Hamlet | Class 18: Myth and Meaning

Hamlet, like many of Shakespeare’s plays, contains numerous references to mythology. Shakespeare himself knew Ovid, the great Roman poet who wrote Metamorphoses, quite well and delighted in the stories of gods, goddesses, and mortals of the Greek myths.

Hamlet, in taking on the task of avenging his father, often parallels his struggles with those of the “gods” in power. Other characters, too, evoke myths. For example, when Hamlet asks how he is, Rosencrantz replies, “as the...

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