Paul Adrian Fried / HAMLET'S BIBLE

USING SCRIPTURE AS A WEAPON in Hamlet 1.2 In his book, Hamlet in Purgatory, Stephen Greenblatt shows how the English government and church took the protestant view that the fate of the dead can’t be changed by prayers of the living; they encouraged briefer mourning, in harmony with Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 38:17-21. Mourn the dead, but don’t forget to live. Yet Hamlet’s mourning is an embarrassment to Gertrude, who deprived her son of the throne by marrying Claudius. She fears he might be putting on a show of grief as a quiet tantrum for not being made king. Hamlet denies that it is merely show. Claudius turns helpful biblical advice into aggressive insults against Hamlet’s manhood and faith. He fears that Hamlet’s mourning may contain a hint of rebellion against his having usurped the throne meant for the prince, since Claudius used an improper or “incestuous” marriage to achieve his ends. Both Gertrude and Claudius turn the good advice of scripture into a weapon against Hamlet t...

FOR SHAKESPEARE, MUST AN ALLUSION TO THE INCARNATION IMPLY A DIVINE INFANCY NARRATIVE? Two weeks ago, I posted regarding how Hamlet 1.1 refers to many Christian mysteries: Incarnation, teachings, passion, resurrection, and end times. The allusion to the incarnation takes the form of an allusion to “that season... / Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated.” But the gospels show that the Christian idea of God can be incarnate in more ways than a Bethlehem-born infant: —The Emmaus tale shows how one can find the risen Jesus in the stranger who does for us things like those things that Jesus did. —Ophelia’s mention of the story about how “the owl was a baker’s daughter” is an example of how we sometimes reject the presence of Jesus in the stranger or beggar, with negative consequences. So we should not assume that mention of “our savior’s birth” is a foreshadowing of another infancy narrative in the play. That never comes. Hamlet finds God’s hand at work in the pirates; p...

PANEL & PAPER ACCEPTED FOR SIXTEENTH CENTURY SOCIETY CONFERENCE My panel and paper proposals were accepted for the Sixteenth Century Society Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1-4 Nov., 2018. The panel will be on how Shakespeare’s plays have not only obvious biblical allusions, but also plot echoes and other influences from the bible and the Book of Common Prayer. My paper will be on how certain biblical allusions and plot echoes shed light on Hamlet’s character arc. Also on the panel will be Gayle Gaskill, professor emeritus of the University of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, and (William) Dean Clement of Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. Gayle edited the New Kittridge ed. of Twelfth Night, and is an assistant ed. of the latest variorum edition; her book contributions include the 2002 collection, “The Merchant of Venice: New Critical Essays”; and “Who Hears in Shakespeare?: Auditory Worlds on Stage and Screen.” She has also written reviews of Shakespeare...

WAS SHAKESPEARE MISOGYNIST WITH TOO FEW FEMALE CHARACTERS COMPARED TO HIS CONTEMPORARIES? The following article is a break from my habit of Hamlet (or Shakespeare) and the bible: It's about challenging some assumptions about Shakespeare's genius and his place in the literary canon. Was he misogynist? Did he put too few strong female characters in his plays? How does he compare on this point to other playwrights of the time? Was Shakespeare placed on a pedestal in part because his portrayals of grumpy men appealed to 18th Century assumptions? One does not have to agree with all the article says to find insight and thought-provoking questions here. https://beforeshakespeare.com/2018/06/04/galatea-britgrad-and-diverse-alarums/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [Originally posted around the week of 6/4/18 on LinkedIn ] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Links to a description of my book project: On LinkedIn : https://lnkd.in/eJGBtqV On this blo...

Christianity's central mysteries & teachings in Hamlet 1.1: INCARNATION : Marcellus speaks of “ that season... / Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated.” The conception & birth of Christ claims God is not distant, but one like & among us (Emmanuel as "God-with-us," Mt1:22-23). TEACHINGS : Horatio says, “A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye,” which alludes to Mt 7:1-5 & Lk 6:41: take the plank from our own eye before taking the mote of dust from a neighbor’s eye; judge not that you be not judged. [P.S. The idea that we should judge ourselves before judging others is an extension of the second of two of the laws that Jesus identified as most important (love god, and love neighbor as self, or do unto others as you'd have them do unto you). The scripture passage that contains this "mote in the eye" reference also contains the "measure for measure" reference, a favorite of Shakespeare's, which became the title of ...

