Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
The Most Exalted and Romantic of Heroes
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to enact on his uncle Claudius. Claudius had murdered his own brother, Hamlet's father, and subsequently seized the throne, marrying his deceased brother's widow, Hamlet's mother Gertrude. The story of Hamlet ultimately derives from the legend of Amleth, preserved by 13th century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum as subsequently retold by 16th century scholar François de Belleforest.
Presentation #02 : Hamlet and Horatio in the Graveyard (1839), Louvre [2]