Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

Sixteenth Century Society Conference in Albuquerque: I will present a paper this Fri., Nov. 2, 1:30pm at this conference in New Mexico, on panel 93 with Prof. Emeritus Gayle Gaskill of Minnesota and Prof. Dean Clement of Oklahoma. Naseeb Shaheen (1931-2009, in the panel title) wrote a large and important work on Shakespeare's biblical influences, but like his predecessors, focused primarily on phrasing and not paraphrase or plot echo. My paper will include insights incubated here about Hamlet, plot echoes of Jonah, Emmaus, Lazarus & the rich man, and sentinel Francisco, whose namesake (Francis of Assisi) foreshadows the other allusions. Shakespeare will be the *main* focus in numerous other panels at the conference, including 75 F-8:30 Tragedy 145 Sa-10:30 & Religion 172 Sa-3:30 Shakespeare’s Dramatic Works & Their Legacy Shakespeare among other areas of focus: 53 Th-3:30 88 F-10:30 162 Sa-3:30 170 Sa-3:30 171 Sa-3:30 185 Sn-8:30 Join us if you'r...

John the Baptist condemned Herod’s marriage to his brother’s ex-wife. Her daughter Salome danced pleasingly for Herod and guests, so he granted her a wish. Prompted by her mother, she asked for John’s head (Mt 14:3-10, Mk 6:14-29). Hamlet, like John Baptist, disapproves of a king's marriage to his brother’s wife. Claudius speaks to Laertes (In 1.2) as if he’d grant any wish. - Later, Laertes wants revenge for his father's death, saying he'd go to any length to obtain his revenge, even to slit (Hamlet's) throat in the church. - (Beheading involves cutting the head off at the neck, so slitting the throat is in that way related to beheading). - Claudius is like Herod who wants Hamlet (a John the Baptist figure) killed, and would use Laertes as executioner. Before the sea voyage, Ophelia agrees to act as bait for Hamlet so that Claudius and Polonius can spy on him. Hamlet accuses her of acting like a harlot or prostitute in a kind of dance (“You jig, you amble”), hinti...

Hamlet hauling Polonius’ body away (“lugging” the “guts”) serves no practical purpose but to set up the later, loaded question, “Where is the body?” (& talk about supper, beggars, fish, worms, “diet” of worms, with Eucharistic and reformation implications). This *ironically* echoes John 20:1-13 (women at the tomb ask where Jesus’ body has been taken). Ironic: Polonius is no Jesus. —In the case of Jesus, “where’s the body?” is answered: Don't look in tombs: He won't be found there. He lives on in the mystical body of those changed by, or in harmony with, his teaching: in his disciples and even strangers (road to Emmaus). —In the case of Polonius: in heaven or “the other place”? If he lives on, like Jesus, in the good or ill effects his life has had on others in the world, it might be the other place. —He treated Ophelia like a prostitute, saying maybe she should charge Hamlet more for her affections; then used her as a tool to spy on the prince. —Hamlet may have...

W.H.Auden and others think Hamlet shows little remorse after killing Polonius. This means Gertrude lies to Claudius to cover for her beloved son (“he weeps for what is done” 4.1). Is remorselessness an effect of being tempted to revenge by the ghost? Or is the play imperfect, flawed? What if Gertrude’s claims are evidence of how that text was first staged, and of Hamlet’s realization that he has killed Ophelia’s father? In the closet scene, Hamlet says he “repents” of it, and that “heaven hath pleased it so,/ To punish me with this and this with me.” - Couldn't this be spoken tearfully? (If I were "repenting" of a killing and felt heaven was pleased to punish me with my deeds as well as to punish others, I might certainly be tearful in saying so....) Can we imagine a “mad” Hamlet, speaking a few of his closet scene lines broken by sobs, to the Ghost and his mother? Although he thought Polonius a meddling fool, he meant to kill Claudius. Hamlet refers to hauling ...

Last week I posted about #Shakespeare portraying #Hamlet as conforming to the "threefold office" Christ is said to exemplify, which all Christians are said to share: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/09/hamlet-priest-prophet-king-part-1.html More details: 1. PROPHETS in the biblical sense were not so much fortune-tellers as sent by God to speak against sin, often speaking truth to power. Hamlet condemns Denmark's sins* even as John the Baptist condemned Herod's marriage to his brother's ex-wife. 2. PRIESTS in the bible oversaw ritual sacrifice (a dove, a lamb), the meat later used as food. Jesus is called priest as he freely offers himself as sacrifice on the cross, and in Eucharist, offers body and blood as spiritual food and drink. Similarly, Hamlet freely embraces his fate and the possibility of death. 3. KINGS were seen by many in the Renaissance as ruling by divine right; some argue that Hamlet is rightful king. But only after a Jonah-like ...