Hamlet Nunnery Scene Haunted by Homily VI, Book 2, & Lazarus (part 14)

The nunnery scene (3.1) in Shakespeare's Hamlet is among the most famous of the play's scenes,
with Hamlet telling Ophelia to get to a nunnery,
criticizing women for painting themselves faces other than the one God gave them,
and offering as a "plague for thy dowry" that, if she must marry, she should marry a fool.

[NUNS AND A FOOL. Left: Hildegard von Bingen and her nuns, 13th Century, public domain here. Right: An Allegory of Folly, early 16th century, by Quentin Matsys (1456/1466–1530), New York, J. Held Collection. Image public domain, here.]

All of these things - and Pyrrhus, and worm's suppers - also appear in Homily VI, "AN HOMILIE AGAINST excesse of Apparrell," from Book 2 of the official homilies used during Shakespeare's lifetime.

The same homily also makes a connection between the sin of excess committed by the rich man in the Luke 16 Lazarus tale, and the excess of people wearing extravagant clothing, or wearing too much makeup, painting themselves a face other than the one God gave them, and in the homily's view of women, looking like harlots.

Or like Elizabeth I after smallpox?
(Elizabeth, especially after smallpox, wore thick white makeup to cover facial scars, and it probably poisoned her.)

Although Hamlet may seem to be ranting like a madman in the nunnery scene, he's actually using religious rhetoric that was common to his time, and in fact, approved to be read in church.

When playwrights give homilies bad theater reviews:
Does Shakespeare imply that the official homilies were, at times, portraits in madness?

[Disclaimer: I'm fine with people dressing up, wearing costumes, makeup, and with makeup artists, tailors and seamstresses expressing themselves through designing and making clothes. But in this blog post, I will share the ideas of the homily, including many that relate to Hamlet.]

Compare some of the following passages from Book 2, Homily VI, and their connections to lines from 3.1, or other connectionis to Hamlet:

ON THE EXCESS OF THE RICH MAN AND HIS APPAREL:
Marke I beseech you, Saint Iames calleth them miserable, notwithstanding their richesse and and plenty of apparell, forasmuch as they pamper their bodies, to their owne destruction. What was the rich glutton the better for his fine fare and costly apparell? Did not he nourish himselfe to bee tormented in hell fire (Luke 16.19-25)?

- As I have said a number of times in this series on Lazarus allusions in Hamlet, the story of the beggar Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16 is the source of the ghost's allusion in 1.5 to how the poison Claudius poured in his ear made his skin all "lazar-like," meaning like the skin of Lazarus, afflicted with sores licked by dogs.

["The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man," Workshop of Domenico Fetti, circa 1618-1628. National Gallery of Art. Public Domain, via Wikipedia.]

[Like the rich man in hell:]
O vaine women, to procure so much hurt to themselues, by the which they come the sooner to misery in this world and in the meane time be abhorred of GOD, hated and scorned of wise men, and in the end, like to be ioyned with such, who in hell, too late repenting themselues, shall openly complaine with these wordes: What hath our pride profited vs? or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought vs? All these things are passed away like a shadow. As for vertue, we did neuer shew any signe thereof: And thus wee are consumed in our wickednesse.

HONESTY:
The homily repeatedly mentions honesty, describing how an excess of apparel (or makeup) can be supposedly dishonest, portraying one as more beautiful than the way God made one, and perhaps portraying one dishonestly as belonging to a higher social class. Here are two such passages:

"alloweth vs apparell, not only for necessities sake, but also for an honest comelinesse."

"...refresh our senses with an honest and moderate recreation."

Later in the homily, we get this passage, also touching on the idea of honesty:

For the proude and haughtie stomacks of the daughters of England, are so maintained with diuers disguised sortes of costly apparell, that as Tertullian an auncient father saith, there is left no difference in apparell betweene an honest matrone and a common strumpet (Tertullian, `Apolog. Con. Gentes,' chap. 6).

Hamlet repeatedly mentions honesty earlier in the play, regarding the ghost (1.5), regarding Polonius (2.2), and with Rosencrantz, regarding the world becoming honest (2.2), and with the players, regarding an "honest method" of acting (2.2).

Hamlet, of course, is concerned with corruption and deception or dishonesty in Denmark, because his uncle has killed his father and claimed it was due to a poison snake.

