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Is there more information about Shakespeare meeting Rosencrantz and Guilderstern?
There’s no hard evidence that Shakespeare personally met these two, BUT they are real people, from Denmark, no less. In 1592, a delegation from Denmark visited London, including Frederik Rosenkrantz (b. 1571) and Knud Gyldenstierne (b. 1575)—both distant cousins of the astronomer Tycho Brahe. A family crest on Tycho Brahe’s coat of arms even lists the surnames “Rosenkrans” and “Guildensteren,” reinforcing the connection.At least according to some historians, the two delegates made a spectacle of themselves around the city, which may have prompted Shakespeare to include them in his play, Hamlet. Hamlet is dated to 1599-1600 as the time it was written, so the spectacle of R&G in London would have been on people’s minds. And, I think, much as they are today, the names are memorable, and just ripe for inclusion in a play.
We should do a podcast episode on this topic. The historian who (potentially first) made this connection is James R. Voelkel. Perhaps we can have him on as a guest to talk more about the Denmark delegation? I’ll try to seek him out and invite him. Fingers crossed!