The German drama "Fratricide Punished" is among the most crucial early documents related to Shakespeare's "Hamlet." First performed in Denmark around 1604, only three years after "Hamlet" opened, it is the earliest known adaptation of Shakespeare's play, and it continues to provide insights into how "Hamlet" was understood in Shakespeare's time. Often dismissed for its bre The German drama "Fratricide Punished" is among the most crucial early documents related to Shakespeare's "Hamlet." First performed in Denmark around 1604, only three years after "Hamlet" opened, it is the earliest known adaptation of Shakespeare's play, and it continues to provide insights into how "Hamlet" was understood in Shakespeare's time. Often dismissed for its brevity and sometimes awkward writing, it nonetheless represents the closest contemporary response to "Hamlet" that exists. Among the play's most notable aspects are its concern with the ambiguous nature of the ghost and problematic moral character of revenge. It also shares many similarities to the First, "Bad" Quarto of "Hamlet," that shed light on the early development of Shakespeare's version.