Shakespeare & Beyond

Shakespeare mentions the word “fool” more than 300 times. Here are seven quotes, often spoken by one of his wise—and witty—fools.

Historian Jade Scott draws on hundreds of encrypted letters, including 57 recently unearthed letters in a French archive and decoded, to paint a vivid portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots in her new book, Captive Queen.

Explore a uniquely inscribed Book of Hours presented to Henry VIII by his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is having a moment—actually two, with A Room in the Castle and The Comedy of Hamlet! (a prequel) exploring Shakespeare’s characters before, during, and after the events of his greatest tragedy.

See what’s playing at our Shakespeare Theater Partners around the country this March.

Try our quiz about the women in Hamlet, from Gertrude to Ophelia… and more.

How can A Midsummer Night’s Dream speak to students today? Scholar Gail Kern Paster writes that the 400-year-old play connects to a wide range of contemporary issues that 21st-century audiences care about.

Who were the ladies-in-waiting to each of Henry VIII’s six wives and what were their lives like? An excerpt from Nicola Clark’s The Waiting Game looks at these overlooked but influential figures.

We’re celebrating Women’s History Month with Shakespeare Unlimited podcast interviews and blog posts about women who have changed history, from the early modern world forward.

Try our quiz and order the lines of Ophelia’s soliloquy after Hamlet has denied he loved her and told her “To the nunnery, go.”

A letter to Elizabeth I from the earl of Leicester, who was organizing the defense of Britain against the Spanish Armada at the time, shows their playful relationship.

Are Bob Dylan and William Shakespeare truly solitary geniuses given what collaborative art forms music and theater are? A look at how A Complete Unknown and Shakespeare in Love depict young genius on the rise.