Heresy in Hamlet 5.1 Emmaus figures: Part 2
My last post explained potentially blasphemous implications of offering a fool (Yorick or the gravedigger) as the Emmaus figure in Hamlet 5.1. I will explore other heretical or atheistic implications of the graveyard scene’s Emmaus echo in this post. [Image: Painting by Caravaggio(1571–1610) "Supper at Emmaus," 1606. Collection: Pinacoteca di Brera. Pubic domain, via Wikipedia .] If you missed that previous post, you can find it here : https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2022/05/blasphemy-and-heresy-in-hamlets-emmaus.html In Shakespeare’s time (as now), the tale of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus after his crucifixion [1] was commonly read as a tale of miraculous power. This Jesus, supernaturally and gloriously resuscitated, was one with God, omnipotent and capable of anything: to appear in a locked room, or to prevent disciples from recognizing him. This may have distorted the original meaning of the tale: The disciples may have met a st...