Article For the common weal: Richard Tarlton and King Hamlet in Purgatory Rajiv Thind University of Queensland Abstract While much of recent Hamlet criticism is heavily invested in foregrounding Catholic- nostalgic aspects in the play, I argue that the purgatorial Ghost can also be read as a caricature. Comedic and parodic depictions of Roman Catholic doctrine and beliefs were fairly common in the popular writings of Shakespeare’s age. I situate Shakespeare’s Hamlet within contemporary Protestant culture and its literary aesthetics as well as populist appeal. Finally, I read Hamlet’s mocking of the Ghost at the end of Scene 1.5 along with a popular pamphlet, Tarltons Newes out of Purgatorie (1590). Both, I argue, caricature Purgatory to induce community reinforcing Protestant laughter. Keywords Shakespeare, Hamlet, Protestant mirth, Purgatory, exclusionary laughter, Protestant polemic Re ´ sume ´ Tandis qu’une partie importante de la critique s’attache a ` mettre en avant des e ´le ´ments de nostalgie catholique dans Hamlet, cet article invite a ` lire aussi le fanto ˆ me du purgatoire comme une caricature. Les repre ´sentations comiques et parodiques de la doctrine et des croyances catholiques e ´taient relativement fre ´quentes a ` l’e ´poque de Shakespeare. J’inscris le Hamlet de Shakespeare dans la culture protestante contemporaine, avec son esthe ´tique litte ´raire double ´e d’une dimension populiste. Enfin, j’analyse la de ´rision en laquelle Hamlet tourne le fanto ˆme a ` la fin de la sce `ne 5 de l’acte 1 a ` la lumie `re d’un pamphlet populaire, Tarltons Newes out of Purgatorie (1590), pour conclure que ces deux textes caricaturent le purgatoire dans le but d’induire un rire protestant facteur de cohe ´sion communautaire. Corresponding author: Rajiv Thind, School of Communication and Arts, University of Queensland, Level 6 Michie Building, St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia. Email: rajiv.thind@uqconnect.edu.au Cahiers E ´ lisabe ´thains: A Journal of English Renaissance Studies 2018, Vol. 97(1) 69–83 ª The Author(s) 2018 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0184767818788086 journals.sagepub.com/home/cae