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Ur-Hamlet
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Ur-Hamlet

work by Kyd
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Quick Summary

The Ur-Hamlet is a lost play, believed to be an earlier version of William Shakespeare's famous tragedy, Hamlet. It is conjectured to have been written by Thomas Kyd, the playwright known for initiating the revenge tragedy with his work, The Spanish Tragedy.12

While the Ur-Hamlet itself no longer exists, its influence on Shakespeare's Hamlet is significant. Scholars believe Kyd's play provided the foundational plot and characters that Shakespeare later adapted and expanded upon. The Ur-Hamlet likely explored similar themes of revenge and madness that are central to Shakespeare's masterpiece.321

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
4 Britannica Sources
  1. Thomas Kyd
  2. Hamlet
  3. Hamlet: Top Questions
  4. Polonius

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