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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.

Quiz: Family reunions in Shakespeare's plays
a mother and daughter embracing
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: Family reunions in Shakespeare's plays

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Shakespeare’s plays are full of family reunions, among them The Winter’s Tale. See if you can identify the correct characters for each one.

Excerpt: "The Great White Bard"
The Great White Bard by Farah Karim-Cooper
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: "The Great White Bard"

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Farah Karim-Cooper explores the way that race is represented by Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello, in this excerpt from her new book, The Great White Bard.

Five Shakespeare quotes about the sea
Shakespeare and Beyond

Five Shakespeare quotes about the sea

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Steve Mentz

Shakespeare overflows with sea poetry. Steve Mentz of St. John’s University shares his favorite Shakespeare quotes about the ocean.

The Shakespearean parts of “Barbenheimer”
Shakespeare and Beyond

The Shakespearean parts of “Barbenheimer”

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor explores how Barbie and Oppenheimer wrestle with Shakespearean themes of identity, hubris, and redemption.

5 things to look for when you watch Twelfth Night
Shakespeare and Beyond

5 things to look for when you watch Twelfth Night

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Ben Lauer

We ask a few of our favorite Shakespeareans what you should keep an eye out for when you watch Twelfth Night.

Birds of Shakespeare: The loon
Shakespeare and Beyond

Birds of Shakespeare: The loon

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Author
Missy Dunaway

The loon appears just once in Shakespeare’s plays, in a line from Macbeth.

Quiz: Hamlet or Polonius?
Hamlet in a ruff
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: Hamlet or Polonius?

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Who said it: Hamlet or Polonius? Test your knowledge of these well-known lines from Hamlet.

Excerpt: "Anne-thology: Poems Re-Presenting Anne Shakespeare"
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: "Anne-thology: Poems Re-Presenting Anne Shakespeare"

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Read four poems from a newly published collection that marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife.

Not simply Shakespeare's wife: Marking the 400th anniversary of Anne Hathaway's death with poetry
Shakespeare and Beyond

Not simply Shakespeare's wife: Marking the 400th anniversary of Anne Hathaway's death with poetry

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Author
Katherine Scheil

The editors of a new collection of poetry about Anne Hathaway share their take on her life and why she deserves a book of her own.

Shakespeare and gaming in "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakespeare and gaming in "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor reflects on the Shakespeare allusions and storytelling world in Gabrielle Zevin’s bestselling novel.

Advice from the players: 10 great actors on performing Shakespeare
Shakespeare and Beyond

Advice from the players: 10 great actors on performing Shakespeare

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Author
Ben Lauer

Read a few favorite quotes from actors who joined us on our Shakespeare Unlimited podcast, including the late Glenda Jackson, Adrian Lester, and Sir Ian McKellen.

Excerpt: "Shakespeare's tutor: The influence of Thomas Kyd"
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: "Shakespeare's tutor: The influence of Thomas Kyd"

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Learn more about authorship and influence among the playwrights of Shakespeare’s day in this excerpt from a recent book by Darren Freebury-Jones.

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