Why young Hamlet’s birth, grave-maker’s
first working day, and King Fortinbras’ failure are set to the same day?
In this scene three events
are set to the same day: the grave-maker first day at work when he was sixteen,
the day “our last King Hamlet overcame Fortinbras,” and the very
day “that young Hamlet was born.” Arranging three events to one day cannot
be accidental. It tries to tell the world something.
According to the grave-maker, Hamlet’s age is
set to thirty in the play. The number sixteen, three and twenty, and thirty in
this dialogue are not in the 1603 quarto. The three numbers can match the life
of Mary Sidney Herbert.
In April 1577, Mary Sidney married Henry Herbert
(1538–1601) when she was sixteen. She was infected with syphilis from
her husband, and became a grave-maker who made graves for her children. Mary’s first
daughter Katherine Herbert (1581–84) died at the age of three; the other
daughter Anne Herbert (1583–1603) did not marry and died at twenty-three.
Both Mary Sidney (Oct. 1561–1621)
and Francis Bacon (Jan. 1561–1626) were born in 1561. In this play Fortinbras reflects Francis Bacon; the grave-maker Yorick
reflects Mary Sidney. Hamlet is Mary Sidney’s substitute
in the drama world, similar to John Falstaff who wants to be a woman and dies of
transgender operation.
Shakespeare’s appearance, or Wilton circle’s
formation, was around 1591, thirty years after Mary Sidney’s birth in 1561.
• Hamlet's Fortinbras and Francisco (Vimeo) (YouTube)
Dialogue
Hamlet.
[Act 5, Scene 1]
How long hast thou been a Grave-maker?
Clown.
Of all the days in the year, I came to it that day that our last King Hamlet
overcame Fortinbras.
Hamlet.
How long is that since?
Clown.
Cannot you tell that? every fool can tell
that: It was the very day, that young Hamlet
was born, he that was mad, and sent into England.
Hamlet.
I marry, why was he sent into England?
Clown.
Why, because he was mad; he shall recover
his wits there; or if he do not, it’s no great matter there.
Hamlet.
Why?
Clown.
It will not be seen in him, there the men
are as mad as he.
Hamlet.
How came he mad?
Clown.
Very strangely they say.
Hamlet.
How strangely?
Clown.
Faith, even with loosing his wits.
Hamlet.
Upon what ground?
Clown.
Why, here in Denmark: I have been sixteen here, man and Boy thirty years.
Hamlet.
How long will a man lie in the earth ere he
rot?
Clown.
I’faith, if he be not rotten before he die
(as we have many pocky Corses nowadays,
that will scarce hold the laying in) he will last you some eight year, or nine
year. A Tanner will last you nine year.
Hamlet.
Why he, more than another?
Clown.
Why sir, his hide is so tanned with his
Trade, that he will keep out water a great while. And your water, is a sore
Decayer of your whoreson dead body. Here’s a Skull now: this Skull, has lain in
the earth three and twenty years.
Hamlet.
Whose was it?
Clown.
A whoreson mad Fellow’s it was;
Whose do you think it was?
Hamlet.
Nay, I know not.
Clown.
A pestilence on him for a mad Rogue, a
poured a
Flagon of Renish
on my head once. This same Skull
Sir, this same Skull sir, was Yorick’s
Skull, the King’s Jester.
Hamlet.
This?
Clown.
Even that.
Hamlet.
Let me see. Alas poor Yorick,
I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite Jest; of most excellent fancy,
he hath borne me on his back a thousand times: And how abhorred my Imagination
is, my gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips, that I have kissed I know not how oft.
Notes
*Grave-maker: Grave
has the usage of a steward, place of burial, death, weighty, gloomy, dismal; maker
of creator or originator. Grave-maker can be a pun that a steward-like person who
makes dismal mood. Some editions change this word to grave-digger.
