Summary
In the National Library director’s office, sometime after 1:00
P.M., Stephen casually presents his “Hamlet theory”
to John Eglinton, a critic and essayist; A.E., a poet; and Lyster,
a librarian and Quaker. Stephen contends that Shakespeare associated
himself with Hamlet’s father, not with Hamlet himself. When the
episode opens, Stephen is impatient with the older men’s repetition
of unoriginal, received wisdom on Shakespeare. John Eglinton puts
Stephen in his place by mockingly inquiring about his own literary
accomplishments or lack thereof. From the corner, A.E. expresses
disdain for Stephen’s Hamlet theory, maintaining that biographical
criticism is useless because one should focus only on the depth
expressed by the art. Stephen responds to Eglinton’s mockery of
his youth, pointing out that Aristotle was once Plato’s pupil. Stephen
shows off his knowledge of the philosophers’ work.
Mr. Best, the librarian, enters—he has been showing Douglas Hyde’s Lovesongs
of Connacht to Haines. A.E. expresses his preference for
Hyde’s pastoral poems. Stephen continues with his theory by sketching
a scene from Shakespeare’s London: Shakespeare walks along the river
to his own performance of Hamlet where he plays
not Hamlet but the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Stephen contends that
Hamlet thus corresponds to Shakespeare’s dead son, Hamnet, and unfaithful
Gertrude represents Shakespeare’s adulterous wife, Ann Hathaway.
A.E. reiterates that a critic should focus on the work itself, not
the details of the poet’s personal life, such as his drinking habits
or his debts. Stephen recalls that he himself owes A.E. some money.
Eglinton argues that Ann Hathaway is historically unimportant, and
he cites biographers who depict Shakespeare’s early marriage to Ann
Hathaway as a mistake—a mistake he rectified by going to London.
Stephen counters that geniuses make no mistakes. Lyster re-enters
the room. Stephen, drawing on the plots and imagery of the early
plays, demonstrates that the older Ann seduced young Shakespeare
in Stratford.
A.E. gets up to leave—he is expected elsewhere. Eglinton inquires
if he will be at Moore’s (an Irish novelist) tonight—Buck and Haines
will be there. Lyster mentions that A.E. is compiling a volume of
the work of young Irish poets. Someone suggests that Moore is the
man to write the Irish epic. Stephen is resentful not to be included
in the poetry collection, nor in their social circle. He vows to
remember the snub. Stephen thanks A.E. for taking a copy of Deasy’s
letter for publication.
Eglinton returns to the argument: he believes that Shakespeare
is Hamlet himself, as Hamlet is such a personal character. Stephen argues
that Shakespeare’s genius was such that he could give life to many
characters. Still focusing on Ann Hathaway’s adultery, Stephen points
out that Shakespeare’s middle plays are dark tragedies. His later,
lighter plays testify (through their young female characters) to
the arrival of Shakespeare’s granddaughter, who reconciled the rift
with the grandmother.
Stephen makes another point: the ghost of Hamlet’s father
inexplicably knows the means of his own murder and of his wife’s betrayal.
Shakespeare has granted him this extraneous knowledge because the
character is part of Shakespeare himself. Buck, who has been standing
in the doorway, mockingly applauds Stephen. Buck approaches Stephen
and produces a cryptic telegram that Stephen sent to him at the
Ship instead of showing up himself. Buck playfully chides Stephen
for standing him and Haines up.
