Hamlet, Emmaus, Eucharistic Controversy, and Semiotics (Emmaus series, Part 5)
In Shakespeare’s time, people discussed and debated the Eucharistic controversy, and some think there are references to it in Hamlet (in things such as the chalice of poison wine as a "black mass"; or, as I have argued in this series, an Emmaus plot echo in the graveyard scene [1]). In the biblical account, when Jesus at the Last supper told the twelve to eat and drink the bread and wine as his body and blood, what did he really mean? The way we choose to understand Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus might be viewed as resembling the Eucharistic controversy. Also, in some ways, debates about what the gospel writers meant by things like virgin births, Eucharist, resurrections, and resurrection appearances (as on the road to Emmaus) have been described as debates about semiotics [2]. [Image: Titian (1490–1576), "Pilgrims at Emmaus" (Français: LE SOUPER A EMMAUS), circa 1535. Louvre Museum. Public domain, via Wikipedia .] What had the dis...