Where's the body? Kings, Beggars, Worms, Excrement, Eucharist, Buddha Bunny, and Lazarus in Hamlet 4.3 (part 17)
In Hamlet 4.3, Claudius is disturbed that Hamlet, for some inexplicable reason, has hidden the body of Polonius. Perhaps a main reason is to allow for some fascinating dialogue between Hamlet and Claudius about bodies, supper, worms, kings, and beggars, and to hint at more than this, regarding the Diet of Worms, and perhaps about Eucharist. The dialogue sounds a bit like a "Who's on First?" comic skit by Abbott and Costello: [Image from 1950s recording via Amazon.com , cropped. Fair use.] King: Now Hamlet, where's Polonius? Hamlet: t supper. King: At supper? Where? Hamlet: Not where he eats, but where 'a is eaten. 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. King: Alas, alas! Hamlet: A man may fish with t...