Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

Emily Dickinson famously wrote, “Tell the truth, but tell it slant” [1]. In the character of Claudius, Shakespeare does this in a number of ways: He retells an old Danish tale about a murderous king who married his brother’s widow (echoes of Henry VIII [2]). He changes the uncle’s name from Feng to Claudius, associating him not only with literary villains in Arthurian tales [3.a., 3.b.] and in Chaucer [4], but also with Rome and two Roman emperors - Claudius II, who ordered the execution of St. Valentine (as King Claudius ordered the execution of Ophelia’s Valentine) [5], and Claudius I, who married his niece and invaded England [6]. Shakespeare associated the uncle with Rome in these ways during the English Reformation, when Protestantism and Rome were at odds, executing traitors and heretics; when Elizabeth had been excommunicated by two Roman Catholic popes [7]; and when Rome enlisted Philip II of Spain (who had proposed to Elizabeth in 1559) and its Armada to attempt invasions of...

In Part 4 of this series [1] I noted that Chaucer in “The Physicians Tale” has a lecherous villain named Appius Claudius who desires a young woman who has no interest in him, and who with his servant (also named Claudius) schemes to make her his slave [2]. The repetition of the name Claudius may imply both that the servant is like a fawning courtier, and that Appius Claudius was vain to hire a servant who shared his name. The villain-with-a-sidekick is a tradition also tapped into by the Austin Powers spy-comedy, Goldmember, with its villain, Dr. Evil, who has a sidekick Mini-Me (played by Verne Jay Troyer) [3]. I mentioned in Part 4 that scholars note the influence of Chaucer in as many as nine Shakespeare plays [4]. So it’s clear that Shakespeare knew Chaucer’s work. But did he know of Claudius-times-two in that tale? It would be easier to believe that he did, and was indicating so in Hamlet, if only he had included some servant of Claudius who was also named Claudius.... Hmmm.... ...

HAMLET, CHAUCER'S APPIUS CLAUDIUS, AND THE CORRUPT JUDGE OF LUKE 18 (PART 6) In a previous post [1], I explored how Chaucer’s story, “The Physician’s Tale” may have been a key factor among many literary and historical reasons for Shakespeare renaming Hamlet’s uncle Feng as “Claudius” [2]. Chaucer’s tale has two villains named Claudius (one the servant of the other), and a female object of exploitation who escapes dishonor by means like suicide (or father- required sacrifice, similar to Iphigenia, or the Jephthah theme in Hamlet [3]). Shakespeare's Hamlet also has King Claudius with a servant, Claudio, mentioned in 4.7, having received Hamlet's messages, and handing them off to a messenger. (This introduction of a second occurrence of a form of the name Claudius/Claudio may be a nod to the Chaucer tale). The Chaucer story suggests a gospel connection. In “The Physician’s Tale,” the main villain, Appius Claudius, is no average villain: He is a corrupt judge. Why does thi...

Scholars note as many as nine Shakespeare plays either based on Chaucer tales, or strongly influenced by them [1]. So finding points of similarity between Hamlet and Chaucer’s “The Physician’s Tale” may come as no surprise to fans of the two poets [2]. Chaucer may have influenced Shakespeare’s naming of Hamlet’s uncle, “Claudius,” as there are two Claudiuses of questionable moral character in the Chaucer tale. - In Chaucer, Appius Claudius lusts after Virginia and is willing to act immorally to possess her. - In Hamlet , Claudius wants to possess both the throne and his brother’s wife, and is willing to kill to obtain and keep them. - Chaucer’s Appius Claudius employs another Claudius, a “churl,” to lie for him in court. - Hamlet’s uncle Claudius enlists the help of Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern, to spy on the prince. - Chaucer’s Virginia is virtuous and hopes to be saved from scandal. - In Hamlet , Gertrude and Ophelia are virtuous (or “seeming virtuous” as the ghost calls h...

Hamlet's references to Jephthah and Hecuba may have more to do with each other in the broader context of the tales of the Trojan War than Hamlet footnotes lead one at first to believe. Many students today make up the largest group of fresh audiences or readers of Shakespeare's Hamlet . As such, most come to the play without knowing who Jephthah or Hecuba were (I certainly did not when I first read the play in high school). Both Jephthah and Hecuba are alluded to by the prince in Act 2, scene 2, a long scene.* Hamlet remains on stage consistently from the Jephthah reference through all the Hecuba speech and references ("What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba?").                [Dame Judi Dench as Hecuba in Hamlet , 1996, directed by Kenneth Branagh. Image via HamletsCloud . Fair use.] Shakespeare's original audiences fresh to the play would have included a greater percent of people more familiar with the Bible and ...