamlet #Literature #LiteraryCriticism #Drama #Theatre #EarlyModern #religion #Renaissance #EnglishLiterature #peacestudies
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