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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.

Excerpt: Jonathan Bate's preface to the RSC's second edition of Shakespeare's complete works
RSC Complete Works
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt: Jonathan Bate's preface to the RSC's second edition of Shakespeare's complete works

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Shakespeare & Beyond

“To know Shakespeare thoroughly and read him well aloud, it was necessary to have a usable edition of his works, a text that did away with printer’s errors and the vagaries of old spelling and punctuation, that explained the more…

Excerpt - "William Shakespeare’s Avengers: The Complete Works" by Ian Doescher
The Avengers
Shakespeare and Beyond

Excerpt - "William Shakespeare’s Avengers: The Complete Works" by Ian Doescher

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Shakespeare & Beyond

The Bard meets the MCU in Ian Doescher’s reworking of the four Avengers films as a Shakespearean play. Read an excerpt from the epic Battle of New York scene from the first Avengers film.

Shakespeare's birthplace: Embellishing an ordinary home
Shakespeare's Birthplace
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakespeare's birthplace: Embellishing an ordinary home

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Richard Schoch

Richard Schoch examines the first published image of William Shakespeare’s birthplace from 1769, reflecting on the transformation of a humble home into a significant tourist site in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Five Folger Finds: A bouquet of flowers for spring
Shakespeare and Beyond

Five Folger Finds: A bouquet of flowers for spring

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Esther French

We’ve gathered a bouquet for you of flower illustrations in the Folger collection, ranging from watercolor paintings to hand-colored copperplate engravings. Enjoy these five blooms in celebration of spring.

Quiz: Can you identify these less well-known Shakespeare plays?
Pericles
Shakespeare and Beyond

Quiz: Can you identify these less well-known Shakespeare plays?

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Many people are familiar with the popular Shakespeare plays like “Romeo and Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” But what about the plays that are considered more obscure? Take the quiz to test your knowledge.

Something is rotten in the state of Gotham: Shakespeare and The Batman
Batman
Shakespeare and Beyond

Something is rotten in the state of Gotham: Shakespeare and The Batman

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor draws connections between Hamlet and Batman, noting the range of interpretations.

Birds of Shakespeare: The barnacle goose
Barnacle Goose
Shakespeare and Beyond

Birds of Shakespeare: The barnacle goose

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Missy Dunaway

The barnacle goose, referenced in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” was an unmistakable symbol of metamorphosis for a 17th-century audience. It was commonly believed that the barnacle goose evolved from driftwood. Artist Missy Dunaway shares her painting of this fascinating bird along…

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

What's onstage at Shakespeare theaters in April

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Ben Lauer

April 23 is Shakespeare’s birthday, and this month offers a plethora of ways to celebrate!

John, Paul, Pyramus, and Thisbe: The Beatles performing Shakespeare
The Beatles performing Pyramus and Thisbe
Shakespeare and Beyond

John, Paul, Pyramus, and Thisbe: The Beatles performing Shakespeare

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Daniel Blank

Did you know that the Beatles once performed the “Pyramus and Thisbe” scene from Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”? Although they mainly stick to Shakespeare’s script, the moments when they play with the text stand out.

Bottom's dream - Excerpt: 'Reading Shakespeare Reading Me' by Leonard Barkan
Shakespeare and Beyond

Bottom's dream - Excerpt: 'Reading Shakespeare Reading Me' by Leonard Barkan

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Shakespeare & Beyond

This excerpt from Leonard Barkan’s new book “Reading Shakespeare Reading Me” explores Bottom’s awakening and recollection of his enchantment as a donkey in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Look at Our Bottoms
Shakespeare and Beyond

Look at Our Bottoms

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Ben Lauer

The Folger has some really fantastic Bottoms. Seriously! Just look at these Bottoms!

Nicholas Rowe, early Shakespeare biographer
Nicholas Rowe
Shakespeare and Beyond

Nicholas Rowe, early Shakespeare biographer

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Shakespeare & Beyond

Nicholas Rowe is often referred to as William Shakespeare’s first biographer because his 1709 edition of Shakespeare’s works included an introduction with details about Shakespeare’s life. However, some of those details don’t appear to have much basis in the historical…

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