The Bernhardt Hamlet

Critics regarded Sarah Bernhardt's interpretation of "Hamlet" in 1899 as the revelation of Shakespeare's tragedy in France. "The Bernhardt Hamlet" is the first to investigate that production and to explain its context and its impact upon the cultural life of the time. Bernhardt's most significant innovation was her rejection of romantic sensibility in favor of the revenge tradition. In assuming a male role, she remained within the theatrical tradition of "travesti" that came to full fruition in the nineteenth century. Classically trained, the 54-year-old Bernhardt refashioned the "Hamlet" inheritance with insight, vigor, and originality.