*I came to it that day that our last King Hamlet overcame Fortinbras: Both Mary
Sidney (1561–1621) and Francis Bacon (1561–1626) was born
in 1561. The grave-maker and young Hamlet reflect Mary Sidney in the real and drama
world. This line can spell Elisabeth Tudor, Robert Dudley, and Francis Bacon,
suggesting the identity of Fortinbras and Bacon’s royal
birth. Fortinbras needs just a letter c to spell Francis Bacon,
which is mended in “overcame.”
The fail of King Fortinbras can be seen as the death of Francis Dudley or Francis Tudor. Overcome has the usage of to deal successfully a difficult issue. The ghost of old King Hamlet that possesses young Hamlet’s body reflects Shakespeare, who resolves the issue of Francis Bacon’s royal birth in his work.
*It was the very day, that young Hamlet was born: This line can spell Mary Sidney Herbert, Wilton House. The “born” is printed as
“borne” in the 1623 folio; born or borne will not affect the anagram.
*there the men are as mad as he:
Men in England are as mad as Hamlet for they are in-grind, a sound play of England before Hamlet being sent to England.
*even with loosing his wits: Mary Sidney was infected with syphilis from
her husband. Quicksilver was used then to treat the disease, and it was already
known that will affect the brains. Loose and lose were mixedly used in the 1623
folio.
*here in Denmark: I have been sixteen here: Mary Sidney married Henry Herbert in 1577 when
she was sixteen. This line does not exist in the 1603 quarto. The 1605 quarto has
“Sexten” instead of “sixeteene” in the 1623 folio. Sexten can be a variant of sexton;
however, sexton appears seven times in the 1623 folio, never sexten. Sixteen is
spelt sixteene 12 times and sixeteene once, all with the meaning of sixteen, never
sexton.
Clown.
[1605 Quarto]
Why heere in Denmarke: I haue been Sexten heere man
and boy thirty
yeeres.
Clown.
[1623 Folio]
Why heere in Denmarke: I haue bin sixeteene
heere, man and Boy thirty
yeares.
*man and Boy thirty years: Mary Sidney lived not for herself but “man and
boy” of the Sidney and Herbert family. Her literary life of Shakespeare, truly for
herself, started around 1591, “thirty years” after her birth in 1561. Number 30
does not exist in the 1603 quarto. Hamlet was born the very
day of grave-maker began to work; so young Hamlet is thirty in this play.
*we have many pocky Corses nowadays: Corse has the usage of corpse;
pocky of full of pocks in the body when infected with small-pox or syphilis,
a clue to resolve the “three and twenty” in the following line.
*this Skull, has lain in the earth three and twenty years:
This skull of Yorick, whom Hamlet has kissed often, reflect Henry Herbert in this
play. Mary Sidney and Henry Herbert married on 21 April 1577. The marriage lasted
for “three and twenty years” plus nine months till Henry Herbert died on 19 January
1601. He was like a skull (due to syphilis) to his wife during their marrige. The
number 23 appears not in the 1603 quarto but 1605 quarto:
Clown.
Why sir, his hide is so tand with his
trade, that a will keepe out water a great while; & your water is a sore
decayer of your whorson dead body, heer’s a scull now hath lyen you i’th earth 23. yeeres.
*a poured a Flagon of Rhenish on my head once: Rhenish is printed as Renish in the 1623
folio. The grave-maker’s “Renish on my head” can spell Mary
Sidney, suggesting the identity of the grave-maker.
*of most excellent fancy, he hath borne me on his back a thousand times: This line can spell Henry Herbert, suggesting the identity of “he” as Yorick. Borne has the usage of to support, back of the opposite side or treacherously as behind one’s back. Henry Herbert betrayed his wife many times.
*And how abhorred my Imagination is, my gorge rises at it: This line can
spell Henry Herbert and Mary Sidney,
suggesting the identity of Yorick and Hamlet.
*Alas poor Yorick, I knew him . . . I have kissed I know not how oft: In this scene Hamlet and Yorick reflect
Mary Sidney and Henry Herbert. Yorick sounds like you-reek, hinted by “smelt
so? Puh.” Her husband was like a skull and having bad smell due to his
infection of syphilis. “I have kissed I know not how oft” is a hint on wife and
husband to solve this crux.