Friday, March 13, 2009

Hamlet: The Historical Context



Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's most famous works , and the source of the world renowned quote, "To be or not to be," is estimated to have been written at the beginning of the 17th century, as early as 1601. Historians have assumed that this date is correct, as the play alludes to Shakespeare's other play "Julius Caesar" which is known to be written in 1599. Tragedies were very popular in Elizabethan England, and so it is no surprise that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet as such. The story is most likely based on a certain Amleth, who was also the Prince of Denmark, and lived around the 12th century. The story of Amleth, whose name is even just a rearranged version of Hamlet, is almost identical to Shakespeare's play, which means that the basic story is now over 900 years old.

Hamlet is not as brutal as some of Shakespeare's other works, because around the end of the 1500's the demand for violent plays decreased. Therefore, although like most Shakespearean plays, murder and revenge are very big themes, the manner in which they are presented is less bloody. The play was instantly seen as a great work, and was very popular in when it was first performed. It is also among Shakespeare's most performed plays, and has seen countless reiterations.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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