Two main theories exist about what “hebanon” could be, since it isn’t an identifiable substance as far as we know.

The first theory is that it could be Taxus baccata, or “yew”.

Here are the effects of ingesting yew:
“The action of the poison is extremely rapid because taxin is quickly absorbed in the digestive system. It is a very poisonous cardiovascular toxic substance and causes vomiting and abdominal pains, painful diarrhoea, dilated pupils, pallor, collapse, cramps, unconsciousness, and death due to cardiac arrest and respiratory failure often within an hour following ingestion.” Thanks to The-Tree.org.uk, here.

That doesn’t sound right to me.

The second is that hebanon is Hyoscyamus niger, or “henbane”.

Here’s what it does to you:
“You should notice your skin turning red, dry mouth, an irregular heartbeat, and enlarged pupils. As it gets worse you’ll feel sleepy, then restless, hallucinate, experience hyperactivity, and finally fall asleep.” Take too much and you die, of course. That nice description comes from the science project of Caitlin Baker, here.

I’m a fan of this conjecture, especially since it is not fast-acting, and the symptoms vary depending on dosage (which could account for the various effects on Gertrude, Laertes, Hamlet, and Hamlet Sr.).

From Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, chapter 21. Characters on a barge work out a Shakespeare night for a small town and want to include Hamlet’s soliloquy, but don’t have the text. They have to rely on one man’s recollection of it. Found this on the Viacorp website, here.

And another from the rule of Valdemar II, 13th Century.

About the Ducat:
“In 1140 AD, Roger II of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, struck a coin in silver known as a ducat. It bore the inscription Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis, iste ducatus – Lord, thou rulest this duchy, to thee be it dedicated – thus the name. Little did he know what it was that he had started, for the ducat was to become possibly the single most important coin the world has ever known.

During the Middle Ages, the value of silver coins was constantly changing. This was due to the coins themselves changing. Every time a ruler needed additional funds he would either create or raise taxes – or he would change the coinage by making the coins thinner and of less weight or he would debase the metal content. This was not peculiar to any particular nation or ruler – they all did it from time to time, especially in time of war. And as a result the various other nations and city states would not accept foreign coinage at the values set by the originators of the coinage. Instead, all foreign coinage was assayed and a value set by the nation conducting the assay.”

From Omnicoin.com. Click here.

This video comes on recommendation from Shawn Law, playing Hamlet.

More info on Troubadours and Jongleurs, the men and women who would have played these instruments, can be found at French Minstrels of the 13th Century, here.

This is the third chapter, which contains the story of Amleth/Hamlet (the image below is of the facsimile of Saxo Gramaticus’s text) .

Click here.

The olive green is official Denmark, and the yellow are Danish occupied territories.