Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INDEX OF POSTS IN THIS SERIES: https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2023/01/index-hamlet-in-32-as-boy-jesus-lost.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Because of our past experience (in school, at performances, or even familiarity with past critical tradition), we may assume too quickly that we fully understand the possible meanings that we discover when we encounter a scene with an allusion in the Shakespeare text . Often we also assume too quickly that we understand fully what is being alluded to and it's significance. Reading more critical commentary on Shakespeare, or researching, or discussing a play, has the potential to jolt us out of our perhaps too-limiting assumptions about the text. In the case of biblical allusions (as Stephen Greenblatt explores in Hamlet in Purgatory), looking at historical paintings and illustrations also has the potential to jolt us out of too-limiting assumptions and reveal helpful insights. Some might sa...