“WHERE’S THE BODY” in HAMLET 4.3?

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 wanted her to be the next queen. After she breaks it off, Hamlet is mean to her, yes, but Polonius is a major cause of her madness and death, and his own meddling puts him behind the arras....


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[Originally posted around the week of 10/15/18
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