Grave-digger

Weird bits of Twelfth Night conflated with Hamlet, Illyria superimposed upon Denmark, and some entanglement of Feste and the Grave-digger -- not Feste tossing up the skulls, which would be easy enough to envision, but something more elusive or perhaps just forgotten.

Archive 2005-01-01 Gregory Feeley 2005

He looked like some particularly preposterous Grave-digger in a burlesque of Hamlet.

The Complete Father Brown 2003

He looked like some particularly preposterous Grave-digger in a burlesque of Hamlet.

The Complete Father Brown 2003

Hamlet, this line is apparently in reference to a pair of minor characters, listed as First Clown and Other, or as First Grave-digger and Other, the undertakers in the play, who do serve the purpose of providing comic relief in the midst of tragedy.

The Annotated "Althea" Robert Hunter 1979

She gave me a dirty look as if she was the Second Grave-digger, but she'd had ten guineas off us and she could see another five coming so she got busy with the carnations and the fern.

The Rainbow and the Rose Shute, Nevil, 1899-1960 1958

Colley Cibber says that Underhill was particularly admired in the character of the Grave-digger; and he adds:

The Tatler, Volume 1, 1899 George A. Aitken

Underhill acted again as the Grave-digger on Feb. 23, 1710, at Drury

The Tatler, Volume 1, 1899 George A. Aitken

The Grave-digger: “Oh, we shall sing you so many that you will never be able to hear them all.

Appendix. II. The Wedding Favours 1917

The Grave-digger: “Since you won’t listen to reason, we shall make our way in by force.

Appendix. II. The Wedding Favours 1917

The Grave-digger: “We are worthy folk in great distress.

Appendix. II. The Wedding Favours 1917