Shakespeare Pt 2: Hamlet

Photo credit to Birmingham Museums Trust

     Shakespeare wrote three different types of plays over his lifetime: Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories. His tragedies seem to be most popular, two of them proving the most well-known of his plays: Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The concept, plot and character development of Hamlet is by far the more mature of the two plays, and thus we will be discussing that one today.

     Shakespeare’s Hamlet came from the early to middle years of his career. Though some people may not have read it before, many have heard its famous soliloquy. (When one character talks to himself–usually making a big decision in his life.) The soliloquy begins with and is easily recognizable by the words, “To be, or not to be, that is the question.” Again, it is surprising how much of Shakespeare seeps into our lives whether we know it or not! He has become one of the most famous authors of our society and few can seem to escape the reach of his brilliance.

     Now, onto the play. The story of Hamlet is about a prince (of said name) whose father dies mysteriously. His mother then marries her late husband’s brother just two months after the king’s death. 

     Early in the tale, Hamlet hears that his father’s ghost has been seen by the watchmen for the past few nights. He decides to stay up with them and seek an encounter with his father. 

     The ghost of his father appears and leads him to a private place where he discloses startling news to Hamlet. He tells him that the new king (Hamlet’s uncle) murdered him. The king then begs that Hamlet take revenge on the uncle. 

     After a long period of time wherein Hamlet pretends to go mad in order to hide the real distress that he feels over his father’s news, he is exiled from his kingdom. 

     He is captured by pirates who, eager to become friends with such a rich prisoner, let him off at his old home. 

     Back at the castle with his mother and her new husband, Hamlet is eventually mortally wounded by a poisoned fencing foil when he duels with someone the king turns against him. That someone, Laertes, just happens to be the brother of the girl Hamlet was going to marry. However, when the girl that Hamlet loves dies, the king is able to play on Laertes’ anger and get him to fight Hamlet.

     Before he dies, though, Hamlet stabs his uncle with the poisoned blade, finally carrying out his father’s ghost’s request. 

     As you can see, Hamlet is definitely a tragedy, something that Shakespeare seemed to be quite good at writing. However, research and study proves that Shakespeare was not the first author of this story.

     The tragedy of Hamlet is at least 700 years old, its first form appearing as a story written in the 12th century by Saxo Grammaticus. The main source of the play, however, was a French story told by Francois de Belleforest in Histoires tragiques. It was published in 1576. Shakespeare would have been twelve years old at that time. 

     The first record, then, of Hamlet as a play was in the summer of 1594. It was not Shakespeare’s own play, though, as definite records of his play didn’t appear until 1602. A man named James Roberts wrote of a play as was “lately acted by the Lord Chamberlain (and) his servants.” Hamlet may have started out as a French play, but Shakespeare turned it into one of England’s greatest plays.

      Now, instead of discussing a comedy as well, I thought I would present you with a challenge. Shakespeare was a great writer of sonnets–even creating a special form that is now known as the Shakesperian sonnet– and many of them are remarkably like puzzles. I am going to leave one with you. Feel free to comment below and tell me what you think it is talking about. Here is his 73rd Sonnet.

     “That time of year thou mayst in me behold    

     When yellow leaves, or none, or few do hang

     Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

     Bare ruin’d choirs where late the sweet birds sang.

     In me thou see’st the twilight of such day      

     As after sunset fadeth in the west,

     Which by and by black night doth take away,

     Death’s second self that seals up all in rest.

     In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire     

     That on the ashes of his youth doth lie

     As the death-bed whereon it must expire,

     Consum’d with that which it was nourished by.

     This thou perceivs’t, which makes thy love more strong,

     To love that well which thou must leave ere long.”

     Quite a few of Shakespeare’s sonnets deal with or foreshadow death. This is very interesting, to be sure, and next week, if you return, we will talk about a strange story that surrounds his death and burial. (Don’t research it; just wait to see!)

     Thanks for reading!

     Deus Benedicat tibi

Harrison, G. B. Shakespeare: The Complete Works. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich,

     Publishers, N.D. Print