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.
Shakespeare & Beyond
Shakespeare & Beyond also explores the topics that shape our experience of Shakespeare today: trends in performance, the latest discoveries and scholarship, news stories, pop culture, interesting books, new movies, the rich context of theater and literary history, and more. As the word “beyond” suggests, from time to time Shakespeare & Beyond also covers topics that are not directly linked to Shakespeare.
Questions or comments? You can reach us at shakespeareandbeyond@folger.edu.
Excerpt: "Shakespeare without a Life" by Margreta de Grazia
Did Shakespeare give much thought to how his works would survive after his death? Margreta de Grazia argues that his sonnets show he did.
“By false intelligence": AI, ChatGPT, and (the) Bard
Austin Tichenor finds that AI does not quite measure up to William Shakespeare when he asks ChatGPT and Bard to write a new play called “Cardenio.”
Excerpt: "Richard III's Bodies from Medieval England to Modernity"
The disabled body of Richard III, a historical English king and one of Shakespeare’s most iconic villains, is the focus of a recent book by Jeffrey R. Wilson.
Birds of Shakespeare: The magpie
Artist Missy Dunaway explores the thieving magpie’s ominous appearances in Shakespeare’s plays.
"Something is desperate": Theatrical mishaps and embarrassing moments with Shakespeare
We gathered tales of onstage mistakes, errors, and whoopsies from Shakespeare theaters across the US.
Excerpt: "Shakespeare's Book" by Chris Laoutaris
Chris Laoutaris explores the Shakespearean printing mystery behind the Pavier-Jaggard Quartos, published a few years before the First Folio.
Embroidering the crown: Needlework in the English royal court
Rachel Pollack writes about early modern English embroideries and the stories they depict, such as the classical myth of Hero and Leander.
The coriander connection: Brain health in early modern English recipes and Ayurvedic practices today
An Ayurvedic doctor explores resonances between traditional Indian medicine and an early modern English recipe in the Folger collection that prescribes coriander to “helpe the memorie.”
By the triple Hecate’s team: Engaging Shakespeare as actress, director, and novelist
A YA fantasy novelist shares how she channels her acting passions for Shakespeare and stage combat into her debut book, That Self-Same Metal.
“The book of his good acts”: Shakespeare’s First Folio onstage and on the page
Marking the 400th anniversary of the First Folio, Austin Tichenor compares The Book of Will, Lauren Gunderson’s popular play about the Folio’s creation, with new research shared by Chris Laoutaris in Shakespeare’s Book.
Q&A with "Our Verse in Time to Come" director Vernice Miller
Birds of Shakespeare: The partridge
In 1536 Henry VIII forbade killing partridges to ensure populations could support falconry. Shakespeare refers to the partridge twice, both as examples of slaughtered prey.