If there were only one surviving male human being, then it would cease to matter whether he was addressed as "John" or as "Man." The two words could become interchangeable.
This happened with "god." When there were many, their names mattered. YHWH was not Baal. When there was one, "YHWH" and "God," or, in another tradition, "Allah" and "God," became interchangeable.
Caliban has seen only one woman, Miranda, so, to him, Jennifer is "'...this new Miranda!'" (p. 178) Then he pluralizes the word, having brooded:
"'...on how 'tis best Mirandas be adored.'" (ibid.)
"God" has changed from a common noun to a proper noun. Caliban reverses this process with "Miranda."
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
But, I think, even before the Babylonian Exile, the ancient Jews were more and more thinking in terms of using the common noun, "god," as the proper noun for the One, God. And I think the reverence they had for the Name, YHWH, encouraged that shift with the use of "Adonai," or "LORD," for that Name. It culminated with only the High Priest being allowed to say that Name once a year, during the High Holy Days.
Ad astra! Sean
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