Shakespeare's Source Material
Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum and Francois de Belleforest's Histories Tragiques are widely considered to be the two main sources for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum consists of 16 books that describe Danish history. Written by Danish author and historian, Saxo Grammaticus, it was first printed in Latin in 1514.
Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum
Gesta Danorum consists of 16 books that describe Danish history. Written by Danish author and historian, Saxo Grammaticus, it was first printed in Latin in 1514.
Francois de Belleforest's Histories Tragiques
Francois de Belleforest was a French author, poet and translator. Histories Tragiques ("Tragic Stories") was first written by Italian writer Mateo Bandello and translated to French by Belleforest in 1570.
Francois de Belleforest was a French author, poet and translator. Histories Tragiques ("Tragic Stories") was first written by Italian writer Mateo Bandello and translated to French by Belleforest in 1570.