Yorick
Sign in to savethumb|The Young Lord Hamlet (Philip Hermogenes Calderon, 1868), depicting a living Yorick bearing the young prince on his back. Yorick is an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He is the dead court jester whose skull is exhumed by the First Gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1, of the play. The sight of Yorick's skull evokes a reminiscence by Prince Hamlet of the man, who apparently played a role during Hamlet's upbringing: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorre
Key facts
- Character.name
- Yorick
- Character.series
- Hamlet
- Character.image
- Hamlet und Horatio auf dem Friedhof (Eugène Ferdinand Victor Delacroix).jpg
- Character.caption
- Yorick's skull in the 'gravedigger scene' (5.1), depicted by Eugène Delacroix
- Character.alt
- An oil painting on canvas depicting Prince Hamlet and Horatio walking on a path next to a hill. To the viewer's left is a hole in the ground. On a pile of dirt next to the hole sits one gravedigger, and another gravedigger stands within the hole. He is holding out a human skull with an extended arm towards Prince Hamlet.
- Character.creator
- William Shakespeare
- Character.based_on
- Possibly Richard Tarlton and/or Hrœrekr Ringslinger
- Character.occupation
- Jester
- Character.nationality
- Danish
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Bernhardt Hamlet2.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Yorick
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~6 min read
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Name
- Portrayals
- See also
- References
thumb|The Young Lord Hamlet (Philip Hermogenes Calderon, 1868), depicting a living Yorick bearing the young prince on his back. Yorick is an unseen character in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He is the dead court jester whose skull is exhumed by the First Gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1, of the play. The sight of Yorick's skull evokes a reminiscence by Prince Hamlet of the man, who apparently played a role during Hamlet's upbringing:
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? (Hamlet, V.i)