When Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, he gave the melancholy Dane two university friends with peculiarly Danish names—Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. For many centuries, audiences assumed these were simply fictional creations. Yet history reveals that Frederik Rosenkrantz and Knud Gyldenstierne were real men—Danish noblemen who traveled to England during Shakespeare's lifetime as part of an official embassy from the Danish court.

Their visit took place during a fascinating moment of cultural diplomacy: King James VI of Scotland's marriage alliance with Denmark, his 1589 voyage to meet Anne of Denmark, and the exchanges of royal gifts that linked two kingdoms. This same period saw Tycho Brahe's astronomical fame rise across Europe, the University of Wittenberg flourish as an intellectual hub, and England's awareness of the Dutch Golden Age begin to take shape.

Today we'll explore these threads with our guest, Paul Lockhart, Professor of HIstory and Drage Gould Distinguished Professor of Research at Wright State University. He has published seven single author books including "Denmark, 1513-1660: The Rise and Decline of the Renaissance Monarchy. You can see more of his publications and links to his current work in the show notes for today's episode.

He joins us today to help us explore the story of two real courtiers whose names—and perhaps personalities—live on in one of Shakespeare's most famous plays.