In the Luke 24:13-35 Emmaus story: (1) Mentor and fearless leader Jesus is crucified. (2) Two troubled disciples (D) head to Emmaus (E); (3) A stranger joins them, cheers them, explains scripture; in other words, the stranger does for them a number of the things Jesus had done. (4) they recognize the stranger as Jesus in breaking of bread (bread being one of two main elements at table at the Last Supper, the other being wine). This is not unlike stories from older Greek tales - for example, from Ovid, where Zeus and Hermes, in disguise, are welcomed as guests in the humble home of Baucis and Philemon. The basic idea is that without recognizing them at first, mortals extend hospitality and offer to share a meal with disguised gods or supernatural beings. In Hamlet, (1) Mentor and fearless leader King Hamlet is murdered. (2) Hamlet and Horatio, two troubled Danes (D) head to Elsinore (E). (3) A stranger/gravedigger cheers them with wit (in other words, does for Hamlet the kinds ...

THANK YOU to all who've read my posts on SHAKESPEARE, HAMLET, & THE BIBLE this past year! Below: Key posts, articles, & links in case you missed any, or if you’re newly arrived to the party. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HAMLET'S BIBLE: My Book Project  https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/05/hamlets-bible-my-book-project-im.html THE GHOST OF JONAH HAUNTS HAMLET https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-ghost-of-jonah-haunts-hamlet.html EMMAUS in Hamlet https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/05/emmaus-in-hamlet-in-emmaus-story-1.html EMMAUS in MERCHANT OF VENICE https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2019/01/emmaus-in-merchant-of-venice-in.html THE GHOST OF LAZARUS HAUNTS HAMLET https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-ghost-of-lazarus-haunts-hamlet.html HAMLET, "FELL SERGEANT DEATH" & MT 5:23-26 https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2018/02/hamlet-fell-sergeant-death-matt-523-26.html VALENTINE & CLAUDIUS in H...

EMMAUS IN MERCHANT OF VENICE In THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, one can find a surprising variation on EMMAUS: The biblical tale of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is structured like this: 1. A mentor (Jesus) suffers (crucifixion & death). 2. Disciples on the road are troubled by all of this. 3. They meet a stranger they do not recognize who comforts them and explains things (scripture). 4. A physical sign (breaking bread) reveals the stranger’s identity (Jesus). In Merchant of Venice, a twist: 1. Mentor Antonio suffers apparent financial losses & threat of death (many scholars view him as a Christ-figure). 2. Bassiano & Gratiano are troubled and go to Venice (to save Antonio with Portia’s money). 3. They meet a stranger (Portia disguised) who explains mercy, salvation, & law to the court, and saves Antonio. 4. Bassanio & Gratiano reluctantly give their wedding rings as signs of gratitude, breaking their ring-vows instead of bread. Physical signs (ri...

EMMAUS PLOT ECHOES IN SHAKESPEARE When Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, was this a resuscitated corpse using super-powers, or just cleverness, to go unrecognized? Or was it not a resuscitated corpse at all? If we assume Jesus supernaturally altered his appearance, might we look for a plot echo in Bottom, altered by fairies in Midsummer Night's Dream? If we assume Jesus clouded the minds of the disciples, might we try magical characters, such as Prospero in The Tempest? Or better: If we think Jesus wore a white hood for shade and a cloth wrap to keep desert dust from nose and mouth, we might look for disguise: In Merchant of Venice, like two disciples, Bassanio & Gratiano fail to recognize Portia as the lawyer who “became man” to save their friend. What if a mere stranger did for two disciples the kinds of things Jesus had done? Listening with empathy, explaining scriptures, breaking bread? What if they found in him similar stuff as they had found in...

