The Role of the Holy Fool in the Context of Danish Cinema

In times of turmoil for the church, intellectuals and scholars who defended Christians against accusations from outsiders were dubbed the Christian Apologists. They included people like Justin Martyr in the 100s A.D., Augustine of Hippo in 300s - 400s A.D, and Tertullian in 100s - 200s A.D. Tertullian wrote pieces on philosophy in the church, prayer, and baptism. He was one of several apologists to write about God being three separate ‘things’, but Tertullian was the first to name the Son, Spirit, and Father as the Trinity. He was one of many to write against women in the church, but he was the most vulgar and profane. Tertullian’s publication, On the Apparel of Women, is characterized by his mimicking of Paul’s writings in the New Testament, paradoxes and hypocrisies throughout, obvious misogyny by a modern standard, and men’s harmful view in a time where I, as a woman, would not be allowed to learn to read and write if my husband or father deemed it so. Not only did he insult a women’s place in the church as others did, he attacked a women’s place in anything. In the centuries after he lived, his teachings aren’t as influential in the church, but his base ideals are still part of our society as out dated standards.

The image of St. Nicholas has been distorted throughout time and it is important to determine who St. Nicholas really was to best understand his current personification. Many of the realities of St. Nicholas’ story have been twisted by stories that make learning about St. Nicholas difficult. Though his real life is often overlooked and forgotten because of his personification as Santa Claus today he still led an important and honorable life. The historically accurate story of St. Nicholas is very important because it greatly affected the culture. St. Nicholas’ real story can be best seen by examining his young life, and memorable works during his time as a Bishop.

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” becomes very effective for the intended audience when knowledge of the customs and traditions that shape the impacted audience

Flannery O’Connor has long been criticized for her blatant incorporation of religious symbols into sinister, dark stories. In the short story “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” the dark and apathetic Misfit is said to portray, in an allegorical sense, a Christ-like figure. However, through the interpretation of the inversions of divine characteristics, his repulsion of Christ’s very existence, and the denial of any powers beyond the observable realm, we find that the Misfit is actually representative of the Anti-Christ.

" If one takes the trouble to examine my comedy in good faith, he will surely see that my intentions are innocent throughout, and tend in no way to make fun of what men revere; that I have presented the subject with all the precautions that its delicacy imposes; and that I have used all the art and skill that I could to distinguish clearly the character of the hypocrite from that of the truly devout man." (Meyer 1509)

One of the many things that puzzle people even today; is how Jesus was portrayed and how he became a part of history throughout the centuries. Fortunately, within the book Jesus Through the Centuries, written by Jaroslav Pelikan, readers are able to get a sense of what societies viewed Jesus as and how he was/is important to many aspects of the world such as; the political, social, and cultural impact he had left. As Pelikan discusses this very topic and theme in his book, we see how there’s a connection between his audience in this book and Jesus’s are closely similar. When he got his motivation to write about Jesus through the Centuries, Jaroslav had an open audience, which was intended for anyone of all ages, races, and beliefs to read

The supernatural has always fascinated and continues to intrigue mankind. In many of Shakespeare’s plays, he uses the supernatural to strengthen a particular scene or to influence the impression the audience has about someone or something. This was not strange or uncommon in Shakespeare’s time. In fact, during the 1500s, many people still believed in witches and witchcraft. Even in today’s society, with such advanced science and technology, many people are still influenced, if not dictated by the supernatural. For example, religious people have the belief that their saviour, Jesus Christ was a man of many miracles; one of which was he turned water into wine. Despite the fact that it

“Many are friars in name but few by rights. As some say, Falseness is their prophet. Their cloak's appearance is poor, but their money box

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark has been performed thousands of times since it was “written in 1599–1601 and published in a quarto edition in 1603” (Britannica.com). It’s popularity stems from its themes that translate across time. These themes, are seen to be relatable even to this day with the ever growing audience. Readers and viewers are able to find similarities between the current state and or even relate to one of the characters or events taking place over the course of Shakespeare’s five act masterpiece. Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark remains a viable text for contemporary readers in that it functions as a mirror.

Franco Zefferelli’s film, Hamlet, adapted from Shakespeare’s text, Mel Gibson’s Hamlet, struts and frets his life in Denmark, convincing almost everyone that he is “mad.” The film bases the question of whether or not Hamlet is actually insane almost solely on Gibson’s acting interpretations, but Zefferelli’s editing choices assist in making the point that Hamlet is not insane, but either in a fog of confusion and anger from his grief, or pretending to be mad to manipulate others.

This story uses metaphor to mention lots Christian symbols and the different actions between religion-religious people and non-religious people.

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is one of the most famous tragedies William Shakespeare has ever written. Found throughout Shakespeare’s tragedy are many religious references. According to Peter Milward, the author of Shakespeare's Christianity: The Protestant and Catholic Poetics of Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Hamlet, “From a purely religious point of view, which is more than just biblical, Hamlet is rich in homiletic material of all kinds, reflecting almost every aspect of the religious situation in a deeply religious age” (Milward 9). These pieces of religious literature are crucial to the plot of Hamlet. The religious elements found in this tragedy provide the plot, allusions, and foreshadowing.

Daniel Rogers’s discourse on the political, commercial and religious environment of Denmark-Norway, Jean Hotman’s musings on the ideal diplomat and Francois Dubois’s representation of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre appear disparate and unrelated; however, their wider significance as a vignette of the evolving diplomatic and religious landscape of Western Europe in the latter half of the sixteenth century is extremely noteworthy.

The major theme of the film, Det sjunde inseglet, is death, or more appropriately, Death. Death, played by Bengt Ekerot, is a key character in the actions and inactions of both the knight and the squire as Broken “A” and Broken “B”, especially on the part of the knight. In the beginning of the film, the knight encounters this personification of death and challenges him to a game of chess. In doing this, he promises to give his life to Death once the game is over. The knight’s purpose for this game of chess is to get information out of Death. Information on the existence of God. If anyone should know anything about the existence of God, surely Death knew a thing or two, at the very least whether or not he existed definitively. There did exist a secondary

Ingmar Bergman’s films commonly deal with his doubts about the existence of God, earning him the sobriquet "the protestant atheist". His religious interests came from his childhood. His father, Erik, was a Lutheran pastor of the old school. Although the two never had a close relationship, Ingmar would often travel with his father to country parishes, where he listened to the sermons and hymns and studied the icons and architecture to pass the time during services that seemed interminable to a restless young boy. His relationship with his mother Karin wasn’t any more nurturing and Ingmar grew up in a lonely house. He found solace in Puppet Theater and projections. Throughout his long film career Bergman continued to deal with themes of psychological torment,