Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

In Elizabethan England, there was a popular and widely known biblical tale about a prophet who kills a king. The tale was used to discourage rebellion, but contained unintended implications. We may prefer to think that Christianity is about love of enemies, not killing murderous usurping kings. But in fact, writers of homilies for the Elizabethan church cited an especially interesting example: God had ordered King Saul to kill King Agag and all his followers and livestock [1]. But Saul disobeyed. So the prophet Samuel slew King Agag. The prophet killed a wicked king, because King Saul had failed to do it [2]. To authorities, this demonstrated that no one should disobey or rebel against God, even monarchs, so neither should English subjects rebel against their queen. The killing of Agag by Samuel is mentioned in two official homilies [3]. It was not as rarely heard in churches as it is today. But consider the implications: The story presents a monarch who disobeyed, and a prophet who ...

The Sixth Commandment is, "THOU SHALT DO NO MURDER," prominently displayed in all English Elizabethan churches. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, how many people kill another, or attempt to, or are widely blamed for the death of another? 1. In the back-story, King Hamlet and Old Fortinbras try to kill each other in a contest for land; King Hamlet wins [1]. 2. Claudius poisons his brother, King Hamlet [2]. 3. Hamlet kills Polonius [3]. 4. Claudius tries to have England kill Prince Hamlet [4]. 5. When that doesn’t work, Claudius conspires with Laertes to poison Prince Hamlet [5]. 6. Ophelia drowns: Accidental, suicidal, or holy death accepted in peace [6], or murder by Claudius [6.a.] or by Gertrude [6.b.]. 7. Young Fortinbras will wage war on Poland, a worthless patch of land, "an eggshell" (4.4.56), perhaps at a cost of "The imminent death of twenty thousand men" (4.4.63). If the war is unjust, the deaths are on the head of Fortinbras. 8. Laertes and Hamlet fight a...