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Hamlet's Castle, Kronberg Castle.

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This is Kronberg Castle in Denmark. It's known as the setting for Shakespeare's play Hamlet.

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It was built on the tip of a cape, protruding into the Åresund Strait, which separates Denmark from Sweden.

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Built in the North European Renaissance style, construction was completed in 1585.

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William Shakespeare based Hamlet on the story of a legendary Danish prince.

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In the original legend, the prince's uncle kills his father and marries his mother.

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Eventually, the priest avenges his father's death by killing his uncle and later becomes the king of Denmark.

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The name of the prince is Amleth.

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Shakespeare moved the H from the N to the beginning and created a new character named Hamlet.

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Kronberg Castle is located on a part of the Åresund Strait which is only about 4 km wide.

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The strait was a major artery for sea traffic, connecting the North Sea with the Baltic Sea.

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Kronberg Palace was built on this cape to levy tolls from ships passing through the strait.

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The tower overlooks the strait and has a commanding view of the opposite bank.

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These cannons kept the sea traffic under control.

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On a busy day, over 90 ships passed through here.

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The toll-free revenues amounted to nearly one third of the national budget

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and they were also paid in forms other than currency such as salt and wine.

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It's said that in days past, this cellar was stocked with the finest wines from all over Europe.

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A former castle guard leads us to the cellar and shows us a narrow staircase behind the castle

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which has some texts engraved by a palace official who was kept in confinement.

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It reads, I was a close advisor to the king, but in 1679 I was falsely accused, arrested and confined here.

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It is not possible to establish what truth there is in the statement.

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The castle has been a setting for real-life drama and also for Shakespeare's

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Oh, I die, Horatio, the potent poison quite o'ercrows my spirit.

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So tell him with the occurrence more and less which have solicited, the rest is silence.