Hamlet and Polonius (Act II, scene ii)
1864
Eugène Delacroix captures a tense moment from Shakespeare's *Hamlet* in this striking 1864 illustration. The older, bearded Polonius, draped in a heavy fur coat and clutching a long staff, points an accusing finger at the young Prince Hamlet. Hamlet, wrapped in a dark cloak and holding a book, glances back with a look of feigned madness or perhaps genuine annoyance. Created during the Romanticism movement, Delacroix's work is famous for its emotional intensity and dramatic flair, even in black and white prints like this one. He produced a series of lithographs for Shakespeare's plays late in his career, showing his enduring passion for literary drama.
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