Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

The word “plague” is used in very interesting ways in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and an examination of each instance in its context in the play as well as the historical context is quite revealing. [Michael Wolgemut, “Image of Death” from The Nuremberg Chronicle (1493), woodcut with watercolor, 14 7/16 x 10 5/16 inches (courtesy Blanton Museum of Art, the University of Texas at Austin, the Karen G. and Dr. Elgin W. Ware, Jr. Collection)] LAST WEEK I listed a number of words that may have been associated with highly contagious and deadly diseases, their number of occurrences in Shakespeare’s work overall, and their numbers of occurrences in Hamlet. These words included the following: Plague; Contagion; Pestilence/Pestilent; Sick; Ill; Pox; Blister; Forehead (not an exhaustive list). This week I’ll focus just on the word “plague” in Hamlet, and just on the first of two instances. Here’s the count again for how often the word appears in Shakespeare’s writing overall, and how ofte...

“Who am I to interpret Hamlet ?” is a four-part series reflecting on why I've been working for years to consider biblical influences in Shakespeare's famous play. June 16, 2019: To be or not? (Part 1: English Studies & Teaching) - This first part was a general introduction regarding my studies and teaching. https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/07/who-am-i-to-interpret-hamlet-part-1-of-4.html June 23: How Literally Did Shakespeare Take the Bible? (Part 2: Religious Studies & Assumptions) - This second part addressed my studies in theology and my tendency to take biblical literature seriously but often not literally. https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/07/how-literally-did-shakespeare-take.html July 30: Reading Hamlet through personal & national traumas (Part 3: Lies & PTSD) - This third part considered how certain personal and national traumas have influenced my studies of Hamlet . https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/07/hamlet-...