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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.

See what caught Prince Charles's attention when he visited the Folger Shakespeare Library
Prince Charles and Camilla
Shakespeare and Beyond

See what caught Prince Charles's attention when he visited the Folger Shakespeare Library

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Shakespeare & Beyond

(l-r) Gail Kern Paster, Prince Charles, Camilla, Georgianna Ziegler. 2005. By Esther Ferington Charles, Prince of Wales, celebrates his birthday on November 14. To mark the occasion, we’ve been recalling his visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in 2005, with…

Where the First Folio tour went in October: Highlights from Alabama, Minnesota, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, and Washington DC
Shakespeare and Beyond

Where the First Folio tour went in October: Highlights from Alabama, Minnesota, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, and Washington DC

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Esther French

“To see or not to see… is there really any question?” Excited selfies with the First Folio continue to crop up on social media as the Folger’s nationwide tour, First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare, wraps up its…

From jazzercise to Rococo garden: Four different takes on Love's Labor's Lost
The cast of William Shakespeare's Love's Labor's Lost, directed by Kathleen Marshall, running August 14 - September 18, 2016 at The Old Globe. Photo by Jim Cox.
Shakespeare and Beyond

From jazzercise to Rococo garden: Four different takes on Love's Labor's Lost

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Esther French

In Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, four friends forswear women so that they can focus on their studies. But, of course, as soon as they do, four lovely ladies enter their lives. Oh, what to do? Romance and comedy ensue. Four of our…

Six great Shakespeare quotes about power and politics
King Lear 2007
Shakespeare and Beyond

Six great Shakespeare quotes about power and politics

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Esther French

Shakespeare has a lot to say about power and politics in his plays. These six quotes touch on what it means to be a king, the power of the law, what separates royal from common, and speaking truth to authority. Folger…

If Shakespeare characters were running for president, who would you vote for?
Shakespeare and Beyond

If Shakespeare characters were running for president, who would you vote for?

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Esther French

In an election year, we couldn’t resist creating a quiz about Shakespeare characters running for president. This is a little like ISideWith, but for Shakespeare fans. You answer the questions, and we match you with a candidate. So, who would you…

A manual for witch-hunters
Shakespeare and Beyond

A manual for witch-hunters

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Sarah Hovde

Worried about encountering witches like Macbeth this All Hallows Eve? Turn to a witch-hunting manual such as the Malleus Maleficarum! This famous book, known as “The Hammer of Witches” in English, was written in the 15th century by a pair…

Will and Jane go to war
Penguin Editions
Shakespeare and Beyond

Will and Jane go to war

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Janine Barchas Kristina Straub

During World War I, the works of Shakespeare and Austen reached American troops on active duty through the American Library Association’s “War Service Library” program.  Between 1917 and 1920, the program collected donations of used books to help them distribute…

A mulberry tree and other Shakespeare bindings
Shakespeare mulberry tree binding.
Shakespeare and Beyond

A mulberry tree and other Shakespeare bindings

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Shakespeare & Beyond

By Esther Ferington Among the curious items in the Will & Jane exhibition is a 19th-century edition of Shakespeare’s works in an unusual binding. A small frame in the binding’s front cover encloses a piece of wood, described in an…

How to counteract the curse of Macbeth (er, The Scottish Play)
Macbeth dagger
Shakespeare and Beyond

How to counteract the curse of Macbeth (er, The Scottish Play)

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Esther French

Don’t say “Macbeth” in a theater, or you’ll be cursed. Or at least that’s how the old superstition goes. That’s why you’ll often hear actors refer to it as “The Scottish Play.” It’s one of many stories connected with the performance…

7 ideas for a Shakespeare-themed Halloween costume
Malvolio from Twelfth Night
Shakespeare and Beyond

7 ideas for a Shakespeare-themed Halloween costume

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Esther French

Want to dress up as Malvolio from Twelfth Night? Or one of the witches from Macbeth? We’ve got classic and creative Shakespeare costume ideas for Halloween.

Summer memories from the First Folio tour: Ohio, North Dakota, Alaska, and Colorado
First Folio at CU Art Museum
Shakespeare and Beyond

Summer memories from the First Folio tour: Ohio, North Dakota, Alaska, and Colorado

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Esther French

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” It may be October, but we’re feeling a little nostalgic for all the places our First Folio! The Book That Gave Us Shakespeare touring exhibition traveled this summer. See a few social media highlights…

VIP visitors and rare works: Salman Rushdie, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more
Shakespeare and Beyond

VIP visitors and rare works: Salman Rushdie, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and more

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Georgianna Ziegler. Photo by Chris Hartlove. By Esther Ferington A vital role that the Folger Shakespeare Library plays is to bring people together with materials from Shakespeare’s world, whether through exhibitions, digital content, or special tours. As you’ll see, some…

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