Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

In Hamlet 4.3, instead of “Long live King Claudius!” Hamlet names worms as emperors [1]: Eventually, worms will overcome every king, after which even a beggar might eat, digest, and defecate a monarch. In the end, the meek (including beggars and worms) inherit the earth and its kingdoms [2].  But how can a beggar defecate a king?  (Some people in the USA, terrorized by ICE, may be asking the same thing.)  Hamlet explains the food chain to Claudius, who has lied consistently in the play about a key murder for which he is responsible:  KING  Now, Hamlet, where’s Polonius? HAMLET  At supper. KING  At supper where? HAMLET  Not where he eats, but where he 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, ala...

In the last few weeks, my research that started with the Lazarus allusion in Hamlet 1.5 ("lazarlike") has moved out in concentric circles or spirals, from Lazarus and the rich man, to King Hamlet and to his stealthy, usurper-brother, Claudius, who has stolen the kingdom - and its queen. So already we have broadened our scope from rich men and beggars, to kings, thieves and usurpers: The king seems to play the role of the rich man, and Claudius may have been like one of the beggars neglected too long , and who finally turned thief and murderer. I also considered how the theft of the commons created more poverty, more beggars, the criminalization of beggars and vagabonds created more hardships , and how Shakespeare was familiar with bread riots, and included such things in his plays . [Coriolan supplié par sa famille (Coriolanus begged by his family), circa 1652-1653, by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), Musée Nicolas-Poussin, Les Andelys. Photographed by Aiwaz....