Hamlet, upon hearing from the ghost that Claudius killed his father, says, “O, my prophetic soul!” —and so the playwright invites us to associate the prince with biblical prophets. Sure enough, the play names the player queen "Baptista," which calls to mind John the Baptist, a prophet who was executed for criticizing the incestuous marriage of the king. Later Hamlet is on a westbound ship, like Jonah, a biblical prophet who was called to be a prophet, but who learned the old adage, "you can run, but you cannot hide." In the Saxo Grammaticus source tale, Amleth (Hamlet) goes to England, marries a princess, returns. But Shakespeare cuts it short mid-sea: Hamlet gets swallowed (figuratively) by a pirate ship that brings him back east to Denmark. Hamlet’s ocean-motion echoes that of prophetic soul Jonah: Called to prophecy in Nineveh, he took a westbound boat to Tarshish to flee his fate. In a storm, Jonah was swallowed by a fish that returned him eastward where...

Call For Papers: For the Sixteenth Century Society & Conference in Albuquerque, NM (1-4 Nov. 2018), I’ve proposed a panel on how biblical allusions (in many forms) influence our readings of particular Shakespeare plays. Too often, biblical allusions are treated like wallpaper in the plays. Robert Alter writes of how allusions are like windows to another text, opening up larger conversations. Short proposals for papers are welcome. Details below. Best to focus on the many forms of biblical allusions in a single play. (You need not have read any of the books mentioned in the panel description; you need only have an interest in spotting and considering biblical allusions in a Shakespeare play, and interpreting the play in light of them.) https://lnkd.in/ehGh2NQ Deadline extended to April 23 to submit proposals to SCSC; please use Panel Code: P02M1518 #Shakespeare #EnglishLiterature #EnglishLit #EarlyModern #16C #Renaissance #literature #theatre #theology #biblicalstudies ...

Good Tickle Brain comic has a good summary of Shakespeare's lost years : image below, link to GTB post on Twitter https://goodticklebrain.com/home/2018/4/10/shakespeare-the-lost-years #shakespeare ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Links to a description of my book project: On LinkedIn : https://lnkd.in/eJGBtqV On this blog : https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/05/hamlets-bible-my-book-project-im.html [Originally posted around the week of 4/12/17 on LinkedIn ]

JAMES SHAPIRO REVIEWS RHODRI LEWIS's "HAMLET & The VISION of DARKNESS" James Shapiro has a review of Rhodri Lewis's "Hamlet and the Vision of Darkness" in the New York Review of books . I follow Lewis on Twitter, have corresponded with him a bit, and am looking forward especially to his understanding of falconry terminology in Hamlet. Some other reviews have been less generous than Shapiro's, and I'm sure I may disagree with Lewis on a number of his conclusions; but a rich diversity of opinions, exploring and testing things that as yet may have gone untested, is essential if scholarly conversations are going to advance. This review is a helpful one to read in part because of how it offers a glimpse of the history of scholarly opinion on Hamlet, and how critical approaches to literature can also reflect the critic's relation to their own moment in history, necessarily including its political aspects. Highly recommended reading . https://...

Favorite experiences at SAA 2018 Some of my favorite experiences at the Shakespeare Association of America (SAA) conference in Los Angeles included meeting other attendees, either at seminars, or by chance. On the ride from the airport on Wednesday, I met Jim Schiffer of SUNY, who is working on the Twelfth Night variorum project, which may be published entirely online. There was also a wonderfully moderated seminar on "Thinking Theology with Shakespeare." Jay Zyck of UMass-Dartmouth did an excellent job, and the abstracts of the papers hinted at may more insights and riches. Auditors only experienced the tip of the iceberg. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ At #Shax2018 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. today, an amazing and most effectively moderated seminar. Jay was obviously very thorough in his reading of all the papers, noticed common themes, elicited good questions from all presenters beforehand, so they were all well-prepared. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A common observation: "This was one of the best-mo...

LOOKING FORWARD TO SAA 2018 - PROGRAM POST Looking forward to attending the Shakespeare Association of America's conference in Los Angeles this week. If you are there, message me via LinkedIn to say hi! Among the presenters/seminars I am especially looking forward to: 1. “Third Wave” Interdisciplinarity in Shakespeare and Biblical Studies — Lori Anne Ferrell (Claremont Graduate University) & Tammi J. Schneider (Claremont Graduate University). Among other works, Lori is the author of "Government by Polemic: James I, the King’s Preachers, and the Rhetorics of Conformity, 1603-1625" and "The Bible and the People." Among other works, Tammi is the author of "Sarah: Mother of Nations," "An Introduction to Ancient Mesopotamian Religion," and "Mothers of Promise: Women in the Book of Genesis." 2. Thinking Theology with Shakespeare — Jay Zysk (University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth). Jay is the author of "Shadow and Substan...

