009.0 - The Ballad of Joking Jesus

We are using the original 1922 First Printing by Shakespeare & Co. - section attached

"What is your idea of Hamlet?" - to - "example of free thought"

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Hamlet's Grandson

Blasphemous Buck Mulligan has already sold Haines on the idea that Stephen holds a wondrous theory about Hamlet—a theory so compelling that Haines, ever the inquisitive Englishman, can’t help but prod further. But Buck, ever the showman and opportunist, isn’t quite ready to dive into Stephen’s mind just yet. Instead, he buys himself time with a joke, declaring that he needs a beer before tackling such heady matters.

To reinforce his mock reluctance, Buck casually name-drops Thomas Aquinas, the medieval philosopher who famously laid out the “Five Ways” to prove the existence of God. Of course, Buck exaggerates wildly—not five, but fifty-five reasons!—turning serious theological reasoning into a farce. What he’s really doing is downplaying Stephen’s intellect while simultaneously heightening the drama, making Stephen’s supposed theory sound almost sacred.

Still amused by his own wit, Buck then pushes Stephen into a corner, demanding to know how quickly he can summarize his views on Hamlet. Haines, still eager, keeps pressing. Sensing an opportunity for mischief, Buck takes control of the conversation, offering his own mock-summary of Stephen’s theory:

“He proves by algebra that Hamlet’s grandson is Shakespeare’s grandfather and that he himself is the ghost of his own father.”

The line is, of course, nonsense—but it distills the absurdity of Stephen’s intensely circular and self-referential ideas, which attempt to bridge time, authorship, and identity in Hamlet. With one sweeping jest, Buck both ridicules and acknowledges the complexity of Stephen’s thought process.

Oscar Wilde and the Paradox of Thought

Backing up slightly, Haines wonders aloud: Is Stephen’s Hamlet theory a paradox? Before Stephen can respond, Buck swoops in to interrupt, dismissing the very notion of paradoxes as stale, overused, and tiresome—especially in Ireland. He makes a deliberate pun, eluding (and alluding) to none other than Oscar Wilde, the Irish master of paradox and wit.

But who exactly is Wilde, and why is he so deeply associated with paradox?

A paradox is a statement, situation, or idea that contradicts itself, yet somehow reveals a hidden truth. It forces us to question assumptions, twisting logic in a way that both confounds and enlightens. Wilde was an expert at wielding paradox as both a literary device and a social critique.

Examples of Paradoxes:

• Oscar Wilde: “I can resist everything except temptation.” - At first glance, nonsense—but actually, a sharp observation about human weakness.

• George Orwell (from 1984): “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.” - A terrifying paradox that exposes the manipulation of language and power.

Wilde, a Dublin-born playwright, philosopher, and provocateur, is best known for The Picture of Dorian Gray, a novel that explores self-destruction, aestheticism, and moral decay. His paradoxes were more than just wordplay; they challenged social norms, exposed hypocrisy, and forced deeper reflection—exactly what Stephen is trying to do with his Hamlet theory.

Yet Buck, uninterested in genuine intellectual debate, uses Wilde as another weapon in his arsenal of mockery, brushing off paradoxes as a tired Irish cliché. In doing so, he undercuts both Stephen’s artistic philosophy and Wilde’s legacyin a single stroke.

Japhet in Search of a Father

Growing tired of the conversation, Buck lands another blow, this time aimed straight at Stephen’s existential and personal struggles:

O, shade of Kinch the elder! Japhet in search of a father !

Here, Mulligan is mocking Stephen’s father issues, reducing them to mere theatrics.

“Shade of Kinch the elder” – Kinch (Buck’s nickname for Stephen) refers to his father, Simon Dedalus. Calling him a “shade” (ghost) suggests that Simon might as well be dead to Stephen, either emotionally or as a guiding force.

“Japhet in search of a father” – Japheth (or Japhet) is one of Noah’s sons in the Bible. There is no actual story of Japheth searching for his father, which makes Buck’s reference deliberately absurd—further twisting Stephen’s struggle into something biblically grand yet fundamentally hollow.

Mulligan’s real message is clear: Stephen, you’re just a brooding orphan, playing at tragedy while rejecting the very things that could ground you—family, faith, or even friendship.

Stephen, weary of the entire exchange, submits to the moment. He tells Haines that his theory is too long to explain, a quiet resignation in the face of Mulligan’s relentless taunting. Buck, still amused, suggests that a little alcohol might loosen Stephen’s tongue—perhaps implying that only under the influence will Stephen finally let go of his high-minded restraint.

Elsinore by the Sea

At last, Haines circles back to Hamlet, this time making a geographical connection:

“This tower and its surroundings seem like a real-life Elsinore.”

Elsinore is the Danish castle where Hamlet unfolds, a place steeped in betrayal, uncertainty, and existential dread—themes that resonate uncannily well with Stephen’s current state of mind.

At this moment, something shifts between Buck and Stephen. Whether a connection or a stark contrast, there is an undeniable recognition between them.

For Stephen, this is a moment of quiet growth—a recognition that he is not bound to Mulligan’s mockery, nor Haines’ shallow curiosity. He is, in his own way, beginning to assert his intellectual independence, even if it remains unspoken.

This awkward connection is broken by Haines "The Seas Ruler" (British) referencing the view:

A Smokeplume from a mailboat

A skyline

A sailboat floating by Muglins (rocky islets)

Blasphemous Buck and the Ballad of Joking Jesus

Buck Mulligan, always the showman, instantly puts on an exaggeratedly cheerful face, flashing a wide grin. His normally sharp, calculating eyes take on a goofy, almost manic gleam as he launches into a theatrical performance, breaking into song and something of a dance.

Buck mocks religion, parodying Jesus by turning sacred stories into a drinking song. His exaggerated “ascension” off the cliff ridicules both faith and Stephen’s brooding seriousness.

Mockery, Faith, and a Cigarette

Haines is both curious and detached—he finds Buck amusing but doesn’t fully grasp the deeper tension between Buck and Stephen. He continues to test the waters, trying to understand Stephen’s religious views, unsure whether they should laugh along with Buck or ignore him out of respect.

Stephen recollects that he has seen this blasphemous performance before, calling it the Ballad of Joking Jesus, which he hears three times a day. When Haines further probes Stephen’s stance on religion, Stephen responds with a dismissive tone, revealing his cynicism.

They pause as Haines casually takes out a sleek silver cigarette case, its green stone glinting in the sunlight. He flips it open with his thumb and offers a cigarette to Stephen, who accepts without hesitation.

As they smoke and walk, Haines continues to reflect on religion, posing more questions, while Stephen cynically sidesteps them, avoiding direct answers. The moment hangs between them—a declaration of Stephen’s alienation from faith, certainty, and easy conclusions.

Recap:

This scene in Ulysses is more than just witty banter—it is a complex dance of power, intellect, and identity. Buck Mulligan dominates the conversation, reducing Stephen’s intellect to a joke and his grief to melodrama. Haines, the outsider, observes with detached curiosity, probing but never truly engaging. Stephen, caught between mockery and misunderstanding, holds his ground but remains an outsider—neither fully part of nor entirely separate from the world around him.

As the novel unfolds, Stephen’s search for meaning, father figures, and intellectual validation will continue. But here, at the Martello Tower, standing on the edge of land and sea, he is already on the precipice of something greater—even if he doesn’t yet know it.

References:

Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. Knopf, 1988.

Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2024, www.oed.com.

The Bible. King James Version, Oxford UP, 2008.

Gifford, Don, and Robert J Seidman. Ulysses Annotated. Univ. California P., 1992