~ Standard Hardcover
A prequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet, Gertrude and Claudius tells the story of the King and Queen of Denmark before the events of the classic play begins, filling in many gaps and inconsistencies within the original work.
Beginning in the aura of pagan barbarism, and anticipating Renaissance humanism and empiricism, this modern retelling of a medieval tale presents a case for its royal couple where Gertrude and Claudius are seen afresh against a background of fond intentions and familial dysfunction, on a stage darkened by the ominous shadow of a sullen, disaffected prince.
“Shakespeare’s plays have had many offshoots. Gertrude and Claudius, though, stands in a class of its own!” -- The Sunday Times