One of the most famous Shakespeare plays is Hamlet. However, very few people know that it is actually based on a different piece — The Life of Amleth. It was written by Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century.

The plotlines of both plays are almost identical: the main character is Amleth, the Prince of Denmark. The young man was mad because of his mother’s hasty marriage to the usurper, so he kills him.