Chameleon Hamlet & 1 Cor 9: Notes on Asimov on Hamlet, Part 5
In his two-volume Guide to Shakespeare , Isaac Asimov has an interesting reflection on Hamlet's remark regarding eating air, "the chameleon's dish." One can find it in Vol. II, pages 122-3. Asimov's Guide is just an introduction to the plays of Shakespeare, so his treatment of each play is relatively brief; in certain places where we might like more depth, at times perhaps he moves on too quickly. But Asimov's observations are worthwhile to consider, as they might inspire even more reflection on Hamlet's "chameleon" remark. Asimov notes the "formal politeness of Claudius' question (II.122) regarding how Hamlet "fares" - which to Claudius, means merely "How are you doing?" - but Hamlet takes the question and the word "fares" another way, deliberately misreading Claudius' meaning: Asimov notes that Hamlet's response is "nonsensical" (II.122), and that it supports Hamlet's feigning o...