Something rotten in the State of Massachusetts

A young man of roughly 17 years of age has just passed away after being stabbed with a poisoned dagger by his Uncle. His coffin is filled with the finest jewels of all of Denmark, and is festooned with brightly colored velvets. Who could this young man in the prime of his life be? Why it is none other than the Prince Hamlet of Denmark; desperate to avenge his father’s murder, he was struck down in the process.

On the other side of the world, in a small Puritan village in Salem Massachusetts a young man, by the name of Goodman Brown is lying asleep in his bed—he violently tosses and stirs as he is awakened from a terrible nightmare, one of which he can’t help but feel an extreme guilt. He has dreamt that he went into the woods, and was barraged with visions of the devil and his followers gathered around a fire in a satanic ritual—among them the young man’s new wife. He also dreams that because of his vision, he harbors a deep resentment for his beloved and doesn’t know what to do—he decides to go off for a bit of fresh air in the woods.

On a cloud in heaven, God is drinking tea and is well aware of the events that are unfolding with the two men and this is where our story begins…

God: (Aside)
“These two men are in need of a spiritual awakening; one man was so desperate to destroy Claudius, his uncle, that he devised a plan to kill him. Although I am not pleased with the actions of Claudius, and will deal with him as I see fit, I do not condone the actions of this young man. I should give him a chance, though perhaps he would be a good companion with another struggling individual.”

He is in deep thought when he sees a traveler on a path into the deep, dark woods now filled with the bright, exuberant light of morning. Why, it’s Nathaniel Brown, a young man struggling with his faith in God’s word, but also Faith his wife.

God: I must bring these two together! They need one another to see how truly wonderful I AM, and to recognize the love that I have for all of humanity—including them. I would like to give them the opportunity to realize that even though I am displeased with their thoughts and actions, that I am a merciful God. Perhaps, just perhaps they will also spread my message to others.
With a flash of beautiful light, the crypt of Hamlet is opened. His body is raised and God breathes life into the young man’s limp body and then transports the prince to 17th Century Salem, Massachusetts.

Hamlet: (looks around in shock and bewilderment)
“Almighty Heavens,” I do remember being stabbed by that damned king, Claudius, and now I am in eternal paradise. But where is my God?

As Hamlet is calling out to God, Nathaniel Brown is walking along a path. He stops abruptly when he hears a voice; he stops and quickly hides behind a tall, withered looking tree. He inadvertently steps on a twig. Holding his breath, he prays silently that his hiding place will not be discovered.

Hamlet: (unsheathes his sword) Halt, who dares to approach me? Come now and reveal yourself to me!

Nathaniel steps out from his hiding place.

Hamlet: Who are you, and why are you following me?

Brown: It is I, Nathaniel Brown. (Extends his hand) It is a pleasure to meet you, who are you and what brings you to Massachusetts?

Before Hamlet can respond, a booming voice from the heavens is heard.

God: Hamlet put your sword away for this man means you no harm. I am depending on you both to help one another succeed, so don’t fail me.

Brown: I promise my Lord, you will not be disappointed with me.

Hamlet: I too promise, my Heavenly Father.

God: I am certain that neither of you will disappoint me, please heed my words.

With that, the heavenly light that flowed from the sky disappears. The two men agree to follow God’s words. Nathaniel suggests they get a few pints of the finest ale and engage in conversation. Hamlet agrees and they venture away from the woods.

Hamlet: So, you envisioned that Satan held everyone in this town captive?

Brown: Aye, it was the most intriguing and frightful of all of my visions. I pray to Almighty God that my visions are false, but I have been doubtful of my marriage for quite some time.

Hamlet: You are aware my good friend, that the Lord has brought us together for a Higher purpose. I feel in my heart that he sent me here for a higher purpose.

The two men stop talking for a while, pondering in their minds what that higher purpose could be. They finally reach their destination, a small pub, known as the W.S. a mile from the woods.

Brown: Hamlet, my dear friend, I have thought about what you have said. I too, believe that God has placed us here for his doing. However, I have not the answer as to what that purpose is!

Nathaniel orders drinks for his guest and they begin to converse over their ales. Hamlet confides in his comrade about his own sordid life.

Hamlet: Nathaniel, I must confess to you, that I have killed my uncle, Claudius. I knew that it was poor judgment, but I couldn’t take the pain of losing my mother to that demon spawn. So I became crazy—only in jest at first. However, I became even more obsessed by my desire to destroy the wickedness that was the King.

Brown: Hamlet, it seems to me that we were both tempted by Satan’s evil path, by betray our own families through dishonesty and disloyalty to get what we wanted. In the process, we both have lost sight of what is important.

Hamlet: What? I beg you tell me what that lesson is!

Brown: We both lost our faith in our Lord; we were so busy following the selfish acts of Satan, namely revenge that we lost sight of our true purpose on Earth. We were both summoned by God to share our testimony with the world, to stop the evil that dwells within others who feel that only through hurtful actions may they find solace within ourselves.

Hamlet: You are very wise my friend, very wise indeed.

Brown: No my friend, only Almighty God has the wisdom to assist me in carrying out this message to you.

They begin to analyze where they have fallen short in terms of their relationships with their families as individuals.

