A+Denmark+Without+Hamlet

Sam Showers Hour 3

As we have all found out, the story of Shakespeare's Hamlet takes place in the kingdom of Denmark. Although a lot of crazy stuff happens to the fictional kingdom, such as war with Fortinbras and brothers assassinating the king, Denmark has had its own history, very real and still intriguing. It may not have the constructed drama of Shakespeare, but it has kings, wars, legends, myths, and everything else along the way. Some interesting sites on the history and culture of the region that bore the kingdom of Hamlet...

http://www.denmark.dk/en/ This is the official site of Denmark. It gives a lot of information about the history of the country, all the way back to the Viking invasions. Not only that, but the site also gives modern topics of the country, such as the government, art and culture, the people (danes), and the science and research in Denmark. It gives a reader of Hamlet a great perspective of where the play is located, as well as what the kingdom is really like today.

http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1197946 This is a neat collection of myths and legends from the Danish people. I think it relates because the stories of the people of Denmark can tell us about how they lived back then, and what they believed in. The site is truly a collection of different stories. Some tell them through poetry, others by comparing to other countries and their stories, but all of them provide legends and myths. Some include brother kings of Beowulf, the forefather of the country of Denmark, and of course, Amleth, the origin of our favorite Shakespearean play, Hamlet.

With the official history of Denmark, to some wild myths originating in Denmark, it has an interesting history and culture. Knowing these two things can only enhance one's aspect of Hamlet and his kingdom. When you can put yourselves in the shoes of a regular guy in historical Denmark, you can appreciate the play Hamlet so much more.