HAMLET IN PURGATORY STEPHEN GREENBLATT Hamlet in Purgatory )( With a new preface by the author PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS PRINCETON AND OXFORD Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University Press Preface copyright © 2013 by Princeton University Press Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW press.princeton.edu All Rights Reserved First printing, 2001 First paperback printing, 2002 First Princeton Classics edition, 2013 Library of Congress Control Number 2013937134 ISBN 978-0-691-16024-5 British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available Printed on acid-free paper. ∞ Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For Ramie CONTENTS CONTENTS )( )( LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix LIASTCKONFOIWLLLEUDSTGRMAETNITOSNS xixi ACKNPORPWORELLFEOADGCGUEMEENTS xx3iiii CHPRAOPTLEORGUOENE A Poet3’s Fable 10 CHAPTER ONE A Poet’s Fable CHAPTER TWO Imagining10Purgatory 47 CHAPTER TWO Imagining Purgatory CHAPTER THREE The Rights47of Memory 102 CHAPTER THREE The Rights of Memory CHAPTER FOUR Stagin1g02Ghosts 151 CHAPTER FOUR Staging Ghosts CHAPTER FIVE Remem15b1er Me 205 CHAPTER FIVE Remember Me EPILOGUE 205 258 EPNILOOTEGSUE 226538 NINODTEEXS 321653 INDEX 315 GreenblattPC.indd 5 7/12/13 10:35 AM ILLUSTRATIONS )( PLATES (followingp.52) 1. Initial D. Peasant (Adam?) digging above scenes of Purgatory and Hell. HugoRipelinvonStraßburg,“Compendiumtheologicaeveritatis,”Book 3,fol.64va.Wu¨rzburg,Universita¨tsbibliothek,Cod.M.ch.F.690. 2. Souls ascending. Gerart David of Brugesin Book of Hours belonging to Edward,LordHastings.Brit.Lib.,Add.MS54,782,fol.231.Bypermis- sionoftheBritishLibrary. 3. Angelprotectingsoulfromdemon.BookofHoursthatbelongedtoPhilip the Fair, archduke of Austria. Brit. Lib. Add. MSS 17,280, fol. 281. By permissionoftheBritishLibrary. 4. HieronymusBosch,VisionoftheOtherworld.PalazzoDucale,Venice.By permissionofArtResource. 5. Tondalsuffersaseizure.SimonMarmion(illuminator),LesVisionsduche- valierTondal(1475),fol.7.TheJ.PaulGettyMuseum,LosAngeles. 6. ThebeastAcheron,devoureroftheavaricious.SimonMarmion(illumina- tor),LesVisionsduchevalierTondal(1475),fol.17.TheJ.PaulGettyMu- seum,LosAngeles. 7. The Wicked But Not Very. Simon Marmion (illuminator), Les Visions du chevalierTondal(1475),fol.33v.TheJ.PaulGettyMuseum,LosAngeles. 8. The Monk and Guy’s widow converse with the soul of Guy de Thurno. Simon Marmion (illuminator), The Vision of the Soul of Guy de Thurno (1474),fol.7.TheJ.PaulGettyMuseum,LosAngeles. FIGURES 1. “40daysofindulgence”VotiveplaquebeneathimageofVirgin, Erice,Sicily.Photo:StephenGreenblatt. 15 2. Funeral.GerartDavidofBrugesinBookofHoursbelongingto Edward,LordHastings.Brit.Lib.,Add.MS54,782,fol.184.By permissionoftheBritishLibrary. 53 3. SoulsinHell.BookofHoursbelongingtoPhiliptheFair, archdukeofAustria.Brit.Lib.Add.MSS17,280,fol.38.By permissionoftheBritishLibrary. 54