Where did William Shakespeare Get His Inspiration For His Plays?

Answer 1

The story of Hamlet was well-known from Belleforest's book and had, scholars believe, previously been made into a play which has since disappeared. The play has no connection to Shakespeare's son Hamnet, and in fact none of Shakespeare's plays have any connection whatsoever with what we know of his personal life.

Answer 2

Multiple things! But usually books he had read.

Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra and the ten history plays were based on historical people. King Lear, Cymbeline, Hamlet and Coriolanus were based on legends. Most of the comedies are based on Italian stories. Occasionally, and very rarely, Shakespeare seems to have taken some inspiration from current events, as in the case of The Tempest.

Answer 3

Shakespeare got most of his ideas from existing written literature.

His historical plays were based on British history, modified to suit the occassion.

Answer 4

He got the plot for the play either from Belleforest's story of the same name or, more likely, from an earlier play which is now lost (which scholars call the Ur-Hamlet).

Answer 5

Question is too vague to answer.