Worms and beggars will triumph over Kings - Herod Antipas and Hamlet 4.3
In Hamlet 4.3, instead of “Long live King Claudius!” Hamlet names worms as emperors [1]: Eventually, worms will overcome every king, after which even a beggar might eat, digest, and defecate a monarch. In the end, the meek (including beggars and worms) inherit the earth and its kingdoms [2]. But how can a beggar defecate a king? (Some people in the USA, terrorized by ICE, may be asking the same thing.) Hamlet explains the food chain to Claudius, who has lied consistently in the play about a key murder for which he is responsible: KING Now, Hamlet, where’s Polonius? HAMLET At supper. KING At supper where? HAMLET Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are e’en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service—two dishes but to one table. That’s the end. KING Alas, ala...