HAMLET from William Shakespeare

Hamlet is sane or insane ?

Hamlet is really crazy or actIing crazy?

Bibliography:

Hamlet from Shakespeare Garnier Flammarion

Biographie:

Shakespeare is a british man author from XVI century. He is born in April 1564 in Stratfor-on-avon

which is a market town from Warwickshire located to north-west of London. We think the more

often thatShakespeare’s parents were members of Anglican Protestantism. Some historians

maintain Shakespeare and his family are stayed faithfuls to Catholocism. He married with a young

girl who had the same staus than him. She was from family of landowners. He was aged to nineteen

whereas she was twenty-six years. They had three children with whom a son called Hamnet. There

is maybe a linkbetween memory of his son and hero’s transformation Danish Amleth in Hamlet.

Shakespeare is stayed around twenty years old in London as actor, member of company, poet and

playwright vouched by too many documents. Shakespeare has tackled all kinds from comedy at

tragedy in passing by historical chronic, extravaganza, tragi-comedy. Shakespeare is thirty-five

years old when he wrote Hamletand he is a prolific writer whom some historic drama which has

troubled England to Middle Ages.

Historic situation

In 1558, Elizabeth first, Henry eight ‘s daughter and Ann Boleyn leaves tower’s jails of London

where she had been imprisoned by her half-sister, Marie Tudor. She is twenty five yeas old.

She will reign until 1603. The sovereign will know restore a favourable clime forflowerinf of art’s

culture. The great period of literacy production named « Elizabethan » is bring forward concerning

the specific lenght of reign of Elizabeth first because it begins around 1580 and perpetuate under

reign of Jack first,

Origins of theater:

The success of theater comes in fact that it’s a popular distraction. In this period, the literacy stays

limited toprivileged classes of the society. Also, it’s more easy to find a public of spectators than

lectors. The origins of theater are firstly religious. In Middle Ages, we played Miracle-plays and

Mystary-plays which directs Christ’s life ans Saints.

Hamlet’s legend

This legend is very acient. The danish historian , Saxo Grammaticus had been the first to write

Hamlet’s life which forms apart of a book writing in latin around 1200 after Jesus Christ.

It is narrated in the end of book number three and in beginning of book number four,

This legend narrats the reign’s pariod of the king Rorik. Rorik, king of Denmak, installed on the

throne of Jutland two brothers Groendil and Fengi. Groendil vainquished Norway’s king. His

warriors achievements allow him to marry withGeruth, Rorik ‘s daughter who gave him a son,

Amleth. Jealous, Fengi killed Groendil and married with his sister-in-law. Scared for his life,

Amleth feigned madness. Amleth foiled many traps of king. Amleth married with king’s daughter of

England thanks to stratagem. He avenged his father by killing Fengi.

Difference between Hamlet and Amleth

The Saxo’s hero is a warrior. Thepotentials show by historians are heroics values like bravery,

loyalty, honour etc. Amleth behaved according to a pagan rules in which to avenge his father is

accepted or even expected by all. Sakespeare’s Hamlet lived in a Christian world in which civilian

legislation and religious banned all individual revenge. The father’s murder remain secret because

Hamlet content himself with ghost’sstory of his father. This explained his indecision between action

inaction. To Saxo, the usurper king recognizes publicly his responsability in brother’s death. To

Shakespeare, the murder is perpetuated without eyewitness. This makes a plot more complex. It’s

essential for Hamlet to recognize the death’s circumstances of his father in order to legitimate his

revenge.

Hamlet…