The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 20.0279  Sunday, 31 May 2009

From:       V. Kerry Inman <
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Date:       Wednesday, 27 May 2009 17:46:34 -0400
Subject: 20.0265 Shakespeare and the King James Bible
Comment:    RE: SHK 20.0265 Shakespeare and the King James Bible

 >The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 20.0265 Wednesday, 27 May 2009
 >
 >From: David Basch <
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 >Date: Sunday, 24 May 2009 20:51:09 -0400
 >Subject: Shakespeare and the King James Bible
 >
 >Plumptre reveals the many such parallels in Shakespeare's works, showing
 >Shakespeare's high regard for this book of the Bible. I had before come
 >upon many such parallels in Hamlet and concluded that the so-called "Ur"
 >version of Hamlet that some scholars have been searching for is in fact
 >the Bible's Ecclesiastes. The play Hamlet is in a sense a parable based
 >on this Bible book, with Prince Hamlet exemplifying in his character
 >flaws that violate certain of Ecclesiastes' key precepts how even "good"
 >persons can bring about their own undoing. This is the tragedy presented
 >in the play.

Reply: This assumes that Shakespeare was aware of this particular 
interpretation of the book of Ecclesiastes. Who before Shakespeare 
presented this unorthodox interpretation of Ecclesiastes?  Ecclesiastes 
is traditionally understood to be a work of King Solomon. King Solomon 
with his 700 wives and 300 concubines is hardly a parallel for Hamlet.

V. K. Inman, MDiv, ThM, MA
University of Pennsylvania

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