"the owl was a baker's daughter"
Discussion
Act 4,
Scene 5
Lines 40-44
Claudius
Ophelia
Claudius
Ophelia’s remarks, “God yield (reward) you” and “God be at your table,” were common blessings. But the two sentences in between are a reference to a medieval story. In one version, Christ stops at a bakery to beg for bread, which he receives from the baker’s wife. When the baker’s daughter criticizes her mother for giving him too much, Christ turns her into an owl. What point might Ophelia be making here?