Consider, then, Hamlet's preoccupation with Ophelia's honesty as shown in these passages from 3.1. Hamlet's question about Ophelia's honesty seems to be inspired by her return of his "remembrances," or love poems. Perhaps he questions whether she is being honest in claiming she has long wanted to return them?

HAMLET: Ha, ha! Are you honest?
OPHELIA: My lord?
H: Are you fair?
O: What means your lordship?
H: That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty.
O: Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?
H: Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once.
O: Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.
H: You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not.
O: I was the more deceived.
H: Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me...
(3.1.1738-79, emphasis mine)

MORE ON HONESTY:
The homily later mentions honesty again, saying that if one does not accept Christian teaching, consider the pagans, like Democrates, Sophocles, Socrates, and Aristotle:

If ye will not keepe the Apostles preceptes, at the least let vs heare what pagans, which were ignorant of Christ, haue sayde in this matter. Democrates saith, The ornament of a woman, standeth in scarcitie of speach and apparell. Sophocles saith of such apparell thus, It is not an ornament, O thou foole, but a shame and a manifest shew of thy folly. Socrates saith, that that is a garnishing to a woman, which declareth out her honestie. (Emphasis mine.)

And Aristotle biddeth that a woman should vse lesse apparell then the lawe doth suffer. For it is not the goodlinesse of apparell, nor the excellencie of beautie, nor the abundance of gold, that maketh a woman to bee esteemed, but modestie, and diligence to liue honestly in all things. (Emphasis mine.)

EXCESS IN APPAREL CAN LEAD TO HARDER DRUGS
The homily speaks of excess in apparel or makeup as if it's a temptation or a drug that can lead to harder drugs, or other sins. This is significant perhaps because Hamlet seems to consider himself already a sinner, and to consider Ophelia as a temptation to other sins. Consider this passage:

And no lesse truely ought we to beware, lest vnder pretence of Christian liberty, wee take licence to doe what wee list, aduancing our selues in sumptuous apparell, and despising other, preparing ourselues in fine brauery, to wanton, lewde, and vnchaste behauiour.

THIS PLAGUE FOR THY DOWRY... MARRY A FOOL
Hamlet asks where Ophelia's father is; she says he's home, and Hamlet replies that the doors should be shut on him so that he can play the fool only in his own house (3.1.1787).

He says Ophelia should get to a nunnery, or "if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them (3.1.1793-5).

Foolish husbands are also an important topic in the homily:

But it wil be here obiected & sayd of some nice & vaine women, that al which we do in painting our faces, in dying our haire, in embalming our bodies, in decking vs with gay apparell, is to please our husbands, to delight his eyes, and to retayne his loue towards vs. O vaine excuse, and most shamefull answer, to the reproch of thy husband. What couldst thou more say to set out his foolishnesse, then to charge him to bee pleased and delighted with the Diuels tire? (emphasis mine.)

                                    [Public Domain image.]

GOD GIVES ONE FACE, YOU MAKE YOURSELVES ANOTHER
Regarding women wearing makeup, Hamlet is as harsh as the homily. Here is Hamlet's statement to Ophelia:

I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another. (3.1.1798-1800)

Here's a similar passage from the homily:

Who can paint her face and curle her hayre, and change it into an vnnaturall colour, but therein doeth worke reproofe to her maker, who made her? As though shee could make her selfe more comely then GOD hath appointed the measure of her beauty. What doe these women, but goe about to reforme that which GOD hath made? not knowing that all things naturall are the worke of GOD, and things disguised and vnnaturall be the workes of the Diuell. And as though a wise and Christian husband should delight to see his wife in such painted and flourished visages, which common harlots most doe vse, to traine therewith their louers to naughtinesse, or as though an honest woman could delight to be like an harlot for pleasing of her husband.

WANTONNESS AND FOOLISHNESS
Hamlet accuses women of "wantonness" and suggests Ophelia marry a fool. Here's the "wanton" passage:

HAMLET: You jig, you amble, and you lisp, and nickname God's creatures, and make your wantonness your ignorance. (3.1.1800-1802) (emphasis mine.)

