Imagine the same scene in HAMLET if Pullman had written it. Hamlet, using a mystic pearl, places the poison in the cup to kill Claudius. We are all told Claudius will die by drinking the cup. Then Claudius dies choking on a chicken bone at lunch. Then the Queen dies when Horatio shows her the magical Mirror of Death. This mirror appears in no previous scene, nor is it explained why it exists. Then Ophelia summons up the Ghost from Act One and kills it, while she makes a speech denouncing the evils of religion. Ophelia and Hamlet are parted, as it is revealed in the last act that a curse will befall them if they do not part ways.
In John C. Wright's interpretation of Hamlet, the play takes a whimsical turn with the introduction of peculiar elements. Hamlet uses a mystical pearl to poison Claudius, but instead of meeting his fate through this means, Claudius unexpectedly dies from choking on a chicken bone during lunch. This twist highlights how fate can be diverted in unpredictable ways, deviating from the audience’s expectations and the original narrative.
Moreover, the story adds...