This book is a detailed historical analysis of the first quarto edition of Shakespeare's Hamlet, which was published in 1603. Charles Harold Herford and William Henry Widgery provide literary and historical context for the play, offering insightful commentary on its sources, themes, and characters. This volume is an important contribution to the study of Shakespearean literature and will be of interest to scholars and students alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.