Here's "wantonness" and "foolishness" in the same homily passage:

Nay, nay, these be but vaine excuses of such as go about to please rather others then their husbands. And such attires be but to prouoke her to shew her selfe abroad, to entice others: a worthy matter. She must keep debate with her husband to maintaine such apparel, whereby shee is the worse huswife, the seldomer at home to see to her charge, and so neglect his thrift, by giuing great prouocation to her houshold to waste and wantonnesse, while shee must wander abroad to shew her owne vanity, and her husbands foolishnesse. (Emphasis mine.)

FOOLS, THRICE REPEATED: BE LIKE THE WISE, NOT LIKE THE FOOL
Here is yet another passage from the homily, with "fools" repeated three times:

If thou sayest that the custome is to bee followed, and the vse of the world doeth compell thee to such curiosity, then I aske of thee, whose custome should be followed? wise folkes manners, or fooles? If thou sayest the wise: then I say, follow them: For fooles customes, who should follow but fooles? Consider that the consent of wise men, ought to be alleadged for a custome. (Emphasis mine.)

EVEN PYRRHUS PHOTOBOMBS THE HOMILY-PICTURE
In 2.2, between Hamlet and the players, the name of Pyrrhus is mentioned ten times in relation to the speech Hamlet requests of the players regarding Pyrrhus killing Priam as Hecuba looks on.

[La Mort de Priam (The Death of Priamos), 1861, by Jules Lefebvre (1834–1912), with Hecuba held back by others in the shadows on the right. Beaux-Arts de Paris. Via Wikipedia, public domain.]

It also comes up in the homily:

The women in Rome in old time abhorred that gay apparell which king Pyrrhus sent to them, and none were so greedy and vaine to accept them. (Emphasis mine.)

[Worms: Photograph by Petr Kratochvil, public domain. Skull: Image from British Library, Creative Commons, via Rawpixel.]

WORMS' MEAT
In 4.3, Claudius asks Hamlet where he has placed the body of Polonius. Hamlet's reply claims Polonius is at supper, not where he eats, but where he is eaten, and has to do with worms. This is perhaps a reference to Martin Luther and the Diet of Worms, but also a reference to our wiggly friends in the soil that eat the flesh of corpses buried there:

HAMLET: A certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service: two dishes but to one table. That's the end. (4.3.2685-90, Emphasis mine.)

The homily touches upon the same common theme of worms:

But alas, there appeareth amongst vs little feare and obedience either of GOD, or man. Therefore must wee needes looke for GODS fearefull vengeance from heauen, to ouerthrowe our presumption and pride, as hee ouerthrew Herode, who in his royall apparell, forgetting GOD, was smitten of an Angell, and eaten vp of wormes (Acts 12.21-23). By which terrible example, GOD hath taught vs that wee are but wormes meate, although we pamper our selues neuer so much in gorgeous apparell. (Emphasis mine.)

EFFEMINATE MEN AND DISGUISE
The homilist writes,

Yea many men are become so effeminate, that they care not what they spend in disguising themselues, euer desiring new toyes, and inuenting new fashions.

We might recall on this point that, in Shakespeare's time, the women's parts in theater productions were played by men and boys, prepubescent boys to play young women, and sometimes older men (or a clown, in the case of Juliet's nurse) to play older women who have humorous roles.

EMBRACE SIMPLICITY TO BETTER SERVE HEAVEN?
Some of the reasoning of the homily is that, when people pursue excess in apparel, food, or drink, there is less left over to help the poor, an argument that John 12:1-8 claims was also used against Jesus, who ate and drank with sinners. Mary had anointed his feet with expensive perfume. Jesus replies that this anointing was for his burial.

But the gospels portray a Jesus who also counseled his disciples to live simply and to be generous with all who ask, to treat the poor and sick and "the least of these" as they would treat him. The homily includes this passage:

Our Sauiour Christ bad his disciples they should not haue two coates: but the most men, farre vnlike to his schollers, haue their presses so full of apparell, that many know not how many sorts they haue (Matthew 10.10). Which thing caused Saint Iames to pronounce this terrible curse against such wealthie worldlings, Goe to yee rich men, weepe and howle on your wretchednesse that shall come vpon you, your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moth eaten, ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth, and in wantonnesse, yee haue nourished your hearts, as in the day of slaughter (James 5.1-2, 5).

But interestingly, the homily's focus is more to condemn excess, rather that to encourage generosity toward the poor.