Hamlet: It appears to me that by sharing the events of our lives, we could potentially spark a change in how people view the issue of forgiveness. People would also come to realize that we were two individuals who lost our faith in God and humanity, but are now learning from our mistakes.

Nathaniel pulls out a piece of parchment and a quill from the pack he carries with him on his trips to the woods. He and Hamlet begin to write down everything that they felt was pertinent to helping humanity.

Hamlet: Why, we should discuss how we both are overcoming our issues of resentment, and I could write about my ill feelings that I feel led to my premature death at the hands of my uncle.
Brown: (with a bit of confusion in his voice) My good sir, I feel as though our stories have already been told—oh, no matter we will continue to press onward.

Hamlet and Nathaniel write furiously.

Brown: I will speak of how I fell out of love with my wife and how Satan tempted me to “lose my faith” (p. 2263) and how he persuaded me to follow him.

Hamlet: I will write about how anger and jealousy led me to lose everything including the woman I loved. (His voice breaking with emotion) Oh Ophelia, my belovéd, how I blame myself for my idiocy, and how I wish that you were here with me so I could tell you how much I truly felt for you!

Brown: (Full of emotion) Oh, sweet and kind Faith, I was such a fool to turn my back on you. You meant the world to me, and I began to push you away long before that nightmare of the dark forest ever entered my subconscious. This chance meeting has awakened my senses and my spirit; I will change my life, and completely devote my life to you and to my Lord.

The two men continue to write…. (5 months later)

The villagers in the town catch wind of the book and hold a special meeting to recognize the pair for their new book, “Giving Almighty God the power to control Our destinies (and how God planned a meeting between two unlikely friends) By: Prince Hamlet of Denmark and Nathaniel Brown.

Villager: I beg of you both, please explain your motivation for writing this book!

Hamlet: To be quite honest, my friend, I have come to realize that the anger I felt for my mother and uncle, was because I did not trust God enough to handle my situation. I was selfish, because I tried to get revenge for my father by causing mischief. By killing my uncle’s advisor Polonius, and causing the death of two good friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern I have felt an utter sense of responsibility.

Brown: I have come to realize that my anger stemmed from not giving my marriage the love and nurturing that it deserved. I have learned much from my visions and I found that I no longer wished to be bitter for my feelings. I regained my faith in God, and my love for Faith, my wife, is now stronger than ever and I couldn’t be happier.

Back in Heaven, God is marveling at the wonderful things that these two people are sharing with the world.

God: Oh my wonderful servants, how much they have pleased me! They have done a great service to me and I must reward them both.

Hamlet and Nathaniel are taking questions from the audience; a young woman is in the audience smiling sweetly at the pair—joy fills her eyes. It is Faith Brown, whose husband has finally come to love and cherish her, just like when they were first married. Suddenly, a light illuminates the platform where they are speaking.

God: My dear friends, you have been so faithful to me and you have realized why you were brought here together! Now, I must reward you for spreading my word. For you my Dear Nathaniel, beginning in one year’s time you shall have a child, in fact, throughout your lifetime you will have many children and grandchildren, who will continue to follow your legacy long after you leave this world to join me.
Gentle Hamlet, you have learned to forgive the misdeeds of those in your life—you shall have whatever your pure heart desires.
Hamlet: Sweet and Merciful God, I would desire nothing more than to see my sweet Ophelia.

God: I shall grant your request, you shall have your beautiful Ophelia! Look, out in the crowd…

Hamlet looks out into the audience and sees a woman in white with crowflowers (pg. 235) in her hair.

Ophelia: Oh, my sweet Lord Hamlet how I have missed you so!

Hamlet: Oh, sweet Ophelia, I have kept so much pain and guilt in my breast that I found it unbearable to admit to you that I love you. Please forgive me for the foolish things that I have said. Pl—

Ophelia: Oh, no more apologies, I am just ever so happy to see you again!

The two embrace and share a passionate kiss. The crowd goes wild with excitement! After, the excitement has subsided God prepares a gigantic banquet for all to partake in—this is a feast to remember! After the festivities have ended God calls Hamlet and Ophelia to speak with him.

God: Both of you are so comfortable here, but I will give you a choice. You may stay here, build a family, and remain here for the rest of your lives. On the other hand, you may chose to go back to your own time in Denmark and I will restore your country back to it’s original time—before the reign of Claudius. I will let you decide what you would like to do.

Hamlet and Ophelia see all of the happiness overflowing in the village and they are torn between the choices that God has provided; however, they know in their hearts what they must do.

Hamlet: Ophelia, my love, we must leave this place, but we must never forget the wonderful people that we have met on our journey here.

Ophelia: Yes my love, but we must say goodbye to our wonderful hosts first!

Nathaniel and Faith notice that Hamlet and Ophelia are talking with God, and run over to greet them.

Hamlet: Thank you both for the wonderful hospitality that you have shown us. We will never forget either of you for it.

Faith: Thank you Hamlet for helping us get through our marital discourse, we too shall never forget you.

The Browns and Hamlet/Ophelia embrace one another and sob. After a long, extended period of hugging and crying, God stretches his arms and Hamlet and Ophelia are sent home. Although they are sent to their own periods, they know that they will have a lifetime of memories to share for generations to come!