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.

Elizabethan education and Ben Jonson's school days
Hornbook
Shakespeare and Beyond

Elizabethan education and Ben Jonson's school days

Posted
Author
Karen Lyon

See education in Shakespeare’s day through the eyes of Ben Jonson: learning ABCs and the Lord’s Prayer with hornbooks, and drilling Latin grammar endlessly.

Charles Gounod: The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in four beautiful duets
Romeo and Juliet at San Francisco Opera
Shakespeare and Beyond

Charles Gounod: The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in four beautiful duets

Posted
Author
Matthew Shilvock

Charles Gounod’s 19th-century opera “Roméo et Juliette” is a love story of heartbreaking tragedy, punctuated by four masterful duets. Matthew Shilvock of San Francisco Opera explains why the work is such a masterpiece.

"The heavens speed thee in thine Enterprise!": Shakespeare in Star Trek
Patrick Stewart in Star Trek
Shakespeare and Beyond

"The heavens speed thee in thine Enterprise!": Shakespeare in Star Trek

Posted
Author
Austin Tichenor

Star Trek owes a striking thematic and linguistic debt to William Shakespeare, as in classic episodes like “The Conscience of the King” and “The Defector.”

A feast of Falstaff: Sir John in opera
Falstaff
Shakespeare and Beyond

A feast of Falstaff: Sir John in opera

Posted
Author
David Ward

There’s no other character from Shakespeare who has charmed the imaginations of opera composers and librettists more than Sir John Falstaff.

"Excrements of the earth": Mushrooms in early modern England
Illustration of mushrooms in a Czech herbal
Shakespeare and Beyond

"Excrements of the earth": Mushrooms in early modern England

Posted
Author
Michael Walkden

Attitudes towards mushrooms in Shakespeare’s England reveal deeply held cultural anxieties about groups perceived as threats to the social fabric.

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August
Shakespeare and Beyond

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in August

Posted
Author
Ben Lauer

Every month, we check in with our theater partners to find out what’s onstage. Here’s what’s happening at Shakespeare theaters in August.

Love's Labor's Lost and screwball comedy
Love's Labor's Lost
Shakespeare and Beyond

Love's Labor's Lost and screwball comedy

Posted
Author
Caitlin Peartree

The witty, fast-paced dialogue at the heart of the battle of the sexes in Love’s Labor’s Lost is straight out of a golden-age screwball comedy film.

Shakespeare and opera: Verdi, Rossini, and other composers inspired by the plays
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakespeare and opera: Verdi, Rossini, and other composers inspired by the plays

Posted
Author
David Ward

Shakespeare and opera is a winning combination, with the plays providing compelling dramatic material and a ‘name’ that would help sell tickets.

Quiz: In Praise of Shakespeare
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: In Praise of Shakespeare

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

The Folger Shakespeare Library building is filled (inside and outside) with inscriptions of quotations by famous writers praising Shakespeare. See if you can successfully fill in the blanks for these quotes

Johnny Cash's Shakespeare
Johnny Cash performing
Shakespeare and Beyond

Johnny Cash's Shakespeare

Posted
Author
Ben Lauer

The Folger’s collection includes a miniature set of Shakespeare’s plays that belonged to the Man in Black himself.

Summer Shakespeare memories: Picnics, thunderstorms, and wildlife interruptions
Shakespeare and Beyond

Summer Shakespeare memories: Picnics, thunderstorms, and wildlife interruptions

Posted
Author
Shakespeare & Beyond

We asked our Twitter followers to share their favorite stories from outdoor Shakespeare performances: incredible actors, unexpected animal visitors, dramatic weather events, and more. Tell us your story using #SummerShakesMemories. https://twitter.com/Zorrah/status/1144605770702442496 https://twitter.com/NateMetcalf/status/1154529272117071873 https://twitter.com/jaybaltz/status/1145838297803087872 https://twitter.com/ERLathrop/status/1143612005577822208 https://twitter.com/AlexJArmstrong/status/1146132142868578304 https://twitter.com/GoodTickleBrain/status/1146021764276871168 https://twitter.com/michaelmc_hugh/status/1144529821114019841 https://twitter.com/MysticCindi/status/1144474064397848581 https://twitter.com/xmacdonald/status/1152337120117366784

Can you feel the Shakespeare love tonight?
The Lion King
Shakespeare and Beyond

Can you feel the Shakespeare love tonight?

Posted
Author
Austin Tichenor

In many ways Simba resembles Prince Hal more than Hamlet, in that he’s also a headstrong prince who disobeys his father but ultimately learns to accept responsibility and claim his throne.

1 34 35 36 37 38 70