Summary

This episode examines the evolution of Shakespeare's Hamlet, tracing its origins from the 12th-century Amleth legend in Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum through the lost Ur-Hamlet play, and finally to Shakespeare's masterpiece. The hosts argue that Shakespeare's genius lies not in originality but in his transformative adaptation of existing narratives, a concept supported by comparisons to other Shakespearean works and Robert Eggers' film The Northman. The discuss and essay that ultimately celebrates Shakespeare's ability to elevate borrowed material into something profoundly insightful and enduring. The author also mourns the recent passing of Peter Saccio, a prominent Shakespearean scholar whose work influenced the author's thinking.

https://dottore.substack.com/p/the-shadow-play?r=71rzs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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