Scholars generally agree that Hamlet was written sometime between 1599 and 1601, with many placing it around the year 1600.

Quick Scoop: When was Hamlet written?

Most literary historians do not give a single exact year, because there is no surviving document where Shakespeare dates the play himself. Instead, they use clues like:

  • References in Hamlet that seem to allude to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar , which is usually dated to mid‑1599.
  • A 1602 entry in the Stationers’ Register noting that Hamlet had been “lately acted” by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, meaning it was on stage by then.
  • Contemporary estimates and later editorial traditions that cluster the writing and first performances between 1599 and 1601 (sometimes stretched to 1602).

So, if you need a short, citation-friendly answer for “when was Hamlet written,” the usual formulation is:

Hamlet was written around 1600, most likely between 1599 and 1601.

Extra context (if you’re curious)

  • Time period: Late Elizabethan era, near the end of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (she died in 1603).
  • First print: The earliest printed version appeared as a quarto in 1603.

This is why you’ll often see slight variations (1599–1601, 1599–1602, “ca. 1600”), but all point to that same narrow window at the very turn of the 17th century.

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