Skip to main content
Shakespeare & Beyond

Shakespeare & Beyond

The Shakespeare & Beyond blog features a wide range of Shakespeare-related topics: the early modern period in which he lived, the ways his plays have been interpreted and staged over the past four centuries, the enduring power of his characters and language, and more.

Environmental history and the muckhill fine for Shakespeare's father
Shakespeare and Beyond

Environmental history and the muckhill fine for Shakespeare's father

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

New research casts a more positive light on why Shakespeare’s father was fined for building a muckhill.

What’s onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August
Detail of a production photo from As You Like It, with Duke Seena at left and Rosalind at right looking at each other in a warm, kindly way, with Duke Seena's hands extended to touch Rosalind's face.
Shakespeare and Beyond

What’s onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August

Posted
Author
Colleen Kennedy

Read our round-up of August performances from Shakespeare theaters across the country.

Announced in 1622: A Book Now Known as the First Folio
Two children look at an open First Folio enclosed in a clear case.
Shakespeare and Beyond

Announced in 1622: A Book Now Known as the First Folio

Posted
Author
Greg Prickman

Greg Prickman explains how news of the 1623 book we now call the  First Folio appeared a year earlier, on the occasion of a trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.

Summer Reading: Romeo and Juliet, Revisited
Romeo and Juliet detail from a quilt in the Folger collection, showing the balcony scene, with Romeo standing at left and Juliet above him on a balcony, with flowers scattered below balcony, with additional narrow section to the left showing a flowering plant
Shakespeare and Beyond

Summer Reading: Romeo and Juliet, Revisited

Posted
Author
emma poltrack

Looking for summer reading? Try a novel based on Romeo and Juliet, from a San Diege restaurant feud to a zombie horror tale to a story about first love.

Quiz: Games, sports, and Shakespeare
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: Games, sports, and Shakespeare

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Shakespeare’s plays are full of sports and games. Test your knowledge with these questions.

A real-life lawsuit over failed magic
Detail of book cover, reading
Shakespeare and Beyond

A real-life lawsuit over failed magic

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Tabitha Stanmore tells the story of a 15th-century widow hiring a magic practitioner in this excerpt from her book “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic.”

33 Shakespeare Quotes About the Weather
Shakespeare and Beyond

33 Shakespeare Quotes About the Weather

Posted
Author
Ben Lauer

If you’re running out of ways to say, “It’s too hot,” try Shakespeare. Here are over thirty ways to complain about the weather.

"Merry sport": The Olympic Games are afoot!
Shakespeare and Beyond

"Merry sport": The Olympic Games are afoot!

Posted
Author
Austin Tichenor

Inspired by the Olympics, Austin Tichenor explores how Shakespeare uses sports in his plays, including as a way to show tensions between England and France.

Shax it Off: Taylor Swift-themed cocktails inspired by recipes in our collection
Martini cocktail glass splashing on dark toned smoky background or colorful cocktail in glass with splashes and lemon.
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shax it Off: Taylor Swift-themed cocktails inspired by recipes in our collection

Posted
Author
Ashley Buchanan

Three Taylor Swift-themed cocktails inspired by seventeenth- and eighteenth-century recipes from our collection.

Taylor Swift and Shakespeare
Two images side by side to form a single banner image: at left, Taylor Swift on stage playing a guitar, and at right, a period illustration from about the 19th century of Shakespeare lying down outdoors beside a tree, with his head lifted on one arm as he gazes thoughtfully at the ground
Shakespeare and Beyond

Taylor Swift and Shakespeare

Posted
Author
Stephanie Burt

“Lend me your ears”: Harvard English professor Stephanie Burt explores the songs and songwriting of Shakespeare and Taylor Swift.

Apollo 11 and other scientific wonders
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, photographed by Neil Armstrong.
Shakespeare and Beyond

Apollo 11 and other scientific wonders

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Mark the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission with a look at a fascinating Apollo 11 flight plan sheet that traveled to the Moon.

A Midsummer milestone for Tina Packer and Shakespeare & Company
Shakespeare and Beyond

A Midsummer milestone for Tina Packer and Shakespeare & Company

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

Revisit Shakespeare & Company’s 1978 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with this excerpt from Katharine Goodland’s book on Shakespeare productions directed by Tina Packer.

1 2 3 4 73