Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INDEX OF POSTS IN THIS SERIES: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2023/01/index-hamlet-in-32-as-boy-jesus-lost.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When Hamlet implies after The Mousetrap that he and his parents are like (or ironically unlike) the boy Jesus and the Holy Family, [1] we have an analogy: Hamlet, his mom Gertrude and uncle/stepdad Claudius on one side, Jesus, his mother Mary and stepdad Joseph on the other.  Some analogies may seem simple and straightforward: The moon is like a pearl in the night. But what if both elements of the analogy are mysterious, ambiguous, moving targets? That is the case with Hamlet and Jesus. HAMLET IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE REVENGER: He wants to be sure his uncle is guilty, to avoid killing the wrong man.[2] Soon after Hamlet thinks he can be sure, he kills the wrong man - Polonius, by accident.[3] This is not your average revenger. Peter Lake says that Hamlet the play is a hybrid of four genres: Rev...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INDEX OF POSTS IN THIS SERIES: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2023/01/index-hamlet-in-32-as-boy-jesus-lost.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As previously suggested in this series (especially Part Four),[1] Hamlet’s subtle allusion [2] to the boy Jesus among the temple elders [3] is an ironic allusion, perhaps deeply ironic, rich and complex. But who is the target of this irony, and who is aiming it? AIMED BY HAMLET AT ROSENCRANTZ Rosencrantz had been sent to tell Hamlet that his uncle is angry and his mother is upset that Hamlet angered his uncle. So Hamlet jokes that he amazed and astonished his mother Gertrude, like Jesus did his parents and the temple elders. Eager to please king and queen, Rosencrantz may not get the joke. (More irony.) BY HAMLET, AT HIMSELF Hamlet may be aware that as a revenger, perhaps called to his task by heaven and hell [4], he is no Jesus among temple elders. BY HAMLET, AT MOTHER & UNCLE Hamlet...