Fencing is an ancient art and is one of the oldest that was passed down from generation to generation. It was a means of combat or warfare that was used in almost every civilization around the world. For example, some civilizations it was used in were Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Assyria, Rome, Ancient India, and the Middle Ages of Europe. Fencing in the beginning started out as a means of solving issues with violence but evolved over time as a means of entertainment. It started out as a means of fighting in China and then started to evolve into entertainment through the gladiators of Rome and stage combat fencers of Shakespeare, and finally to the modern Olympian sport of fencing which is as far away from the combat aspect of fencing as it could get.

This portfolio is organized in nine different categories, including the table of contents and the home page. The table of contents briefly explains the purpose of each of the sections as well as the relevance to the portfolio as a whole. The three sections, Hamlet, Theory of Fencing, and Modern Sport of Fencing, consist of the notes of this portfolio from the sources listed in the annotated bibliography. The other sections consist of the assignments that helped with the skills required to do this portfolio and assignments that helped in the actual process of producing this portfolio.