1. Hamlet Intro Notes
Minich ~ AP Lit

2. General Notes on Hamlet
Revenge Tragedy: Common among Elizabethan audiences (see Bedford 1588) – 3 story lines revolve around revenge
Shakespeare’s familiarity with the name “Hamlet” – named his son “Hamnet” after his best friend, Hamnet Sadler
The “Ur-Hamlet” (or first version) dates back to 1589

3. Dramatic Elements in Hamlet
Protagonist: Hamlet stays true to the “great” archetypal tragic hero, but his is inner greatness
Anachronism: Used to help the audience connect to the story: Hamlet lived in 7th-cen. Denmark but was attending Wittenberg (university founded in 1502)

4. Shakespeare’s Language
Combination of verse and prose
Doctrine of Decorum = kings, nobles, bishops spoke in verse/ clowns, laborers, mad people spoke in prose
Blank Verse – first used by the Earl of Surrey in his translation of The Aeneid (also referred to as “Marlowe’s mighty line”)
Shifts = Shakespeare evolved and matured in his adherence to the Doc. Of Decorum (soldiers in Act 1, sc. I speak beautiful blank verse)