Undergraduate Research at the Folger: Why Shakespeare Keeps Returning to Ovid

What items did you choose to look at in the Reading Room? Why?

I have always been fascinated by classical mythology, particularly the way these ancient stories continue to reappear and gain new meaning in later forms of media. Studying Shakespeare alongside Ovid makes it possible to examine how these myths shaped early modern ideas about identity, desire, and transformation. This interest led me to the Folger Reading Room, where I was able to view a copy of Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished by G.S. (1626). 

My research focuses on Shakespeare’s repeated return to Ovid and his use of Metamorphoses to explore identity, desire, and transformation throughout his plays in ways that would have felt deeply personal to individuals in early modern England. Seeing the physical text helped me to better understand how these myths were read and interpreted during Shakespeare’s lifetime.

In addition to rare materials from the Folger collections, I also consulted books from the open stacks, including Jonathan Bate’s  Shakespeare and Ovid and Ovid and Adaptation in Early Modern English Theatre, edited by Lisa S. Starks. Working with both primary and secondary materials allowed me to see what Shakespeare borrowed from Ovid and why he kept returning to the same stories across different plays.

What surprised you about doing research with the Folger collections?

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to use the Folger collections, especially the open stacks, which let me access many items directly without waiting for a special request. I didn’t expect handling historical books to feel so accessible or straightforward. I was also surprised by how welcoming and helpful the librarians were. They guided me through handling fragile items and asked questions that led me to consider facets of my research I had not previously considered. It made the research process feel much less intimidating than I had imagined. 

What did you learn from consulting collection items in-person versus using digital resources?

Digital resources were incredibly helpful for quickly finding passages and comparing texts across Shakespeare’s plays. I relied heavily on The Folger Shakespeare online, which made it easy to search for Ovidian references and see how they appeared in context. Being able to access accurate, fully searchable texts online saved a lot of time and helped me trace patterns across multiple works.

I also consulted a digitized version of the First Folio, focusing on Ben Jonson’s tribute poem, “To the Memory of My Beloved, the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare.” This poem includes the famous phrase that Shakespeare had “small Latin and less Greek,” which directly inspired my paper’s focus on analyzing how Shakespeare utilized classical mythology despite what Jonson might have suggested about his formal education. 

However, working with physical books created a more immediate connection to the period I was studying. Holding Sandys’s 1626 translation gave me insight into how Shakespeare and his contemporaries may have encountered Ovid’s stories. I could almost imagine Shakespeare or one of his contemporaries holding the same book and thinking about how to turn a myth into a play. 

What is something interesting that you learned from your research?

One thing that really stuck with me was how intentionally Shakespeare references Ovid, sometimes even naming Metamorphoses directly, such as in Titus Andronicus. I loved realizing that he assumed audiences would recognize these classical allusions, which makes me appreciate his awareness of the cultural literacy of his time.

I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I learned about Shakespeare’s acting history. My research on Ben Jonson led me to his 1616 folio, The workes of Beniamin Ionson. It includes the cast list for Sejanus His Fall which names, amongst others, Richard Burbage and William Shakespeare. Burbage is thought to have played Sejanus, while Shakespeare may have played Tiberius. This casting assumption is supported by John Davies of Hereford’s The Scourge of Folly  (1611), which refers to Shakespeare performing “kingly parts”. I hadn’t realized how deeply Shakespeare was involved in performance, not just writing, and seeing these historical records gave me a deeper understanding of his world.

Final thoughts?

Working with the Folger collections made my research feel more real and meaningful. Seeing and handling early modern books helped me better understand how Shakespeare and his audience may have experienced Ovid’s stories through different English translations, such as those by Arthur Golding and George Sandys. These translations shaped how classical myths were understood on the Renaissance stage.

This experience showed me that studying literature is not only about reading texts online but about understanding the history behind them. Being able to work with these materials in person deepened my appreciation for how Shakespeare transformed classical stories into reflections on human identity, desire, and change.