‘Precurse of Feared Events’

In 1939, John Gielgud's performance of Hamlet at Kronborg Castle (Elsinore) and the surrounding events were marked by a haunting resonance between Shakespearean themes and the looming specter of war. A photograph from this production captures Gielgud and Fay Compton in front of a newly unveiled stone relief of Shakespeare, symbolizing a cultural and diplomatic exchange between Denmark and the UK during a tense pre-WWII period. The study reveals how the intersection of location, play, and historical context created an atmosphere of foreboding, reflecting both the memory of past conflicts and the fear of impending war.

Refskou, A. S. (2023). ‘Precurse of Feared Events’. Shakespeare at War, 145–154. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009042383.016