1. An Introduction to The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
William Shakespeare
An Introduction to The Tragedy of
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

2. William Shakespeare
Few primary sources to verify the details of Shakespeare’s life
1564: Born in Stratford-on-Avon
1582: Married Anne Hathaway (he was 18; she was 26)
Three children:
Susanna
Hamnet & Judith (twins)
1592: Evidence that Shakespeare had moved to London to act and produce plays
1593: Shakespeare is a managing partner of a London acting company

3. William Shakespeare
Successful during Elizabeth’s reign (six plays performed at Queen’s court) when his company was known as Lord Chamberlain’s Men*
Also prospered during reign of King James (when his acting company was renamed the King’s Men)
Shakespeare served as principal actor, dramatist, and shareholder S
*Lord Chamberlain is the title given to the senior official of the Royal Household.

4. Shakespeare’s Legacy
The Globe theatre burned to the ground in 1613 (rebuilt in 1997)
Shakespeare left London sometime between and 1613; returned to Stratford and lived as a wealthy man until his death in 1616
Works:
17 comedies
10 histories
10 tragedies
Countless poems

5. Shakespeare Influences
Elizabethan Period (Renaissance)
Rediscovery of classic Greek and Roman works
Theatre
Open air / natural light
Female roles performed by boys
Little scenery / language sets the scene
Religion
Protestant religion grows in strength, but the Catholics still strive to practice their religion
The historical record shows that Shakespeare was a member of the Anglican church, but many scholars speculate he may have been a secret Catholic

6. Shakespeare’s Language
Pronouns
thou, thee, ye = you
thy or thine = your or yours
Contractions
‘t = it
‘tis = it is
o’er = over
e’er = ever
ne’er = never

7. Shakespeare’s Language
Verbs
hast or hath = have
ist = is
canst = can
dost or doth = does
art = are
wilt = will
wert = were

8. Shakespeare’s Language
Some Common Words
anon = soon
fain = gladly
ho = hey, eh
hence = away from here
thence = away from there
hither = here
thither = there
whither = where
wherefore = why

9. Literary Terms Anastrophe Sometimes referred to as “inversion”
In Star Wars
“Powerful you have become” for “You have become powerful”
In Hamlet
“How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!” for “How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable the uses of this world seem to me!”

10. Literary Terms Metonymy
A figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated
In today’s news
“France has decided to limit immigration.”
Here, “France” is a way of referring to French government officials
In Hamlet
“Let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark,”
Here, “Denmark” is a way of referring to the King of Denmark.

11. Literary Terms Majestic Plural
Sometimes referred to as ‘nosism,’ the majestic plural is an archaic tradition in which members of a royal family would refer to themselves using a plural form of pronoun, rather than a singular form.
In Doctor Who
Rose tries to get Queen Victoria to say “We are not amused,” which would be how a member of the royal family at that time would say “I am not amused.”
In Hamlet
Claudius says “We here dispatch you, good Cornelius,” although it’s really just Claudius sending Cornelius out on an errand.

12. Literary Terms
Pun
A humorous play on words, using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings
In The Lion King
The hyenas taunt Simba and Nala by saying, “We’d love to have you stick around for dinner. We could have whatever’s lyin’ around!” (Lyin = lion)
In Hamlet
Gertrude tells her son, “Thou know’st ‘tis common; all that lives must die,” to which Hamlet archly replies, “Ay, madam, it is common.” (Gertrude means ‘pertaining to all of life,’ whereas Hamlet means ‘of inferior quality; low.’

13. Literary Terms Soliloquy v. Monologue Both involve a solitary speaker
A monologue is a speech given by a single person to an audience--the speech might be delivered to an audience within a play or directly to the audience in the theater
A soliloquy is a speech that one gives to oneself. In a play, a character delivering a soliloquy is speaking to himself (thinking out loud), so that the audience better understands what is happening with the character internally.

14. Sources
Thomas Kyd's Hamlet in the 1580s (now lost); this is referred to as the “Ur-Hamlet.”
Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy (1587) (Revenge tragedy)

15. Sources
Based on a Norse legend from Saxo Grammaticus's Historica Danica written in Latin in the second half of twelfth century

16. Sources
In Saxo’s legend, the central character is Amleth (a word that means “fool” or “one who feigns madness” in Danish.)
In the original, Amleth feigns madness to keep away from his murderous uncle

17. Elements of the Revenge Tragedy
A crime gone unpunished
Inescapable fate, often brought on by long- lived curse passed on from father
Supernatural manifestations
Exotic poisons
Madness
Sword fights
Bloody, bloody, bloody!

18. Chain of Being
The great chain of being: (literally "ladder or stair-way of nature").
It details a strict, religious hierarchical struture of all matter and life, believed to have been decreed by God. The chain starts from God and progresses downward to angels, demons (fallen/renegade angels), stars, moon, kings, princes, nobles, men, wild animals, domesticated animals, trees, other plants, precious stones, precious metals, and other minerals.

19. Chain of Being