David A. Lariscy

Eximius Books presents Hamlet II, King of Denmark. This play is suggested by the last scene of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare. In the closing scene of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Claudius, the King, Gertrude, the Queen, and Laertes, son of Polonius, are dead. Hamlet is dying, after being stabbed with a poisoned foil by Laertes. With Hamlet’s death, there is no lineal heir to the Danish throne. With his dying breath, Hamlet implores Horatio to:

“Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story.”

This line suggests the plot for the play, Hamlet II King of Denmark. Hamlet, while a student in Wittenberg, unknowingly fathered a son by Francesca, daughter of the Duke of Siena, Italy. Horatio learned this on a visit there when Claudius sent Hamlet to England. When Horatio tells Hamlet that he has fathered a son who is the lineal heir to the throne, Hamlet charges Horatio with the task of placing Hamlet’s son on the throne of Denmark.

Continuing in the style of Shakespeare's original plays, Hamlet II unveils a story of political intrigue, relational struggles, and the hope of justice.