Shakespeare’s Hamlet begins with sentinels Francisco and Bernardo, alluding to Saints Francis of Assisi and Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard chose the path of the scourge, preaching a 2nd Crusade in apparent defiance of the gospel command to love one’s enemies: Avenge perceived wrongs and reclaim the Holy Land instead of turning the other cheek. Francis chose the path of the minister of reconciliation rather than justice, having been a soldier and prisoner of war, and having repented of violence. He loved his enemies, greeting even violence with generosity and kindness, and met with the Sultan of Egypt during the 5th Crusade, in apparent defiance of military and church leaders who promoted that military misadventure. Scourge and minister: No wonder sentinels Francisco and Bernardo are suspicious of one another. With Bernard as scourge, and Francis as minister, sentinels Bernardo and Francisco are cross-hairs through which the opening of Hamlet is focused. In the end, Ham...

FAITH OF SHAKESPEARE - FROM SHAX MAG 13 Many modern readers can miss biblical allusions in Shakespeare's plays, and can treat the references to bible or religion as merely something like scenery in what they think are otherwise mostly secular plays. But in a recent article in Shakespeare Magazine, an interview with author Graham Holderness gives an excellent introduction to some of the religious issues and questions related to Shakespeare. Because church attendance was compulsory, and because of censorship, it may seem hard at first to tell what religious references are sincere explorations of religious and biblical themes, and what elements were used in the plays merely to construct an engaging plot. Holderness concludes that Shakespeare was faithful to the English church, but others like Harvard's Stephen Greenblatt believe he may have secretly held more Catholic sympathies. I tend to agree more with Greenblatt, yet the plays seem to indicate that he was no passive c...

What king of their recent memory would the earliest audiences for "Hamlet" have associated with that description? Henry VIII: Incestuous, he alleged, because he had second thoughts about having married the widow of his deceased older brother (as Claudius seems to have done). This was a key issue in the English Reformation. Adulterous, because Henry had affairs on the side while he was married to his various queens. In another play of the period, "A Looking Glass for London," the prophet Jonah is sent to urge another incestuous king to repent. Prophetic urging of a king to repent of incest and other sins may have been a double-edged sword: 1) it supports Henry's desired annulment from what he saw as an incestuous marriage. Yet 2) it's also a strong critique of Henry, a king with many sins. But in Hamlet, the prince urges the queen, not the king, to repent. When Hamlet’s mother tells him (3.4) he has cleft her heart in twain, and he replies, “throw ...

RELIGIOUS RIFTS IN SHAKESPEARE’S ENGLAND: ALL SHAKESPEARE’S LIFE THERE WAS A RIFT between the English Church and secret or recusant Catholics still adjusting to Henry VIII’s break from Rome and the reign of Catholic Mary I. Suspected Catholics were spied on, arrested, tortured, accused of treason, executed. There were other rifts as well between English Church Protestants and Puritans, as well as other factions. Catholics were divided, with many favoring outward conformity and obedience to the crown, but others supporting Jesuit missionaries and opposing Elizabeth's reign. In 1589, James VI of Scotland (Protestant son of Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, and later James I of England) married Anne of Denmark, who may have been secretly Catholic. From about 1591-1593, Shakespeare wrote his Henry VI and Richard III plays, about a rift between the houses of Lancaster and York, analogous to the Catholic-Protestant religious rift. The rift is finally healed by the marriage of Lancastria...

A TALE OF HAMLET & TWO BIBLES: BISHOPS & GENEVA In Shakespeare’s time, the approved Bishops’ bible was used in church; the inexpensive Geneva translation was used at home. Specific words (unlike paraphrase) can point to specific translations: Regarding his accidental killing of Polonius (3.4), Hamlet says, “...heaven hath pleased it so,/ To punish me with this and this with me,/ That I must be their scourge and *minister*.” Hamlet's phrase, “scourge and minister,” uses "minister" in the same sense as the Bishops’ bible Mt 5:25 (in the picture below, right): a minister of justice carries out a judge’s sentence. Because church attendance was required (and absence punishable by fines), Shakespeare would have heard this word, used in this biblical context, every year, all his life. In the Bishops' bible, the word "minister" is used instead of the word "sergeant, which appears in the same place in the Geneva bible. But when Hamlet says...

