Nero was a tyrannical Roman emperor who ruled from 54 to 68 AD. His mother, Agrippina, had Nero by her first husband, Domitius. After Domitius died, Agrippina married her paternal uncle, Claudius, the Emperor of Rome. Claudius adopted Nero as his son and named him heir to the throne, making Claudius both father and great-uncle to Nero. In the year 54, Claudius died—probably by poisoning arranged by Agrippina—and Nero became emperor. During Nero’s reign, Agrippina and Nero fought bitterly. Nero eventually decided to have his mother murdered. Although accounts vary on how this was accomplished and for what specific reason, we know the deed was done. For the rest of his reign, Nero was haunted by guilt: he allegedly even saw his mother’s ghost. Clearly, this rich piece of history was a great source of inspiration for Shakespeare.