NATIONALISTIC FASHION-SENSE, OR AGAINST CULTURAL APPROPRIATION?
The homily has a brief rant against those who would be so bold as to wear fashions popular in other cultures, a strange moment that might offend modern sensibilities:

She doeth but deserue mockes and scorns, to set out all her commendation in Iewish and Ethnicke apparell, and yet brag of her Christianity.

CLASS-CONSCIOUS CHRISTIANITY: LOOPHOLES FOR THE RICH
The homily includes a loophole for the rich, and for royalty, big enough to drive a truck with a fashion wardrobe through: It claims that one of the main problems with excess apparel is that people of lower classes, too often, dress up in order to appear above their station, which is a kind of dishonesty, and also very confusing to the rich and to royalty, when, for example, Cinderella dresses up like a princess (with help from her fairy godmother) and attends the ball to meet the prince.

In a way, the Bible story of Jesus being born in a manger to an unmarried couple and the wife of a carpenter is exactly this kind of tale: People disguising themselves to be someone other than their "station" in life. But such stories imply that we are all, potentially, princes and princesses of heaven.

But the homily will have none of that. Here's the passage that most clearly emphasises the importance of dressing according to one's station, and not attempting to deceive others by dressing above one's station:

The fourth and last rule is, that euery man behold and consider his owne vocation, in as much as GOD hath appointed euery man his degree and office, within the limittes whereof it behoueth him to keepe himselfe. Therefore all may not looke to weare like apparell, but euery one according to his degree, as GOD hath placed him. Which, if it were obserued, many one doubtlesse should bee compelled to weare a ruffet coate, which now ruffeleth in silkes and veluets, spending more by the yeere in sumptuous apparell, then their fathers receiued for the whole reuenue of their lands. But alas now a dayes how many may wee behold occupied wholy in pampering the flesh, taking no care at all, but onely how to decke themselues, setting their affection altogether on worldly brauerie, abusing GODS goodnesse, when he sendeth plenty, to satisfie their wonton lusts, hauing no regard to the degree wherein GOD hath placed them. The Israelites were contented with such apparell as GOD gaue them, although it were base and simple: And GOD so blessed them, that their shooes and clothes lasted them fourtie yeeres (Deuteronomy 29.5), yea, and those clothes which their fathers had worne, their children were contented to vse afterward. But we are neuer contented, and therefore we prosper not, so that most commonly hee that ruffeleth in his Sables, in his fine furred gowne, corked slippers, trime buskinnes, and warme mittons, is more ready to chill for colde, then the poore labouring man, which can abide in the field all the day long, when the North winde blowes, with a few beggerly cloutes about him.

The homily does not cite that "the laborer is worth his wages," or the generosity in Jesus' parables about paying laborers; nor does it say the "poore labouring man" is not paid enough, or that the father who made little money, and the children who spend more than the parents' income in a year, are somehow treated unfairly. Although written hundreds of years after St. Francis of Assisi, such insights in official homilies would, perhaps for the most part, have to wait for the influence of Marx and liberation theology.

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For those interested in reading this homily (Book 2, Homily VI) in its entirety, you can click here, or copy and paste this URL into your browser:
http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/bk2hom06.htm

For those interested in access to all of the two books of homilies, try clicking here, or copy and paste this URL into your browser:
http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/

You can also find the homilies here from an 1859 edition with modern spelling, page and line numbers:

https://archive.org/details/twobookshomilie00grifgoog/page/n380/mode/2up

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INDEX OF POSTS IN THIS SERIES ON THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS:
See this link:
https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2021/02/index-series-on-rich-man-and-beggar.html


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Hamlet quotes: All quotes from Hamlet (in this particular series on The Rich Man and Lazarus in Hamlet) are taken from the Modern (spelling), Editor's Version at InternetShakespeare via the University of Victoria in Canada.
- To find them in the first place, I often use the advanced search feature at OpenSourceShakespeare.org.

Bible quotes from the Geneva translation, widely available to people of Shakespeare's time, are taken from an internet source somewhat close to their original spelling, from studybible.info, and in a modern spelling, from biblegateway.com.
- Quotes from the Bishop's bible, also available in Shakespeare's lifetime and read in church, are taken from studybible.info.
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Disclaimer: If and when I quote or paraphrase bible passages or mention religion in many of my blog posts, I do not intend to promote any religion over another, nor am I attempting to promote religious belief in general; only to explore how the Bible and religion influenced Shakespeare, his plays, and his age.
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