Hamlet — An Accurate Representation of Medieval Events?
A drama, according to Oxford Languages, is defined as “a play for theatre, radio, or television”. Dramas have been a popular form of entertainment for thousands of years. Along the evolution timeline of dramas, Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare and it is one of the most popular plays in history. Because dramas and plays are written for entertainment, how close are the characteristics in the Hamlet court to royal courts in the past?
Before looking into history and Hamlet, medieval based dramas can give some information. Medieval dramas may not be accurate sources for learning, but they can give a general sense of the atmosphere at those times. From my knowledge about medieval based dramas, they may have a few of these things: assassinations requiring poison, internal strife, wars, tyrants, young monarchs, and scheming politicians. Comparing this information to Hamlet, Hamlet would be true to medieval based dramas. Medieval monarchies are also generally associated with rather vicious activities, such as witch hunts and terrible legal systems.
While on the topic of legal systems in medieval times, the most memorable medieval trial for me is trial by water. In a trial by water, the offender would be tied and thrown into a lake. If the offender floats they are guilt and if they sink, they are innocent. This basically means that the offender needs to drown to be proven innocent. Linking back to Hamlet, Ophelia’s death is a good example of what could occur in a trial by water.
Now bringing this back to the main topic, Hamlet and if Hamlet is an accurate representation of medieval monarchies. Like all dramas, Hamlet was most likely made for entertainment purposes and not for teaching history. While this may be true, most of Shakespeare’s plays are based off actual history and contain insight into the past. Shakespeare’s knowledge can be observed in his works before Hamlet such as Richard III and Henry IV, both of which works were based on true stories. However, Hamlet differs from Richard III and Henry IV by being a largely fictional story. So, are the features in Denmark’s court in Hamlet overexaggerated to increase the play’s dramatics?
Hamlet has a patriarchal society, an incestuous marriage, mad and revengeful characters, and scheming court members. From this list, a few characteristics can easily be deemed to be realistic. Scheming court members are incredibly common in medieval courts, with usurps and assassinations being commonplace in medieval times. Also, during the Middle Ages, the bible dictated which sex held power. This meant that many countries had a patriarchal society throughout the Middle Ages. The society in Hamlet, like the period it was written in, is patriarchal. This can be seen when Hamlet continuously insults and judges Gertrude’s choice for marriage. It can also be seen when Hamlet commands and oppresses Ophelia by saying “Get thee to a nunnery” . Then what about the incestuous marriage, and mad and revengeful characters in Hamlet?
In the starting scenes of Hamlet, Claudius and Gertrude address the Danish court. The event was so important it required the attendance of Laertes and the crown prince. Claudius’ cunningness is shown in his opening speech:
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen
To mourn a king’s passing and then to celebrate a marriage to the deceased king’s wife is very strange. Yet Claudius uses both occurrences to boost his country’s moral. He does this by telling his audience to reflect on themselves while mourning, and how his marriage is a choice made with wisdom. After Claudius’ speech, Hamlet, by himself, says “With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” , which is aimed at his mother. The statement made by Hamlet shows his disgust with his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle. So, is Claudius’ and Gertrude’s marriage over the top? And is there such a crafty man such as Claudius’ to spin a sin into a win?
Consulting history, incestuous marriages were rather common during the time when Hamlet was published. However, an incestuous marriage between a monarch to their in-law is quite rare and hasty ones were basically non-existent. A similar marriage to the one in Hamlet is Henry VIII’s. Henry VIII had an older brother named Arthur who was heir apparent of Wales. Arthur married Catherine of Aragon, however, Arthur passed away five months after their marriage due to sickness. Seven years later, Henry VIII, who was the next in line for the throne after Arthur, married Catherine of Aragon out of love. The marriage between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII was not deemed incestuous. This was because of how Catherine’s previous marriage to Arthur was not consummated. Therefore, like Claudius, Henry VIII was able to gain the throne and his brother’s wife without much consequence.
Another similar marriage is from historian Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum. Saxo’s Gesta Danorum contains the history of great Denmark’s rulers and the legend of Amleth, Prince of Denmark. The legend of Amleth is based on legends and Norse mythology. Shakespeare’s Hamlet strongly resembles parts of the story of Amleth. In Amleth, Orvendil, the king of Denmark, is slain by his brother, Fengi, because of jealousy. Fengi then marries the wife of Orvendil, Geruth, and describes the murder of Orvendil as necessary to protect Geruth. “Then he [Fengi] took the wife of the brother he had butchered, capping unnatural murder with incest” (Grammaticus). Sounds like Fengi was one bitter and malicious man. From the marriages discussed, the one in Hamlet appears to be realistic.
In history there are also many cases of madness in royal families, such as Charles IV of France and Joanna the Mad. Yet are there people that will act mad for revenge? Hamlet decides after meeting the ghost of his father to “wipe away all trivial fond records” and to think only of revenge. To take revenge and avoid suspicion, Hamlet decides to “put an antic disposition on” . Hamlet’s act of madness leads to him losing himself in the act and questioning his purpose. “[What if a man] Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more” . Hamlet also comes across as schizophrenic when the ghost of Old Hamlet appears to only him in Gertrude’s closet. His act of madness and revenge affects the people around him, resulting in the fall of Denmark’s royal family. Thus, are there any cases of madness such as Hamlet’s, so extreme and questionable?
Lucius Brutus was powerless to take revenge against those who did him wrong. Without power, Brutus acted insane and allowed for others to mock him to protect himself. Most cases of feigned madness in history, like Brutus’, were done for the purpose of evasion or deceit. These acts of madness were just that—acts. Brutus stopped his self-protective act when someone precious to him, Lucretia, was killed. In comparison, when Ophelia died, Hamlet continued to act mad, mocking Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, by saying a brother’s love was frivolous to his love for the deceased Ophelia:
I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers
Could not with all their quantity of love
Make up my sum.
While Brutus’ act of madness puts Hamlet’s in question, the theme of madness and revenge is also exhibited in the legend of Amleth. Amleth acts as a mad simpleton to avoid suspicion from his uncle so he could exact his revenge. Amleth is a madder and crazier character than Hamlet, cutting up and then dumping the boiled morsels of a person he killed into the sewers. Amleth is also unwavering, being able to exact his revenge by creating his own opportunity. However, unlike Hamlet, Amleth never lost himself in madness and his act remained an act. Yet, could a sane person cut up and then boil a corpse? I don’t think so. Therefore, if Amleth did exist, Hamlet’s madness and character could be considered tame.
Shakespeare’s life is shrouded in mystery, was he a real person or just a persona used by multiple writers? No one will really know unless a time machine could be constructed. The vast number of realistic characteristics in Hamlet, and the story’s involvement in politics and human nature show Shakespeare’s knowledge about royalty and history. While parts of Hamlet are closer to fiction than reality, such as the ghost of Old Hamlet, I believe that the characteristics in Hamlet are true to history. Just like medieval monarchies, Hamlet’s monarchy is full of lore and baffling yet interesting.
