Identified: Locale where Hamlet was Written, Plus Marlovian Resonances in Shakespeare's Canon

What is it about?

It may now be possible to pinpoint the exact location where the second Quarto of Hamlet (1603-1604) was written. An obscure theological book cited by the Jesuit John Floyd as a source for his Purgatory’s Triumph Over Hell (1613), which quotes a well-known passage (5.2) in Q2 Hamlet that echoes the same theological book cited by Floyd, has been identified as part of a collection thought to have begun its shelf life at Raglan Castle in Wales. Raglan was owned by the 4th Earl of Worcester, who patronized and sheltered Jesuits. The book, Volume One of the two-volume Thesaurus Catholicus by German theologian Jodocus Coccius (died 1619), once belonged to a 17th century Jesuit missionary library located at the Cwm, three farms on the English-Welsh border; the collection is believed to have originated at Raglan. Volume Two belonged to the former 17th century Jesuit missionary library at Holbeck in Nottinghamshire; Jesuits were sheltered at Holbeck Hall by the Pierrepont family, who earlier had sheltered Edmund Campion. Both passages written by Floyd and Shakespeare, with both authors echoing Coccius and with Floyd echoing Hamlet as well, concern mockery. Further, highly unusual words in Hamlet can be found in the work of Floyd, with one of those words found in Coccius in its Latin form. It becomes clear that Q2 was likely written by a Jesuit.

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Why is it important?

It furthers the discussion about the true authorship of the Shakespearean canon.