Photos by Aengus Anderson
When
How Shakespeare Transformed the Play 'Hamlet'
Speaker: Frederick Kiefer, University Distinguished Professor, English, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Join us for the third talk of the Early Books Lecture Series XXI
Shakespeare never invented the plot of any play he wrote. Instead, he adapted material he found in ancient history, Italian short stories, English chronicles, and previous plays. One previous play was named Hamlet, and it had to have been Shakespeare's primary source. The earlier play is lost but we can surmise much about it and speculate about what Shakespeare added.
The Early Books Lecture Series was established at the University of Arizona by Dr. Albrecht Classen, University Distinguished Professor of German Studies, in partnership with University Libraries Special Collections. For more than 20 years, University of Arizona scholars and Special Collections have invited the community to explore rare books that are held by Special Collections, provide primary resource materials for research, and are available for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to access and use.
Details
- The lectures are free and open to the public.
- A reception follows each lecture.
- Registration required.
Additional lectures
Early Books Lecture Series XXI: The Secrets of Medieval Manuscripts Panel Discussion, April 1
Early Books Lecture Series XXI: Christine de Pizan’s Othea, April 8