Shakespeare & Beyond

In his groundbreaking documentary, We Were Here, Folger Fellow Fred Kuwornu shares the diverse African presence in Renaissance Europe—princes, ambassadors, saints, artists, scholars, and knights—all revealed through art from the period.

Shakespeare’s beloved pastoral comedy overflows with wit and poetry, including the memorable Seven Ages of Man speech which begins “All the world’s a stage.” Explore some of the play’s most well-known lines, in order of their appearance.

Recently, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Sir Ian McKellen shared a monologue that some believe Shakespeare may have written. We look at the speech, known as The Strangers’ Case, from Sir Thomas More.

Shakespeare’s plays are well stocked with merchants of Venice and gentlemen of Verona, with one-third of his plays based in Italy. But what did Shakespeare—and his audiences—really know about such distant places and people?

We’re sharing some of the Shakespeare stories in the news in December 2025 and January 2026, from Hamnet to Bridgerton, The Beatles and King Lear, imagining Richard III’s voice, and remembering theater legend Tina Packer.

This late romance combines tragedy and comedy in an improbable tale filled with powerful emotions and one of the finest songs in all of Shakespeare, “Fear no more the heat o’ th’ sun.” Explore some of the most well-known quotes, in order of their appearance in the play.

As America celebrates its 250^th anniversary, we’re exploring the larger-than-life role played by an English playwright from more than 400 years ago in American entertainment, education, and history. Enjoy a round-up of Folger podcasts and blog posts about Shakespeare’s influence in America.

Shakespeare’s tragedy is filled with memorable lines about power. Explore some of the most well-known quotes, in order of their appearance in the play.

Enjoy our top five Shakespeare & Beyond blog posts from 2025. Happy reading!

Enjoy the top five Shakespeare Unlimited podcast episodes from 2025, ranked by number of listens. Happy listening!

Take a time machine back to 18th-century London and John Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery, visited by everyone who was anyone, from Jane Austen to the Prince of Wales. But why make a gallery devoted to Shakespeare? And who was Boydell?

Shakespeare stories in the news this fall, from the Hamnet film to a new discovery in Shakespeare Quarterly about Shakespeare’s father. Plus a surprising connection between the middle school phrase “6-7” and Richard II.