The New Hudson Shakespeare · William Shakespeare
"ET TU, BRUTE"
In view of the close connection between _Julius Cæsar_ and _Hamlet_ as regards date of composition and the characterization of Brutus and Hamlet, interest attaches to Professor Gollancz's theory (_Julius Cæsar_, Temple Shakespeare) that the original of the famous speech of Brutus to the assembled Romans (III, ii) may be found in Belleforest's _History of Hamlet_, in the oration which Hamlet makes to the Danes after he has slain his uncle. "The situation of Hamlet is almost identical with that of Brutus after he has dealt the blow, and the burden of Hamlet's too lengthy speech finds an echo in Brutus's sententious utterance. The verbose iteration of the Dane has been compressed to suit 'the brief compendious manner of speech of the Lacedæmonians.'"--Gollancz. As the English translation from which Professor Gollancz quotes in support of his theory is dated 1608, and is the earliest known,[1] it cannot have been from this that Shakespeare drew any suggestions or material. The question arises, Did Shakespeare read the speech in the original French? The volume of Belleforest's _Histoires Tragiques_, which contained the story of Hamlet, was first published in 1570, and there were many reprintings of it before 1600. Modern editors fix the date of composition of _Julius Cæsar_ within 1601, the later time limit (_terminus ante quem_), and 1598, the earlier time limit (_terminus post quem_). The weight of evidence is in favor of 1600-1601.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.