Esther French
How we got "The Winter’s Tale" and where it went from there
Where did Shakespeare get the idea for The Winter’s Tale? From publication in the First Folio to 18th-century adaptations, explore the history of this well-known play.
Shakespeare quotes about friendship
Stepping into the forest of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream': An immersive installation based on 'A Knavish Lad'
Five Folger Finds: Coronations, jubilees, and royal processions
Five Folger Finds: A bouquet of flowers for spring
Up Close: Lady Macbeth, America, and the stain of slavery
In a famous scene from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the sleep-walking Lady Macbeth desperately attempts to scrub her hands clean of the (invisible) blood stains from the murders committed by her and her husband. “Out, damned spot, out, I say!” she says,…
Translating the Chinese classic 'The Peony Pavilion' with a 'Shakespearean flavor'
The Peony Pavilion. “Kunqu performance at Peking University.” Wikimedia Commons / Antonis SHEN / CC BY-SA 2.0 Could Chinese literature be more popular with English-speaking audiences if translators favored words, phrases and poetic forms that spark associations with Shakespeare? This…
Quiz: Find the perfect Shakespeare quote for your valentine
“The way to save wealth; showing how a man may live plentifully for two-pence a day”: A 17th-century guide to frugal living
A common New Year’s resolution is to save more money, and there are numerous personal-finance books and websites that offer step-by-step plans for spending less, whether out of present necessity or in the hope of reaching a future financial goal.…
Venus and Adonis: The classical myth that inspired Shakespeare's epic poem and John Blow's 17th-century opera
What many consider to be the earliest known English opera shares its mythological subject with Shakespeare’s most popular published work during his lifetime: the epic poem Venus and Adonis. Here we see great artists from different centuries using different art…
Explore promptbooks from the 1950s festival Shakespeare Under the Stars
