‚Er ist fett und kurz von Atem‘. Georg Britting’s novel "Lebenslauf eines dicken Mannes, der Hamlet hieß" (1932)

Abstract

"Der Lebenslauf eines dicken Mannes, der Hamlet hieß" (1932) is the only novel by Georg Britting (1891–1964), who also wrote short stories, poems, and plays. As the title already suggests, Britting subjects Shakespeare’s dramatic hero — commonly imagined as youthful — to a transformation that manifests itself in full physicality. The physiognomy and excessive gluttony attributed to Hamlet seem at first glance to have nothing to do with the highly gifted, even brilliant individual who, with his rich imagination, pronounced sensitivity, and aesthetic interests, essentially represents an artistic nature. This study will examine, through the novel’s eight chapters, the specific metamorphoses that the Hamlet material undergoes in Britting’s work and the role played by spatial direction within the text.