The Shadow Play
Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Ur-Hamlet, and the Legacy of Borrowed Genius
When I was an undergraduate, I stumbled upon Peter Saccio's Shakespeare's English Kings: History, Chronicle, and Drama, a book that profoundly shaped my understanding of Shakespeare’s historical plays. Saccio’s work is an invaluable guide, meticulously analyzing how Shakespeare took liberties with historical events and figures to serve dramatic and thematic purposes. The book dives into the tension between history and art, revealing the Bard’s tendency to craft narratives that explore leadership, power, and morality rather than adhere strictly to historical fact. Saccio’s detailed yet accessible style illuminated for me not only the context behind these plays but also Shakespeare’s genius for transforming dry chronicles into living, breathing drama.
Sadly, Saccio, who was the Leon Black Professor Emeritus of Shakespearean Studies and Professor of English at Yale University, died this past August (2024). He was 83 years old.
Reading Saccio’s exploration of Shakespeare’s creative process inspired me to consider how the Bard engaged with his sources more broadly. This naturally led me to Hamlet, a play with roots reaching deep into Scandinavian legend and the enigmatic Ur-Hamlet. The following essay delves into the origins of Hamlet, its connection to earlier works like the Amleth legend and the Ur-Hamlet, and how Shakespeare exemplifies the transformative power of standing on the shoulders of giants. Through this lens, we can appreciate how Hamlet evolved from its primal, mythic origins into a timeless meditation on human existence.
When we think of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we imagine a towering masterpiece—a profound meditation on existence, revenge, and the human condition. Yet, its roots lie not in the singular brilliance of Shakespeare alone, but in a tapestry of earlier works, legends, and influences. From the Scandinavian legend of Amleth to the mysterious Ur-Hamlet and beyond, Hamlet exemplifies how greatness is often built on the shoulders of giants. Shakespeare’s genius lay not in creating stories from scratch but in transforming existing narratives into something timeless, reminding us that true innovation often begins with adaptation.
The Amleth Legend: A Blood-Soaked Origin
The story of Amleth, first recorded in Saxo Grammaticus’s 12th-century Gesta Danorum, forms the bedrock of Hamlet. In this saga, the Viking prince avenges his father’s murder by feigning madness and ultimately triumphing over his enemies. Amleth’s tale is one of primal revenge and survival, steeped in the harsh realities of the Viking Age.
Robert Eggers’ The Northman (2022) revisits this brutal origin, vividly portraying the legend of Amleth as a visceral, mythic narrative. Alexander Skarsgård’s Amleth is not paralyzed by indecision like Shakespeare’s prince; he is propelled by a relentless drive for vengeance. Set in 10th-century Iceland, the film draws on shamanic visions, violent rituals, and Norse mythology to emphasize the raw, ancestral power of this story. The Northman strips the tale back to its roots, shedding the philosophical introspection of Hamlet to reveal the elemental fury of Amleth’s world.
The Ur-Hamlet: The Missing Link
Between Amleth and Hamlet lies the mysterious Ur-Hamlet, a now-lost play believed to have been written in the late 1580s or early 1590s. Likely penned by Thomas Kyd, author of The Spanish Tragedy, the Ur-Hamlet is thought to have introduced elements central to Shakespeare’s version, such as the vengeful ghost and the mad prince. The cry of “Hamlet, revenge!”—a line associated with the Ur-Hamlet—suggests a straightforward revenge tragedy, less nuanced than Shakespeare’s eventual masterpiece.
This missing link challenges Shakespeare’s originality. Was Hamlet a mere refinement of Kyd’s work? If the Ur-Hamlet relied on the Amleth legend, Shakespeare’s Hamlet becomes a third iteration in a chain of adaptations, its brilliance lying not in invention but in reinvention.
Borrowed Genius: Shakespeare’s Artistic Method
The case of Hamlet is far from unique. Shakespeare routinely sourced his stories from earlier works, demonstrating that his greatness lay not in originality but in transformation. Romeo and Juliet borrowed heavily from Arthur Brooke’s The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet. Macbeth drew on Holinshed’s Chronicles, while King Lear adapted a preexisting play about the legendary British king. Even Othello found its roots in a short story by the Italian writer Cinthio.
This tendency to borrow has sparked debates about Shakespeare’s genius. How can someone so reliant on other writers be called the greatest playwright of all time? The answer lies in how Shakespeare transcended his sources. He imbued borrowed narratives with poetic depth, complex characters, and universal themes that resonate across cultures and centuries. His works remind us that greatness is not about creating something entirely new, but about transforming the familiar into the extraordinary.
As Isaac Newton famously said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Shakespeare’s works epitomize this principle. By building on the foundations laid by others, he crafted plays that not only endured but defined the possibilities of drama.
The Transformation of Hamlet
Shakespeare’s Hamlet stands as a testament to this transformative genius. While the Ur-Hamlet and the Amleth legend provided the scaffolding, Shakespeare turned the story inward, shifting the focus from external action to internal conflict. Hamlet’s existential dilemmas—his “To be, or not to be” soliloquy, his paralyzing indecision, his oscillation between madness and lucidity—elevate the play beyond the straightforward revenge narratives of its predecessors.
The ghost of King Hamlet, likely a simple plot device in the Ur-Hamlet, becomes in Shakespeare’s hands a figure of profound moral ambiguity. Is the ghost a righteous avenger, or a malevolent force driving Hamlet toward damnation? This ambiguity, absent in earlier versions, reflects Shakespeare’s unparalleled ability to probe the complexities of human nature.
The Northman and Hamlet: Two Sides of the Same Story
Eggers’ The Northman offers a fascinating counterpoint to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. While Shakespeare’s prince is paralyzed by introspection, Amleth in The Northman is consumed by action. The film’s visceral depiction of vengeance, fate, and the brutal codes of Viking society highlights the primal roots of Hamlet, reminding us that behind Shakespeare’s philosophical musings lies a savage, mythic core.
By juxtaposing these works, we see the genius of adaptation at play. The Northman taps into the raw power of the Amleth legend, while Hamlet transforms it into a deeply psychological and poetic meditation. Both are valid interpretations, illustrating how a single story can be reshaped to reflect vastly different human experiences.
The Power of Reinvention
From Saxo Grammaticus to the Ur-Hamlet, to Shakespeare, and now to The Northman, the story of Amleth has traveled through time, evolving with each iteration. Shakespeare’s Hamlet may not be wholly original, but its brilliance lies in how it reimagines its sources, transforming a revenge tale into a timeless exploration of the human condition. Similarly, The Northman reconnects the narrative to its Viking roots, offering a powerful reminder of the story’s enduring appeal.
Greatness, as Shakespeare’s career demonstrates, is not about starting from nothing. It is about taking what exists and reshaping it into something greater. By standing on the shoulders of giants, Shakespeare reached heights that continue to inspire, proving that even borrowed genius can shine with unparalleled brilliance.