Upload
john-hudson
View
288
Download
5
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
ACADEMIC ARTICLE on the figure of Polonius in Hamlet, as a comic Jewish parody of God the Father.
Citation preview
www.darkladyplayers.com
POLONIUSTHEDIVINEPIGINHAMLETIntheoriginalstory,Amleth(Hamlet)discoversaspyhidinginapileofstraw,andthrustsaswordintothestrawandthroughtheman’sbody.Heafterwardsdragsoutthebody,killsthemanandcutshisbodyintosmallpieces.Amlethboilstheseinwaterandthrowstheminthepigstytobedevouredbypigs.HethenissenttoEnglandwhereherefusestoeattheporkbecausehesaysthatthemeattastesofcorpses.TheKing’sstewardthenconfessesthatthepigshadescapedandeatenthecorpseofadeadrobber.Intheplay,PoloniusisspyingonHamlet(andonothers),andhasconcealedhimselfinGertrude’schamber.ThisiswhereGertrudeandClaudiushavesexandisdescribedasfollows:
IntherankcorruptionofanenseamedbedStewedincorruptionhoneyingandmakinglove
Overthenastysty(3,4,92‐4)
Hamletthenspotsamovementbehindthearras,stabshisswordthroughthecurtaintokillPolonius.Afterwardshesayshewill“lugthegutsintotheneighboringroom”(3,4,214)andlateroddlygoesto“drawapart”orcutup(4,1,24)thecorpse.ThequestioniswhydoestheauthorgiveHamletthisstrangephraseoflugginghis“guts”,whystrangelyisthebedroomovera“sty”andwhyinsteadofthestrawisPoloniusconcealedbehindthearras?Andforthatmatterwhat,ifanything,doesthishavetodowithhisnamePolonius?ElizabethWatsoninausefularticle‘OldKing,NewKing,EclipsedSonandAbandonedAltarsinHamlet’(2004)notesthatthewordarras,forakindoftextilemadeinthattownandusedforwallhangings,canbeseenasapun
www.darkladyplayers.com
onaratheLatinwordforaltar,especiallysinceitisoftenexpressedwithaprepositionadarasmeaningtothealtar.Shefurthernotes(onpage489)thatarawassometimesusedasapunontheLatinharameaningpigsty.ItwasforinstanceusedinthiswayinBabio,amedievalcomedyinLatinverse.Sothereasonswhytheauthorintroducesthearrasarecomplex.Firstlyitcreatestheassociationofasacreddeathonanaltarandassociatesthatwithastabbingthroughacurtain.ThissacredassociationmakessenseiftheauthorisparodyingTitusCaesarstabbingthroughthecurtainoftheTempleandthinkinghehaskilledtheHebrewGodasdescribedintheTalmud.ItalsomakessenseofPolonius’allegoricalidentityasGodtheFather(whichcanbeinferredseparatelysinceheisthefatherbothofLaerteswhoisclearlyidentifiedasaChristfigureandofOpheliawhoisclearlyidentifiedasboththeVirginMaryandtheWomanCrownedwiththeSunfromRevelation).SoononehandtheplaywrightisgivingusacomicparodyofthekillingoftheChristianGodonanaltar/behindacurtain.Secondlyhowever,becausePoloniusiskilledpunninglyinthehara,heiskilledinthepigsty,whichexplainswhyGertrude’schamberisabovea“nastysty”.Maybeitalsoexplainshisnameandthose“guts”.PoloniusisapunonpolonyapopularseventeenthcenturyporksausagethoughttocomefromPoland,andgutsarewhatsausagesaremadefrom.SoHamletiskillingPoloniusasapigandtakinghisgutsforsausages.Overlaidwiththepreviousallegory,thentheauthorishintingthattheChristianGodisaswine.Finallytheauthoronlyhintsatthepigreferences,buthassubstitutedforthemtheDietofWorms.ThisConvocationin1521wasindeedwhethertheChristianGodwasinasensecutup,andwaseatendifferentlybyLutherfromtheCatholicclerics.ThissubstitutionhelpsconfirmthatPoloniusisindeedahereticalcomicallegoryfortheGodwhoiseatenintheMass,andwhoisbeingparodiedbybeingturnedintoanimplicitstringofunkoshersausages.Ormaybejustham.JohnHudsonisagraduateoftheShakespeareInstituteattheUniversityofBirmingham,andisFounderoftheNewYorkShakespeareensemble,theDarkLadyPlayers,whoarecurrentlyworkingonanallegoricalproductioncalledHamlet’sApocalypseforthefall2010.