The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 15.1724  Tuesday, 14 September 2004

[1]     From:   Stephen C. Rose <
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        Date:   Monday, 13 Sep 2004 06:53:33 -0700 (PDT)
        Subj:   Re: SHK 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet

[2]     From:   R. A. Cantrell <
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        Date:   Monday, 13 Sep 2004 16:35:40 -0500
        Subj:   Re: SHK 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet

[3]     From:   Larry Weiss <
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        Date:   Monday, 13 Sep 2004 18:20:54 -0400
        Subj:   Re: SHK 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Stephen C. Rose <
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Date:           Monday, 13 Sep 2004 06:53:33 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet
Comment:        Re: SHK 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet

Kenneth Chan writes:

QUOTE
Shakespeare was a highly advanced spiritual being who has left us with a
priceless legacy of plays aimed at imparting spiritual truths for the
betterment of humanity; it would therefore be a tragedy if we continue
to ignore this.
END QUOTE

I think this both exaggerates and undercuts an appreciation of
Shakespeare, among whose themes indeed are some which should resonate
today -- and have not merely a spiritual but a cultural and social and
historical impact.

We're a spectrum and WS even from the sparse fragments of biography we
have was not your basic Krishnamurti figure, keeping company with
various acolytes.

I of him as a revolutionary iconoclast who undercuts our entire notion
of honor and courage and so forth. We would have profited from a
Falstaff lesson in the wake of 9/11.

I think this has huge implications for our general advancement as a race.

But all this takes place in the morass of reality, not removed from it
and approaching it from some spiritual enclave or peak.

Best, S

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           R. A. Cantrell <
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Date:           Monday, 13 Sep 2004 16:35:40 -0500
Subject: 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet
Comment:        Re: SHK 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet

 >Thank you, R. A. Cantrell, for your observation. It is valid, but only
 >up to a point. Please may I explain.
 >
 >The question really boils down to this: How do we tell whether or not
 >Shakespeare actually crafted Hamlet for a particular message? Perhaps
 >there is simply no hard evidence for this.

Mr. Chan,

I believe that you are sincere in your exhortations, and that you wish
earnestly to engage in substantive argument regarding Hamlet.  I urge
you to investigate, at least cursorily, Formal Skepticism. "Hard
evidence" is fraught with difficulties that you seem not to countenance.
I am on your side, trust that. Old timers on this list know that I
regularly scold artful skeptics when they attempt to confound (rather
than confute) the enterprisingly earnest.

-- All the best, R.A. Cantrell

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Larry Weiss <
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Date:           Monday, 13 Sep 2004 18:20:54 -0400
Subject: 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet
Comment:        Re: SHK 15.1712 The Meaning of Hamlet

 >Shakespeare was a highly advanced spiritual being who has left us with a
 >priceless legacy of plays aimed at imparting spiritual truths for the
 >betterment of humanity

He was a man, take him for all in all

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