Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

INDEX: Character Arcs: Labors of Gratitude & Regret in Hamlet (Aug. - Dec. 2019) In the second half of 2019, I did a series in which I considered character arcs in Hamlet, using ideas adapted from a Lewis Hyde chapter on “The Labor of Gratitude,” expanding this to include also labors of regret. Posts in this series: Part 1: Gifts & Labors of Gratitude in Hansel & Gretel - (before Hamlet) - 8/12/19 https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/08/lewis-hyde-on-labor-of-gratitude.html Part 2: Hamlet's Descent & Arc Toward Mercy (Labors of Gratitude and Regret) - 8/19/19 https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/08/labors-of-gratitude-and-regret-in-hamlet.html Part 3: Polonius' Labor of Regret - 8/26/19 https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/08/polonius-his-labor-of-regret.html Part 4: Into Dad's Circle of Fear & Flattery: Laertes' Labors of Gratitude & Regret, 1.2 - 9/3/19 https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/09/laertes-dyna...

This is the latest installment in a multi-part series examining how characters interact in Hamlet, offering opportunities, gifts, planting seeds for future inspiration, or for changes of heart & mind. It follows ideas from Lewis Hyde (“The Labor of Gratitude,” a chapter in his book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property) . For more notes on the series and an index of previous posts in this series, see the end of this post. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHY GIFT-DYNAMICS MATTER FOR HAMLET & THE BIBLE Why might it matter whether, or how, characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet demonstrate labors of gratitude and regret, or interact in ways that seem to conform to the transformative dynamics of gift exchange? Why does it matter that Claudius repeatedly refuses such moments of grace? What does it matter that so many other characters seem inclined toward some kind of transformation? And how might such interactions relate to biblical influences in the play? The answer to these questi...

This is the latest installment in a multi-part series examining how characters interact in Hamlet, offering opportunities, gifts, planting seeds for future inspiration, or for changes of heart & mind. It follows ideas from Lewis Hyde (“The Labor of Gratitude,” a chapter in his book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property ). For more notes on the series and an index of previous posts in this series, see the end of this post. [L: Nathaniel Parker as Laertes in the last scene of Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 Hamlet , surprised to hear that Gertrude will drink from what Laertes and Claudius know is the poison cup; R: Image from the final scene of Kenneth Branagh's 1996 Hamlet: Laertes (played by Michael Maloney) realizes that in falling, he has lost hold of the poison rapier he used to scratch Hamlet, but now it has slid across the floor to Hamlet. It will soon be used by Hamlet, unaware of the poison, to scratch Laertes in return.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...

This is an installment in a multi-part series examining how characters interact in Hamlet, offering opportunities, gifts, planting seeds for future inspiration, or for changes of heart & mind. It follows ideas from Lewis Hyde (“The Labor of Gratitude,” a chapter in his book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property ). For more notes on the series and an index of previous posts in this series, see the end of this post. [Clockwise from upper left: Glenn Close as Gertrude, 1990 (with Mel Gibson as Hamlet), directed by Franco Zeffirelli; Eileen Herlie as Gertrude, 1948 (with Lawrence Olivier as Hamlet), directed by Laurence Olivier (Herlie also played Gertrude in the 1964 production of Hamlet starring Richard Burton, directed by Bill Colleran & John Gielgud); Diane Venora as Gertrude, 2000 (with Ethan Hawke as Hamlet), directed by Michael Almereyda; Julie Christie as Gertrude, 1996 (with Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet), directed by Kenneth Branagh.] ~~...

This is the latest installment in a multi-part series examining how characters interact in Hamlet, offering opportunities, gifts, planting seeds for future inspiration, or for changes of heart & mind. It follows ideas from Lewis Hyde (“The Labor of Gratitude,” a chapter in his book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property ). For more notes on the series and an index of previous posts in this series, see the end of this post. Laertes & Hamlet Fight at Ophelia’s Grave, 5.1 (part 8, Labors of Gratitude & Regret in Hamlet ) (continued from the previous weeks' posts) Act 5, scene 1 of Shakespeare's Hamlet is a rich and problematic scene: Hamlet has returned from his Jonah-like sea voyage but doesn’t seem to have been informed by Horatio of Ophelia’s death. The Queen previously gave an account of Ophelia’s drowning that seemed to blame the broken branch of a tree she was on, and the water that made her clothing heavy. But now in 5.1 we get more meanin...