Part 3: ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PURGATORY I LEARNED FROM SHAKESPEARE’S HAMLET (& Stephen Greenblatt) Thought experiment: Three aging monarchs realize some past decisions & sins have caused innocent suffering. What to do? Repent? Monarch A donates money to a monastery where the monks have never spoken critically of the royal family. The king’s youngest brother was recently made abbot. After death, hundreds of masses will be said to reduce his time in purgatory. But perhaps the gift doesn’t rebalance the good to outweigh harm he has caused in the world. Monarch B donates to a convent where none of her relatives live or serve, in spite of the fact that the nuns have sometimes been critical of the choices of the royal family. Their primary mission is to serve needs of the sick and poor, to house the homeless, give them productive work, and teach useful skills. Monarch C reforms laws to be more fair and just, to reduce prison sentences when possible, and to raise wages and ...

VALENTINE'S DAY not only makes sweethearts, florists, chocolatiers and greeting card manufacturers happy: It is also associated with various Christian martyrs... one of whom was beheaded [1] by order of Claudius II (r.268-270). NOTE: Hamlet escapes the beheading order of Claudius; Ophelia sings of Valentine's Day. COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT. TAKEAWAY: Make sure your Valentines don't include orders for your beheading from a guy named Claudius! ALSO CONSIDER: St. Valentine's day was probably more of a Catholic and popular feast (taken over from paganism) than a Protestant church feast in Shakespeare's time, because although it included a tale of martyrdom and divine "caritas" love (a theological virtue), it is transformed in popular culture into a feast of Eros or human and romantic love. Scripture does describe the church as the bride and Christ as the groom, and yet perhaps some Protestants or Puritans of Shakespeare's time may have frowned up...

Why do five major authorities on Shakespeare and the Bible since 1850 [1] miss the reference in "this fell sergeant, Death,/Is strict in his arrest" to Mt 5:23-26 (analogy for reconciling before death)? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 23 If then thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, 24 Leave there thine offering before the altar, and go thy way: FIRST BE RECONCILED TO THY BROTHER, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him, lest thine adversary deliver thee to the Judge, and the Judge deliver thee to the SERGEANT, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt not come out thence, till thou hast paid the utmost farthing. (1599 Geneva) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shakespeare understood: the SERGEANT in this passage can be a metaphor for death. Hence, "fell sergeant, Death".... Hamlet reconciles with Laertes in this scene befor...

Anti-plagiarism software helps identify George North "Rebellion and Rebels" text as another among many other already-known sources for Shakespeare. Identifying key phrases is a start. Noticing similar plot lines sometime involves a leap that human minds can notice, but software often misses. Paraphrased ideas are also harder than verbatim words or phrases. At present, software looking for matches in digitized texts can be a helpful tool, but it can't replace the human mind... ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anti-cheat software reveals Shakespeare 'borrowed' phrases from little-known manuscript The Telegraph Margi Murphy 9 FEBRUARY 2018 • 12:53PM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Links to a description of my book project: On LinkedIn : https://lnkd.in/eJGBtqV On this blog : https://pauladrianfried.blogspot.com/2017/05/hamlets-bible-my-book-project-im.html [Originally posted around the week of 2/10/18 on LinkedIn ]

PRODUCTION OF HAMLET WITH ESPIONAGE TWIST IN D.C. Interview regarding a production of Hamlet with (appropriately) an espionage twist, around the corner from (a-ha!) a spy museum, located in (of course) Washington D.C. Claudius claims that planting Ophelia as bait and eavesdropping is OK, since, because he's king, they are "lawful espials," because, as Nixon used to say, if the president does it, that makes it legal. Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes; Rosencrantz & Guildenstern spy on Hamlet; and Hamet and Horatio spy on Claudius and his reaction to "The Mousetrap" play-within-the-play.... This also brings to mind the excellent 2006 film, "The Lives of Others," about electronic surveillance and meddling in formerly communist countries.... Funny how a very old play can still prove to be very relevant. ~~~~~~~~~~ Shakespeare Theatre Company stages ‘Hamlet’ with modern espionage twist By Jason Fraley | @JFrayWTOP February 5, 201...